The Reformation, triggered 500 years ago next week by Martin Luther’s publication of objections to practices of his own Roman Catholic Church, is being commemorated in surprising places.
In Budapest, capital of a predominantly Catholic Hungary, 95 square-shaped concrete tablets representing Luther’s 95 Theses have been laid in Calvin Square, each featuring a pair of quotes from Reformers and prominent Hungarian authors.
On a visit to the city this past weekend, I also encountered large colour posters in bus shelters and metro stations announcing performances by the Hungarian State Opera telling the story of the Huguenots and the French Reformation.
Last month in the heart of traditionally-Orthodox Kyiv, a gathering of Protestant Ukrainians in Maidan Square, planned for about 5000, snowballed into a huge crowd including many non-believers. Estimates varied from 160,000 and 500,000 strong. President Petro Poroshenko had earlier signed an order to recognise the anniversary of the Reformation, to recognise ‘the enormous contribution of Protestant churches and religious organizations … and to express respect for their role in Ukrainian history.’
Some observe that Ukrainian officials are seeking outside their own tradition for the spiritual resources to help them reform the country. Fearing Russian Orthodoxy will only ‘pull the country backwards’, they have become aware of the Reformation’s influence on all of society, culture, economics and politics.
Ratings For the Reformation led to profound changes in the societies where it took root, a fact largely forgotten or ignored in western nations. The long-term effect can be seen in charts of global ratings measuring the strength of democracy, corruption and Gross National Product.
A click on each of these links will reveal a consistent pattern. Allowing for the distortion of oil-rich economies and off-shore banking havens in the GNP ratings, nations with Protestant backgrounds typically top the ranks, followed by Catholic and then Orthodox societies. Buddhist, Hindu, Moslem and animist societies lag well behind. Japan and Singapore are ‘exceptions that prove the rule’, having had strong American and British influence shaping their social institutions respectively.
Some would say that the high ranking of the Protestant-background nations is due to the ‘emancipation from religion’, i.e. secularisation, which first emerged in those nations. Indeed, the Reformation did produce the factors giving rise to secularism, for reasons we cannot explore here. Yet Harvard historian Niall Ferguson once lamented in the NY Times that ‘the stunning triumph of secularisation in Western Europe’ had produced a decline of the Protestant work ethic in Europe.
On the 500th anniversary of the start of this world-shaping movement, we should pause to ask what causal links can be demonstrated between the Reformation and economic growth, democratic stability, and social justice in Protestant-background countries. Would Ukraine’s leaders be wise to look to Protestant spiritual resources as they seek to move their nation into the future?
Firstly, the Reformation opened the path to freedom of religion, of conscience and of expression. Religious freedom reduces corruption once religious monopolies are broken. Encouraging tolerance and respect, it reduces conflict in society. Civil and human rights are promoted under conditions of religious freedom. Freedom of conscience also led to the value of the individual. The emphasis on each individual accepting responsibility for one’s own spiritual welfare contributed significantly to the development of human rights.
Entrepreneurship Secondly, the emphasis on reading the Bible daily led to literacy and better education. That, in turn, increased labour productivity, fostered technological innovation and economic improvement. Max Weber’s thesis that Protestants were generally more diligent in their work is often quoted as explaining the economic success of Protestant-influenced countries. Understanding work as worship, as Luther stated, gave Protestants higher motivation in their work productivity, and encouraged a spirit of entrepreneurship.
Thirdly, the recovery of the concept of the priesthood of all believers undermined traditional hierarchies and produced a stronger civil society. Alexis de Tocqueville used the phrase ‘the art of association’ to describe the Protestant America he observed almost two centuries ago where a strong spirit of voluntary cooperation has continued to shape community life.
Wherever the Reformation took hold, governmental structures were radically altered and contributed to the emergence of representative parliamentary government. In Geneva, where John Calvin replaced ecclesiastical hierarchy with elected elders, it was soon realised that what was good for the church was good for the state. The Geneva model was eventually adopted in Britain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States, which in turn became models for democratic governments formed worldwide.
Yes, the Reformation also had its darker side, which we may address in a future blog. But politicians in Ukraine, and for that matter anywhere, should reflect seriously on the evidence of the charts linked above.
Have you seen the social media hashtag #metoo? It seems to have sprung up everywhere since American actor, Alyssa Milano tweeted:
Me too.
Suggested by a friend: ‘If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote “Me too” as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.’
Like thousands of other women around the world, I responded. Me too.
Sadly, I wasn’t surprised when several my friends and relatives did the same. But this particular post captures the heart of what happens when someone allows Jesus to intervene.
On behalf of so many others, thank you Lyn, for giving me permission to share it here.
I’m not posting this just so people can be aware of how big the problem of sexual harrassment/assault is. Yes it’s important to know the problem exists and how widespread it is. Yes it’s important that we speak up and do all we can to stop it.
But I’m posting for those who have had this happen to them – it’s important to know that your life doesn’t have to be forever defined by what happened. How do I know because I’ve been there. I was abused for many years by family members. What happened was real, horrific to go through and wrong on so many levels.
But what happened to me and to you does not have to define who you are; only you get to choose what defines you. You are the only one who can choose whether your identity is bound to what happened or you can choose whether your identity is found in who you are apart from that event or events. Your identity is not found in being “a victim of…” Your identity is found in who you are in your personality and character – are you honest, funny, kind, loving, giving, etc – that’s who you are, that’s your identity!
