Fire-Brand Ministerial Outreach

Why is Financial Planning Essential for Women?

2011-08-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

By SiliconIndia, Monday, 01 August 2011, 04:30 Hrs

Bangalore: Investments, forms an essential part of financial planning for all individuals, including women. Investments generate returns for the future and take care of financial needs. Women appear to be confused when it comes to their relationship with money, investments, long time finances and retirement planning. Women seem to be comfortable leaving their finances and retirement planning to their husbands/father. Though women consider themselves to be the CFOs at home-strong, dominant, managers of family finances, they seem to be less confident about making their own investment decisions. Apart from working women, homemakers should take to financial planning too.

It's time that as a woman, you realize your financial situation and learn more about money, more than just balancing the checkbook and paying the bills. Women have to handle their funds in a different way from men. Mostly, due to factors like differences in earning patterns and concerns particular to women. Family conditions, change in locations, or orthodox family backgrounds, birth of children may be responsible for making women put their careers on the back burner. So, the monthly household income drops drastically, changing the situations in a household. Statistics show that, on an average, women live 5 years longer than men, earn 25 percent less during their life time and work 11 years less in their careers. Hence it is essential for women to plan her finances wisely.

Read more to find out how you can handle your monetary situation and turn it to your best.

Plan Separately from your Spouse: It is essential for women to have a detached and personal finance plan from her family. The alarming rates of divorces and lower security of life has increased the requirement for separate finances. If a woman manages her own finances, she will be well equipped to handle monetary issues individually, if ever the need arises.

Budgeting: Track where your income is being spent. There is no easier route to financial freedom than tracking one's own expenses. Financial success comes from spending less than you earn. Not keeping track of money spent leads to overspending. Budgeting starts with savings and savings starts with paying yourself. Set a savings goal per month and plan your spending around the balance. It may seem difficult, but this strategy can and does work.

Invest: Contribute to your retirement plans. Investing is the most important of all.If your employer does not offer a retirement plan, consider Life Insurance, Funds and Securities and Government Provided Investments as they are the best options which you can invest in. You could also compartmentalize your investment into various Fixed Deposits, NSCs, PF, PPF, Stocks and Mutual Funds and also in Gold and other Jewelry.

Divorce and marriage

2011-08-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Less than there used to be

IF MARRIAGE has become so unpopular, why are fewer people choosing to leave their spouses? According to the statistics from the Office for National Statistics on February 17th, the number of divorces in England and Wales fell again in 2009, by 6.4% from the previous year. This is the sixth year in a row that they have dropped, leaving the figure-113,949-at its lowest since 1974.
The divorce rate declined too: to 10.5 divorcing people out of 1,000 married ones, its lowest since 1977. The greatest number of break-ups was among people in their early 40s, the highest rate among those in their late 20s. Just under 100,000 children saw their parents split up, down from almost 150,000 in 1999.

Why are fewer people getting divorced, given all the economic stress and strain around? In part, because of that stress and strain: more redundancies and sagging house prices mean that it is not always possible financially to split into two households, even if you squabble unmercifully in one. The influx of immigrants from more traditional societies has helped, too, keeping divorce rates down and birth rates up. But the real reason is probably the decline of marriage.

Far fewer people than before are getting married, as everyone knows and the chart shows vividly. This suggests that the brave remnant who do choose to enter that uncool estate are pretty committed to it. And the fact that the average age at which people first marry has drifted up-to just over 32 for men and just under 30 for women in 2008, about three years older for both than even a decade ago-may also damp down divorce, as older people, so far at least, have proved less prone to calling it quits.

Statistics offer only the bare skeleton of the story; there are hundreds of thousands of personal reasons why people marry (or don’t) and divorce (or don’t). But they do suggest that attempts to cure social ills by chivvying people into marriage, as the Conservatives now in government have at times talked of doing, are wide of the mark The more people marry, it could be argued, the higher divorce rates are likely to be.

Sexual Abuse

2011-08-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

Sexual abuse is unwanted sexual activity, with perpetrators using force, making threats or taking advantage of victims not able to give consent. Most victims and perpetrators know each other. Immediate reactions to sexual abuse include shock, fear or disbelief. Long-term symptoms include anxiety, fear or post-traumatic stress disorder. While efforts to treat sex offenders remain unpromising, psychological interventions for survivors — especially group therapy — appears effective.
Adapted from the Encyclopedia of Psychology

What You Can Do

Open Up! Writing About Trauma Reduces Stress, Aids ImmunityWriting about difficult, even traumatic, experiences appears to be good for health on several levels - raising immunity and other health measures and improving life functioning.
Tips for recovering from disasters and other traumatic eventsUnderstanding the emotions and normal responses that follow a disaster or other traumatic event can help you cope with your feelings, thoughts and behaviors – and can help you on the path to recovery.
Understanding Child Sexual AbuseChildren and adolescents who have been sexually abused can suffer a range of psychological and behavioral problems, from mild to severe, in both the short and long term. Counseling and support services are important for both the children affected and the caregivers responsible for the abused children.
Child sexual abuse: What parents should knowInformation for parents and caretakers on the warning signs and treatment options for child sexual abuse.

Getting Help

Find a Psychologist
The Effects of Trauma Do Not Have to Last a LifetimeMost people will experience a trauma at some point in their lives, and as a result, some will experience debilitating symptoms that interfere with daily life. The good news is that psychological interventions are effective in preventing many long-term effects.

News

Child sexual abuse: Painful story, but little healingJune 28, 2011, The Seattle Times
Silence lifted: The untold stories of rape during the HolocaustJune 24, 2011, CNN
Marchers aim to debunk sexual assault stereotypesMay 6, 2011, Reuters

More psychology news

Monitor on Psychology Articles

‘I swore I’d never tell’October 2010
Porn use and child abuseDecember 2009
Champion of the innocentDecember 2009
Does proximity to schools tempt former sex offenders?September 2008

More Monitor on Psychology Articles on this topic

Books

Talking About Sexual AssaultMarch 2010
Sex OffendingJanuary 2008
Health Consequences of Abuse in the FamilyNovember 2003
From Child Sexual Abuse to Adult Sexual RiskOctober 2003

Parenting
Parenting practices around the world share three major goals: ensuring children’s health and safety, preparing children for life as productive adults and transmitting cultural values. A high-quality parent-child relationship is critical for healthy development.
Adapted from the Encyclopedia of Psychology
What You Can Do
- Changing diet and exercise for kidsWhen it comes to establishing healthy habits, you can teach children how to Act Boldly to Change Diet and Exercise (A.B.C.D.E.)
- Facing the School Dropout DilemmaThis article seeks to complement and supplement the APA resolution on school dropout prevention with data from more recent research on child development, early childhood education, and social and emotional learning that helps to define the school dropout dilemma.
- Confronting childhood obesityTips and resources for parents about helping their children make better decisions about what they eat to prevent childhood obesity.
- Communication tips for parentsParenting is hard work, but there are things you can do to maintain a good connection with your children and keep the lines of communication open.
- Single parenting and today's familyLife in a single parent household - though common - can be quite stressful for the adult and the children.
- Parenting: The teen yearsThe teen years pose some of the most difficult challenges for families. Teenagers, dealing with hormone changes and an ever-complex world, may feel that no one can understand their feelings, especially parents. As a result, the teen may feel angry, alone and confused while facing complicated issues about identity, peers, sexual behavior, drinking and drugs.
- Parents and Caregivers Are Essential to Children’s Healthy DevelopmentParents and caregivers make sure children are healthy and safe, equip them with the skills and resources to succeed as adults, and transmit basic cultural values to them.
- Staying connected: A guide for parents on raising an adolescent daughterTake a look at this informative brochure that covers topics including: puberty, peer groups, self-esteem, sexuality, mood swings, rebellion, and much more.
- ParentingA collection of research studies with a real-world applications, designed to help parents foster high-quality relationships with their children.
Getting Help
- Find a Psychologist
News
Working mothers and the effects on childrenJuly 21, 2011, ScienceDaily
Technology may not causing collapse of family lifeJuly 5, 2011, The Wall Street Journal
I like one child more than the otherJuly 5, 2011, CNN
Parents caught spanking children on audiotape real timeJune 30, 2011, ABC News
One-quarter of gay couples raising childrenJune 23, 2011, ABC News
Roughhousing with dad crucial for developmentJune 17, 2011, ABC News

Money
With Americans confronting especially challenging economic times, it’s not surprising that money tops the list of sources of significant stress in their lives.
Even children aren’t immune from financial worries. While only 18 percent of parents believe that money is a source of stress for their children, 30 percent of youth say they’re worried about their family having enough money.
Adapted from APA’s 2009 Stress in America survey
What You Can Do
- Managing your stress in tough economic timesUse these tips to help deal with stress about money and the economy.
- Staying resilient through tough economic timesMaking connections, looking for opportunities and other strategies can help foster resilience.
- Dollars and sense: Talking to your children about the economyOpen communication and age-appropriate information are key to reducing children’s stress.
- Having a Healthy Summer on a BudgetCutting back on family budgets doesn’t have to mean cutting back on fun.
Getting Help
- Find a Psychologist
News
Suicide 'link' to money problemsJuly 8, 2011, BBC News
Financial rejection: When wealth is uncomfortableJuly 7, 2011, Fox Business
Too many options can impair ability to choose 401KJuly 3, 2011, Medical News Today
Freedom more important to happiness than wealthJune 26, 2011, USA TODAY
Does poverty erode free will?June 10, 2011, The Boston Globe
Young adults sometimes see debt as a positiveJune 9, 2011, US News & World Report

HIV & AIDS
More than 1.1 million Americans have HIV, with more than 56,000 new infections contracted each year. An estimated 12 percent of new HIV infections each year are directly attributable to injection drug use.
The development of effective medications has lessened the psychological impact of an HIV/AIDS diagnosis for many people. In fact, most HIV-infected people — especially gay men with good social support and access to medical care — don’t suffer from sustained, severe distress.
In addition to helping individuals who are distressed, psychologists are studying ways to change people’s behavior and prevent people from contracting the disease in the first place.
Adapted from the Encyclopedia of Psychology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
What You Can Do
- Chronic illnessLearn how to manage the uncertainty, stressful lifestyle changes and day-to-day difficulties that a chronic illness can bring.
- Coping with serious illnessQuestions and answers about addressing psychological as well as physical issues.
Getting Help
- Find a Psychologist
- How to help a friend or loved one suffering from a chronic illnessLearn how to give patients and their families the support they need.
News
More access to AIDS drugs is urgedJuly 18, 2011, Boston Globe
Research sheds light on cause of brain deficits in HIV patientsJune 28, 2011, U.S. News & World Report
AIDS drugs can cause premature ageingJune 26, 2011, Reuters
UN drive to cut HIV in newbornsJune 10, 2011, BBC News
HIV todayJune 5, 2011, CNN
UN urges more funds for HIV drugsJune 4, 2011, BBC News

Abortion
Abortion, the medical or surgical termination of a pregnancy, is one of the oldest, most common and most controversial medical procedures. One controversy centers on whether abortion harms women psychologically.

Adapted from the Report of the APA Task Force on Mental Health and Abortion
Research on Mental Health and Abortion
- Mental Health and AbortionThis research review found no evidence that a single abortion harms a woman’s mental health. It also found that women who report distress post-abortion typically have other risk factors for mental health problems, such as substance abuse, poverty or exposure to domestic violence. The evidence regarding the relative mental health risks associated with multiple abortions is less clear; the report recommends further study in this area.
Getting Help
- Find a Psychologist
News
More states crack down on late-term abortionsJuly 24, 2011, Boston Globe
Russians adopt U.S. tactics in opposing abortionJune 10, 2011, The New York Times

Kids & the media
Kids and the media is a growing concern. Even very young children in our society get a big daily dose of television, video games and music lyrics. While such media can provide education and entertainment, they can also damage children. Research shows that exposure to violent media can result in aggressive attitudes and violent behavior in some children and adolescents.
Adapted from “Media violence and children” (ACT Against Violence)
Understanding Media's Impact on Children
- The impact of food advertising on childhood obesityResearch has found strong associations between increases in advertising for non-nutritious foods and rates of childhood obesity.
- Violence in the Media - Psychologists Help Protect Children from Harmful EffectsDecades of psychological research confirms that media violence can increase aggression.
- U.S. children: overweight and oversexed?Psychologists decry the cultural and marketing trends that are undermining children's mental—and physical—health.
Getting Help
- Find a Psychologist
News
Parents urged to check video games for violenceJuly 17, 2011, USA TODAY
Curbing kids' screen time is hardJuly 7, 2011, Reuters
Technology may not causing collapse of family lifeJuly 5, 2011, The Wall Street Journal
Does the media reward bad behavior with more attention?June 17, 2011, Fox News
Minority youth consume more media than white counterpartsJune 11, 2011, Psych Central

Ethics
Ethics are the standards that members of a profession must follow. In psychology, APA’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct lays out standards for psychologists and identifies behaviors that deserve punishment. The code includes sections on clinical practice, research and publication.
Adapted from the Encyclopedia of Psychology
What You Can Do
- Potential ethical violationsKnow your rights and your psychologist's responsibilities, so that you and your psychologist can work together to avoid problems.
Getting Help
- Find a Psychologist
- Filing a Complaint
News
- American Psychological Association Amends Ethics Code to Address Potential Conflicts Among Professional Ethics, Legal Authority and Organizational DemandsFebruary 24, 2010
- APA Council of Representatives Directs Change in its Ethics Code to Prevent So-Called Nuremberg DefenseAugust 5, 2009
More psychology news
Monitor on Psychology Articles
More than one-fifth of graduate students have Googled clients, study suggestsOctober 2010
Reproductive care goes globalJanuary 2010
A terminally ill patient's last requestNovember 2009
Termination and abandonment: A key ethical distinctionSeptember 2009

Marriage and Divorce
Key terms in this topic:
Cohabitation – when a couple live together but are not married

Illegitimate children – children whose parents were not married when they were born

Monogamy – this means that a person can only be married to one person at a time

Bigamy – is against the law. This is when a person is married to more than one person at the same time

Divorce – is the legal end to a marriage

Separation – when a couple live apart but are still legally married

Empty shell marriages – when a couple are still married and live in the same house but lead separate lives

Serial monogamy – when a person has a series of marriages, divorces and remarriages, e.g. Henry VIII and Jennifer Lopez.

