GOOD NEWS Newspaper

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December 2025
CARRIE UNDERWOOD
‘Why I will be in church
on Christmas morning’
CBEEBIES PANTO STAR
Joanna Adeyinka-Burford
wants kids to know Jesus
See page See page
CHRISTMAS
IG/JohnCainPhotography
ENCOUNTER
Baby thrown away in a rubbish bin
becomes successful businessman
after his life changes at Christmas
LONELY NO LONGER: Lucian Mustata pictured as a
guest at the Dove Awards held by the Gospel Music
Association (GMA) in Nashville, Tennessee, last year
LUCIAN Mustata, an orphan once
found as a baby in a trash bin,
stood at the back of a Christmas
service in a church in Romania
and watched families enjoying a
choir perform festive songs.
It helped the teenager
feel part of
something – since
he had no family of
his own.
His father, unknown
to him, had raped his
disabled mother years
before and Lucian was
the result of that terrible
criminal act.
“I was born in difficult
circumstances, abandoned
as a baby, and
raised in an orphanage,”
said Lucian.
In 1989, a doctor
walked near a rubbish
bin at a hospital in Bucharest
when he heard
the sounds of a baby
crying. It was Lucian, as
he later became known,
and he was lying in the
trash.
The doctor took him
to an orphanage where
the child grew in the
By Chris Eyte
company of strangers.
Times were hard. It
was at the end of the
communist government
and Lucian grew up in
the orphanage with
dozens of children in a
similar situation.
Lucian, now 36, remembers
the daily sufferings
of hunger and
poverty. He describes
his childhood as “traumatic”,
as he also suffered
physical violence
from adults.
Christmas was achingly
difficult for Lucian,
who was alone
and aware that others
had a family. He met his
mother briefly at the age
of 12 but she was unable
to provide care because
of her health. He has
two brothers but does
not know them.
However, Lucian’s life
changed once he discovered
the personal
love of Jesus Christ.
MORE THAN GOLF
Why faith and family
come first for world
no. 1 Scottie Scheffler
“Jesus found me,” said
Lucian. “He healed my
wounds and gave me a
new identity — not as a
victim, but as a beloved
child of God.
“Today, I lead projects
that bring hope to thousands
of people, and I
do it with the passion
See page
that comes from being
transformed.
“Jesus is not just part
of my life — he is the reason
I live.”
Lucian’s journey to
knowing Jesus began
when Pastor Cornel
Continued on page 2

Page 2 I GOOD NEWS I December 2025
NOT DEAD YET!
Opera star Jonathan Veira
survives health battles
and will carry on singing
‘NOT Dead Yet’ is the title of singer Jonathan Veira’s live
shows that are touring the country. Jonathan found fame
as an opera star, but his shows are an eclectic mix of
musical styles – popular, gospel and opera – and include
Jonathan’s interludes of humour and sharing his
Christian faith.
The unusual show title
alludes to Jonathan’s
health challenges over a
number of years and his
determination to keep
singing.
He says: “God is with
you in whatever you do
and however you feel. I
want to bless people
with my voice as long as
I can. I’m not dead yet.”
Jonathan came from
a musical family with
Caribbean roots and
learnt the descant recorder
and piano as a
youngster and was influenced
by contemporary
singers such as Billy
Joel and Elton John.
When studying classical
music at university
in London, he made a
personal commitment to
God. His strict church
background had given
him a deep knowledge
of the Bible, but he realised
that although he
knew a lot about God,
up until this point, he
didn’t really ‘know’ God.
By Sheila Johnson
A SONG IN HIS HEART: Jonathan Veira has come though his
health battles with the joy that comes through knowing Jesus
Then he found a personal
relationship with God
through faith in Jesus.
With his new-found
faith he considered becoming
a gospel singer,
but on entering an international
opera singing
competition and being
successfully chosen for
his unique bass baritone
voice, opera became his
natural career path. Jonathan
went on to study
at the National School of
Opera and Trinity College
of Music.
