The Moderator of the General Assembly, Rev Dr Alastair Dunlop has written of his increasing concern about persecution of Christian people, "in a number of Muslim countries particularly".
He claimed that this had gone on before September 11th, but "even since then have contributed to increase danger and tension for Christians in minority situations, as example, the October massacre in Pakistan of Christians at worship in their Church.
Dr Dunlop's concern intensified on hearing the Rev Prof James Haire, president of the Uniting Churches in Australia, and a former Irish Presbyterian Missionary to Indonesia, on Sunday Sequence (BBC) telling first-hand how fraught and dangerous the situation there was for the Christian minority.
Dr Dunlop commends prayer for these minorities, and also commends support of the Barnabas Fund.
The prime purpose of the fund is giving practical support to persecuted Christians.
A Barnabas project at the moment is preparation of a petition to be handed in April 2002 to the United Nations' Human Rights Commission "calling for Christian minorities in Muslim majority countries to be given the same rights and freedoms as those enjoyed by Muslim minorities in the West".
The Barnabas Fund can be contacted at the Old Rectory, River Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire SN9 5DB.
For many years, World Development Appeal, an agency of the Church making its major appeal at Christmas, has been in support of Christian Aid and the Tear Fund "in seeking to change lives and communities amongst the world's poor for good".
The money was from last year's appeal was largely disbursed to educational projects in Haiti, Nigeria, India and southern Sudan.
It was also possible to fund the building and equipping of three primary schools in Sierra Leone, and recently £20,000 was sent for relief to Afghanistan.
Before Christmas this year, two church members suggested a guideline for support of this year's appeal.
It was "Be it £5 or £5,000, take the cost of the most expensive present you will give this Christmas and match it with your donation to World Development Appeal".
A bumper response is anticipated.
Abundant and Abiding is the title of memoirs published this month by octogenarian Rev Jackson Buick.
He has been described as one of the North's best-loved preachers.
Co-written with the writer George Gillespie, Rev Buick's ministries in the Belfast City Mission and Newtownards and Larne are detailed in an often humorous manner.
He was also a chaplain in Crumlin Road Prison Belfast during the Troubles.
This book is currently available from Faith Mission Bookshops or on order direct from The Irish Mission, Church House, Belfast (028900 322284).
It costs £5 and all profits will be divided between Belfast City Mission and the Irish Mission.
The Irish Centre for Faith and Culture is based at St Patrick's College, Maynooth.
A symposium chaired by the Rev Dr John Morrow, former chaplain in Trinity College, sought to convey "the reality of faith and culture in inner city Belfast".
Well-known contributors, each from their own perspective, have contributed to the findings in a book recently published by Veritas.
Gillian Robinson (University of Ulster-Policy Studies) has conducted research on Protestant and Roman Catholic relationships, particularly in the North, over the past ten years.
She found that inter-faith marriages have risen in number slowly.
Roman Catholic respondents are more likely to say "they would not mind an inter-faith marriage in the family".
Sixty per cent of Protestants are now saying they would not mind.