Polygamy – is when a person is married to more than one person at the same time. This is accepted in some countries but is against the law in Britain. There are two types of polygamy:
- Polyandry – woman and husbands e.g. Tibet
- Polygyny – man with wives e.g. Masai in Africa

Trends in marriage and divorce

Increase in divorce rate (number of divorces per 1000 people per year)
Decrease in first marriages (where the people had not been married before)
Increase in re-marriage (where people were married before) This suggests perhaps that it is not necessarily marriage that is declining in popularity - just that some people choose the wrong person to marry.
Increase in cohabitation
Increase in illegitimate children

Reasons for the increase in the divorce rate 1. Changes in the law - several laws have been passed to make divorce easier to obtain.
2. Ease of divorce - the stigma of divorce is greatly reduced in society today, so people no longer feel ashamed to be divorced. Sociologists point to a decline in the influence of religion as another factor.
3. Change in attitudes - some sociologists argue that marriage is highly valued in society, partly due to the image the media present of marriage as based on romance and happiness. People now demand more from marriage and if it does not live up to the ideal they hold then they will get divorced and try again - this explains the growing number of remarriages.
4. The changing role of women - approx. 70% of divorces are initiated by women. Women today are more likely to be independent - with a good education, fewer children and a job. If they are unhappy in a marriage it is easier for them to leave and start again.

Marriage and Divorce
1.	Drag Quiz - Use the quiz to who is most likely to divorce.

Consequences of divorce

More single parent families
More one person households
More remarriages
May be more poverty if the person who has the children gets no financial support from their ex partner.
Children may lack a male role model (as most often the female gets custody of the children) and therefore not be socialised properly which according to the New Right may lead them to do badly in education.
Feminists might say that divorce is a positive thing for women and children as only men benefit from family life. They believe that female single parent families are better than nuclear families for women.

Is the family in decline?
It would appear from the evidence that the media image of the ‘cereal packet family’ as the typical family seems in doubt. It seems that ‘the family’ generally is not in decline, it is simply that there is now more diversity of family types in Britain today (i.e. many different types).

Marriage & Divorce Crossword
1.	Crossword - Use the crossword to check your understanding.

New Right and Feminist views of divorce

Theory Feminism
Divorce is a positive thing for women and children as only men benefit from family life. They believe that female single parent families are better than nuclear families for women.
New Right
Children may lack a male role model (as most often the female gets custody of the children) and therefore not be socialised properly which may lead them to do badly in education.

Religious Studies

Christianity: marriage and divorce

Page:

Christians see marriage as vows taken before God, and divorce is not encouraged.

Marriage

In the marriage service of the Church of England, the couple getting married make vows to each other. The traditional marriage vows are:

I, take you,to be my wife [or husband].to have and to holdfrom this day forward;for better, for worse,for richer, for poorer,in sickness and in health,to love and to cherish,till death us do part,according to God’s holy law;and this is my solemn vow.

Marriage is important for Christians because:

it's a gift from God; it's part of God’s plan for creation that men and women should live together
it provides a relationship through which husband and wife support each other; this relationship is built on love and faithfulness
it provides a secure environment for the bringing up of children

The importance of marriage is emphasised by Jesus
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.

Divorce, remarriage and cohabitation

The teaching of Jesus in the New Testament is against divorce (the legal ending of a marriage before the death of a spouse).

It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Matthew 5:31-32

Adultery (sex with someone who you are not married to) is also wrong according to the teachings of the Ten Commandments:

You shall not commit adultery.
Exodus 20:14

Many churches now allow divorce but a marriage can only be ended by an annulment in the Roman Catholic Church. This means that the marriage is regarded as never having taken place for special reasons.

Christian couple on their wedding day

In 1981 the Church of England allowed people to marry again after a divorce. Many other churches now hold this position.
The Roman Catholic Church is totally opposed to people cohabiting (living together without being married). Sexual intercourse outside of a marriage is a serious sin and couples who sin in this way cannot receive communion in church. Some Protestant churches accept cohabitation although they hope that the couple will choose eventually to be married in church.

Statistics

Total number of divorces in the UK:

Year	Number of divorces	Year	Number of divorces
1961	27,000	1993	180,000
1969	55,556	2004	167,138
1972	124,991	2005	155,052

Total number of marriages in the UK:

Year	Number of marriages	Year	Number of marriages
1961	350,000	2005	284,000
1991	340,000	2006	275,140

Total number of civil marriage ceremonies in the UK:

Year	Number of marriages	Percentage of marriages
1990	-	47% of all marriages
2004	184,910	68% of all marriages
2005	160,270	65% of all marriages

Question: What reasons can you suggest for the drop in numbers in each of the tables above?

Question: What connections between the figures in each of the tables can you identify?

Marriage After Divorce

2011-08-01T11:27:00.001-07:00

Your church wishes you a lifetime of love that grows within God's protection. But we recognise that some marriages do fail for all sorts of sad and painful reasons.

So in certain circumstances the Church of England accepts that a divorced person may marry again and this has been the case since 2002.

There may be a way forward for you to remarry in a church, but you should talk to your Vicar about this. Every Vicar will want to help you, though there are some who don't feel able to offer a wedding to couples where one or both of the partners has been divorced. In any case your Vicar will want to talk frankly about your past and hopes for the future and will then be able to advise you.

Even if it is not possible to do your wedding, they may offer a service of prayer and dedication after a civil wedding. There are more resources about this on the Church of England web site.

Read about Andy and Katie's wedding. Andy had been married before, but the couple were married in church.

It was second time around for another couple, Andy and Emma, who decided to have a service of Thanksgiving for Marriage after their civil wedding. Read more.

Marriage Breakdown

2011-08-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Introduction
Where a couple agrees that the marriage is over, the divorce procedure is a straightforward process. It is often the arrangements for children and assets on divorce where the parties will apply for a court order to resolve their disputes. Marriage for the whole of the UK has been declining over the last decade according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) from 349,700 marriages in 1991 to 291,800 marriages in 2002. Over this same period the divorce statistics show the rate has remained relatively steady with 173,500 divorces in 1991 reducing to 156,800 divorces in 2001 and 160,700 in 2002.

A breakdown in a marriage does not necessarily have to lead to divorce yet this route could have a dramatic effect on the spouses relationship with their children as well as their personal finances. An alternative to divorce is judicial separation and this would slow down the process and allow mediation to reduce the conflict. In certain situations it may be possible to apply for nullity of a marriage.

There are three parts of the divorce process starting with a legal procedure to end the marriage, secondly arrangements for any children of the marriage and thirdly ancillary relief proceedings that will decide the financial matters between the couple and as the step-by-step guide shows is a separate process to the divorce proceedings. The largest asset on divorce is usually the property and different orders can be applied to the matrimonial home by the court depending on the circumstances of the parties.

Divorce [step-by-step guide]
During divorce proceedings there are two decrees that the court must grant. Initially one of the parties known as the petitioner must apply to the court for a decree nisi, however before the divorce can be made final and the marriage ends the court must grant the decree absolute. In order to apply for a decree nisi the petitioner must have been married for over one year although since 1 March 2001 to proceed in England and Wales the individual has to established the criteria of jurisdiction. This involves showing that both parties or at least one spouse has habitually resident or domiciled in England and Wales of which there are a number of combinations that are acceptable for jurisdiction.

There is also a requirement for divorce to show that the marriage has irretrievably broken down, and to do this the person must establish one of five facts as proof:

•	Adultery of the other spouse;

•	Unreasonable behaviour of the other spouse;

•	Desertion by the other spouse after two years;

•	Separation with consent after two years;

•	Separation without consent after five years.

In about 70% of cases the divorce petitioner will cite adultery or unreasonable behaviour of the person, known as the respondent, in the petition.

If the divorce is by way of agreement between the parties, then unreasonable behaviour would require only a brief outline of the behaviour so help to avoid further conflict. At the same time as the divorce petition a statement of arrangement would be filed at the court showing the proposed arrangements for any dependent children that are under 16 years of age or in full time education.

If the divorce petition includes false allegations it would be important for these to be challenged by the respondent as they could influence future contact with children and result in costs being awarded against the respondent. In divorce proceedings there are two decrees that must be applied for to end the marriage. Once the respondent has acknowledged the divorce petition the petitioner can apply for the decree nisi. When the court receives the application, a judge will review the papers to ensure they are in order including arrangements for any children, before giving the decree nisi can be granted.

The petitioner will now have to wait 6 weeks and one day before applying for the final decree, the decree absolute. Once this has been granted the divorce is final and the marriage ends. At this point the parties are free to marry again. In terms of ancillary relief, although occasionally the couple can agree the allocation of maintenance and division of the matrimonial assets, completed before the decree absolute is granted, often a resolution will not be achieved until after the divorce is finalised and the step-by-step guide shows how this separate legal process works.

Judicial separation
In judicial separation proceedings the partner will obtain from the court a decree of judicial separation and this means a legal separation of the partners although they will still be married but not have to live together. This is different from divorce where the decree nisi followed by the decree absolute is required before the proceedings are final.

A decree of judicial separation will only be granted, as with a divorce petition, on the grounds that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. The partner must prove:

•	Adultery of the other partner;

•	Unreasonable behaviour of the other partner;

•	Desertion by the other partner after two years;

•	Separation with consent after two years;

•	Separation without consent after five years.

As with nullity, judicial separation can be granted within 12 months of the marriage. However, before the court grants a decree of judicial separation it will have to establish that the arrangements the partners have made for the children, if any, are acceptable to the court.

Judicial separation will allow the partners to apply for a court order to settle disputes of children, matrimonial property or financial matters during ancillary relief proceedings.

For ancillary relief proceedings an earmarking order against the members pension rights within a pension arrangement of the other partner, however, a pension sharing order will only apply to divorce or nullity.

Nullity
A marriage can be annulled if for any reason it is not valid and this can be done by the presentation of a nullity petition. Once the court has issued the partner a decree of nullity, there are no further requirements to end the marriage as with divorce which requires the decree nisi followed by the decree absolute. It would then be possible to apply for a court order settling disputes over children, matrimonial assets or financial matters during ancillary relief proceedings including the granting of a pension sharing order or earmarking order against the members pension rights from a pension arrangement of a partner.

A marriage can be annulled where:

•	It has not been consummated, that is where partners have not had sex while being married;

•	The partners are inter-married, meaning a marriage of close relatives;

•	At the time of the marriage one of the partners was already married to someone else;

•	One of the partners was under the age of 16 at the time of the marriage;

•	A partner at the time of the marriage had a venereal disease and the other partner was not aware of this at the time;

•	The partner at the time of marriage was pregnant with another persons child which the other partner was not aware of at that time.

As with judicial separation a presentation for nullity can be granted within 12 months of the marriage but must be presented within a reasonable time.

Arrangements for children
At the time of the petition for divorce, the petitioner and respondent will have to agree as to the arrangements for the children. This should be shown in the statement of arrangements for any children under 16 years of age or in full time employment, although if agreement is not reached it will not prevent the divorce from proceeding to the next stage.

The parties are obligated to maintain their children until they cease to be dependent and this is a responsibility that cannot be brought to an end. In term of the financial matters the Child Support Agency can be expected to try to obtain maintenance from the former spouse, usually the husband, for the children even if the parent responsible for the children declines to claim for maintenance. It is worth noting that children themselves have the right to apply for maintenance.