If you need help in processing what you’ve been through then please get help, don’t feel you are alone or have to go through this on your own. There are many good counsellors out there who are experienced in helping people and giving them the skills needed to move beyond this. Can I also suggest that there is true healing to be found – in the one who bore our griefs and sorrows in himself – Jesus. I know some of you will not agree with me speaking about Jesus but for myself I have found that as I have allowed him to bring comfort and healing that has been beyond mere learning how to cope, He has truly taken away all the sting and pain of the many years of abuse I suffered.
Remember – even though something horrific may have happened to you it doesn’t define you – you are still you, you are valued, loved and loveable, you are unique and precious and all of us need you to stand up and tell your story.
If you haven’t been through this yourself then please be aware that many have, please don’t stay silent – silence is part of what allows this hideous practice to continue.
If you’re a Christian then can I ask you – please reach out to those who are hurting and love them back to wholeness again. Grieve with those who grieve, pray with those who need prayer, and fight for those who can’t.
#metoo
Continuing on the #metoo theme for just a little longer. I am all too aware that sexual harassment and abuse is not confined to one sex only, it is not only women that are preyed upon; too many boys and young men are preyed upon by others (male and female) too.
Again I have seen this in my family growing up, some of my brothers were preyed upon by men who should have known better, who should have been the responsible adult yet whose sexual appetite ruled when their brain should have. As a result of the abuse we suffered as kids my family grew up having to deal with much brokenness, believing lies about ourselves, being tormented by memories and sometimes physical effects, wrong mindsets about who they were and with dysfunction in so many areas. Each of us responded differently but the trauma and pain is still evident for so many of us. And so the abuse continues – it did not end just because the physical part of it ended – it continues to have an effect in our family even today.
There are too many men who feel they cannot speak out for varying reasons – because their manhood would be questioned, they would be ashamed etc. So they live with brokenness and dysfunction, hoping no one finds out yet secretly hoping someone will recognise they need help.
As I said earlier I know of only one who bore our griefs and sorrows, taking them upon himself and in doing so made a way for us to be healed and that was Jesus. Can I ask, please if you need healing, consider reaching out and asking Jesus to bring you healing, he’s the only one I know who can.
Men – as I said in my earlier post today when I shared my personal story – even though something horrific may have happened to you it doesn’t need to define you – you are still you, you are valued, loved and loveable, you are unique and precious and all of us need you to stand up and tell your story.
If you haven’t been through this yourself then please be aware that many have, please don’t stay silent speak out against it; silence is part of what allows this hideous practice to continue.
If you’re a Christian then can I ask you – please reach out to those who are hurting and love them back to wholeness again. Grieve with those who grieve, pray with those who need prayer, and fight for those who can’t.
Andy and I have just come from the Auckland Prayer Breakfast where over 500 were gathered at Eden Park to pray for our city. It was truly amazing to worship God collectively and to pray fervently for issues that face our city and nation.
There were 4 prayers leaders and I was asked to speak on the area of Marriage and Family. I wanted to share what I spoke about because I feel that it’s relevant to each and every one of us.
“My husband Andy and I have been leading the ministry of FamilyLife for the last 24 years where our goal is to inspire and equip couples to stay successfully married for a lifetime. During that time, I have experienced God heal so many broken relationships …
Here’s what one husband said after attending our last marriage getaway:
“Where do I start? I thought we were coming to hopefully fix my wife! Turns out I had as many, if not more, issues than her. This has literally saved my marriage of 17 years. You have inspired me to give 100% not only to my wife but my children as well.”
Comments like these fuel my passion for building strong marriages and families … but you might be surprised to learn where that passion comes from.
It’s grown out of a messy upbringing. My mum has been divorced twice, along with two broken de-facto relationships (considering her background, there’s no wonder); I lived in an Air Force children’s home for a year, and throughout my teenage years I lived with guardians … who also divorced.
You probably all know the stats: with that background I was 5x more likely to commit suicide and 10x more likely to have psychological issues. And if Jesus hadn’t revealed Himself to me while at Uni I’m sure I would have succumbed to at least one of those.
A church initiative to help young students navigate life in a new city was a saving grace. A local church family kind of ‘adopted’ me while I studied for 3 years. I got to see first-hand how marriage and family is meant to work when God is present. I was invited round for Sunday lunches, family dinners and sleep-overs. Of course, with all the brokenness I’d seen I’d given up on the whole idea of marriage.
Now I had a completely different picture.
Fortunately, when Andy and I married we went to a FamilyLife weekend getaway and we learnt even more about how to build a marriage according to God’s Plan.
At that time, just one year into our young marriage, little did we know what we would face: 17 years of Andy on a kidney dialysis machine, 2 kidney transplants, cancer, a serious stroke, 2 heart attacks and the tragic death of our eldest daughter Natasha, at just 16 years old, in the Elim/OPC canyoning disaster in 2008.
Now why do I tell you all that?
When we share our own journey at our marriage events, without even being aware, we’ve been modelling to other couples, that despite serious challenges in life we can all still find deep significance and satisfaction in our marriage.
Think about this: Our marriages are taking place on a spiritual battlefield, not on a romantic balcony.
In Genesis, Satan targeted Adam and Eve – attempting to destroy their relationship with their creator and also with each other. And He is doing the same today.
We would all do well to remember this: My spouse is not my enemy!
Marriage is under attack as educators, politicians and the media try to redefine it. In fact, I can’t recall one Politician in this recent election who raised the idea that building strong marriages might just be one of the answers to so many problems that weigh down our country today.
Consider this:
We live in a beautiful country. It’s so majestic that New Zealand even has a nickname, Godzone. Isn’t that interesting when so many in this great land don’t know the God who created it. Those of us here who are married have one of the most amazing tools to tell people about God. It’s a marriage. A marriage built upon Jesus Christ.
