A report by the Trussell Trust notes a 51% rise in food bank use in Universal Credit Areas and a 13% rise in other areas. Many areas in Scotland are now full service areas for Universal Credit, meaning that those under pension age claiming income-related benefits for the first time will wait at least a month for their first payment.
Every piece of original work, whether written, composed or filmed, is protected by copyright during the creator’s lifetime and generally for 70 years after the end of the year in which they died.
Copyright is an intellectual property protection which affects the use of liturgy, music, images and other resources or text in worship, online and in print.
The law on copyright has significant implications for local churches, a number of which have been pursued by copyright holders for alleged copyright infringement with the potential for significant fines and legal costs.
To stay within the law, all churches need copyright approval to:
looks forward to 2018. Read about what Christian Aid achieved in 2017.
Resources for the Bible month – 30 Days with Jonah – are now available free from Methodist Publishing.
the connexion is a free magazine about the life and work of the Methodist Church, bringing together inspirational stories from Methodist people who are passionate about sharing God’s love to change lives.
Issue 10 challenges the Church to refocus on its core purpose of Our Calling.
Stories from across the Connexion tell how local churches are prioritising worship, learning and caring, service and evangelism in response to God’s love.
A message of peace for the peoples of Israel and Palestine was given in a special service at Stirling Methodist Church.
The service, led by lay preacher David Rogerson, included Stirling MP Stephen Kerr, local councillors Ross Oxburgh and Alasdair Tollemache and Azam Haider from the Stirling Islamic Centre.
Ruth Cape shared her personal experience of cycling from the UK to Palestine and Israel and, through her Cycle 48 initiative, visited the sites of seven former Palestinian towns and villages where people were working to build peace between the communities through genuine understanding of the wrongs of the past and present.
Azam Haider shared stories from the earliest days of Islam, of respect and mutual support across Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions.
The latest edition is now available. Items on Stationing, Thy Kingdom Come and Pause and Pray.
The Joint Public Issues team, of which the Methodist Church is a member, has issued this comment on the latest changes to Universal Credit.
The Arthur Rank Centre, which focuses on issues pertinent to rural churches, has produced a booklet entitled ‘Open Welcome‘, suggesting ways in which church buildings can offer welcome to their communities.
The advice is just as relevant to churches in a urban setting!
