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With over 2,000,000 students in this country, Christians with a passion for evangelism have to be a good thing. The Life Gospel Project last year fuelled a new enthusiasm among students for sharing the good news of Jesus with their peers - and the momentum is growing.

During the last term, three major regional student events have focused on the importance of evangelism. Each aimed to encourage students to live out their university and college years for Christ, sharing him with others with relevance, creativity and faithfulness to the gospel message. In Exeter, students from across the South West soaked up a day of evangelism training. This was followed by a practical session doing questionnaires in the city centre.

Gerard Chrispin reports on the launch of the new DAYLIGHT Christian Prison Trust, seeking to bring the gospel to those behind bars...

A helpful missionary vision emphasis in recent years is the concentration on the needs of people groups, in addition to focusing on geographical areas.

While the Lord has indeed brought millions of people to Christ in China over recent years, the character and some of the claims of ‘Brother Yun’ — whose story is told in the book The Heavenly Man — are being called into question by indigenous Chinese house church leaders.

Samuel Lamb (Lin Xiangao) has strongly attacked the ‘heavenly man’ (Brother Yun) in a pamphlet issued in August. The two most respected house church leaders in Beijing, Moses Xie and Allen Yuan, have also come out strongly against him and Peter Xu. Allen Yuan, who is himself from a Pentecostal background, has said that they are ‘black sheep disturbing the church’.

I have no hesitation in saying that the greatest and most momentous decision I have ever made in my life was the decision to become a follower of Jesus Christ.

Prior to my conversion I had always felt, to some degree at least, that there was a longing within my heart to know God in the way my parents seemed to know him, but I was afraid to pursue it in case I might be disappointed. Many times God had tapped at the window-pane of my soul. Like times just before bedtime when I would kneel to pray - something I had been taught as a child - and the feeling would come over me that I needed to take spiritual realities more seriously. Even in my most rebellious times, I would never slip under the blankets without saying a prayer. It was a simple and short prayer recited very quickly:

Christmas stocking

This article is going to be a bit like a Christmas stocking - a few things chucked in, some of them boring but useful; some interesting but useless; or a combination of the above.

The world we inhabit today is both larger and smaller than ever before. In our global village, events in one hemisphere hit the airwaves instantly to affect millions on the other side of the world.

Yet most people in the West live a more privatised, isolated and self-preoccupied existence than at any time in history. Vast horizons coexist alongside incredible insularity.

A new booklet is published this month on giving. John Stott takes ten principles set out by the Apostle Paul, and applies them to us now. Here we look at four of those principles...

When we become Christians, our giving has a new impetus. We are called to give generously, and with joy, as a fruit of the Spirit's life within us.

Lugging backpacks and hefty bags on Sunday at sunrise, they trickle in to the expanse of dirt and gravel under Interstate 35.

Littering this city block between 4th and 5th streets in Waco, Texas, are taillight shards and pigeon feathers. The men sit mostly in solitude at the base of support columns, waiting for something to happen.

In 1988 a group of Christians in the south of Birmingham were amazed at the turnout to a small Sunday gathering at which just a few families had been expected.

The meeting had been arranged in a local home to provide ministry for some who had been travelling long distances for systematic Bible teaching. The fact that over 30 people appeared highlighted a real desire for this kind of ministry in the area, and out of that South Birmingham Evangelical Church was soon formed.

When the Ruth Cowell care home for elderly Christians closed down, it was not a story that would interest the national press.

There were no protests from residents or staff, only an acceptance of the need to close and an assurance that God would take care of them.

Eleven new CU Staff Workers joined UCCF this summer. They play a vital role in co-ordinating the support of Christian Unions, as well as encouraging, advising, teaching and training students. Please pray for them as they begin this new stage of ministry.

Naomi Pilgrem (London) comes from France, and chose to study at King's College, London, because she had heard of CUs, and wanted to be part of one. After a year on Relay she moves to the east end of London to support smaller CUs in postmodern and multicultural universities.

China - a new world for women

Imagine what it must have been like for the women of China. Crippled, oppressed, unable to leave the house.

A mere 200 years ago women in China spent most of their lives confined to their homes - the result of the thousand-year custom of foot binding. It crippled millions of women, making walking painful, if not impossible.

Friendship evangelism is usually easy to initiate with Hindus. Most Hindus esteem religion in general and are free and open to speak about it. A sincere, non-judgmental interest in all aspects of Indian life will provide a good basis for friendship. Personal interaction with Hindus will lead to a more certain grasp of the essence of Hinduism than reading many books.

A consistently Christ-like life is the most important factor in sharing the gospel with Hindus. The suggestions that follow should help to break down misunderstandings and help to build a positive witness for Christ. But learning and applying these points can never be a substitute for a transparent life of peace and joy in discipleship to Jesus Christ.

As I sat in an Edinburgh pub, waiting to meet my friend Ruth, I pondered on our friendship. We'd met in my first week at university, when we were placed in a project group together and our friendship had continued throughout university.

We had endured some of the typical highs and lows of a university friendship - the highs usually occurring at the end of the final exam before the summer, and the lows when we received the resulting grades! On numerous occasions as we'd talked, our conversations had been about spiritual issues, and when the Christian Union held their mission week, Ruth attended several events. However, all this had occurred without her ever seemingly showing any genuine interest for herself. Since leaving university, my friendship with Ruth had continued, albeit at a distance, and generally by email and the occasional phone call. I was visiting Edinburgh and had suggested we meet up, as we'd not seen each other properly for almost two years.

Lawyers, it must be said, do not have the best reputation as a profession. To some the concept of a Christian lawyer may appear an oxymoron. There are a large number of Christians who practise law (and I would like to plug here the sterling work of the Lawyers Christian Fellowship), but fewer who undertake Christian legal work.

I have now been a solicitor in private practice for eight years. During that time I have represented many global corporations and households - and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. I would have described myself at the time as a lawyer who happened to be a Christian. I certainly worked hard, as if working to please God rather than men, but my actual service was directed towards the firm that employed me and the clients who wished to use my services.

David Field reflects on the astonishingly popular series of novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.

The energetic and expectant people of God are filled with hope.