Just as that church family modelled to me a different vision all those years ago, you too are modelling your marriage to others in your community. Your marriage is more significant than you may have thought.
By living out God’s principles for marriage in our own lives – in unconditional love, mutual respect, understanding and forgiveness, we are reflecting God to a younger generation who desperately needs Him.
Let’s each commit to rebuild the family in our spheres of influence, one marriage, one home at a time. May God grant us favour, not just in our own families but also in the lives of others – and may each of our legacies be mighty.”
Statistics released in 2016 by New Zealand Treasury indicate that in South Auckland communities like Manurewa and Papakura, the future looks bleak for 1 out of 4 children aged 14 and under.
That’s no surprise to Shawn Reddy, General Manager of Christian faith-based charity Te Whakaora Tangata (Life Restoration for the People). The organisation has issued a challenge to all Kiwi families to help break intergenerational cycles of family dysfunction in South Auckland. Happening on November 4th and 5th, Te Whakaora Tangata’s R3 Challenge is a “triathlon with a twist”. Participants row, ride (cycle) or run a total distance of 100km (or less if they choose) over a weekend, to raise funds to help restore, resource and reconnect South Auckland’s most at-risk families.
Te Whakaora Tanagata works with parents struggling with complex issues such as family violence, addictions, depression, criminal activity, and welfare dependency.
“Most of the whanau we work with have been physically and/or sexually abused, have court cases pending and/or have had children removed from their care,” says Mr Reddy.
Established as a charitable trust in 2010, Te Whakaora Tanagata supports 150-175 new, high-risk parents every year, directly impacting 300-400 vulnerable children. Their work is anchored in the facilitation of coaching to restore emotional well-being and critical family relationships in order to build resilience in the whanau, explains Mr Reddy…
Our work is focussed around three R’s – restoring relationships by addressing past trauma, resourcing parents with tools to live well; and reconnecting people with opportunities to study, work and give back to their community. So many families in this community are trapped in a cycle of dysfunction that is handed down from one generation to the next.
Te Whakaora Tangata is working hard to break those cycles, but ultimately credit God for the healing and transformation they see in people’s lives. “We are not your typical social service agency,” says Mr Reddy. “The gospel message is at the core of our work and relationships, and we rely completely on the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to restore these families – spirit, soul and body.”
The positive results of Te Whakaora’s programmes are hard to overlook, with many current and former clients openly sharing their stories of transformation.
“I recently came back to my family after being missing for a long time. I was hard out into drugs and lived the street life. I’ve tried anything and everything, but this is the only programme that’s every helped me,” says a Mother from Manurewa.
“Our son got taken off us so that’s why we’re here. We went to heaps of places to find a programme like Te Whakaora’s. We’re learning new ways to deal with things so we don’t have to hurt our kids,” says a South Auckland Father of three.
Since 2010, Te Whakaora has impacted more than 1,000 families, representing well over 2,000 vulnerable children.
“We’re aware that as a direct result of this work, over 100 suicides and thousands of domestic violence incidents have been prevented. 75% of our clients are off class ‘A’ drugs and more than 800 families are no longer considered high-risk. In other words, parents are now creating a stable home life for their children,” says Mr Reddy.
“The R3 Challenge is something all New Zealanders can participate in to help address the social issues which are so widely reported in the media,” says Mr Reddy. “One small charity, one church, one family, one person…can and does make a difference. The R3 Challenge is a wonderful opportunity to help disadvantaged parents take positive steps toward a better future.”
For more information about the Te Whakaora Tangata R3 Challenge, to register yourself or a team, or to donate… visit www.r3challenge.org.nz
In a centuries deep sea of clichés despairing that ‘prostitution will always be with us’, one country’s success stands out as a solitary beacon lighting the way. In just five years Sweden has dramatically reduced the number of its women in prostitution. In the capital city of Stockholm, the number of women in street prostitution has been reduced by two-thirds, and the number of johns has been reduced by 80%. There are other major Swedish cities where street prostitution has all but disappeared. Gone too, for the most part, are the renowned Swedish brothels and massage parlours which proliferated during the last three decades of the twentieth century when prostitution in Sweden was legal.
In addition, the number of foreign women now being trafficked into Sweden for sex is nil. The Swedish government estimates that in the last few years only 200 to 400 women and girls have been annually sex trafficked into Sweden, a figure that’s negligible compared to the 15,000 to 17,000 females yearly sex trafficked into neighbouring Finland.
No other country, nor any other social experiment, has come anywhere near Sweden’s promising results.
By what complex formula has Sweden managed this feat? Amazingly, Sweden’s strategy isn’t complex at all. It’s tenets, in fact, seem so simple and so firmly anchored in common sense as to immediately spark the question, “Why hasn’t anyone tried this before?”
Sweden’s Groundbreaking 1999 Legislation
In 1999, after years of research and study, Sweden passed legislation that a) criminalizes the buying of sex, and b) decriminalizes the selling of sex. The novel rationale behind this legislation is clearly stated in the government’s literature on the law:
In Sweden prostitution is regarded as an aspect of male violence against women and children. It is officially acknowledged as a form of exploitation of women and children and constitutes a significant social problem… gender equality will remain unattainable so long as men buy, sell and exploit women and children by prostituting them.
