Dear Friend,

Blackpool, a city on Lancashire’s coast, desperately needs a message of hope. Some in Blackpool are determined to prevent that.

The city has the shortest life expectancy in all of England. Alcoholism, drugs, crime, violence, and suicide are all epidemic. For a large portion of the city’s population today, hopelessness is part of everyday life.

A number of churches in Blackpool and the surrounding area have been praying for their community for several years and extended an invitation to me to come hold evangelistic meetings in September. I’m going to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ—a message that is the only hope for the world.

Despite the desperate spiritual need, a small but influential group of activists hostile to the authority of God’s Word are protesting the evangelistic event in Blackpool and taking steps to undermine or derail it if they can. Recently, ads for the event (like the one pictured above) were ordered removed from city buses after activists persuaded the bus system’s management that the ads might lead to “distress or upset.”

Regardless, I plan to preach the Word of God in Blackpool this month, and we need your prayers. Pray for our partner churches and for me. It is through the power of prayer that we will have “boldness in our God to speak … the gospel of God amid much opposition” (1 Thessalonians 2:2).

The Bible tells us that the Apostle Paul visited the ancient European coastal city of Ephesus where he began preaching and teaching the Word of God. Opponents rose up who resisted Paul’s ministry and spoke strongly negative things about the Gospel (see Acts 19:9). Nevertheless God did a great work there, many believed, and “the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily” (Acts 19:20, ESV). God can do the same in Blackpool. Join us in praying that lost souls will be saved.

Like the UK, America is increasingly overrun by secularism. The evangelical scholar John Stott, a longtime friend of my father’s, said a secularised society is characterised by repudiation of God, repudiation of moral absolutes, bureaucratic tyranny, and materialism. That description is more and more true of our countries.

Will you join us in thanking God for opening a “door of hope” (Hosea 2:15) in Blackpool? Your prayers and gifts help bring that hope.

We could not carry out this work that God has given us without you, and we are grateful.

May God bless you richly,

Franklin Graham
President

CHAPLAINS HELP EQUIP CHURCHES FOR LONG-TERM
MINISTRY FOLLOWING DEVASTATING WILDFIRES

On 23 July, the resort town of Mati, Greece, was ravaged as winds moving at close to 100 mph pushed wildfires towards the coast. Over 1,500 homes were destroyed and more than 90 lives were lost in just a day. In response, the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) quickly deployed crisis-trained chaplains from the UK and US, to work alongside the local church as they ministered to traumatised survivors.

“It was impossible to handle the fire,” said Fotis Romeos, a local pastor and the general secretary of the Greek Evangelical Alliance, “Everyone lost someone—a family member, a neighbour, a colleague, a church member. Some had to fight for their lives.”
“We are very thankful for the chaplains sent from BGEA who came to support the ministry of our church community,” he continued. “We are sure God is telling us something; to affirm who He is,…to be willing to let Him work through us to touch the lives of [others].”

    “I thought I was going to die.”

RRT chaplains Phil and Pam Rhodes have heard those words over and over again since arriving in Mati, Greece. Many residents are still in shock.

“A whirlwind of events happened in 45 minutes,” Phil said, explaining that older residents hadn’t seen such gale force winds in 52 years. The inferno quickly spread from one building to another while people frantically tried to reach safety. Several used the sea as a refuge, running to the ocean and jumping in. They were treading water for hours until help arrived. Others tried to leave by car, but the seaside community’s small, narrow roads caused a major traffic jam. Many ended up abandoning their vehicles and “running out of their shoes,” according to one resident. Due to the smoke, people had trouble seeing to escape. It was utter chaos.

“It was a difficult, logistical nightmare to get out of this place,” Pam added. “There’s been great material loss, but people are more affected by the loss of life and how near they came to dying.”

RRT chaplains are on the ground to offer the compassion of Christ to those who are hurting. One woman named Alena pulled her car over to talk with them, surprised they’d come all this way to bring hope to others. Alena explained how she was away on holiday when her mother called her, saying she was going to die in the flames that surrounded her home.

“You’re not going to die,” Alena told her mother. “We’re going to pray.” And God answered—both her mum and the home were untouched by the fire. Yet, Alena’s prayers didn’t stop there. Phil and Pam took time to lift her up before the heavenly Father, and she commented, “I didn’t know people prayed like that.”

In an area resistant to the Gospel, Pam said, “I think the aroma of Christ is coming out, and people are going to be touched by that.” She and her husband have seen such strength in these loving Greeks and know recovery is coming in the days ahead. “God is in control in the storm,” Phil said. “He’s going to bring healing to the community in His time.”

RRT chaplains have been deployed to numerous tragedies across Europe, including terrorist attacks in multiple countries and the Grenfell Tower fire.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

God works through people like you to change the world by the power of the Gospel.