日不落之国的夕陽工業
據BBC中文網報導，英國前坎特伯雷大主教凱裏勛爵近日警告說，倘若青年福音工作無法扭轉頹局，基督教在英國就面臨著在一代人之內消失的危險。 凱裏勛爵的警告並非危言聳聽。就在他發表這番演講之際，英格蘭聖公會主教大會得到一份令人堪憂報告，指出信徒人數的下降已經威脅到了英格蘭教會在全國範圍內的存在。 報告指出，從1970年迄今，在英格蘭參加教會主日崇拜的人數下降了一半，僅僅維持在大約81萬人的水平。 英國教會衰敗景況引起教界領袖的極度擔憂。英格蘭聖公會約克大主教森塔姆深感有必要採取全新、大膽的傳福音計畫，以便給教會注入新血。 前坎特伯雷大主教凱裏勛爵提出更為針對性的建議。在他看來，教會若要力挽狂瀾，必須在吸引年輕人方面儘快取得突破性的進展。 他指出很多人對教會的印象不佳。「他們並不認為一般的教堂是發生偉大事情的地方。坐在冰冷的教堂裏，看著別人的後背，肯定不是會見令人激動的人們和聆聽預測未來言辭的最好地方。」 為此，凱裏勛爵認為教會必須向年輕人提供令人信服的理由，說明基督教信仰同他們相關。總之，教會必須在青年工作上加大投入。 除了青年工作存在破口外，如何重振教牧的信心也非常重要。他指出，很多英格蘭的教會牧師存在著挫敗感，面對困境往往不知所措。 http://chinese.gospelherald.com/news/wor-23121-0/#.UpSeD8RDujQ | |||||
英教會領袖就信徒人數下滑表示擔憂 2013年11月19日 13:32 英國前坎特伯雷大主教凱裏勛爵在英格蘭教會舉行的一次基督教會議上發出警告說，基督教目前在英國正面臨著在一代人之內消亡的威脅。 他說，在英格蘭的許多地方，教會處在艱難的境地，許多牧師缺乏信心，廣泛存在著挫敗感。 凱裏勛爵表示，要想扭轉這種局面，教會需要在吸引年輕人方面取得突破性的進展。 他說，「許多人並不認為一般的教堂是發生偉大事情的地方。坐在冰冷的教堂裏，看著別人的後背，肯定不是會見令人激動的人們和聆聽預測未來言辭的最好地方。」 他還說，一個非常重要的問題是，現在需要在吸引年輕人的問題上加大投入。 緊迫工作 他說，「最緊迫和最令人擔憂的缺口在青年工作方面。」 「我們必須向年輕人提供令人信服的理由，說明基督教信仰同他們相關。」 就在凱裏勛爵發表上述談話之際，英格蘭教會主教大會得到的一份報告同時警告說，教徒人數的下降已經威脅到了英格蘭教會在全國範圍內的存在。 從1970年到現在，參加星期日教會活動的人數下降了一半，僅僅維持在大約81萬人的水平。 作為英格蘭教會主要領導人的約克大主教森塔姆說，英格蘭教會必須採取一項新的傳教方式，採取一項大膽的在英格蘭再傳福音的計劃。 （編譯：躍生/責編：董樂） http://www.bbc.co.uk/ukchina/trad/mobile/uk_life/2013/11/131119_life_england_church.shtml | |||||
http://www.vexen.co.uk/UK/religion.html#CensusResults | |||||
我又冇presume唔信基督就係走咗去信安拉，您唔駛安慰我嘅 but thx anyway 英國佬都係屎忽痕，返教會慣咗, 就算唔信都照舊做崇拜。好似戒奶戒唔甩 Sanderson Jones' Sunday Assembly comes to Canberra When British stand-up comedian Sanderson Jones and a fellow comic began the godless congregation of The Sunday Assembly in London this year, they didn't imagine how far it would spread. Mr Jones was at Canberra's first assembly on Monday night, joined by 140 people young and old who sang to the Beatles and Ben Harper, listened to a psychologist and then chatted over tea and cake."We get so many different types of people who come," Mr Jones said. Advertisement"Some people who go to standard atheist and humanist movements are stunned at the diversity of our community." The unique service at the Polish Club – in a church-like format but without the religion - brought together those with polar opposite views on the supernatural, Canberra co-founder Sonya Tirtajaya said. "I had an atheist come up to me and said they enjoyed it, and I had a Minister from the Uniting Church come up and say she had a great time," Ms Tirtajaya said. "People were so positive, I think they really connected, I think people were very sociable." Mr Jones, 32, has traveled to five countries in as many weeks on a global mega launch for new assemblies, which now number 40 worldwide. "It's quite a tried and tested formula [now], and we're operating in a market with very little competition ... It's very exciting," he said. "We didn't start [it] as an international organisation." Mr Jones – an atheist who lost a direct family connection to church after his religious mother died when he was 10 - said the motivation to recreate a church-like community was about embracing life. "For me, it was just having a really transcendental sense of how wonderful it is to be alive," he said. Canberra's inaugural event attracted families with children, many in their 20s and some in their 60s and 70s, who heard about the benefits of the beginner's mind from Australian National University academic Randolph Sparks, then joined in song to popular hits such as The Beatles' Twist and Shout. The monthly assembly next meets on January 19, with a social event planned for December 18. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/sanderson-jones-sunday-assembly-comes-to-canberra-20131126-2y719.html |