It is a common practice among Christians to meet regularly for short periods to pray and learn together from God's word. In my experience, such times are profitable in providing accountability, building deep relationships with fellow believers and being encouraged to persevere in the faith.

We Belong to the Land tells the story of Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Christian priest in Northern Galilee. It discusses a number of the tragic events that has afflicted Palestinians – Chacour's family is evicted from their village in Northern Gallilee in 1948, the massacre of 3000 men, women and children in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camp during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and Chacour's agonising visit to the Gaza strip in 1988 during the Intifada. However the main thrust of the book is on his work towards reconciliation.

Is it possible to reach a Christian position on war? In any discussion of war it is unlikely that ‘the Church' will speak with ‘one voice' on the matter. That is because of two complementary aspects of the Bible's teaching. On the one hand, the Bible teaches that people powerfully pursue their own goals at the expense of others—they ‘sin' against each other—and such a world requires rulers who sometimes enforce peace by means of coercion (while resisting the temptation to sin). Yet on the other hand, God intends for human societies to live in peace, without death and bloodshed, and redeems people for himself who are committed to this peaceful life, now and in future.

An Anglican parish in the remote Ntchisi mountains region of central Malawi is playing a major role in the local battle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic tearing apart this African nation.

Five years of brutal civil war, hundreds of thousands of Christians forced to flee their homes, and almost no churches to meet in around most of the country. Far from ideal circumstances in which to be working in Christian ministry, but these are the challenges faced daily by Bishop Masimango Katanda, Archdeacon Muhindo Isesomo, and the Anglican Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Zewar Mohammed Ishmael, a former Muslim living and working in Northern Iraq, was killed in February when he refused to deny his faith in Jesus Christ.

The Rev Professor James Haire, National President of the Uniting Church in Australia, has been appointed Executive Director of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture.

As part of the International Year of Freshwater, the Archbishop's Overseas Relief and Aid Fund (ORAF) has joined the national ‘Water Matters‘ campaign.