In most circumstances the court would have regard to achieving a clean break for a couple on divorce. However, this may not be desired where a wife with responsibility for the children has no source of income yet the husband is a high earner. In this case the court would seek a continued link through an order for continuing maintenance.

Future procedure
The current law for couples in England and Wales is based on the principle of fault based divorce, meaning that the petitioner is married for at least one year and is required to prove one fact from five that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. The Family Law Act 1996 (FLA 96) would bring significant changes by introducing, in part II, no fault divorce.

This means that no grounds will have to be shown as to why the marriage has irretrievably broken down by the petitioner when submitting a divorce petition. The Act would promote mediation, which is designed to reduce acrimony between the parties. Information meetings would allow for this mediation and a statement of marital breakdown would be produced 3 months after and once submitted to the court, this would mark the start of divorce proceedings.

A period of reflection would then start and last 9 months after which time both parties could then apply for divorce or judicial separation. In December 2000 the government announced that the FLA 96 would, in part, be postponed probably for several years.

Marriage And Divorce

2011-08-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

Marriage, Divorce and Adoption Statistics (Series FM2)

Product

This reference volume has now been replaced by a series of separate releases for each of the marriage, divorce and adoption topics. The releases contain detailed information on each topic and can be accessed from the links below.

View more information about this product

These National Statistics are produced to high professional standards and released according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

Office for National Statistics (ONS), Annual, ISBN=9781857746471, ISSN=14665816, Online edition, Contact: +44 (0)1329 444110

The Power of Bible Fasting

2011-08-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting, Matthew 17:21. There are many who feel Biblical fasting is unnecessary because Jesus paid for all at Calvary. This, however, is not according to the Word of the Lord. The Bible teaches fasting for all God's people; never will you have real power with God unless you fast.

In Matthew, the ninth chapter, we read that John's disciples came to Jesus asking why they fasted while Jesus' disciples did not. Jesus answered, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. After Jesus was taken from them, His disciples did fast.

It is recorded in Mark 9 that a father brought his son, who was possessed by a devil, to the disciples. They were not able to deliver the boy, but Jesus was. Later, the disciples wanted to know why they could not cast out the devil. They were told by Jesus that this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting, Mark 9:29. In my services the sick are healed by the numbers, devils are cast out. How is it done? Through fasting, prayer and living in the Word.

THEY FASTED IN OLD TESTAMENT DAYS

In Exodus, the thirty-fourth chapter, it is recorded that Moses did not eat for forty days and nights. He was on the mount with God and lived right in His mighty presence. Verse 30: When Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone . . . Fasting truly brings one into the glory of the Lord!

Elijah, in I Kings 19:1-8, ran from the enemy and went a day's journey into the wilderness. Twice an angel served him food, and then he ate nothing for forty days and nights. In the power and strength of the Lord he traveled 150 miles to the mount of God. If you want to reach the mount of God, fasting will help you do it.

We read of Daniel's fast of twenty-one days in Daniel 10:2,3: I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth . . . Then in the twelfth verse we read of an angel saying this about Daniel: . . . from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. Daniel's prayer, backed up by the power of fasting, was answered.

In Esther 4:16, Esther sent word to Mordecai, asking him and all the Jews to fast three days and nights while she and her maidens did likewise. She then went in before the king and won deliverance for her people.

The people of Ninevah fasted and God spared the entire city, saving over 120,000 souls (Jonah 3:5-10).

CHRIST, OUR EXAMPLE

Luke 4:1,2, And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. True Biblical fasting brings the anointing of God. In verse 18 Jesus cries, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me . . . After fasting forty days, Jesus began to heal the sick, cast out devils and perform many mighty miracles. As the Son of God He did not need to fast, but as the Son of man He fasted to show us how we can have power with God over all devils.

THE EARLY CHURCH FASTED

Acts 13:2: . . . they ministered to the Lord, and fasted . . . Men of God fasted and then carried out the command of the Lord. In Acts 9:9-17, Paul fasted for three days after his conversion; then he not only received his sight but also was filled with the Holy Ghost. Paul, in II Corinthians 11:27, was . . . in fastings often . . . Paul recommended periods of . . . fasting and prayer . . . I Corinthians 7:5.

WHEN TO FAST

God honors any sacrifice we make for Him and He does not set down rigid rules of contacting Him. Fast with a definite purpose. Don't fast just for the sake of fasting, but fast for the purpose of contacting God about a definite concern. The fast may be short or long: there are things we receive from God on a short fast while other prayers are answered only by a long fast. Your fast should always edify you and glorify God, for when it fails to do so it is not the kind of fast God wants. Use the wisdom God has given you.

HOW TO FAST

Matthew 6:16-18: Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Don't appear downcast when you fast or boast about how long the fast has been. Fasting is not for show but to afflict your soul so that your Father in heaven will answer your prayer.

There are many ways to fast. You can fast by drinking only water or you can fast by drinking water and just enough juice to keep up your strength so that you can do your work. You can fast one meal, two meals, a day, a week or as many days as you want, but never fast over forty days at a time. Jesus fasted forty days, the maximum amount of time you should fast. I have fasted many forty day fasts, but I have never felt I should fast over forty days.

Always drink plenty of water when you are fasting. God never asks us to do anything that will harm our bodies and people have hurt their bodies by not drinking enough water on a fast. Water flushes the poison from your system; many doctors feel that fasting is beneficial so long as you drink plenty of water.

God is concerned about the good health of your body. Spend as much time in prayer, reading the Word and meditation as possible. It is important to draw greatly on the strength of the Lord during your fast.

HOW TO BREAK A FAST

There are some who can drink juices when breaking a fast. If you cannot take juices on a weak stomach, however, then corn flakes or a cooked cereal with milk and NO sugar will be fine. Gradually you may take a little broth at short intervals with a little cooked rice added. The length of the fast determines how slowly you should get back to solid foods. After a long fast, for a number of days treat yourself as you would a baby because your stomach will have become tender and delicate. NEVER overeat when coming off even a short fast. Do not give vent to your appetite.

RESULTS FROM YOUR FAST

Fasting will put self more under subjection to God. Doubts will be dispelled and faith will take their place. Jesus, speaking of faith to remove mountains, said to the disciples, … nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting, Matthew 17:20,21. Come to Grace Cathedral and see God's miracle power in operation through fasting and prayer.

The Master Is In Full Control

2011-08-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

Mt.28:19; Is.43:8-13; 45:5-23; lSam.2:1-10; Dan.2:19-22; Rev.1:17-18.

From time immemorial, the Master knows and declares that He is in perfect/absolute control of all situations and circumstances in the spirit and physical worlds. No matter how out of hand a situation may be, He knows and declares that there is no cause for alarm. There is nothing like this matter has gone beyond what God can reverse or change. Consider Him that will bring all that are dead for ages back to life and judge everyone according to his works (Jn.5:28-29), get the devil and all evil spirits bound and confined in the bottomless pit for one thousand years (Rev. 20:1-4), eradicate death, sicknesses, sorrow, etc. for His victorious saints after their several years of mesmerizing the human race (Rev.21:4). The question is, can He not give us a foretaste of what is to come? Is He unprepared now to demonstrate it? His action on your case today will not only convince you but others that learn of it that He is in full control all the times in Jesus’ name. He is set to use you as a point of contact to draw all men unto Himself. Be ready to publish your testimonies until men will be asking you to take them to the Master that is in full control of all their needs (Mt.4:24; Mk.7:31-37; Lk.8:38-40; Jn.4:7-30, 39; Acts 8:5-9, 13; etc.).

This message is treated under two sub-sections to achieve what God has appointed it for: (1) The Master’s Profile. (2)He Is In Control Of All Your Needs.

The Master’s Profile (Mt.28:19; Is.43:8-13; 45:5-23; l Sam.2:1-10; Dan.2:19-22; Rev.1:5-8,17-18; 2:1,7,8,17,18,26-29; 3:1,5,7,12,14,21; etc.):

The Master’s profile is such that no being or thing can say no when He says yes or vice versa. Once one has gotten Him on his side, the matter is settled. After He has ruled on a matter, the case is closed. You don’t refer to whatever any other being or thing is saying or doing no matter the signs following the sayings or deeds.

He Is In Control Of All Your Needs (Jn.16:33; Is. 45:22; l Pet.5:7; Mt.11:28-29; Jn.8:36; l Sam.2:1-10; Dan. 2:19-22):

Bring all your needs to Him in full assurance that there is no alternative to Him. Look away from all that are drawing your attention from focussing on Him alone because He cannot share His glory with another (Is. 48: 11; 42:8). Go to Him for all your needs.

Now Is The Hour

Jn.5:2-9, 25-29

God’s ways are past finding out. He chooses some times to involve man in what He is doing. At other times, He does things just for the sake of exhibiting to men some of His attributes. Else, how can one explain His making whole the impotent man by the pool of Bethesda, a demonstration of His bowels of compassion and mercy. The man who had become hopeless, who never knew the LORD of all, nor expected anything from the Master’s interaction with him was surprisingly made whole without asking for it. That, which was all he desired and made futile spirited efforts to get was granted him at a platter of gold because then was the impotent man’s hour. For you, Now Is The Hour of getting your long awaited desire granted you unexpectedly by the compassionate Master in Jesus’ name. You will enjoy the LORD’s mercy today in Jesus’ name. You will go away today with miracles you never asked for in Jesus’ name. All your long standing desires will be granted you and you will be made whole in Jesus’ name. Say, Now Is The Hour for the LORD’s visitation of all my matters.

The Matters For The Hour (Jn.5:2-7, 25, 28-29).

The matters for the hour include all matters of those who have been looking for divine intervention (Jn.5:3-4), all long standing matters (John 5:5-6), all matters of those who have no man to help, the abandoned, the hopeless (Jn.5:7), all matters that can be described as the dead (Jn.5:25), all that can be described as being in the graves. Buried matters (Jn.5:28-29).

Why Now Is The Hour (John 5:6, 8, 25-29).

Now is the hour for your visitation because the Lord Jesus has seen you lie in that undesirable condition more than He can allow it. His bowels of compassion and mercy are already stirred up. He has elected to speak for you because none can resist His voice. Of course, there is none that can give deaf ears to His voice, for every knee must bow unto Him and every tongue must confess that He is the LORD. So, all your needs must bow to Him and confess that He is their LORD in Jesus’ name. Moreover, He has come down to execute judgment because He is the one the Father has appointed to execute judgment. He will bring all that are responsible for your cases to book today without fail in Jesus’ name. He will quicken you because He is able and willing. It is your time to rise up and take your bed and go home for good. You have been made whole in Jesus’ name. Tell yourself, “Now Is My Hour. I have been made whole”, Check for the problems. They are no more there. Praise the LORD.

Now, rise up with thanksgivings and claim all your miracles for the hour.

AGAINST THE SIEGE

Psalms 91:1-5; Isaiah 54:15-17; 59:19; 2Corinthians10:4-6

Very many people are being destroyed today as a result of ignorance, a terrible and horrible weapon Satan and his cohorts are using against humanity in general. He cashed on it to undo Adam and Eve, the first man and the first woman on earth and succeeded in overturning their blessings and those of their generations (Hosea 4:6; Genesis 3:1-7). Today, he is effectively using it against both believers and sinners. He lays a siege against them, a spiritual military blockade, an action whereby his unseen armed forces surrounds men and isolates them from God while continuing to attack them. The message the LORD is projecting is that He has effectual and effective weapons against them that we must employ today to counter the siege and forge ahead, for Satan is not able to stop the promises of God from being realized. Let him that has ears hear what the Spirit is saying.

Satan cages men with the followings while he furiously attacks them. Among the cages are unconfessed, unrepented and un-restituted sins (Isaiah 59:1-2; Proverbs 28:13), unbelief and doubt (James 1:6-8). Some others are caged by casual and unserious attitude in approaching God for their needs ( ). Others are frustrated from receiving because they are not persistent (Lk.18:1). Some cancel their miracles with impatience (I Sam.13:5-14). So many ask outside God’s will to consume them in their lust and so receive nothing (James4:1-3). Some, especially old timers, hardly hold on when they are being tried. Satan makes them believe that without them the church will not move, thereby giving reasons or having ministrations that pitch them against constituted authority and delay or bar their promotion( ).

Neglecting special instructions by the LORD is another deadly weapon of blockade ( ). The enemy equally blocks people, even when they are faultless if they fail to recognize their period of trial and act appropriately ( ). Familiarity with or disregard of the preacher/God’s Word, and failing to allow the foolish or the ass to be used by the LORD to minister to them cages them ( ). The list can continue.

As soon as one is snared with any of these, Satan with his cohorts will bombard him from all angles; push him away from the secret place of the most High. Such with the these snares of the fowler will experience the noisome pestilence, or fear from the terrors by night, or the arrows that fly by the day, or the pestilence that walks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday, or falling, or inability to have victory over their adversaries, or evils befalling them, or plagues coming in their dwellings, or no protection/no guidance, or bruises, or no deliverance, or bringing down, or no answer to prayers, or dishonour, or shortened life. The reverse will be the lots of anyone who discovers himself under these sieges of the unseen spiritual armed forces and draws away from those things that the devil has used to ensnare him while attacking him. That is to say that he will from now experience all the promises of Psalm 91. We should all take advantage of this revelation and enjoy the unsearchable blessings of Psalm 91 by turning a new leaf.