In addition to the two-pronged legal strategy, a third and essential element of Sweden’s prostitution legislation provides for ample and comprehensive social service funds aimed at helping any prostitute who wants to get out, and additional funds to educate the public. As such, Sweden’s unique strategy treats prostitution as a form of violence against women in which the men who exploit by buying sex are criminalized, the mostly female prostitutes are treated as victims who need help, and the public is educated in order to counteract the historical male bias that has long stultified thinking on prostitution. To securely anchor their view in firm legal ground, Sweden’s prostitution legislation was passed as part and parcel of the country’s 1999 omnibus violence against women legislation.
An Early Obstacle in the Path
Interestingly, despite the country’s extensive planning prior to passing the legislation, the first couple years into this novel project nothing much happened at all. Police made very few arrests of johns and prostitution in Sweden, which had previously been legalized, went on pretty much as it had gone on before. Naysayers, the world over responded to the much-publicized failure with raucous heckling, “See? Prostitution always has been, and it always will be.”
But eminently secure in the thinking behind their plan, the Swedes paid no heed. They quickly identified, then solved the problem. The hang-up, the place where their best efforts had snagged, was that law enforcement wasn’t doing its part. The police themselves, it was determined, needed in-depth training and orientation to what the Swedish public and legislature already understood profoundly. Prostitution is a form of male violence against women. The exploiter/buyers need to be punished, and the victim/prostitutes need to be helped. The Swedish government put up extensive funds and the country’s police and prosecutors, from the top ranks down to the officer on the beat, were given intensive training and a clear message that the country meant business. It was then that the country quickly began to see the unequalled results.
Prostitution is a form of male violence against women. The exploiter/buyers need to be punished, and the victim/prostitutes need to be helped.
Today, not only do the Swedish people continue to overwhelming support their country’s approach to prostitution (80% of people in favour according to national opinion polls), but the country’s police and prosecutors have also come around to be among the legislation’s staunchest supporters. Sweden’s law enforcement has found that the prostitution legislation benefits them in dealing with all sex crimes, particularly in enabling them to virtually wipe out the organized crime element that plagues other countries where prostitution has been legalized or regulated.
The Failure of Legalization and/or Regulation Strategies
This Swedish experiment is the single, solitary example in a significant sized population of a prostitution policy that works. In 2003, the Scottish government in looking to revamp its own approach to prostitution enlisted the University of London to do a comprehensive analysis of outcomes of prostitution policies in other countries. In addition to reviewing Sweden’s program, the researchers chose Australia, Ireland, and the Netherlands to represent various strategies of legalizing and/or regulating prostitution. The researchers did not review the situation where prostitution is criminalized across the board as it is in the US. The outcome of that approach is already well known. The failures and futility of the revolving door of arresting and re-arresting prostitutes is all too familiar the world over.
But the outcomes, as revealed in the Univ. of London study, in the states under review that had legalized or regulated prostitution were found to be just as discouraging or even more discouraging than the traditional all round criminalization. In each case, the results were dramatic in the negative.
Legalization and/or regulation of prostitution, according to the study, led to:
A dramatic increase in all facets of the sex industry,
A dramatic increase in the involvement of organized crime in the sex industry,
A dramatic increase in child prostitution,
An explosion in the number of foreign women and girls trafficked into the region, and
Indications of an increase in violence against women.
In the state of Victoria, Australia, where a system of legalized, regulated brothels was established, there was such an explosion in the number of brothels that it immediately overwhelmed the system’s ability to regulate them, and just as quickly these brothels became a mire of organized crime, corruption, and related crimes. In addition, surveys of the prostitutes working under systems of legalization and regulation find that the prostitutes themselves continue to feel coerced, forced, and unsafe in the business.
A survey of legal prostitutes under the showcase Netherlands legalization policy finds that 79% say they want to get out of the sex business. And though each of the legalization/regulation programs promised help for prostitutes who want to leave prostitution, that help never materialized to any meaningful degree. In contrast, in Sweden, the government followed through with ample social services funds to help those prostitutes who wanted to get out. 60% of the prostitutes in Sweden took advantage of the well-funded programs and succeeded in exiting prostitution.
* The full Scottish government report on prostitution policies can be seen at www.scottish.parliament.uk
So Why Hasn’t Anyone Tried This Before?
Why, then, with Sweden’s success so clearly lighting the way, aren’t others quickly adopting the plan? Well, some are. Both Finland and Norway are on the verge of making the move. And if Scotland takes the advice of its own study, it will go in that direction too. But, the answer to the question of why other countries aren’t jumping to adopt Sweden’s plan is probably the same as the answer to the question of why governments haven’t tried Sweden’s solution before.
In order to see prostitutes as victims of male coercion and violence, it requires that a government first switch from seeing prostitution from the male point of view to the female point of view. And most, if not virtually all, countries of the world still see prostitution and every other issue from a predominantly male point of view.
Sweden, in contrast, has led the way in promoting equality for women for a very long time. In 1965, for example, Sweden criminalized rape in marriage. Even by the 1980’s, there were states in the United States that still hadn’t made that fundamental recognition of women’s rights to control her own body. The Swedish government also stands out in having the highest proportion of women at all levels of government. In 1999, when Sweden passed its groundbreaking prostitution legislation, the Swedish Parliament was composed of nearly 50% women.
Sweden’s prostitution policy was first designed and lobbied for by Sweden’s organization of women’s shelters and was then fostered and fought for by a bipartisan effort of Sweden’s uniquely powerful and numerous female parliamentarians. Nor has Sweden stopped there. In 2002, Sweden passed additional legislation bolstering the original prostitution legislation. The 2002 Act Prohibiting Human Trafficking for the Purpose of Sexual Exploitation closed some of the loopholes in the earlier legislation and further strengthened the government’s ability to go after the network of persons that surround and support prostitution, such as the recruiters, the transporters, and the hosts.
