CHURCH IS GOOD FOR YOU – SAYS STUDY
The New Year issue of Good News evangelistic newspaper leads with research that proves people who go to church have better mental health.
That may not be news to Christians, but this new global study confirms that Richard Dawkins' claim that faith is a "mental illness" is fake news.
Also in this issue:
- OUT AND PROUD: Rapper and music mogul Kanye West has clearly come out as a Christian
- SECRET TO SURVIVAL: Gloria Gaynor tells the inside story of her I Will Survive mega-hit
- THE MAN WHO BEAT ENGLAND: How South Africa’s rugby captain found a peace he’d never had before
- GIMLI’S GOD: We ask Lord of the Rings actor John Rhys-Davies about his beliefs
- DEMI LOVATO: The American singer says her baptism filled the ‘God-sized hole in my heart’
- FROM PALACE STRIKER TO CHURCH PASTOR: Ex-Crystal Palace player Bruce Dyer opens his own church
- TURNING OFF THE RED LIGHTS: Meet the woman rescuing prostitutes in Soho
- ARK IN IPSWICH: A half-size replica of Noah’s Ark welcomes visitors on board
- FREE FROM THE PAST: A man set free from his traumatic past is bringing hope to Malawi
- STUDENT CHANGED BY AFRICA: How volunteering in Africa transformed a student’s life
- MIRACLE TURNS AGNOSTIC INTO BELIEVER: The dramatic experience of Shaun Benstead
- DARWIN ON TRIAL: The top lawyer who showed how evolution relies on faulty arguments leaves a lasting legacy
… Plus all your favourite regular features such as our challenging Sudoku, fun crossword and tasty recipe.
ARCHBISHOP WRITES FOR CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
The December issue of the Good News outreach newspaper features a Christmas message by Dr John Sentamu, written specially for Good News readers.
The Archbishop of York shares four ways to prepare for Christmas – and encourages us to ‘wake up’ on Christmas morning with “the best present of all time”.
Other Christmas features include...
- A JOURNALIST INVESTIGATES CHRISTMAS – Award-winning atheist journalist Lee Strobel tells how he researched Christmas and turned to Christ
- WIN XMAS GIFT CARD – Competition for a gift card from Christian toy store chain The Entertainer
- CHRISTMAS IN EUROPE’S LARGEST CAVE – Nativity scenes in the spectacular Postojna Cave in Slovenia retell the Christmas story
- VIRGIN BIRTH – REAL HISTORY? Why attacks on the story of Christ’s birth fail the history test
- WHY RADZI LOVES CHRISTMAS – TV presenter Radzi Chinyanganya says Christmas lets him be open about his faith
- KATHERINE JENKINS – The classical singer remembers the reason for the season
- THE GREATEST GIFT – Suicidal addict finds freedom after accepting God’s gift of Jesus into his life
- XMAS BBQ SPARKS CHANGE – South African criminal’s life transformed after Christmas barbecue
Also in this issue:
- STAR WARS ACTOR FEELS REAL ‘FORCE’ – John Boyega, who plays Finn again in Star Wars 9, relies on prayer
- KERRY KATONA FINDS PEACE – Atomic Kitten star finds ‘what was missing in life’ at church
- MATRIX STAR’S ‘UNSHAKEABLE FAITH’ – Hollywood actor Laurence Fishburne has no doubt about God
- COMEBACK KING – How a racing driver called Hamilton (not Lewis) survived horrific crash and returned to the Indy 500
… Plus all your favourite regular features such as our challenging Sudoku, fun crossword and tasty recipe.
The Entertainer Launches The 
Big Toy Appeal For Christmas
The Entertainer, the fastest-growing, family-owned high street toy retailer in the UK, has partnered with The Salvation Army in a campaign to give as many underprivileged children as possible the joy of opening a present on Christmas Day.
The Big Toy Appeal encourages customers to pick up an extra toy to donate when they visit The Entertainer
stores or shop online at TheToyShop.com – and for every toy donated, The Entertainer will also donate a toy, doubling the number of donations. Online shoppers will be able to join the appeal by adding a gift to their basket.
In 2018, an average week saw around 5,690 people attend a Salvation Army lunch club, around 13,000 children visit a Salvation Army centre for activities like play groups, and around 4,000 young people attend Salvation Army outreach clubs. Over the Christmas period The Salvation Army gave out at least 5,000 emergency food parcels to people in need, and through the partnership between The Salvation Army and The Entertainer, over 40,000 gifts were distributed to children who might otherwise not receive anything at Christmas.
Gary Grant, Founder and Executive Chairman of The Entertainer said: “At The Entertainer we believe that every child deserves the gift of play. The Big Toy Appeal is all about making Christmas Day easier for those families who struggle at Christmas by providing toys to open on the big day. For every toy donated, The Entertainer will also donate a toy. Toy donations will then be distributed into the community via The Salvation Army for families who need our help the most. We encourage anyone who can afford to take part to donate a toy so we can help as many families as possible together.”
Tony Daniels, Director for Community Services for The Salvation Army, said: “During the festive season, many people will enjoy celebrating with their friends and family, sharing gifts together. But while for some this is a happy time of year, for others, things are a real struggle, with the choice being to provide their children with food or with a gift. The Entertainer’s Big Toy Appeal is a fantastic opportunity for local communities to join with us in helping people in need at Christmas time and to spread a little joy to children who might otherwise not receive any presents.”
The Big Toy Appeal will run from 1 November to 16 November 2019 in all 170 stores nationwide.
TRAINING TO MAKE
EVANGELISM EASY
A new outreach initiative called Casting Your Nets is available to churches across the country.
Casting Your Nets is a training programme that makes evangelism easy for everyone. The
brainchild of Outreach UK Director Trevor Dickerson, it is a partnership between Outreach UK,
Good News evangelistic newspaper and gospel booklet publisher Pocket Testament League.
Trevor says: "Casting Your Nets is an evangelism training course that makes outreach simple for all church members. Evangelism has too often been the ministry of a few enthusiasts rather than every individual Christian. Casting Your Nets shows how this can change. The practical training we offer equips every church member to share their own faith in Jesus Christ. But we not only equip Christians with the know-how of outreach, but also show them how to use some of the most effective materials."
Those materials are Good News itself and the gospel booklet 'Love is the Bridge', published by the Pocket Testament League, which contains the gospel of John (NIV) and a simple explanation of how Jesus bridges the gulf between us and God. Good News is an excellent give-away for starting conversations and Love is the Bridge makes a great follow-up for people who show an interest.
Casting Your Nets equips and resources ordinary Christians to meet Jesus' call to 'cast your net' on the right side of the boat - where the fish are.
For more information on how your church can benefit from Casting Your Nets, contact Trevor at: info@outreachuk.org or call 0300 1231990 or see www.castingyournets.org