By His Spirit

2011-08-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

1Cor.12:1-11; Is.11:1-5; Lk.4:18-21; Acts.4:31-34

Attention to this message will bring God's children to a remarkable height in the Spiritual realm, which transcends to the physical, material and financial. It is so because the righteous and faithful God will always answer the prayers of His people and granted them their heart’s desire for wholly walking with Him, making them His choice inheritance. The LORD will also be adding to their blessings, to get them fully revived, nourished, refreshed and strengthened for the great task ahead.

The Gifts By His Spirit (Is.11:1-5; Lk. 4:18-21):

They include such things given willingly by His Spirit without payment (Mt.4:24; Rom.6:23; Acts.12:7-11; etc); Supernatural talents, abilities (l Cor.12:1-11; Is.11:1-5; Judges 16:5; Dan.1:17, 19; 1 Kgs.3:12-14; etc.); Divine favours (Acts.4:31-34; Gen.39:1-6, 21-23; etc.).

Be Enriched By His Spirit (Mt.7:6-12; lCor.12:3-7; Acts.1:8; Lk.4:18-19):

Every gift by God’s Spirit is good and must be seen, regarded, appreciated, sought and treated as such for one to receive and retain it. The gifts of God are given to profit not only self but others through testimonies, ministrations, services and witnessing. They are meant to provoke us to love the LORD, the things of the LORD, His people and get committed to Him; hallow Him and His servants and render Him worthy services.

Anyone of this disposition should go straight and earnestly ask God to enrich him in any way he desires and he will become another King Solomon in getting more than he asked (1Kgs.3:3-14). The LORD is ever looking for those who will go for Him, witness Him, engage in His Business with their talents to empower. Change your attitude towards Him and His gifts, and experience the riches of heaven rain on you until you become very wet and soaked with them at a measure everybody will notice.

The Gift of Unanswered Prayer

2011-08-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes God's "no" is exactly what we need.
By Jerry Sittser

It is every mother's worst nightmare. Her 3-year-old son, Kostya, is dying of an incurable disease. The mother believes that God can heal her little boy. She alternates agonizingly between hope and despair, fighting and giving up. Still, she prays, "imbuing her prayer with all the power of her soul, although somewhere deep within her she feared that God would not move the mountain-that He would act not according to her desires, but according to His own will."


	Strange as it may sound, we need unanswered prayer.

Her little boy dies. Why? she thinks to herself. Why would the God to whom I prayed so much allow him to die?

The great Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy tells this woman's story in a short story titled "Prayer," which he wrote after reading about a shipwreck in the United States in which many children died. Tolstoy wrote the story to explore the problem of unanswered prayer.

I read the story only recently, when I was pondering the problem myself. I once thought that unanswered prayer was either the result of God's sovereign will, which functions like a trump card, making our prayers largely irrelevant, or the result of human failure, which makes our prayers unacceptable to God, however needy we are. In either case, the outcome is the same-unanswered prayer.

A startling idea
Tolstoy put me into a new idea, both troubling and helpful. What would happen, I wondered, if all our prayers were answered?

I searched my memory, trying to recall some of the prayers I prayed many years ago. I thought about the early and heady years of serving as a youth pastor in southern California when I was ready to conquer the world, with or without Christ. Within two years the high school group I led grew from 20 members to 125. It was the group in the area to attend. I was riding a wave of success. I witnessed many answers to prayer and enjoyed the fruits of my labor. Everything I touched turned into gold.


	We pray not only as saints but also as sinners, very much inclined to use prayer to advance our own selfish interests.

Eventually the ministry leveled off and lost momentum. And thank God it did, for I had become insufferably proud, a self-appointed expert in youth ministry. I wonder what would have happened to me had all my prayers been answered during those early years of ministry, if our group had continued to grow, if our program had continued to receive recognition. Perhaps unanswered prayer was good for me.

When we pray, we pray not only as saints but also as sinners, very much inclined to use prayer to advance our own selfish interests, even when we pray out of desperation. Prayer for that reason is highly complex. On the one hand, the very act of praying reminds us that we are children of God. On the other hand, that same act of praying exposes us for the fallen creatures we are.

Thus, there are prayers God won't or can't answer, for our own good.

Winners and losers
We often say selfish prayers without thinking much about them. We pray for parking spaces when we're running late, never considering that ten other people, as late as we are, might be praying, too, for the two remaining spaces available in the parking garage. We pray for victories in elections, forgetting that victory for one party means defeat for another party that might be just as prayerful as we are. We pray for success in business, though increased sales in our business might undermine competitors down the street who are praying for the same thing and need success more than we do. Not that these prayers are necessarily wrong, but we should remember that answers to our prayers might be at someone else's expense.

When my oldest son, David, was in elementary school, he played on a soccer team that dominated the city league. However, during the final city tournament, they had to square off against a team that had beaten them badly only a few weeks before. Both teams played well. At the end of regulation play, the score was tied 2 to 2. So they had to go into a shootout, where five players from each team shoot against the opposing goalkeeper from twelve yards out. Whichever team scores the most goals in the shootout wins the match.

The parents on our side turned the match into something akin to a medieval crusade, complete with all the spiritual overtones. I heard several parents mutter, "Please, Lord, let our boys win." One woman said, "God, if they win, I will believe in you again." Not to be outdone, I-a seasoned Christian, an ordained minister, an author of books on theology, a professor with a Ph.D.-joined this chorus and even conjured up several reasons why God should answer our prayers.

Our team won when our goalkeeper blocked the last shot. The kids went wild, leaping into the air and piling on top of each other. It looked like a scene from a Disney movie. One parent said, "I believe there's a God again." Being more modest and pious, I simply uttered a prayer of thanksgiving under my breath.


	When we pray for victory, as sometimes we must, we should always pray with humility.

We had no way of knowing, of course, what was happening on the other side of the field. I learned more about the other team only recently, some five years later, when I met a Christian parent from the opposing side. In the course of our conversation she described a tournament championship in which her son had played years earlier. Their team "needed" that victory, she said, to add the finishing touches to the only winning season they had ever had. But they lost-"in a shootout and on the last shot." Only then did I realize that she was talking about our championship match.

Did God answer our prayers and deny theirs? I don't think so. For all I know, God answered their prayers in a more significant way. Perhaps they had been praying that their sons would grow up well, learning to honor God, to become people of character, and to develop perspective in life. Adversity, after all, probably does more to help people grow up than easy victories. In the end losing might have been better for them than winning was for us.

This is an innocent example. But not every case is so innocent. Sometimes people pray for victory when the stakes are high and prayer seems like the only alternative to despair and defeat. Christians on opposing sides have prayed for victory in conflicts that were-and are-far more serious and deadly. Some Christians in the United States are praying for Israel's victory over the Palestinians, while Christians in Palestine are praying not for victory but for peace. Again, some Christians in Northern Ireland are praying for the defeat of "the enemy," whether Protestant or Catholic, while other Christians are praying not for vindication but for reconciliation. And some Christians in the United States are praying for economic recovery in our nation, while Christians in other parts of the world are praying for enough food to survive another day.

That is the danger of praying for victory. Our cause may be right, in a narrow sense. But we may still be wrong-manifesting pride, gloating in victory, punishing wrongdoers with excessive severity, and excusing sin. The great hazard for people on a crusade is that, however legitimate the crusade, they become blind to their own faults. They oppose abortion but don't care about the needs of women. They fight for civil rights but treat secretaries and janitors like second-class citizens. They uphold the standards of biblical sexuality but show little grace toward their spouse.

So when we pray for victory, as sometimes we must, we should always pray with humility. Otherwise the "victories" we gain will be won at too great a cost. What does it profit, asks Jesus, if we gain the whole world-winning every conflict in which we are engaged-but lose our own soul?

Protection from ourselves
Strange as it may sound, we need unanswered prayer. It is God's gift to us because it protects us from ourselves. If all our prayers were answered, we would only abuse the power. We would use prayer to change the world to our liking, and it would become hell on earth. Like spoiled children with too many toys and too much money, we would only grab for more. We would pray for victory at the expense of others; we would be intoxicated by power. We would hurt other people and exalt ourselves.

Unanswered prayer protects us. It breaks us, deepens us, and transforms us. Ironically, the unanswered prayers of the past, which so often leave us feeling hurt and disillusioned, serve as a refiner's fire that prepares us for the answered prayers of the future.

10 Ways NOT to Place People into Ministry
Learn from these mistakes.
by Jamie Atkins

As director of ministry placement, I've made my share of mistakes. Here are some of the biggest I've made. I share them so you don't have to repeat them!

1. Don't pray about it.

If God gives the vision for a ministry, He always prepares the players to make it happen. Successful ministries grow in God's own timing.

2. Assume everyone you ask to serve will stick it out automatically.

People stay in the game because they feel needed and valuable. A coach is the one who can keep the vision and purpose before volunteers as they go about doing ministry that God has equipped them to do. It is our responsibility to provide ongoing training and support. We must reinforce their job description and its boundaries. We must ask them often, "How can I better support you? How can I make things easier for you? What tools do you need?"

3. Don't allow people to tell you where they want to serve.

You can sell your idea or your pity story and hook someone who has the gift of "I can't say no," or you can go for a win/win situation for both sides.

The perfect fit in placing someone in ministry comes when you take the time to talk with them and provide testing instruments that will reveal to you both their spiritual gifts, personality style, and God-given passion or burden.

Ask about their beliefs, their church history, and involvement.
Talk with their Bible study teachers and friends within the church.
Be intentional about really getting to know this person, then invite them into a ministry area in which they are gifted and passionate.

I like to give folks several options to consider and pray about. We also allow them to "test drive" a ministry, by connecting them to another member already serving before committing to an assignment.

Also, I never leave a new servant in a role very long without assessing the fit. If it is wrong, end it immediately and begin the quest and praying for another area.

4. Give them a task with no training or clear expectation and let them hang themselves.

I asked one man to take an important role, which he agreed to immediately. I had observed this man in church life for years. He was a deacon, a godly man, attended every Sunday, always pleasant and smiling, a newly retired CEO of a large company—the perfect fit for a leadership role coupled with the gift of administration.

His first Sunday as leader, he delegated every responsibility then sat down. That's the way he had led in business. It demoralized his team in just one Sunday. I had not clearly explained his role, so we prayed, we discussed ways to better lead the team, and he willingly became a servant rather than a leader and all was well. Today, two years later, he fills the same role successfully.

5. If people are doing their job well, don't worry too much about their spiritual life.

At peak traffic, it seems like a million vans and sports utility vehicles are entering our campus at the same time. It seems that each family has three or four small children running across traffic to the church building. My concern for safety grew quickly. Once again God sent the perfect person to head this traffic team.

This man was a complete stranger to me, but he had all the right plans of action, started immediately, brought with him half his Bible study class to work. I got to know him and discovered that this man was a former Special Agent with the Narcotics Division. He had resigned because his wife cried so hard every time he left home wearing a bulletproof vest. Now he could play cops and robbers safely and for God. What a deal!

Bob could make things happen. He persuaded me to get a crosswalk painted, put signs in the parking lot that said, "Slow down, Watch for children," and hire a CPR instructor to teach the entire team for certification. He did a great job on Sundays.

But the more I got to know Bob, I began to discover a very strong personality and "my way or the highway" attitude. Bob has great insight for the team. He could make things happen, but he didn't like being a fellow servant. He didn't like the boundaries I set and he couldn't just hang with the team and love them.

I asked Bob to step down. I soon learned that he was dealing with deep depression and it was obvious that God was dealing with him, though he didn't yet see it. My first concern for Bob was his spiritual life. It needed repairing. I gave up a leader because his spiritual growth is more valuable to this church and to God for now. He is back in Bible study and worship, probably rearranging and directing some things. I continue to pray for his family and know he will return to the team in God's own timing. My desire for Bob is to be whole.

6. Just make up the rules as the ministry grows.

Before you begin building a team, have purpose and plan. Know the needs and opportunities available in your church. What is God calling your church to do new, different, better? Have a printed job description for everything. Have someone in place to train, coach, and mentor every volunteer. Correctly interpret their position to further the kingdom.

You are headed for complete disaster if you simply want a ministry in place by fall and you begin pulling people together and expect them to wing it. It is your responsibility to think through the details and spell it out on paper. Never tell them, "I trust your judgment, go for it." Ownership and authority can be passed on after volunteers are secure in the position and you have shared the church's vision and they have bought into it. You'll know it is time when you see a passion for this area of ministry in their heart larger than your own.

