Saw This On Google News

[Lewis Poyntontrials.com]

LONDON (Reuters) - Pioneering Anglican priests in Britain are to target rappers and skateboarders in a bid to stem dwindling congregations and connect with the young.

Eager to banish the fusty image of an Establishment church full of ageing worshippers, a new breed of crusading ministers are to spread the word in nightclubs, shopping arcades and skateboarding parks.

Seven out of 10 Britons say they are Christian but most who profess to be members of the Church of England rarely see the inside of a church except for "hatches, matches and dispatches" -- christenings, weddings and funerals.

Fresh Expressions, a task force set up by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, is out to change all that in the mother church of the Anglican worldwide communion.

The scheme could at last offer some positive news in a church that has been riven with divisions over the ordination of gay clergy and could next face clashes over the emotive issue of women bishops.

Fresh Expressions team leader Steven Croft said of the new "pioneer priest" scheme: "We are trying to appeal to everybody from the rapper to the skateboarder."

The traditional parish staples of Sunday school, youth club and summer garden fete are just not connecting with the young.

"The distance between the church and much of the culture in Britain is very wide," Croft conceded.

The aim, with a 100,000 pound budget, is to establish new courses that will train experimental, mobile priests to swap the pulpit for the pub.

Under the initiative, up to 400 "alternative church schemes" have now been set up around the country with up to 25,000 people involved.

A double-decker bus has been turned into a youth club, a wine bar is staging "church without walls" services and a London barge has been converted into a floating church.

A Christian "extreme sport" ministry called Rezurgence (rpt Rezurgence) has even been set up as "a unique first that brings mountain biking, BMX and faith into one."

The scheme may have prompted mocking headlines like "Hey Vicar Dude, Wassup?" but Croft is convinced this is the way to revive interest in the church.

"This is all about going to where people are," he told Reuters.

Taken from Oddly enough news artical

[joshywa]

A Christian "extreme sport" ministry

lmao monks on monty's

[Extreme_biker0]

Eager to banish the fusty image of an Establishment church full of ageing worshippers, a new breed of crusading ministers are to spread the word in nightclubs, shopping arcades and skateboarding parks.

Are religeous beliefs compatible with half the stuff that goes on in night clubs? Wouldn't it be hypocritical to say you are being religeous when out binge drinking and coveting your neighbours girlfriend?

I dunno, I think places like that would be better if everyone was a little more 'religeous' (i'm talking about fighting and stuff) but my reaction to the presence of religeon on a night out would be 'wrong time wrong place mate'.

Edited February 2, 2006 by Extreme_biker0

[Tomm]

Maybe they'll try and turn trials into a christian sport. Who knows. Meh, they come up with all this crap every other year. Oh yeah, let's appeal to a cooler audience, that's an ace idea. Oh well.

Ought to be entertaining to watch them fail to look cool and look even more uncool in the process, again

[Mark W]

Joy. So they can try and force their religion on a whole new type of people. Wahoo. Nothing quite like having religious dogma forced upon you when you're performing your chosen recreational activity...

[Jay Jay]

Imagine shagging a girl in the toilet of a nightclub and a priest pops his head over the cubicle with a leaflet in his hand saying, 'You should get married first' and he's getting a blowjob off a young lad

Edited February 3, 2006 by Jay Jay

[RicH_87]

lol^

Anyway, i don't think people should be allowed to preach religion, people should be made aware of it i guess, but from then on it's their own choice. Religion to me is a load of bollocks, faith and beliefs are good, but the bible etc is a load of toss, and i think everyone knows it, but perhaps are too afraid to say so just now.

oh and "The aim, with a 100,000 pound budget, is to establish new courses that will train experimental, mobile priests to swap the pulpit for the pub"....wtf? i ebt half the rappers - skaters would much rather have a shiney new recording studio/skatepark, than some pillock in a dress telling them how to live their life.

ban religion.

[Endohopper]

Nothing quite like having religious dogma forced upon you when you're performing your chosen recreational activity...

If they seek to convert us , this implies that they consider our current activities sinful . What are we , Satanic Cyclists ? And rap , yeah " My homie Christ be reprazentin' , y'all ..." Actually , I did hear some christian Heavy Metal once believe it or not !

Ever see Reed Merschat's "Evolve" trials video ? A street preacher asks Martin Hawyes " Where will you spend eternity , in Heaven or in Hell ? To which Hawsee replies " Not too bothered really , not bothered at all ..."

Edited February 3, 2006 by Endohopper

[desire68]

I'm a christian and a biker,I ride an 05 Echo control,Hoffman disrupter BMX an Imperial street bike and a Yamaha R6.Generally christians don't force the bible down peoples throats any more because it doesn't work that way.I didn't have it forced on to me,it was my decision to become a christian and i love the life i live.

Endohopper ,what makes you feel so bitter about the bible? I don't think it's a load of toss as you put it,and i read it every day,it's been very helpful to me and my family,if that's just your opinion you should say so.