Becoming “moderately
famous”, in his
own words, he was to
sing regularly at Glyndebourne
Opera House in
East Sussex, and with
world renowned opera
singers such as New
Zealand’s Dame Kiri Te
Kanawa, before he was
suddenly struck down
by a mystery illness at
just 29.
Miraculous
Arriving home early
one day from rehearsing
at Glyndebourne with a
splitting headache, he
thought he was coming
down with a nasty bout
of flu and was given a
course of antibiotics.
But less than a day later
his wife, Sue, found him
in a coma and called an
ambulance. He was
found to be seriously ill
with viral encephalitis –
a brain disease that can
cause death or severe
disability. However, a
church and several
Christian friends cried
out to God for healing,
and after being unconscious
for just a few
days, Jonathan woke up
in a fairly normal state.
One of the doctorssaid:
“I am not a man of
faith, but I know you
are, judging by the
number of visitors that
have been praying by
your bedside. Something
happened here
and the only word that I
can find to describe it is
‘miraculous’.”
But Jonathan needed
to rest and wasn’t able
to work properly for a
while. Fortunately, some
Christians were very
generous with their finances,
which meant
that the young family
managed to survive this
very difficult period.
Kidney failure
Six months later, the
BBC’s Songs of Praise
programme was visiting
Jonathan’s town and researching
stories of
faith. Jonathan’s vicar,
David Bracewell, suggested
Jonathan’s amazing
story of recovery and
Jonathan was interviewed
for the programme.
This was to
forge a relationship with
the BBC over more than
20 years, not only with
Songs of Praise but also
Radio 2’s Sunday morning
programme. Jonathan
was also invited
back to perform at Glyndebourne.
More recently, in 2019
Jonathan suffered acute
kidney failure, having to
TRANSFORMED: “When I met Jesus,
I experienced his love,” says Lucian
Continued from page 1
Boingeanu noticed
him standing alone
at the back of Holy
Trinity Baptist Church
in Bucharest, during
the Christmas service.
The pastor spoke
during the service,
telling the congregation
that the big presents,
sumptuous food
and seasonal decorations
didn’t matter –
Christmas is all about
Jesus.
Lucian, aged 18 at
the time, felt a keen
interest in what the
pastor said and
began going to the
church regularly. The
pastor spent time
with him, teaching
him about the love of
God and showing
him the care and
concern which had
been missing in his
life.
In Lucian’s own
words, his heart was
truly “transformed”.
“God became the
Father I never had.
That changed everything
— my mindset,
my heart, and the direction
of my life. I finally
received peace
on the inside and a
deep sense of purpose,”
said Lucian.
“I now live with
drive and clarity,
knowing that I am
loved unconditionally.
I love him deeply,
because for the first
time, I truly have a
go on daily dialysis
until he was able to accept
one of his wife’s
kidneys during a Covid
lockdown. But even so
he was working on an
online show during
that period which
attracted a large following,
and out of this
came three CDs (available
on his website*).
He now concentrates
on his one man shows,
Father who loves
me.”
Lucian also realised
that education would
help him find a route
out of his situation in
life. He studied and
worked hard, completing
college and a
master’s degree before
working at the
World Bank. He used
his earnings to start
an information technology
company employing
20 people.
Lucian also started
Heartbeats Festival,
a large global programme
of music
festivals, with workshops
and other
events, to help teenagers
around the
world know that there
is a God who loves
them. 100,000 people
have taken part in
the festival to date, in
person and through
live streaming in Romania
and other
countries.
“Knowing Jesus is
deeply personal for
me — I know him as
my Father,” said Lucian.
“I grew up without
a father and longed
my whole life for love
and family. When I
met Jesus, I experienced
his love directly
— not as an
idea, but as a real,
constant presence.
His love filled a gap
that nothing and no
one else could fill.”
the latest of which is the
Not Dead Yet series,
which continues well
into 2026.