Every position must have direction, coaching, support, and practical guidelines. After proper time for performance, feedback, re-training, and buying into the church's vision, then you can give them the authority to call the shots and make changes, trusting them to do so.

7. Distinguish too much between volunteers and staff.

It's easier to blame volunteers for their poor performance and lack of motivation rather than to blame ourselves for our lack of coaching. We are the ones who determine their motivation. We are the ones who should equip them to lead.

These people we lead are ministers, not just warm bodies doing a job. They do ministry, not tasks. In many cases, they have the heart and gifts to do ministry as we do. The only difference is we get the paycheck.

Pastor and staff must support and uphold their responsibilities to the laity of the church. Staff is hired to resource ministry and to help equip and coordinate other people. Ministry is now done by teams. The staff must equip and assist the lay leaders. We need to get past territorialism and the "we/they."

Volunteers are not here for us. Staff is here to help them do ministry, too. One way Christ built His kingdom is by instilling His compassion into the hearts of His followers, who in turn minister to each other and to the whole world.

8. Just keep them happy on Sunday.

We know we're on the right track when volunteers take what they do on Sunday into what they do on Monday. The result is a group of people who are loving God and letting God work through them. We must respect their faith and values and share the ministry. Ministry placement is a lifelong journey of helping people discover, be affirmed, and grow in their gifts and call for service in the church and in the world.

All believers secretly wish to make a unique contribution to the body of Christ with our unique passions, spiritual gifts, and personality style. We have a responsibility to provide opportunities of service. The resources are in the pews of your very own congregation. Teach them about their God-given gifts; show them how to live an abundant life in service.

9. Direct the program from your Ivory Tower.

Administer spiritual gift and personality inventories and begin to invest in people.
Explain why you want to try something different.
Considered how it will affect each person on the team.
Never asked someone to serve where you have not already done a "test drive" yourself so you can fully know the responsibilities and commitment needed.

When I serve with people, I do not observe the servants. I observe the flow, the needs being met, ways to simplify their efforts, and any supplies/tools they need.

10. Believe you can start a new ministry and have it ready by Sunday.

To do ministry effectively and work with life-long committed servants, placement must be a slow process and ongoing effort without deadlines. Think about Jesus and the disciples.

He hand picked twelve to follow.
He trained them in the fundamentals and sent them out as free agents.
He taught them how to lean on the Holy Spirit.
He encouraged them to nurture their communion with God.
He called them to ministries of justice and compassion and to work on inward growth and outward service.

Volunteers are also called to follow. With care, sensitivity, and reverent imaginations, we can reflect the original design for the church in the will of God.

So wait as you pray for the highest quality of volunteers who will bring to the team commitment, compassion, consistency, chemistry, and competency. A lay minister is a child of God chosen to do ministry which will benefit their relationship with Him.

I get to see the best of what God is doing in individual's lives, in the church as a whole, and in our community. I serve a church who transforms belief into behavior, which results in service to others. That becomes more true every day. We are building teams. We don't shy away from change! In fact, we know that our ability to embrace and interpret change is absolutely vital to our commitment to service to our fellowship. As I lead and watch this church grow, my greatest joy is to see volunteers impact others for Christ.

Jamie Atkins is Director of Ministry Placement and Body-Life Team Leader at The People's Church in Franklin, Tennessee

Revisiting the Pagan Olympic Games
New scholarship on the ancient Olympics reminds Christians why Emperor Theodosius outlawed the event so many centuries ago.
By Steven Gertz

It begins with an austere mask shattering into pieces, revealing the true focus of this magical night—the human body. Minutes later, a centaur (half human, half horse) launches into the darkness a "javelin," a shaft of light arching through the air. Then the Greek god Eros descends over scantily clad lovers sensually clutching and releasing each other as they frolic in the water. Finally the procession of Greek history begins, with float after float parading the progress of Greek sport, science, mathematics, warfare, theatre, and—culminating in the persona of the goddess Athena and a replica of the Parthenon—religion. Over all this, Eros hovers, as though the god of love is guiding the course of human history.

Christianity was not entirely absent from this spectacular opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. When 96 percent of your country's population identifies itself as Greek Orthodox, you had better represent the church in your rehearsal of national history. But the Christian faith got only a cameo in the sacred story spanning millennia. In a spectacle celebrating the human body and what it can do, why fete the religious prudes responsible for outlawing the Games more than 1,600 years ago?

Read the papers, listen to the media networks, check out the history bits on the Olympic website, and usually all you'll find about this little-known episode of Christian censorship is a cryptic remark that in a.d. 393, Roman emperor Theodosius banned the Games, along with other festivals, for being "too pagan." Under the emperor's direction, fanatical Christians closed and later tore down ancient wonders of the world, most notably the Temple of Zeus built in Olympia and the Temple of Serapis in Alexandria. Search a bit more, and you might discover Theodosius's successor, Theodosius II, ordered his Roman army in 426 to demolish the impressive stadium of Olympia, which could accommodate more than 40,000 spectators at its peak. The world would have to wait until the modern era before the marvels of the human body and the brilliance of the civilization that dreamed up the Olympics could once again go on display.

But is that really all there is to the story? Is it really fair to caricature Christians as anti-sport, anti-body? After all, didn't Christians have a part in birthing the Olympics we know today?

More than this, new historical research suggests Emperor Theodosius may have had some very good reasons for outlawing the Games—ancient Olympia sponsored a few events the International Olympic Committee might just look askance at today. Not to mention what went on outside the arena.

Olympic Gore
In the August 9, 2004 issue of U.S. News & World Report, journalist Betsy Carpenter offered some penetrating insights (via respected historians) into the ancient Olympics we thought we knew so well. She writes, "Almost every dewy-eyed notion about the ancient games is shriveling in the light of the revisionist scholarship." The idea that the Olympics gave amateurs a chance at glory is assuredly a romantic one. First of all, Carpenter notes, the original Olympians were professionals—in the sense that they trained and competed virtually full time. Top athletes shuttled around other prestigious sporting events, much as they do today. And victors profited royally from their wins, snatching front-row seats at the Games, huge cash prizes, pensions, and even slaves.

But at least the Greeks prized the noble virtues of "agility, speed, and coordination," right? Certainly some of the events—particularly the races—suggest this. But one of the most popular events at the ancient games was the four-horse chariot race, Carpenter writes, which often ended in gory pileups. The racetrack, which sent its athletes spinning around turn posts, made for multiple spills and accidents. Sophocles tells the story of one young driver flung out of his chariot head-over-heels. "When his companions caught the runaway team and freed the blood-stained corpse from his rig, he was disfigured and marred past the recognition of his best friend."

Nor was every death accidental. The Olympics also featured a "ferocious, no holds-barred brawl known as the pankration. . . [This] was a vicious mix of wrestling, boxing, and street fighting in which punches, kicks to the groin, shoulder and ankle dislocations, and chokeholds were allowed." One infamous contestant earned the nickname "Mr. Digits" as he specialized in breaking his opponents' fingers. Spectators of boxing events witnessed comparable violence—historian Stephen Miller recounts the story of one Damoxenos who jabbed his opponent with his fingers sticking straight out, pierced the man's rib cage, and yanked out his intestines!

It's not difficult to imagine what Christians thought of all this. Sport itself was not necessarily off-limits to Christians—consider St. Paul's reference to "running the good race" in his letter to the Galatians. But bishops and ministers would assuredly have discouraged Christians from competing in the Olympics' combat sports. In fact, the third century minister Hippolytus listed 24 vocations forbidden to Christians in his book, Apostolic Traditions; and eight of these involved brutality, including chariot driving. For that matter, church fathers from Justin Martyr to Origen to Tertullian counseled Christians to shun violence, even if they did it in self-defense.

Competing for the gods
Moreover, Christians could not have participated in the Games, because they were so thoroughly pagan. Before the Games began, competitors processed to the village of Piera on the outskirts of Olympia. There, priests sacrificed a fat pig to Zeus, and the athletes participated in a ceremony of purification. Once the contestants had been confirmed, the priests repeated the ceremony, this time sacrificing a pig and sheep before the colossal statue of Zeus in Olympia. The athletes then swore allegiance to the Greek gods and fidelity to Zeus.

Nor were the gods relegated to the opening ceremonies. Winners of events visited the Temple of Zeus to sacrifice to the gods, and half of every animal was delivered to the priests to be prepared for the Olympic feast. That feast, held on the third day of the Games, was marked by a procession—priests scooped up glowing embers from the fire of Hestia, goddess of the hearth, then carried those embers past spectators singing a hymn to Zeus. Arriving at the Temple of Zeus, the priests mounted the steps and lit the fire in the altar with the embers. There, the priests slaughtered and sacrificed 100 bulls—one at a time—after which the feasting began.

If this wasn't offensive enough to Christian sensibilities, Greek men competed in the nude—apparently, one runner early in the Games' history lost his loincloth en route and ended up winning the race, thereby encouraging everyone else to follow suit. Married women were not allowed in the stands; women who flouted this prohibition ran the risk of being pitched head first off of nearby cliffs. But unmarried women were allowed to watch; and hetaeras, or "high-class" escort girls, would prostitute themselves during the banquets for Olympic victors. Some of these women likely came from the population of temple prostitutes dedicated to Aphrodite, goddess of love and sex.

An Emperor Says "Enough"
We begin to understand more of why the Roman emperor Theodosius (A.D. 346-395), intent upon not only tolerating Christians—as Constantine had—but also making Christianity the state religion, would do away with the Olympics. To be sure, he at first seemed to put up with the pagan aristocracy, and the senator Symmachus even hoped that the emperor would reinstate the ceremony to the gods at the Altar of Victory in Rome. But Theodosius came under the tutelage of the bishop Ambrose of Milan during a series of military campaigns he was waging in Italy (by that time the capital had moved from Rome to Constantinople), and Ambrose fanned the flames of Theodosius's Christian faith and conscience.

And so, on February 24, 391, the emperor began issuing a series of decrees that effectively outlawed Greco-Roman paganism and all the rituals that accompanied it. First, he prohibited pagan sacrifice, including—for the first time—the state ceremonies still practiced in Rome. Then came the closing of all shrines and temples: "No person shall approach the shrines, nor walk through the temples, nor revere the images formed of mortal hands." Next came a law forbidding apostasy from Christianity to paganism, and finally, on November 8, 392, Theodosius declared all sacrifice and divination punishable by death. That meant destroying private altars, domestic idols placed in hearth and kitchen, hanging garlands, etc. Bishop Ambrose was ecstatic, praising "Theodosius who, after the example of Jacob, supplanted perfidious tyrants and banished the idols of the gentiles; who in his faith wiped out all worship of graven images, and trampled down their ceremonies."

And the Games Return
Of course, all this is ancient history now—we moderns have revived the Games without all this mythological nonsense. Or have we? Consider our present-day Olympian anthem:

"Ancient Immortal Spirit, chaste Father of all that is Beauty, Grandeur and Truth Descending appear with Thy presence Illumine Thine Earth and the Heavens. Shine upon noble endeavors wrought at the Games on Track and in the Field … To Thine Temple, to Thy Worship, come all. Oh! Ancient Eternal Spirit!"

Yes, athletes no longer sacrifice animals to Zeus. And yes, a number of Christian athletes are performing in these Games. But I wonder if, last Friday night when Eros descended to give his blessing on the ceremonies, Theodosius was frowning from beyond. And I wonder if we should have frowned as well.

Divorce - A Biblical Perspective

2011-08-01T09:04:00.003-07:00

Critical Perspectives: Divorce - A Biblical Perspective

by Eric Thurman
PhD Candidate
Drew University
Madison, NJ

In an age when marriage, once considered the bedrock of society, has tumbled from its position of moral prominence, and the divorce rate (among Christians as well) has skyrocketed, it seems that the Church has, for the most part, stood impotently looking on, unwilling or unable to tackle the thorny issues surrounding divorce. Many who are involved in divorce themselves, or seek to help others, who are, query what the Bible has to say on the subject of separation and divorce.

Biblical Teachings on Separation and Divorce

Divorce is discussed directly in a number of New Testament texts, but perhaps the most important ones are Matthew 5:31,32 (along with 19:1-12) and 1 Corinthians 7:10-15. In the Matthew texts, the Greek word apoluo is used. The term Apoluo, however, carries a broader range of meaning than the English word “divorce,” and most of its occurrences in the New Testament are along the lines of "release, set free, send away, and acquit." Matthew uses the term about seventeen times and in most of those instances it means either "to send away," as in sending away crowds, or "to release" as in releasing a prisoner (see Matthew 14:15, 22, 23; 15:23, 32, 39; 18:27; 27:15, 17, 21, 26).

Other uses in Matthew, however, refer specifically to divorce because of the phrasing of apoluo gynaika, to divorce a wife. This is the case not only in 5:31,32, but also in 19:3, 8, 9. (See also Mark 10:2, 11; Luke 16:18). In addition, the context of Matthew 19:3-9 makes it fairly certain that legal divorce, not separation, is the subject throughout the entire exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees. As they do elsewhere, the Pharisees seek to "test" Jesus and his understanding of the Law (19:3).