You guys need to just take a moment and check your thoughts about christianity,it's come a long way since you were at Sunday school and it's not filled with the stuffy,puffed up hypocrites it used to be.

I wasn't always a christian,i turned to christ at the age of 23 so i do understand what it is to be a nonbeliever.Rather than just slag what the church is trying to do why don't you guy's ask some questions and get some infomation! Not forcing any body but if you have any questions,i'll deffo try and answer them.Christians really aren't all bad!!

Mike.

[Endohopper]

In my defence , I didn't refer to christian belief as a " load of toss " , another person replying above stated that . I was merely mocking contemporary people's careless attitude to what was once the dominant institution in European society .

For what it's worth , I suspect that the Christian faith helps millions worldwide to find solace in this hectic world , which I choose to escape by riding and painting and being among true friends . Apologies if I caused offence .

[desire68]

In my defence , I didn't refer to christian belief as a " load of toss " , another person replying above stated that . I was merely mocking contemporary people's careless attitude to what was once the dominant institution in European society .

For what it's worth , I suspect that the Christian faith helps millions worldwide to find solace in this hectic world , which I choose to escape by riding and painting and being among true friends . Apologies if I caused offence .

Man your either up as late as me on the night shift or very early start to your day.No offence taken buddy,i have my late night eyes in and should have read the posts author befor aiming my reply at you.By the way,that sure is a good reply for this time of the day or is it still night lol

Mike

[Brian Bleech]

If they seek to convert us , this implies that they consider our current activities sinful . What are we , Satanic Cyclists ? And rap , yeah " My homie Christ be reprazentin' , y'all ..." Actually , I did hear some christian Heavy Metal once believe it or not !

Ever see Reed Merschat's "Evolve" trials video ? A street preacher asks Martin Hawyes " Where will you spend eternity , in Heaven or in Hell ? To which Hawsee replies " Not too bothered really , not bothered at all ..."

yeah and the dad of the family walking past goes 'yeah but jesus didn't have a wheel on his cross'

there are quite a few christian metal bands too - the vast majority are crap!!

Edited February 3, 2006 by leedstrials

[TomR]

I dont necessarily agree with targeting specific groups but as they said, 70% of people say theyre christian but most dont go to church, so theyre only really targetting people who already beleive.

[anzo]

lol^

Anyway, i don't think people should be allowed to preach religion, people should be made aware of it i guess, but from then on it's their own choice. Religion to me is a load of bollocks, faith and beliefs are good, but the bible etc is a load of toss, and i think everyone knows it, but perhaps are too afraid to say so just now.

on Christmas eve I was in Nottingham, this big fat guy was sat in the middle of the Victoria Centre with a megaphone, protesting over the true meaning of Christmas, and just shouted 'Look at you all, buying gifts for people you hate, making millions of pounds for companies without faces, how much have you spent to day' and then he asked a young girl was Christmas was about...she said presents.

Yeah, the guy has a point, and then he was thrown out by security guards. I found that disgusting, what happened to freedom of speech?

No doubt about he, he was religous. But everyone has a right to say what the hell they like, I do, I don't give a shit if it offend anyone else because its my opinion, its up to you if you take offence or not. Someone preaching religion in the street? I just don't listen, I'm not religous, I don't intend to be.

If you ban religous preaching, and in the PC country we're becoming, it will be suggested, you ban freedom of speech.

[Ben Cox]

haha i can see it now, "just after failing to tap 58 inches, a priest comes up and says "if you believed in god you would make that tap with ease"

Ben

[mat hudson]

f**kin hate people forcing religeon upon me, thats why im not religeous. the only religion that did make sence was budism probabley because i believe in reincarnation. loads of god squad peeps come to our town every year and give out free burgers so while your eating them they can convert you to christianity. chumps.

[tipsy Jock]

Great i'm gonna have a night on the town, drink too much and wake up converted. Not good

[mat hudson]

at least the jews arnt doing it.

have a night on the town, drink too much and wake up circumcised

[Walleee]

If you ban religous preaching, and in the PC country we're becoming, it will be suggested, you ban freedom of speech.

We do not have freedom of speech, not by any stretch of the imagination. Go out into your street and start discussing allah, and how white men are the devil, you wont be free to talk for very long.

What pisses me off, is that they tend to populate the most popular area of a town, be that public gardens or whatever, they set up their shit, and start talking in an evangelical voice, telling me, that if i don't do as they do, im going to die and go to hell. First of all, it's up to god to judge (well, that's what they say) and secondly, If I was standing in the same place as them, with a megaphone talking about something even more innocent than them, I would probobly end up arrested.

It's because they are talking about god, they are allowed to stay, for a start no police force is going to move on preacher's unless of course they are not christian.

[desire68]

So much negativity about this,guys just chill.I never force my religion on anybody but if people want to know about Christ,then i can talk forever. The evangelism in the town center can be a little embarrassing/annoying but if you don't want to listen just excuse yourself. I must admit,i don't do the town centre thing,i prefer to help people who actually want to be helped but we can't all be like that otherwise the people who do only hear the gospel on the streets would never hear it atall.

