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Ali writes well, her opening is striking as she describes her mother’s and grandmother’s upbringing in nomadic clans in Somalia. Life is harsh and honour-based, Islam a mere veneer on ancient animistic culture.

The national press has never paid much attention to Christian Unions, but things are changing.

The Times gave a front page in November to four well-regarded universities where Christian Unions face discrimination. Rightly so, for religious issues on campus are not local difficulties (November 18 and letters following).

For those of you who have not heard the name, then may I introduce you to the foremost children’s writer of our age? He has published over 100 works since the mid 70s, has won all the prizes available for children’s literature, been Children’s Laureate (from 2003-5) had works made into major films and presented a brilliant series, The Invention of Childhood on Radio Four. He and his wife also run a charity Farms For City Children. It is certainly difficult to be critical of the hard working fellow.

At a time when churches are reported to be in decline, the theme of growing churches is obviously of major importance for Christians.

‘Growing churches: reach, build, send’ was the title of a conference sponsored by the South East Gospel Partnership (in affiliation with Affinity) at St. Helen’s, Bishopsgate, London, on February 3.

Following the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe in 1989, the work of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) has blossomed remarkably in many countries.

As he comes to the end of his tenure as General Secretary of IFES, Lindsay Brown reflects on some of the marvellous stories of how God has been at work in the lives of students worldwide.

The missionary life of Henry Martyn is one of single-minded perseverance to obey the call of God, laborious allegiance to the Word of God, and most importantly, a passionate love for Jesus Christ the Son of God, such that constrained a life of boasting in the cross.

A Cambridge graduate who was a protege of Charles Simeon and the Clapham Sect, and later a colleague in India to the father of modern missions, William Carey — Henry Martyn — ought to be a household name.

In the early hours of August 23 1989, St. Leonard’s Anglican Church in Exeter was ablaze. But the arsonist’s fire brought the blessings of God. Here John Skinner, the Rector at that time, tells the story . . .

So why was the fire so significant? It was mainly because of the years of frustration that preceded it. What was the cause of this growing frustration?

EN: What is IFES? Could you explain something of its nature, history and objectives?

LB: IFES is a network of evangelical student ministries in 150 countries. In 1947 leaders of ten national student ministries met in Harvard with a vision to see a witness to Christ among students in every country. The largest movement is in Nigeria where close to 40,000 students meet in small group Bible studies.

Three full days of great Bible teaching plus entertainment for all ages, mixed in with fun, resources, sport and relaxation are all on offer at the first ever Cheltenham Bible Festival which runs from Thursday to Sunday August 9-11.

‘In the autumn, we held a preview day for church leaders and team members’, says Andrew Nicholson of FIEC, the sponsors of the festival.

Famous books

The Geneva New Testament was published in English (the first English New Testament printed in Roman type, with verse divisions) in 1557.

Richard Baxter’s A Call to the Unconverted was published in 1657.