And Why Can’t We Copy Sweden’s Success Here?
While it’s probably true that we and other countries are still much more steeped in patriarchal darkness than Sweden, there’s no reason we can’t push now for the policy changes that Sweden has made. The beauty of it is that once the ground has been broken and the proof of success has been established, it should be ever much easier to convince others to go down that path.
Feel free to photocopy and distribute this information as long as you keep the credit and text intact.
This article comes from The Conversation, an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered directly to the public.
This UK ‘experiment’ is a wonderful example of bringing our communities together for the benefit of all. A timely lesson for western cultures.
What happened when we introduced four-year-olds to an old people’s home
It does wonders for the health and mood of the elderly.
Lying on the floor pretending to roar like a lion can do wonders for an elderly man’s well-being. That’s not a scientific fact, but it was one of the surprising and memorable moments we observed while making a television program which introduced a group of very young people with residents of a retirement village.
The two episodes of Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds set out to explore the increasing isolation of older people within our communities.
The impact of young children and older people sharing daytime care facilities has already been shown to be generally positive. But this was the first time an experiment was undertaken within the UK to measure the impact of inter-generational interaction on the health and happiness of the older group.
Ten four-year-old children and 11 people in their late 80s were brought together for six weeks in a new nursery set within a retirement community in the city of Bristol. Before we started, the elderly participants were measured on their cognition, mood and depression, as well as physical abilities including balance and the ability to get up and walk (“Timed Up and Go”). These measurements were taken again at three weeks and once more at the end of the six-week programme.
The programme consisted of a timetable of activities in which the two generations were given time and space to engage physically and socially. It included games, occasionally requiring individuals to get down on and off the floor, walking outdoors, picnicking and participating in indoor activities using a variety of craft and art work. The final week also included an inter-generational sports day and a short theatrical production.
After three weeks, the halfway point, there were noticeable improvements in the residents’ measurement scores. Final measurements revealed significant improvements in the majority of metrics, with 80% percent of residents showed improvement in the “Timed Up and Go”. Grip strengths were up generally and activity tracker scores showed that the residents had become increasingly active over a 24-hour period. On sports day, one woman who could not recall the last time she ran, was seen sprinting off with her companion four-year-old in order to beat the competition.
At the start of the experiment, nearly all of the residents were identified as depressed, two of them severely. After six weeks, none of them was registered as depressed. They had completely changed their outlook on life and in their hope for the future. Even the most sceptical person within the group, who had been heard to say “I can’t really see it making any great difference to us”, admitted that the children had brought “great joy”.
Lifting spirits
This was not a scientific trial or a traditional academic research project. It was a social experiment involving a very small group of people. But the results showed marked changes in the residents’ physical ability and mood.
When you get very old you become less mobile, friends die, and you can’t get out to meet people. If you live in a care home, the only younger people you see every day are staff. That’s why depression is the epidemic of old age – and it’s important for us to present opportunities for them to meet young people.
Children are open minded. They love attention and take an interest in adults. At the same time, children learn quite mature skills from adults, so this inter-generational engagement is reciprocal.
You can’t cure arthritis completely, but you can increase confidence and, with the help and encouragement of the children, we saw our older folks doing things they never imagined they’d do again – jumping, dancing and rolling around on the floor.
As a consequence of our television experiment, significant developments are underway within the trust which took part in the program. Contact with the children and their families has been encouraged and continued. They are investigating additional ways to increase socialisation of the residents with surrounding communities. And plans are even in place to build a permanent nursery in one of the trust’s homes.
Many older adults live depressed lives in isolation with sadness, hopelessness, and negative feelings toward the self. This experiment has shown that, within a short timeframe – and where people share a similar vision of intergenerational mixing – it is possible to bring about significant enhancement in the well-being of older people.
The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) joins the National Association of Evangelicals, its member body in the United States, in condemning white supremacy and any other form of racism.
“As evangelicals we follow Jesus, the Prince of Peace, who even gave His own life in order to break down the wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14). We pray that the peace that comes from Jesus will reign in communities where diverse ethnicities come together, in the USA and all other countries,” said Bp Efraim Tendero, Secretary General of the WEA.
“We also uphold the Biblical teaching that the inherent dignity of everyone is based on the fact that every person is created in the image of God, and that because of what Christ Jesus has done for humanity, we join the Apostle Paul in declaring that there is ‘neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:28).”
The NAE’s statement reads in full:
The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) mourns over the senseless violence that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend. We join fellow Christians throughout the nation in praying for the families who lost loved ones and for healing in our country.
In times of national tragedy and crisis, evangelical Christians turn to the Word of God for direction. God created human beings in his image, and thus all people share in divine dignity (Genesis 1:26). No race or ethnicity is greater or more valuable than another. Evangelicals believe that the good news of Jesus Christ has the power to break down racial and ethnic barriers (Ephesians 2:14-18).
Evangelicalism within the United States is a diverse movement, with evangelical beliefs being held by 44 percent of African Americans, 30 percent of Hispanics, 29 percent of whites, and 17 percent of people from other ethnicities. [1] There are also millions of others around the world who hold evangelical beliefs. Evangelicals look forward to the day when believers from “every nation, tribe, people and language” will join as one and celebrate the redeeming work of Jesus Christ together (Revelation 7:9-10).
The NAE condemns white supremacy and all groups, such as the KKK and Neo-Nazis, that champion it. Racism should not only be addressed after tragic events, but regularly in our communities of faith. Churches in the United States can lead the way in combatting attitudes and systems that perpetuate racism.
