Commercial and bureaucratic hindrances collided with an uncontrollable reality: the faith of many players.

Theresa May says everyone should be guaranteed the right to “practise their faith free of fear”.

Yerry Mina, Cuadrado and Falcao are some of the Christian players who shared Bible verses and made faith statements during the World Cup.

The reality of our global church goes beyond what we imagine, and is growing in unexpected ways.

The National Council of Evangelicals of France organised a training meeting under the theme “Dialoguing with the authorities, a necessity for building the future”, which included a visit to the National Assembly.

An Assemblies of God Nigeria pastor, his wife and son were among were among the victims. There has been incessant attacks on Christians in the state by armed Fulani herdsmen.

Rome can be very softand adaptable in many respects, but the Eucharist is the core of its “Roman” identity and so it is strictly safeguarded.

So far this year, there have been 32 cases of verified attacks on Christians in Tamil Nadu, the most in any southern state in India.

All ministers of faith minorities representing less than 1% of the population “would be required to be Bulgarian citizens, having graduated theology in this country”, explains Vlady Raichinov, Vice President of the Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance.

Four politicians of the Swiss Parliament joined the event in the centre of Bern.

The narrative is straightforward. They are the victims. They have been damaged by ‘conservative theology’ and they are going to change us evangelicals so that we accept their position.

The new #FoRBDefender movement stands in solidarity with people across the globe facing discrimination, oppression and violence because of their religion or belief (including non-belief).

Practical resources for advancing the Great Commission.

The Belgian city of Ostend will convert an abandoned hangar into a brothel. “Many prostitutes think they are protected, but they are not”, says a Christian social worker in the region.

Córdoba International Television was founded in 2012 by the Sheikh Abdelaziz al Fawzan. It broadcast in Spain and Latin America. All its workers were fired last May.

Despite losing votes, the President wins the Presidential election (52%) and gains new powers as head of government. Opposition parties such as the pro-Kurds gain seats in Parliament.

Catholic weddings decreased by 50% and baptisms by more than 30% in the last ten years. The public funding of the Roman Catholic Church increased by 3,4%, despite the generalised budget cuts.

About 2,000 Anglican representatives gather in Jerusalem under the theme “Proclaiming Christ faithfully to the nations”. The movement has grown exponentially due to its commitment to the authority of the Bible.

The popularity of the powerful President is falling strongly. “None of the parties have mentioned religious freedom” in the campaign, says Turkish Protestant Pastor Ihsan Özbek.

The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe has collected over 2200 cases since 2006.

“Christianity in Burundi is more a part of the problem than the solution”, says a source in the country.

The blaze started in an old nightclub nearby. Around 40 people were evacuated.“Building or no building, the church will worship God and serve our community”, the pastor says.

The Christian leader has asked to publicly share his image to denounce how the government is violating Human Rights. Pressures on relatives of church members and false accusations might be the next steps in a full police crackdown on the church he leads.

It’s impossible to imagine the BBC producing any sort of programme that examined the origins of Islam or the Quran with anything like the severity with which Christianity or the Bible is treated.

The owners of the Christian television broadcaster from the UK say they are ready to defend their rights in the courts.