Listen again to Songs of Hope podcast for 31Dec17
Category Archives: podcast
31Dec17 Christian News Bulletin
RELIGION AND POLITICS
A majority of British people believe that religion should play a less prominent role in parliament, with bishops losing their automatic seats in the House of Lords, a YouGov survey for The Times has found. The proportion of non-believers fell back to 36 per cent over the past year, while the number of people who believe in God increased by one percentage point, from 28 to 29 per cent, and the number of people who do not believe in God but do believe in “some sort of spiritual greater power” increased from 20 to 23 per cent.
CHRISTIANS IN IRAQ
Christians in Iraq have attended a Christmas service in Mosul for the first time since Islamic State militants took over the city in 2014, hoping they will soon be able to return to their homes. Armoured vehicles guarded Saint Paul’s, the only functioning church in Mosul. Its bombed-out window frames were covered with white sheets during the Christmas service, the BBC reports.
THE BIBLE IN SIGN LANGUAGE
CBN News reports that Wycliffe Bible translators have been working to ensure that the Bible is translated into every language. Recently Wycliffe translators began work on reaching the deaf community with a sign language Bible translation.
24Dec17 Christian News Bulletin
CHRISTIAN RALLY IN VIETNAM
The Love Hanoi Festival with Franklin Graham was the first of its kind in communist Vietnam. Four hundred buses brought thousands of people to the evangelistic rally in Northern Vietnam. Graham preached to 10,000 people who filled a sports complex and watched outside on giant screens. He says that though there is evidence of persecution, Christians in Vietnam are gaining more religious freedom while people in the West are gradually losing theirs. He told The Christian Post he hopes the Vietnamese government will see that Christians are not enemies, but are some of the best citizens in the country.
BOY KILLED BY GRENADE
A seven-year-old Christian boy was killed in a grenade attack on the gates of a Christian community in Pakistan at the beginning of December. Two other people were injured in the explosion, which shattered the windows of nearby homes.
SURGERY ON BOARD SHIP
Mercy Ships reports that a doctor has performed the 30,000th surgery, ten years after he operated in the very first surgery on board the hospital ship Africa Mercy. Dr Glenn Strauss has also trained 47 ophthalmic surgeons who will provide tens of thousands of cataract surgeries in Africa and around the world.
Christmas Day carols
On Christmas Day, 25Dec17, Chris Whiting put to air an hour of carols to celebrate the birth of Christ
Press play to listen or download.
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
On Christmas Day, Chris brought us excerpts of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio to celebrate Christmas. Parts of cantatas one and two are played. Here is a podcast of one hour of the special Christmas Day Songs of Hope
Press play to listen or download.
Songs of Hope 