Marriage, Ordained by God

Matthew’s Jesus, in the discussion of marriage and divorce at 19:1-12: “And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there. The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away. He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it”, appeals to Genesis 2, 3 as the divine intention for marriage. So, it is understandable that in his debate with the Pharisees, Jesus interprets Deuteronomy 24:1-4: “When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance”. This passage says that a man may divorce his wife if he finds “something objectionable” about her, by stating that the Deuteronomic allowance for divorce was introduced only as a pragmatic concession. Perhaps like another early Jewish teacher, Rabbi Shammai, Matthew’s Jesus limits what a man may find “objectionable” to what in the Greek is called porneia. Many translations render this word as “unchastity” in this passage and “sexual immorality” in other contexts, although its precise meaning is a constant point of debate.

A Legal Loophole?

Thus, in his dialogue with the Pharisees, the more accurate interpretation is that Jesus limits justifiable divorce only to cases of sexual infidelity of some kind. Some scholars have suggested that Matthew himself has added the clause “except for porneia” to Jesus’ original teaching as a kind of concession as well, since other New Testament texts on divorce, like Mark 10:2-12, do not have Jesus naming this exception.

Within the Bible alone, the term porneia can range in use from “incest” (1 Corinthians 5:1), “adultery” (Jeremiah 3:9), “prostitution” (Matthew 21:31,32; Luke 15:30; 1 Corinthians 6:13-18), and even “idolatry” in a metaphorical sense (Revelation 17:1-5, 15,16). Since there is a more specific Greek term for adultery, moicheia, which Matthew uses elsewhere separately from porniea (see 15:19), its meaning at 5:31,32 may invoke a more general sense of sexual immorality.

Therefore, if Jesus held such a strict view of divorce, and even if those who attempted to qualify his stance allowed divorce only for instances of sexual infidelity, it is certain that Jesus, his Jewish dialogue partners, and his Christian interpreters would all agree that having sex with, much less actually marrying, another woman while married–separated or not–would amount to adultery.

Pauline Thinking on Divorce

In chapter seven of his first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul uses two different terms for divorce. In 7:10,11, 15 one finds xorizo and in 7:11-13, aphiami is used. Some have suggested that while aphiami here means legal divorce, xorizo simply means separation. Since the command attributed to Jesus at vv.10,11 uses both verbs, and since that command is likely based on a tradition like the one found in Matthew 5:31,32 and 19:3-9, it is difficult to make a sharp distinction between legal divorce and informal separation.

Paul may very well be alluding to such a strict (and possibly original) saying of Jesus forbidding divorce at 1 Corinthians 7:10,11. Here, too, although Paul may be parenthetically qualifying this teaching at v.11, by allowing for divorce without remarriage, he explicitly qualifies Jesus’ teaching in vv.12-15 in light of a situation that Jesus did not address. If a believer and an unbeliever are married, they should remain so, says Paul, unless the unbeliever wishes for a divorce. In that case, the believer is under no obligation and is free to remarry. Therefore, with these two central New Testament texts on marriage and divorce, one encounters two different grounds for divorce.

Modern Thought

Early church theologians, by and large, leaned toward the teaching of Matthew’s Jesus, even going beyond it to the extent that they forbade remarriage even in the case of a legitimate divorce. Such stricture is not implied in the New Testament texts which assume that a lawful divorce allows lawful remarriage to another. Modern churches, of course, differ in their interpretations of the New Testament and their criteria for permissible divorce. Likewise, different churches may have different criteria for what counts as “proof” of infidelity.

For Further Reading

Divorce in the New Testament, by Raymond F. Collins (Liturgical Press, 2002)

Getting Marriage Right, by David P. Gushee (Baker Books, 2004)

Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage, by Kenneth E. Hagin (Faith Library Publications, 2001)

Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage in the Bible, by Jay Edward Adams (Zondervan,1980)

Marriage Made in Eden: A Pre-Modern Perspective for a Post-Christian World, by Alice P. Mathews, M. Gay Hubbard (Baker Books, 2004)

Resolving Conflict in Marriage, by Darrell L. Hines (Whitaker House, 2001)

The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted, by Tim Clinton, Julie Clinton (Word Publishing 2000)

PERSONAL, RURAL/CITY EVANGELISM

2011-08-01T09:01:00.001-07:00

SPIRITUAL NETWORK

(PERSONAL, RURAL/CITY EVANGELISM)

YOUR CHURCH CAN GROW THROUGH PERSONAL EV ANGELISM

NETWORKING

1. Introduction

Personal Evangelism is Christ's mandate to every believer. 1t is the carrying on of the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18) by the instrumental of individual believers reaching out to sinners with the gospel message on person to person basis. This foundational method of soul winning is the attempt on the part of a Christian to show to another person from the Word of God his need as a lost and guilty sinner (Romans 3:10-23; 7:14-24; 1Corinthians 6:9-10), the truth of God’s judgment and punishment (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 1:32; Revelation 20:15, 21), God’s love, resulting in the provision of a Saviour in the person of Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 1:29, Titus 2:11-14) and the requirement of repentance and faith in Christ on the part of the sinner to be saved (Matthew 4:17; Luke 13: 2-3; Acts 3:19; 17:30; Romans 10:9,10; John 3:15). This must be tactfully concluded with a deliberate effort of leading the sinner to repentance and accepting Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour (John 1:46-51; Acts 8:35-39).

2. He That Winneth Soul Is Wise (Proverbs 11:30) –

The word WIN can be analyzed in many ways:

(a). In military term, it suggests the skill, patience, bravery, tactfulness, and endurance of soldiers in battle, needed to overcome a strong and highly resistant city (Joshua 6:1-21; 2 Samuel 10:9-19). So the soul winner's task of winning the battle for man's soul.

(b). As an occupation, the term Soul Winning is likened to fishing and it shows the diligent effort a fisherman takes in the face of all kinds of weather and danger in attracting the fish to swallow the hook until it is caught.

(c). From the Judicial/Legal perspective, the Soul Winner is Christ’s counsel. With wise and logical presentation of the scriptural truths, he makes the sinner abandon all his contrary views about Christ and the gospel and judge him right as his personal Saviour and Lord.

(d). As an athletic, the term Soul Winning requires zeal, interest, and discipline for success.

(e). In business term as an entrepreneur, the Soul Winner needs business plans, interpreted into activities with interest, discipline, self-denial that lead to growth and success.

3. WHY PERSONAL EVANGELISM

From research findings, Personal Evangelism is the most easy-to-do, costless and penetrating method of evangelism. It cannot be easily outlawed by the bans on public preaching and laws or proclamation that may affect mass forms of evangelism. Through personal evangelism, the potential convert's personal attention is gained, his doubts cleared and the decision he makes, becomes solid and strong. It is the fastest and easiest war of quickly multiplying disciples and reaching any category of individual in the community. Close intimate relationship can be developed and maintained between the Soul Winner and seeker e.g. Jesus and John, Jesus and Nicodemus.

The Church of God needs consecrated Christian who will give themselves to the task of personal evangelism. One soul genuinely won for the Lord and saved, is better than 1000 empty professionals.

Consider this networking in a Church that practices Personal Evangelism seriously.

On January 1^st it has 20 members, each endeavour to bring 1 soul in the month of January. The congregation will be 40 at the end of the month. On February 1^st it has 40 members, each endeavour to bring 1 soul in this month. The congregation will grow to 80 at the end of February.

On March 1^st it has 80 members; each endeavour to bring 1 soul in March, the congregation will be 160 members at the end of the month of March. On April 1^st the Church will be 160, each endeavour to win 1 soul into the Church, making 320 at the end of April.

On May 1^st the congregation stands at 320, each endeavour to bring 1 soul in May. The Church will grow to 640.

On June 1^st the Church will be 640, each endeavour to bring 1 soul in June. The congregation will have 1280 members. What a great achievement, an addition of 1260 members in 6 months! All that is needed is the Military, Occupational, Judicial, Business-like, and Athletic spirits mentioned above. It is possible and has been done by some fastest growing Churches. The initial 20 members of the Church on January 1^st act as the network group leaders; each member of the congregation is a network leader.

Translated into individual effort;

Ø Those in January bring 6 souls.

Ø Those in February bring 5 souls

Ø Those in March bring 4 souls

Ø Those in April bring 3 souls

Ø Those in May bring 2 souls

Ø Those in June bring 1 soul.

(See the write-up on approach below to have an idea of how it can be done).

Or, see it in this way. If in a Church of 100 standing believers, each endeavours to bring in 1 soul in 6 months, there will be 400 believers in that Church at the end of 6 months.

Evangelism/Counseling/Follow-up/Visitation Coordinators, what are we waiting for? Which of our congregations today has recorded such a high rate of growth and increase with our multiplied programmes? The personal visit of a doctor can never be compared with the general prescriptions of cure for the public. The doctor examines the patient, diagnoses the disease and prescribes personal remedy. Let us develop the ability of individual effort and strive by all means to win souls by personal evangelism - the seriousness and heart-beat of God - to save sinners from the wrecking influence of sin, world and its damning consequences are revealed by His solemn charges (2 Timothy 4:1-2; Mark l5:16; Ezekiel 33:11-19) and his involvement in directing Soul-Winner to souls (Acts 8:26-29; 10:9-20; 16:20). The Lord Jesus Christ gave time to the Samaritan woman. He died because of souls.

4. Values Of Soul

The value of a soul is incomparable to all the riches of the world put together (Matthew 16: 28).

(a) The precious blood of Christ was shed to secure its redemption (1 Peter 1:18, 19).

(b) Human souls are the battleground between God and the devil, and Satan seems to be gaining more ground in these last days through the multiplying of false religions and prophets who are speedily and zealously attracting blinded souls into their nets making them twofold children of hell.

(c) Besides, the time left for this job of eternal consequence is short as men are dying daily in this day of tragic accident, air crashes, incurable disease and natural catastrophic phenomena that are daily sending unprepared souls into a lost eternity (John 9:4; l Corinthians 7:29-31; Job 1:13-19).

(d) The fact and reality of hell as a place of agonizing torment and everlasting punishment in unquenchable fire demands that Soul-Winning should be daily and seriously carried out and that diligently (Mark 9:43-47; Luke 16:23; 2 Corinthians 5:11).

(e) The pitiable conditions and descriptions of the sinner's plight demand that every believer should have burning compassion for the salvation of souls.

5. Factors For Effective Soul Winning

Effective Soul-Winning depends on a number of necessary factors in the Soul Winner's life. One who is still in the pit cannot rescue another in the same pit with him, just like no blind man can show the way to another blind man (Matthew 15:31).

(a) The necessity of genuine conversion and salvation from sin for anyone who wants to be involve in Personal Evangelism (2 Timothy 2:6).

(b) The Soul Winners as a surgical knife in the doctor's hand must live a spiritually sterilized life free from spots, blemishes and evil report, not to constitute an offence to seekers.

(d) He must be free from leakages and blockages and properly joined and connected to the Source through prayers and fellowship (Jude 12-13; John 15:1-7).

(e) An ignorant lawyer cannot be able to defend his client in the face of the law and charges leveled against him, so a Soul Winner who lacks the knowledge God's Word cannot convince a sinner to accept the claims of Christ and accept Him as his personal Lord and Saviour (Colossians 3:16; Hosea 4:6).

(f) He needs the compassion of a doctor, the courtesy of a nurse, the conviction of a communist and the commitment of miner.

(g). He should be bold, courageous, enduring as a good soldier of the Cross and patient (2 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Corinthians 5:20).

6. Why Many Christian Do Not Evangelized

Many believers today shirk their God-giving responsibility of Personal Evangelism because of:

(a) fear of man (John 7:37; 9:23; Isaiah 51:12-13)

(b) love of money and worldly pursuits (1 Kings 20:40)

(d) The presence of secret sins in their lives. We must get rid of all these vices in our lives.

7. Approaches For Successful Networking

Successful Soul-Wining begins with using the right approach for the right person and at the right time. The first task is that of creating an open door for discussion on the subject of the gospel and securing the attention and the interest of the sinner. Whenever the initial over tunes are defective or uninspiring, excuses are given to withdraw from the Soul Winner. So there is need for wisdom and deliberate study to develop the right ways of approach.

(a). Direct Approach – this involves abrupt introduction of the vital theme to a soul, either because of the shortness of time or to get direct answer from the person. When using this approach, the Soul-Winner asks direct questions such as - is your soul right with God? Are you born again? If you were to die in 5 minutes time, do you think you will be with God? Philip the evangelist used this approach in dealing with the Ethiopian eunuch, “understandest thou what thou readest?” (Acts 8:30).

(b) Indirect Approach - this involves the art of turning a conversation which began with physical issues into spiritual channels. By this, Soul-Winners can discover what a person believes, lead him from a known physical fact to unknown spiritual truths and gradually build up his convictions to submit to spiritual truths. The Lord Jesus Christ used it to win the Samaritan woman (John 4:7-29).