Just like everything else,it's not for everyone,i actually hated the whole church thing for 23 years,then one day i just gave it a chance and i found out that i actually liked it(theres obviously a lot more to this,but i'd need a whole topic to tell you about it lol!!) and i didn't have to give up all of the things i loved,just the contrary stuff like smoking weed,trying to nail every girl on sight without a care for her feelings bad language(who needs it anyway?) and total negative out look on life!

I'm not perfect,and i have my good and bad days just the same as everyone else,but heres the thing,the difference between me and the nonchristian is that through all the misery that we all go through in life,i have an assurance at the end of it and thats my belief and it kind of helps me through the bad stuff.

All in my opinion,

Mike

[RicH_87]

But everyone has a right to say what the hell they like, I do, I don't give a shit if it offend anyone else because its my opinion, its up to you if you take offence or not. Someone preaching religion in the street? I just don't listen, I'm not religous, I don't intend to be.

If you ban religous preaching, and in the PC country we're becoming, it will be suggested, you ban freedom of speech.

If you really think about it, we all only have 'freedom of speech' up to a certain point. There is no real freedom of speech. To me that's almost as much bullcrap as religion itself.

If i was a hitler worshipping nazi and i stood in the street preaching about nazi beliefs, i would be arrested and everyone on earth would probabaly hate me. However how is that any different to preaching religion?

Every religion is predudice against certain groups of people, and if they aren't entirely they contradict themself somewhere along the line (chrstianity on homosexuals for example).

I could easily make up my own religion and call racism and cultural predudice my beliefs, the same way that catholics are against abortion. However i would probabaly go to jail.

Don't get me wrong, i'm not saying everyone should follow science and live their life by strict rules, but if you believe something, just believe it, don't tell everyone else about it, as-if you are too insecure to believe it all by yourself. I have loads of different theories and beliefs about what could be real, wha could be fake, what happens when we die, what i WOULD LIKE to happen when we die, but i don't grab my meaphone and 'protest' about how others have lost their way becasue they don't agree with me. If someone asks i have a good conversation about it and swap ideas, i don't cry becasue i'm the only one that thinks that way.

If people want to listen, they'll ask, no matter what the subject, imo religious preachers aren't 'spreading the word of god' they are making themselve feel more secure by getting sheep to follow them. Or in the case of the middleages and so on, getting peoples respect using the fear of god, to make them richer in society.

Religion is a tool of profit.

[MadManMike]

I'll voice my opinions now - I usually stir up an arguement unintentionally.

I don't beleive in religion, the bible for example. It's a collection of stories in a book right? So how is that any more true than Charlie and the chocolate factory?

Because it's an old book so nobody can prove it true or false that's why. People believe in it because they can't be sure whether it didn't actually happen.

And I get enough people trying to convert me when i'm walking through town, I don't need people at the local skate park or in my usual club blabbering in my ear about the son of god.

You know nothing will happen on a large scale anyway, still quite a funny news story... Good effort vicar.

[desire68]

Wasn't hitler all about dictatorship and segregating his followers from the rest of the world and if you didn't conform then you were killed?? At least if you don't want to become a christian then nobody is forcing you or threatening to kill you if join up.don't forget,with christianity you still have freedom of choice,and it's your choice to accept it or not.

If a street preacher reaches one person on a saturday afternoon then his day has been worth wile,don't get upset about the town centre thing,if you don't want to hear it then you don't have to stay and listen to them,thats freedom of choice which you wouldn't have received with hitler!!!

Mike

[MadManMike]

Religion is a tool of profit.

The entire post was a masterpiece - well said that man.

Oh, and the guy that said "You don't have to stay and hear it" - I didn't ask for him to come and talk to me. I'm not a nasty person, i'll chat to people, but I didn't ask a member of the "jesus army" (That's seriously what they call themselves in Hastings) to come and bug me. They don't just say hi either, they bug you at least three times before giving up and returning to their little spot. It's highly irritating, not just the religious guys do it though, charity workers too...

I'll punch one soon I promise

Edited February 3, 2006 by MadManMike

[desire68]

The entire post was a masterpiece - well said that man.

Oh, and the guy that said "You don't have to stay and hear it" - I didn't ask for him to come and talk to me. I'm not a nasty person, i'll chat to people, but I didn't ask a member of the "jesus army" (That's seriously what they call themselves in Hastings) to come and bug me. They don't just say hi either, they bug you at least three times before giving up and returning to their little spot. It's highly irritating, not just the religious guys do it though, charity workers too...

I'll punch one soon I promise

Mike,next time your approached,why don't you tell then(nicely lol) that your realy not interested and that the method of aproach they use would never get you to listen to them!Christians are still people at the end of the day and all people are different,some people shouldn't go to the street ministery because they don't have the personality to talk to people!!

Mike