[1] LifeWay Research conducted this study Sept. 8-21, 2015 through a random digit dial phone survey (50 percent landline, 50 percent cell) of 1,000 Americans. In this study “evangelical” is defined using the NAE LifeWay Research Evangelicals Beliefs Research Definition based on respondent beliefs.
New book captures a century of history, and the unlikely survival and success of a Wellington church
100 Years on The Street chronicles the highs, lows, survival and success of an enterprising Wellington church. The book retraces the history of Tory Street Hall, which was to become Elizabeth Street Gospel Chapel, later known as E-Street, and The Street City Church today.
The culmination of three years of research and interviews, and full of personal testimonies, 100 Years on The Street tells the stories of the church’s life and mission work, its leadership and beliefs and its underlying reliance on God through the decades.
“The inescapable impression I got as I was researching and writing is that God is interested in every single person, and uses the most unlikely of us to make a difference in the world. It’s been humbling to capture these stories and a real highlight for me,” says author Harvey Rees-Thomas.
From the beginning, in 1917 the church has been open to people from all walks of life. In the pews at Tory Street, there were wealthy businessmen and industry leaders. But there were also substance addicts, migrant workers, and young people who were new to faith.
100 Years on The Street is the story of people like Alice “Tommy” Thompson, who would minister to the sick and downtrodden in the squalor of the Tory Street slums, an area rife with typhoid and tuberculosis.
It’s the story of Don Gillies, who in 1932 bought an old Ford Model-T van and visited country farms and towns throughout the North Island, holding open air meetings.
It’s the story of the Ladies’ Prayer Fellowship which met in the back room of the chapel in the 1980s, remembered as the “engine room” of all that was of value and was accomplished in the life of the church.
“It’s always struck me that the church is full of people who may not be all that wise in the world’s eyes, they may not be all that wealthy, and may not be very influential, but God raises them up. That’s the pattern in the Bible and we see it reflected in the history of this church,” says Rees-Thomas.
Over the decades the church has navigated shifts in society and innovated with different ways to connect with an evolving culture.
Opening day at Elizbeth Street Chapel
Elizabeth St. Chapel had a long-running radio ministry, including a Children’s Radio Choir broadcast nationally in the 1950s. In the 70s a thriving “Gateway” ministry drew hundreds of young people to the basement of the church for coffee and contemporary Christian music after Sunday night services. The church also has a long tradition of sending missionaries abroad, to countries in Africa, South America, India, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
“Looking back on our history, what’s inspired us is the sense that every generation has done what’s necessary to reach out to our society and the world. They have stuck to their core beliefs, but they haven’t been afraid to reinvent themselves and to set aside personal ambition to reach others with the good news about Jesus Christ,” says Nick Field, Senior Pastor at The Street City Church.
As well as capturing high points in the church’s history, 100 Years on The Street takes a candid look at the challenges it has faced. This includes the struggle to break out of rigid traditions and tensions between conservative and progressive groups within the church.
After a low point in the early 90s, the church underwent a rejuvenation, and today around 800 people worship at The Street every week. The Street focuses on cultivating an intimate, authentic, and supportive church community, and has a growing programme of local ministries, and overseas missions, to the poor and vulnerable. The congregation is growing quickly, and there are plans to establish new gatherings across the Wellington region.
“In many ways, we are returning to our roots. We want to build a community where you can come as you are, without judgment, be transformed by the love of God, and empowered to make a difference in the world. What hasn’t changed, and we pray never will, is our central focus on Jesus Christ as our Saviour and the hope for a broken world,” says Field.
The book: 100 Years on The Street
In hardcover and beautifully bound with a ribbon bookmarker, 100 Years on The Street is a wonderful story of God’s grace and the distinctive journey of a New Zealand church through the generations. The 550-page book features over 300 black and white and colour photos, and alongside the historical narrative is full of inspiring testimonies and anecdotes.
100 Years on The Streetcan be purchased at our City location in Hania St., Mt. Victoria, after Sunday services, or by writing to Harvey. The book is sold on a not-for-profit basis.
After teaching in various secondary schools and employment in systems sales and marketing with IBM New Zealand, Harvey Rees-Thomas was appointed Principal of Onslow College (1977), then Headmaster, Wellington College (1979-1995).
In mid-1995 he joined Ernst & Young New Zealand as Director Human Resources. He took leave on three occasions to lead schools during periods of restoration and change. The schools were Hutt International Boys’ School, Kings’ School (Auckland) and St Andrew’s College (Christchurch).
An elder of Elizabeth Street Chapel and The Street City Church from 1968 to 2009, Harvey was the founding Chairman of the Ronald McDonald House, Wellington (eleven years); Past President of the Bible Society of NZ and, also, Scripture Union in NZ; and Chairman of HCJB New Zealand. From 2001 to 2015 he chaired the board of a group of investment companies based in Auckland.
Harvey and Jeniffer have five married children, 16 grandchildren and two great grandsons.
Jeniffer has spent her whole life associated with Tory Street Hall through to The Street City Church. Her knowledge of the people and events of the church has been the mainstay of this work.
To help New Zealanders understand what David Seymour’s ‘End of Life Choices Bill’ entails, and what it would mean in Practice, MAXIMINSTITUTE hosted two visiting UK experts at their recent MIC event.
Baroness Ilora Finlay is Professor of Palliative Medicine at Cardiff University. She has been President of the Medical Women’s Federation, President of the British Medical Association, President of the Royal Society of Medicine and is President of the Chartered Society for Physiotherapy. She also chaired the Association for Palliative Medicine of Great Britain and Ireland, and since 2014 has chaired the National Council for Palliative Care.