(c) Friendship Approach - The Soul-Winner leads the soul to Christ by cultivating his friendship deed of kindness; a love service and friendliness are used as a bait to get the sinner interested in the gospel message. This requires a lot of willingness to pay the price in the way of giving, self-denial and hard work. The Lord Jesus dined directly with sinners to be able to reach them (Matthew 9:10- 13).

(d) Literature Approach – A tract is given in a kind and courteous manner, helping to break the Ice and open up the way for personal conversation. The tract must be appropriate and well printed.

(e) After-Fellowship Approach - The comment made in the message or Bible Study can open the door of personal conversation.

8. Powerful Conversation/Effective Presentation Of The Gospel

Once the door of conversation has been opened, the next urgent task of the Soul Winner is the presentation of the gospel. He must reach the intellect, affect the will, stir the emotions, arouse the conscience and bring the unsaved man to the point of decision and surrender to Christ.

To be effective, there are things that must be done:

(a) Like the doctor, diagnose the case with the use of question to discover the class he belongs and how best to deal with him.

(b) Describe the disease - sin as a disease of the soul - must be revealed with the help of scriptures and painted vividly enough that the sinner will discover it in himself apparently (Galatians 5:18-22, l Corinthians 6:9-10).

(c) Prescribe the remedy - Christ is the remedy for sin. Lift Christ so high, that the sinner from the pit of sin where he is wallowing will be willing to jump out and hang on Him immediately for help and deliverance (John 12:32; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 1 Thessalonians 2:2; Hebrews 10: 19-22).

(d) Warning of the danger of delay and rejecting the truth (Isaiah 1:19; 2 Corinthians 6:2; Proverbs 29:1; Hebrews 4:1-6).

(e) Urging for immediate decision - induce the sinner to a decision. If he declares his intention to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, he should be made to pray out in his own words confessing his sins and receiving Christ as Lord and Saviour (1 John 1:9; Romans 10:9-10).

(f) Anchor him to the Word of God for assurance.

(g) Finally, show him how to continue in Christ. Invite him to your next fellowship, Bible Study, Sunday Service, Prayer Meeting, etc (in the case of your Church growth through Networking). See also needs for follow-up.

9. Things To Avoid In The Course Of Dealing With Souls

(a) Do not exalt self above the sinner, or condemn denominations.

(b) Avoid acting victorious or proud when you have scored a point (Matthew 11:29) and do not tell sad stories, but point to Christ (John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9)

(d) Do not have bad breath or body odour. Dress properly and moderately.

(e) Deal not with more than one person at a time.

(f) Avoid getting into an argument with the seeker.

(g) Do not loose your self control and emotion.

(h) Avoid telling a person he is saved.

(i) Do not tell seekers to think it over. Bring to a decision at once where possible.

(j) Do not be discouraged by apparent failure. You may just be only another link in the chain of getting the person to accept Christ (John 4:37-38).

10. Further Help

In Personal Evangelism, the Soul Winner needs to be familiar with scriptures that deal with specific or various categories of sinners, such as:

(a) The Careless (Luke 14:16; Ezekiel 33:9; Acts 24:25; Hebrews 2:3; 12:25; Isaiah 47:88-9)

(b) The Deceived (Matthew 24:5; 1 Corinthians 6:7; 15:33; Galatians 6:7; Ephesians 5:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; I John 3:7).

(d) The Confused (John.6:37; 8:36; Jude 24; 1 Peter 1:5; 2Timothy 1:12; Philippians l: 6)

(e) The Superstitious (Acts 17:22-31; 1 Samuel 4:3-14; l Kings 20:23-30; Jeremiah 10:2-13).

(f) The Excuse Makers (Luke l4:16- 24; Matthew 25:24-25; Acts 24:24-25)

(g) The Ignorant (Hosea 4:6; Acts 17:23; Matthew 6:23; 15:14; Jeremiah 5:4; Micah 4:12).

(h). The Anxious (Acts 16:30-31; 2:37; Luke 3:9-14)

(i) The Backsliders (Hebrews 10:38; 2 Peter 2:20; Revelation 2:4-5; Hosea 6:1-3; Isaiah 31:15; 55:7).

(j) The Free Thinkers (Psalm 10:4; 14:1; Romans 1:19- 26).

(k) The Objectors (Romans 2:1-6; Ecclesiastes 12:4).

(l) The Skeptics (Psalm 10:4; 14:1; 1 John 2:22).

11. Needs For Follow-Up, Visitation And Convert Welfare

Effort put up in Personal Evangelism to win a soul will not yield much fruit if follow-up, constant visitation and convert welfare are neglected and relegated to the background. In the networking, remember that the Soul Winner needs to put efforts to take the convert through series of convert studies and integrate him with the fellowship of the local Church. He should also help him to be baptized in water and make him go through a discipleship training to further establish him in the faith and doctrines of the Christian faith. The young convert also needs to be covered and protected through the constant prayers of the Soul Winner and constant visitation. He must be loved and cared for all the time, during persecutions and time of difficulties and discouragement, so that he will not backslide. The Soul Winner must be willing to sacrifice both money and material where need be for both spiritual and physical welfare of the convert (2 Corinthians 12:15; Acts 9:27-30; 11:25-26; 14:21-22). Intimate relationship is the answer!

12. Handling Objections

We need to understand that Soul Winning is snatching Satan’s captives into God's kingdom and that Satan will always put up a fight, and objections through his human agents and captives to hinder. Hence, the weapon of prayer to bind the strong man and loose the captives is vital (Matthew 3:27; 16:19; Luke 4:18). He must be given to much praying claiming the souls of those he intended to win for Christ and at every movement of opposition, to silently exercise authority over Satan (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

(a). Objection 1: Those who vehemently oppose preaching. They openly

resist our attempt and threaten to foment trouble.

Response: It is wise to calmly respond by informing such people of our intention to speak with those who might be interested. You may give a tract with your Church address and let there be exchange of phone numbers for further communication between you and the person interested. There is no need to fight back or be obstinate. The calm response is not weakness but will paint a picture that may win the admiration of those interested.

(b). Objection 2: Those who ask question to distract us from our primary

purpose.

Response: A lovely smile and quick information to treat such matters later may quiet such people.

(c). Objection 3: Those who put up serious religion arguments

Response: Meekly but firmly inform them of the futility of winning

an argument without considering the facts of God’s love, human sinful nature and God's provision for our salvation. Refrain from the path of argument (2 Timothy 2:16-18; Titus 1:14).

13. Conclusion

Commitment to personal Soul Winning is lacking today in most of our Churches.

It is therefore pertinent that the minister-in-charge should aim at raising a network of believers in the Church who are addicted to Personal Evangelism. He should be an example to others under him. He should train the people through systematic pulpit/practical teacher; organize Weekend Evangelism Seminars and Workshops. Deliberate effort should be made to challenge the believers to Personal Soul Winning. To evaluate, the network group leaders should be asked periodically to assemble members of his networking through Personal Evangelism - specially organized “Convert Rally Day”.

REMEMBER - When a soul is saved, there is joy in Heaven, the community is made better, a family has been helped, a life has been transformed and a multitude of sin has been covered (James 5:20). God's kingdom has been enlarged. The Soul Winners now have some ones to call him "father in the Lord”, he has joy here on earth and crown of rejoicing awaits him in heaven (I Thessalonians 2:19-20). Personal Evangelism Networking is the answer to fast growing congregation. Your Church can grow rapidly.

"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever" (Daniel 12:3).

Why not join the wise today. Speak to that man in your office, that sister next to your desk and customer of yours in the market. Prayerfully, seek, speak and bring only six of them to your local Church in the next six months. Your Church must grow with and through you. Amen.

For more information and counseling, useful comments, contact Pastor Gabriel E

C/o Counseling Directorate, RCCG Headquarters North 2 Province, Jos.

Phone No 08027503684/ 08065641806 E-mail: jonathanekpo@yahop.com Or Pastor Tony Abah – 08036546282; A/,P Mrs. E. Joshua - 08065383920.

BASICS OF RURAL EVANGELISM

TEXT: Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:45-48; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:13-15

INTRODUCTION

The Gospel of Christ is for every sinner on the face of the earth as commanded by our Lord and Saviour. But it is rather unfortunate that most of the preachers and Soul Winners concentrate on the minority people in the urban cities of the world because of modern amenities. Jesus Christ our model example went from place to place. He did not neglect the Rural dwellers (Matthew 9:33; Luke 13:22; Mark 6:56) because the Son of Man came to seek and to serve that which was lost (Luke 19:10). The Church should do more by following the footsteps of our Saviour for the purpose of reaching the unreached majority in the Rural areas.

1. THE MANDATE FOR RURAL EVANGELISM

All believers are mandated to preach the gospel of the kingdom to every creature. It is a task that must be carried out. The delivered Gadarene demoniac went into the cities of Decapolis as he was commanded and he turned the whole city unto the Lord (Mark 5:19-21). The seventy disciples also obeyed as they were instructed by the Lord and they came back with great testimonies (Luke 10:17). Obedience is a mark of true discipleship and love for the Lord (John 14:15).

Reasons Why We Must Preach To The Rural Dwellers: -

1. Christ died for all sinners in the world (John 3:16; Luke 19:10)

2. The reality of hell fire (Psalm 9:17; Mark 9:41)

3. The time is short (1 Corinthians 7:29)

4. The danger of neglect (Ezekiel 3:17-18)

5. False Christ and deceivers are on the increase (Matthew 24:11)

6. Christ did it by example (Mark 1:38)

7. Occultic activities and proliferation of idol worship and false doctrines in many Churches.

8. Many are tired of false worship, fed up with life and desiring for something real.

2. THE METHODS FOR RURAL EVANGELISM

When Christ gave the commission, He already demonstrated some methods of Soul Winning. He left the Holy Ghost to teach His disciples all things. Such proven methods for reaching Rural Dwellers are:

a. Open-air Preaching or Mass Evangelism (Acts 8:5-8)

b. Event Centered Meetings i.e. drama, film show and the use of audio cassettes, video and TV.

c. Group Meetings i.e. Gathering of Youths, Elderly, and Town Clubs for the purpose of reaching them for Christ.

d. Evangelistic Meeting through invitation for special programmes.

e. Personal Evangelism by pairing with the use of PA Systems, language tract, and so on.

f. Power Evangelism through signs and wonders to reach the hardened and unpenetrated hearts (Acts 3; 6; 4:4; 8:5, 6).

Provision of Social and Physical amenities for the purpose of reaching the closed minds as the missionaries did in Africa e.g. Borehole Water, Clinics, Schools and Recreational Centres.

3. THE MOBILISATION FOR RURAL EVANGELISM (Romans 10:14; Luke 14:28-33; Numbers 13: 17-20).

It is essentially necessary to mobilize and motivate the army of the Lord for a total war against the devil for rural evangelization. The disciples of the Lord (the twelve and seventy) did not go out until they were sent. Paul and. Silas never commenced any missionary outreach until they were commissioned by the Holy Ghost. Neither did Isaiah and Jeremiah know the heartbeat of God concerning his people until they were sent with the words of encouragement from God that He was with them. In this way, the qualified, spirit filled members of the Church will be at ease in the urban centers scrambling for minorities at the expense of the majority in the rural areas if they are not commissioned (Amos 6:1; Isaiah 6:8; Acts 13:1-2).

Essentials For Mobilization/Planning and Survey: Our God is a master planner. He created all things in order of importance (Genesis 1:2). Jesus Christ also solicited for planning (Luke 14:28-33). Hence we should prayerfully plan our outreach before we embark on them.

The survey of the target will expose the type of people (occultic, religious, Muslim, idol worshippers) and the common language and level of education. As we pray, plan and survey, materials needed, cost of the outreach, method of penetration, suitability for church planting and the human resources for monitoring will be identified.

BREAKING SPIRITUAL BARRIER IN RURAL EVANGELISM (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 4:23-33; Matthew 9:35-38; 12:29)

INTRODUCTION

In Revelation 3:20, we read, “Behold I stand at the door and knock”. This door refers to an individual's heart. It can also refer to the door into a town or a village (Psalm.24:7, 9). In Colossians 4:3, Paul asked us to pray for the door to open to preach the gospel. When such door opens for a rural community, Christ comes in to reign, thus many souls are converted and Christ's Church is planted.

In most rural communities, the gospel is resisted because of the activities of evil spirits, and satanic powers. These evil spirits are working through many cultures and social systems to close gospel doors in many communities. Satan himself blinds the minds of the people in order to hinder them from being saved (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

(A) REALITY OF SPIRITUAL FORCES N RURAL EVANGELISM (Ephesians 6.12; I Peter 5:8; John 10:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:18. 2 Timothy 3:8; with Exodus 7:8-12; Acts 13:4-12.

