Syria: To dominate UN meetings
Syria's conflict is expected to dominate the discussion as some 120 world leaders converge on New York for the week-long United Nations General Debate. Government forces are bombing the city of Aleppo even as talks get underway. Meanwhile, there's word from the military that more than 2,000 Syrian soldiers have defected to Jordan since fighting began last year. The number of refugees who have entered Jordan through unofficial border crossings has reached more than 74,000 Syrians. Christian Aid Mission expects that the refugees will greatly increase in the next few months. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has reported that 100,000 refugees have fled Syria in the month of August, raising the estimated total number of Syrian refugees to 234,368 as of September 2nd. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees have raised their total death toll to between 23,000 and 26,000.
Pray: for the gathering of world leaders that a way forward will be found to bring peace to the region. (Ps.34:14)
Rwanda: Religion not a business - Archbishop
The Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, Onesphore Rwaje, has reminded religious leaders to treat their churches as holy places of worship and not self-enriching business ventures. While addressing over 50 religious leaders at the Democracy and Peace Week dialogue, Rwaje said some members of the public shun going to church due to disappointment of messages relayed. ‘Religious leadership is a calling from God and it is about teaching the Word of God, and not looking for money from the faithful. There are biblical principles urging churchgoers to give offerings and tithes, but it should not be used as a platform to squeeze money out of believers,’ Rwaje advised. He added: ‘Religious leaders are allowed to have their personal business ventures besides performing their church duties; therefore, they should act faithfully and please God by keeping the two positions independent of each other. They must separate God's work from their personal work’.
Pray: for the leaders of the Church that they will concentrate on building God’s kingdom and not on things of the world. (Eph.5:5)
Charity calls for new kind of rental contract
The housing and homelessness charity Shelter has called for a new kind of tenancy to be introduced across the rental market in England. The Stable Rental Contract would provide greater stability to the growing numbers of people who rent their homes from a private landlord, says the charity. It would also provide landlords with more certainty of a good return on their investment. Shelter’s proposals are outlined in a new report, ‘A better deal? Towards more stable private renting.’ The changes could be introduced immediately within the existing legal framework for private renting in England, without the need for new laws. Campbell Robb, Chief Executive of Shelter, said: ‘With a generation priced out of home ownership, renting is the only choice for growing numbers of people but with the possibility of eviction with just two months’ notice, and constant worries about when the next rent rise will hit, the current rental market isn’t giving people – particularly families – the stability they need to put down roots.
Pray: that this initiative will well received and form the basis of a new rental agreement throughout the country. (2Sa.7:10)
More: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/17069
'Banks corrupt the people who work for them'
The Church of England has claimed that banks corrupt the people who work for them. In a scathing report, the Church argues that banking employees with high moral values are being encouraged to leave them at the office door. It is now calling for a debate on whether, instead of few 'bad apples' being weeded out, the 'whole orchard need replanting'. The submission, to the parliamentary commission on banking standards, urges City workers to draw a lesson from fishermen who risk losing money by cutting their nets adrift to aid rivals whose boats get into trouble. 'There is evidence that in many professions, but notably in finance and banking, practitioners who have a strong moral sense which they seek to live by in their private lives believe that such standards and ethics are impossible to apply in the corporate world.
Pray: that the banking community will recognise that building on good moral and ethical standards will bring benefits such as confidence and trust from their customers. (1Co.15:58)
More: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2207470/Banks-corrupt-people-work-Church-England-submits-scathing-report-life-City.html