Robert Preston worked in Whitehall as a civil servant for 30 years. In that role he examined Lord Joffe’s Private Member’s Bill, “Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill” and he is now Director of the think-tank, Living and Dying Well, which works to examine the objective evidence surrounding the controversial end-of-life debate and publishes research to help inform Parliament and the public.
Both came to be involved in the issue of assisted suicide and euthanasia through their involvement in the 2005 British Select Committee that conducted a comprehensive investigation of the practices of assisted dying around the world. Following the conclusion of that inquiry, both have continued as advocates of improved elder and palliative care, as well as working to oppose legalised assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Both presentations were highly informative, however, the Q&A segment was extremely illuminating. Below is the list of questions asked from the floor with the timestamp on the video.
1:25 Q: Who are you to tell someone who is in pain that they can’t do what they want? If it’s their life, shouldn’t they have the right to do what they want?
4:20 Q: Can palliative care really relieve all suffering? Aren’t there going to be people who still suffer even with the best care we can offer?
5:20 Q: How do the safeguards in David Seymour’s End of Life Choices Bill compare to the safeguards required by similar laws in The Netherlands, Oregon, Belgium etc.?
8:25 Q: Do you think there’s any chance your views on assisted suicide would shift if one of your own family members was ill, in agony, and wanted help to end their pain?
13:30 Q: Purely this is too important a question to trust to just 121 MPs in Parliament. Shouldn’t we settle the issue of euthanasia with a binding referendum so the people can decide?
16:00 Q: Isn’t opposition to euthanasia just driven by religious views? How do you think religion interacts or should interact with this subject?
16:50 Q: You talk about the Hippocratic Oath – “first do no harm.” Proponents of euthanasia have made legal arguments that suggest denying people access to legal assisted suicide means that we’re essentially forcing them to continue suffering, and in essence, doing harm to them. Also, they say that people who want to die on their own terms may choose to commit suicide before they lose capacity, effectively shortening the life they could have had if they were certain someone else could end their life for them later on. How do you respond to these arguments?
20:55 Q: You talk negatively about the rising numbers of people using euthanasia and assisted suicide in the Netherlands and Oregon respectively. Isn’t this just showing that legalising it is giving people options that they want? Is it necessarily a bad thing to see rising levels of euthanasia?
23:45 Q: It seems that a lot of this debate isn’t just about levels of pain, but it’s the idea that any level of suffering or loss of autonomy is something we should have the right to avoid. How do you address those sorts of concerns?
26:20 Q: In your experience in public debate around assisted suicide in the UK, what’s one argument that you have found really resonates with people?
30:35 Q: What about situations where someone is in agony because of their condition, but simply ceasing medical treatment won’t allow them to die? Isn’t there a case for assisted suicide then?
Looking for more articles on Euthanasia and the debate in New Zealand?
The following article, by Carey Nieuwhof, is sourced from ChristianWeek and has been reposted here with permission.
… people who are churchless (having no church affiliation) will soon eclipse the churched.
Every generation experiences change.
But sometimes you sense you’re in the midst of truly radical change, the kind that happens only every few centuries. Increasingly, I think we’re in such a moment now.
Those of us in Western culture who are over age 30 were born into a culture that could conceivably still be called Christian. Now, as David Kinnaman at the Barna Group has shown, even in America, people who are churchless (having no church affiliation) will soon eclipse the churched.
In addition, 48% of Millennials (born between 1984-2002) can be called post-Christian in their beliefs, thinking and worldview.
I think the change we’re seeing around us might one day be viewed on the same level as what happened to the church after Constantine’s conversion or after the invention of the printing press. Whatever the change looks like when it’s done, it will register as a seismic shift from what we’ve known.
So what will the future church be like? And how should you and I respond?
Predictions…Really?
Okay, before we get going, a few things.
I realize making predictions can be a dangerous thing. Maybe even a bit ridiculous. But I want to offer a few thoughts because I’m passionate about the mission of the church.
So, borne out of a love for the gathered church, I offer a few thoughts. Consider it thinking in pencil, not ink.
While no one’s really sure of what’s ahead, talking about it at least allows us to position our churches for impact in a changing world.
10 Predictions About the Future Church
So what’s likely for the future church? Here are 10 things I see.
1. The potential to gain is still greater than the potential to lose
Every time there is a change in history, there’s potential to gain and potential to lose.
I believe the potential to gain is greater than the potential to lose. Why?
As despairing or as cynical as some might be (sometimes understandably) over the church’s future, we have to remind ourselves that the church was Jesus’ idea, not ours.
It will survive our missteps and whatever cultural trends happen around us. We certainly don’t always get things right, but Christ has an incredible history of pulling together Christians in every generation to share his love for a broken world.
As a result, the reports of the church’s death are greatly exaggerated.
The reports of the church’s death are greatly exaggerated.
2. Churches that love their model more than the mission will die
That said, many individual congregations and some entire denominations won’t make it. The difference will be between those who cling to the mission and those who cling to the model.
When the car was invented, it quick took over from the horse and buggy. Horse and buggy manufacturers were relegated to boutique status and many went under, but human transportation actually exploded. Suddenly average people could travel at a level they never could before.
The mission is travel. The model is a buggy, or car, or motorcycle, or jet.
Look at the changes in the publishing, music and even photography industry in the last few years.
See a trend? The mission is reading. It’s music. It’s photography. The model always shifts….moving from things like 8 tracks, cassettes and CDs to MP3s and now streaming audio and video.