The forces that oppose evangelism are just as formidable as the army that threatened the kingdom of Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah. These forces are united in hatred and opposition as directed by the devil, against all who truly want to give their lives to Christ and the Soul Winners.

Satan hates the penetration of the rural communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ and he is scheming everyday to destabilize and frustrate the conversion of sinners and the effect of the Soul Winners. He uses the under mentioned ways to subvert the minds of the people.

(1) Religion, culture and customs (Matthew 15:3; 6, Acts 17:22, 23).

(2) Idolatry (Acts 17:22, 23).

(3) Activities of evil spirit (Acts 16:17, 18; Judges 9:22; 23:2; 2Corinthians 4:3, 4). As Satan hinder souls from being saved, he also keeps the saints busy fighting themselves and setting disputes instead of being busy with soul winning.

(4) Ignorance of believers (Hosea 4:6).

(5) Procrastination (Acts 24:25).

(6) Fear of tomorrow or cares of this world (Matthew 13:22).

(7) Worldliness (2 Timothy 4:10).

(B) RESOURCES OF BELIEVER'S SPIRITUAL W ARF ARE

2Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 6: 10-18; Mark 9:28-29; Luke 11:20-22.

God has made adequate provision for our spiritual warfare in Christ against Satan.

Believers should not be ignorant of these precious and formidable resources at the disposal. The armour can be categorized into three parts: (1) Preventive Armour (2) Defensive Armour (3) Offensive Armour.

(1) Preventive Armour (Acts 18:13-16; Psalm 66:18; John 14:30; Ephesians 6:14; 2Corinthians 6:7). The Christian soldier must: (a) be born again (Ephesians 6:14; Luke 11:~7.19). (b)Live above sin- the flesh and the-world (Psalm 34:7:2, Chronicles 16:9); (c) Have faith in God's world (Luke 21:18; Psalm 125:2; 2Chronicles 32:8) in order to prevent all attack from the devil. (2) Defensive armour (Ephesians 6:10-18) - Paul listed six of such weapons thus: (a) Loins girls about with truth (b) Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel. (c) Shield of faith (d) helmet of salvation (keeping saved). (e) Praying with all prayers. (f) The sword of the spirit which is the word of God.

(C) POSSIBILITIES THROUGH SPIRITUAL WEAPONS

There were many miracles of salvation, healing and deliverance in Bible days as a result of the use of spiritual weapons. Unprecedented miracles of new birth experience, instantaneous touch for the deform people took place (Acts 2:37-42; 3:6; 4:4, 31, and 32:16:17, 18).

The following would be achieved as we use God's given weapons against the devil and his cohorts. (1) Open doors (Ephesians 6:19; Colossians 4:3). (2) Mass conversion of souls (Acts 2:37-41). (3) Healing and deliverance (Acts 3:6; Matthew 8:1-17; Acts 8:4-8). (4) Expansion of Christ's kingdom (Acts 2:41-47). (5) Nations will be exalted through righteousness as corruption is reduced to the minimal (Proverbs 13:34). (6) Great joy of heaven (Luke 15:7) (7) Rewards for the saints (Daniel 12:8; 2Timothy 4:8).

CONCLUSION: Remember the Lord needs you in the Rural communities.

THE CHALLENGE AND VISION FOR CITY EVANGELISM

Text: Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15, 16; Luke 24:47-49; Acts 1:8.

Introduction

The great commission cannot be fully carried out except the cities are adequately evangelized. The gospel message is to be preached where the people are. This is why cities and urban centres pose a great challenge to evangelization, if every creature is to be reached (Matthew 24:10). The Lord Jesus Christ placed great importance on city evangelization (Luke 4:43). The Church was born in Jerusalem where 3,000 people were converted through Peter's preaching. A very large proportion of people live in cities because of the economic and commercial activities that are concentrated in them. Cities are centre of dense multilingual people with a very high rate of charge. There are cities, mega cities and word-class - (more than 1 million people). Hence, the challenge and vision for city evangelization must be viewed with seriousness in order to stir up believers to positive, sacrificial and self-denying action.

1. CONDITIONS AND SITUATIONS IN OUR CITIES (Isaiah 1:4, 6, 7; Jonah 1:1, 2; Acts 17:16-18, 20-23; 19:28-29, Mathew 9:36; Acts 26:18).

Cities are heavily populated for many reasons viz: economic, political, educational, cultural, social amenities, etc. The effect of the population explosion in cities subjected many city dwellers to diverse vices - crime, alcohol, rape, sexual perversions, drug abuse, corruption, immorality, divorce, juvenile delinquency, gambling, etc. All these in turn cause moral decay and ungodly behaviour. The other side effects of these are untold suffering, sickness, disease, untimely death, insecurity, and fear. The level of teenage-adult involvement in crime (as a result of unfulfilled expectations) is on the increase.

The conditions in the cities are at the worst level and will require a pragmatic approach that will awaken believers to go out with the gospel at any cost to liberate those under Satan's dominion and bondage. Many approaches to youth evangelism have failed in some cities because these youths live in a clan culture and hence do not respond to the gospel for the fear of isolation.

2. EFFECTS OF CITY LIFE ON EV ANGELISM (2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13; 1 Timothy 6:9, 10; Acts 17:16-20).

City dwellers, by their life-style, are generally hostile to the gospel. They claim to be civilized and enlightened and so raise many arguments for rejecting the gospel. Being spiritually blind, they see the message of the gospel as anti-social whereas they seek after pleasure. Both the poor, rich, educated, illiterate, all alike, cannot ordinarily, without the influence of the Spirit, accept the gospel at first hand. Yet they lack peace, rest, joy, satisfaction and contentment (Romans 3:10-18; 1:22-28). They are influenced negatively by the mass media, theatre and social gatherings where lust runs wild.

On the other hand, the city also has its effect on the Christian: (a) the value placed on literary education by the society is also imbibed by Christians at times to the neglect of the gospel: (b) the love of property soon creeps into the life of the careless Christian; this is an epidemic in cities. Christians and non-Christians alike purchase and insure material luxuries. Some even neglect family, sacrifice health, and call it common sense to acquire "things", (c) the work or business we do is another thing in cities. Work is necessary but it should NOT become an END in itself for the Christian but a means to an end. Positive and fashionable social images lead many Christians to compromise the Word of God in cities. Pretensions and stage acts are killing city preachers very fast. (d) The city life dynamic of planning for the future e.g. saving, buying land, etc., (which is good in itself), very often may lead to DISAPPOINTMENT and many Soul-Winners are lost.

3. COMPASSION FOR CRYING CITY DWELLERS (Matthew 9:35-38; Mark 5:15; Romans 7:24).

“And when Jesus saw the multitudes (in the city) He was moved with compassion..." (Matthew 9:36). Nothing but godly compassion ought to move with compassion respond positively to the cry of millions dwelling in cities. It should arouse in us unquenchable desire to share the gospel with the multitudes that are perishing. When Paul saw the idolatry in Athens, he "was stirred up in his spirit (Acts 17:16). Paul did not imbibe their spirit or embrace their conduct. Many, as a result of Satan's deception, are not only crying but are even groaning in pain because of the agony of unfulfilled expectations of earthly things for which they have sold themselves to Satan. They need deliverance, salvation and healing, contentment and joy.

4. BELIEVERS' CONSECRATION AND THE CHURCH'S COMMITMENT (Acts 20:24; 21:11-13; 15:22-29; Philippians 3:7, 8; Romans 1:14-16).

When Paul saw the conditions and state of the gentle world, he consecrated his life to serve the Lord in carrying the gospel to them. Every believer must consecrate himself afresh and be willing to die to propagate the gospel to the suffering multitudes in the cities. Nothing short of whole hearted surrender and service will prove our loyalty and obedience to Christ.

Similarly, the Church may need to rearrange her priorities to give enough quality attention to cities evangelization. A greater percentage of all the resources - human, material, funds, etc, must be shifted to evangelizing our cities, towns and villages simultaneously (Acts 2:44, 45; 1:8: Acts 4:32-34). The Church must evolve programmes that will raise and multiply disciples to reach our cities.

EFFECTIVE CITY EVANGELIM STRATEGIES

Text: Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-20; Psalm 126:5, 6; Romans 15:9-12, 16-21.

Introduction

In furthering the task of world evangelization particular attention must be given to the cities because God Himself is interested in what happens in cities (Genesis 18:20-22; 19:1; Ezekiel 16:45). In our study, we seek to identify strategies that have worked and are still working in reaching cities.

1. SPIRITUAL WELFARE: TAKING AUTHORITY OVER FORCES THAT ENSLAVE SOULS (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; 4:4; Matthew 10:1; Luke 9:1-6; 10:1-2; 17-20).

Christ gave His disciples authority over the power and the forces that enslave souls. These forces hinder the people, and make them servants in Satan’s kingdom, in sending the disciples to PREACH the gospel of the kingdom. Jesus promised to perform acts of power by the Holy Spirit to release the sinners. Sinners are children of the devil (Acts 28:18; 1 John 3:8-10; Ephesians 2:2; Matthew 12:25-30). Occultic activity is real in Africa. There exists therefore direct fight to be fought in the realm of the spirit to release Satan's captives. Anyone who is ignorant of this dimension of activity especially in Africa will not be able to cover much territory.

2. SPIRIT-DIRECTED PERSONAL AND MASS EVANGEIJISM (John 4:4-18; Acts 8:3-35; Matthew 4:17-25; Acts 13:4-12; Acts 14:1-4; 13:14-40; 16:14-15; 16:25-34).

If there is any time in Church history when we need to be directed and guided on a definite note in our evangelistic outreaches, it is now. There are many forms in which personal evangelism can be done such as Friendship Evangelism, Tract Distribution, House-to-House Saturation Evangelism, etc. We also have Mass Evangelism, Mass Crusades, Retreats, etc. Yet, it must be emphasized that witnessing or preaching without power is an obvious lack of appreciation of neglected resources provided for us by the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. MOBILISING THE CHURCH TO REACH SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (Mark 16:15; I Corinthians 9:19-27; Galatians 2:7-8; Psalm 67:2-7; Matthew 19:13-14).

There are diversities evident in cities. The city many times are segmented into

(a) Income Groups e.g. Estates, GRA, etc., or

(b) Ethnic Groupings, e.g Igbo Quarters in Bauchi State, Miango Tribal Area

in Tudun Wada Jos, Plateau State or

(d) Social Gatherings - Hotels, Prisons, Stadium, Schools, Gangs, Unions, etc.

A Soul Winner in the city must realize that the city is a catchment basin of the old, the poor, the sick, single parents, refugees, divorcees, travelers, prostitutes, drunkards, gamblers, retired aged people, the transport world of mechanics, taxi, bus, touts, trailer drivers, etc. In fact, many cities are populated by children i.e. 50% of the city having a median age of 15-20. The social implication of this is naturally grave.

4. UTILIZING THE POTENTIALA OF MEDIA FOR EVANGELISM (1 Corinthians 14:8, 9; Acts 20:28; Jeremiah 6:17; Isaiah 45:22-23).

The media has a great and powerful potential to send out the gospel message to cities and villages. The media today are sophisticated and complex. We must understand that the media does not change people's lives but only the means of getting the word out:-(a) Literature (Print Media) (b) Electronics Media (c) Television (Electronics Media) (d)

Cassettes of Tape Recorded Message (e) Films for Gospel Outreaches (f) Video Message (g) Raising Preachers in Bible Schools.

Many small villages that we know can hear the gospel on the radio and the cities can be saturated with the gospel through the media and methods that have worked in the past.

CONCLUSION

Remember, a sung writer writes – “Must I go, and empty handed?” Children of God the cities are ripe and waiting for us. May the Lord help us! Amen.

Fire-Brand Ministerial Outreach

Why is Financial Planning Essential for Women?

Divorce and marriage

Less than there used to be

Sexual Abuse

What You Can Do

Getting Help

News

Monitor on Psychology Articles

Books

Parenting

What You Can Do

Getting Help

News

Money

What You Can Do

Getting Help

News

HIV & AIDS

What You Can Do

Getting Help

News

Abortion

Research on Mental Health and Abortion

Getting Help

News

Kids & the media

Understanding Media's Impact on Children

Getting Help

News

Ethics

What You Can Do

Getting Help

News

Monitor on Psychology Articles

Marriage

Divorce, remarriage and cohabitation

Statistics

Total number of divorces in the UK:

Total number of marriages in the UK:

Total number of civil marriage ceremonies in the UK:

Marriage After Divorce

Marriage Breakdown

Marriage And Divorce

The Power of Bible Fasting

The Master Is In Full Control

By His Spirit

The Gift of Unanswered Prayer

Divorce - A Biblical Perspective

Critical Perspectives: Divorce - A Biblical Perspective

Biblical Teachings on Separation and Divorce

Marriage, Ordained by God

A Legal Loophole?

Pauline Thinking on Divorce

Modern Thought

For Further Reading

PERSONAL, RURAL/CITY EVANGELISM