Companies that show innovation around the mission (Apple, Samsung) will always beat companies that remain devoted to the method (Kodak).
Churches need to stay focused on the mission (leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus) and be exceptionally innovative in our model.
In the future, churches that love their model more than their mission will die.
3. The gathered church is here to stay
Read the comments on this blog or any other church leader blog and you would think that some Christians believe the best thing to do is to give up on Christian gatherings of any kind.
This is naive.
While some will leave, it does not change the fact that the church has always gathered because the church is inherently communal. Additionally, what we can do gathered together far surpasses what we can do alone. Which is why there will always be an organized church of some form.
So while our gatherings might shift and look different than they do today, Christians will always gather together to do more than we ever could on our own
The church will always gather. What Christians can do together far surpasses what we can do alone.
4. Consumer Christianity will die and a more selfless discipleship will emerge
Consumer Christianity asks What can I get from God? It asks, What’s in it for me?
That leads us to evaluate our church, our faith, our experience and each other according to our preferences and whims. In many respects, even many critics of the church who have left have done so under the pull of consumer Christianity because ‘nothing’ meets their needs.
All of this is antithetical to the Gospel, which calls us to die to ourselves—to lose ourselves for the sake of Christ.
As the church reformats and repents, a more authentic, more selfless church will emerge. Sure, we will still have to make decisions about music, gathering times and even some distinctions about what we believe, but the tone will be different. When you’re no longer focused on yourself and your viewpoint, a new tone emerges.
As the church reformats and repents, a more authentic, more selfless church will emerge.
5. Sundays will become more about what we give than what we get
The death of consumer Christianity will change our gatherings.
Our gatherings will become less about us and more about Jesus and the world he loves. Rather than a gathering of the already-convinced, the churches that remain will be decidedly outsider-focused. And word will be supplemented with deeds.
In the future church, being right will be less important than doing right. Sure, that involves social justice and meeting physical needs, but it also involves treating people with kindness, compassion in every day life and attending to their spiritual well being.
This is the kind of outward focus that drove the rapid expansion of the first century church.
That’s why I’m very excited to be part of a group of churches that has, at its heart, the desire to create churches unchurched people love to attend. While the expression of what that looks like may change, the intent will not.
In the future church, being right will be less important than doing right.
6. Attendance will no longer drive engagement; engagement will drive attendance
Currently, many churches try to get people to attend, hoping it drives engagement.
In the future, that will flip. The engaged will attend, in large measure because only the engaged will remain.
If you really think about this…engagement driving attendance is exactly what has fuelled the church at its best moments throughout history. It’s an exciting shift.
7. Simplified ministries will complement people’s lives, not compete with people’s lives
For years, the assumption has been that the more a church grew, the more activity it would offer.
The challenge, of course, is that church can easily end up burning people out. In some cases, people end up with no life except church life. Some churches offer so many programs for families that families don’t even have a chance to be families.
The church at its best has always equipped people to live out their faith in the world. But you have to be in the world to influence the world.
Churches that focus their energies on the few things the church can uniquely do best will emerge as the most effective churches moving forward. Simplified churches will compliment people’s witness, not compete with people’s witness.
Simplified churches will compliment people’s witness, not compete with people’s witness.
8. Online church will supplement the journey but not become the journey
There’s a big discussion right now around online church. I think in certain niches online church might become the church for some who simply have no other access to church.
But there is something about human relationship that requires presence. Because the church at its fullest will always gather, online church will supplement the journey. I believe that online relationships are real relationships, but they are not the greatest relationships people can have.
Think of it like meeting someone online. You can have a fantastic relationship. But if you fall in love, you ultimately want to meet and spend your life together.
So it is with Jesus, people and the church.
9. Online church will become more of a front door than a back door
There’s no question that today online church has become a back door for Christians who are done with attending church.
While online church is an amazing supplement for people who can’t get to a service, it’s still an off ramp for Christian whose commitment to faith is perhaps less than it might have been at an earlier point.
Within a few years, the dust will settle and a new role for online church and online ministry will emerge. Online church has the potential to become a massive front door for the curious, the unconvinced and for those who want to know what Christianity is all about.
In the same way you purchase almost nothing without reading online reviews or rarely visit a restaurant without checking it out online first, a church’s online presence will be a first home for people which for many, will lead to a personal connection with Christ and ultimately the gathered church.
Online church has the potential to become a front door for the curious and the unconvinced.
10. Gatherings will be smaller and larger at the same time
While many might think the mega-church is dead, it’s not. And while others think mega-churches are awful, there’s nothing inherently bad about them. Size is somewhat irrelevant to a church’s effectiveness.
There are bad mega-churches and bad small churches. And there are wonderfully effective mega-churches and wonderfully effective small churches.
We will likely see large churches get larger. Multisite will continue to explode, as churches that are effective expand their mission.
At the same time, churches will also establish smaller, more intimate gatherings as millennials and others seek tighter connections and groups. Paradoxically, future large churches will likely become large not because they necessarily gather thousands in one space, but because they gather thousands through dozens of smaller gatherings under some form of shared leadership. Some of those gatherings might be as simple as coffee shop and even home venues under a simple structure.
We will see the emergence of bigger churches and smaller churches at the same time as the gathered church continues to change.
The future church will become bigger and smaller at the same time.
In Budapest, capital of a predominantly Catholic Hungary, 95 square-shaped concrete tablets representing Luther’s 95 Theses have been laid in Calvin Square, each featuring a pair of quotes from Reformers and prominent Hungarian authors.
For more information about the Te Whakaora Tangata R3 Challenge, to register yourself or a team, or to donate… visit 