Jonathan says: “I
don’t believe that God
has finished with me
yet. He still has stuff to
do with me. He doesn’t
always promise to give
us a good day, but he
does promise to be with
us.”
*www.jonathanveira.com

GOOD NEWS I December 2025 I Page 3
CBeebies and panto star
wants kids to know God
CHILDREN’S TV presenter Joanna Adeyinka-Burford has
starred in several Christmas pantos. Last year she was the
Good Fairy in Sleeping Beauty at The Anvil Theatre in Basingstoke
(as pictured on our cover), and the year before
she was singing squirrel Dale in CBeebies’ Robin Hood.
Joanna’s main work is as a
CBeebies presenter for the BBC – a
regular face in the CBeebies House.
But Joanna wants to do more than
just entertain children – she also
wants them to find the same love of
Jesus that she has experienced.
As well as presenting a number of
faith-based projects for The Church
of England, Joanna has spent time
in Uganda working with the Watoto
children’s charity, and along with
the likes of Bear Grylls and Mary
Berry she is one of the storytellers
ENTERTAINER: Joanna as Dale the singing squirrel
(second from left) in the CBeebies live pantomime
Robin Hood
for Cheeky Pandas – a Christian
children’s ministry.
She’s also written an interactive
devotional journal for kids aged 7-11
called What’s Up? She told the
RaiseUpFaith website: “With all the
influences we and our kids have to
face these days, it definitely feels
like there’s a need for children to be
secure and rooted in who they truly
are and not who the world, or anyone
else tells them they should be!
I wanted to tell stories that were
real, relatable and honest experiences
of faith in the hope that
young people would read them and
feel encouraged throughout their
own faith journeys.”
One of the chapters also explains
her own faith journey: “As a child
I went to church most Sundays,
learnt worship songs and read Bible
stories but, although I remember as
a child writing little worship songs,
I didn’t have a personal relationship
with God until I was much older.
And that’s when I really began to
experience who he was. I think the
faithfulness of God, that I’ve experienced
over and over again, is
what’s reflected in this book.”
Asked what she would want a
seven-year-old Joanna to know
about God she replied: “I’d tell her
to never stop seeking God (stay
close to him as it’s where you find
your true self and really flourish),
that his love for her is unshakeable
and that she can trust him with absolutely
everything as he walks with
her through every situation.”
Acknowledgement: cover photo by Sean Dillow
BBC
Singer sticks
to the faith
that made her
who she is
EIGHT-time Grammy Award-winning
country artist Carrie Underwood is one
of the best-selling singers of all time –
but she hasn’t forgotten her faith.
She’ll be in church at Christmastime.
Carrie was raised in a church-going family and
often speaks about Christmas as a time for family,
faith and giving back. She emphasises the importance
of remembering the true meaning of the season,
which is the birth of Jesus, and celebrating with
loved ones.
She also shares how her family attends church, decorates
the house and visits nursing homes to sing carols.
In 2020 she released a Christmas album, My Gift, featuring
both traditional carols and original songs – including
Hallelujah with John Legend.
Her first hit was called Jesus, Take the Wheel – quite a
brave move for your first single. She said: “People
started saying, ‘Oh, it’s kind of risky. You’re coming out
with a religious song.’ And I was thinking, Really?... I always
had a close relationship with God. I never thought
it was risky in the least.”
Her devotion to God also helps Carrie stay down to
earth. She says: “Mike and I do all we can to raise our
two boys with values like the ones I grew up with,” including
“church on Sundays”. At bedtime, they “pray
out loud… just talking to God, letting [our sons] know
he hears their every word.”
CHRISTMAS STAR: Carrie as
featured on her first Christmas
album, My Gift
Christmas hit
writer believed in
the real reason for
the season
SHANE MACGOWAN: 1957-2023
THE POGUES’ most well-known song, Fairytale of New
York, is often voted people’s favourite Christmas hit –
despite its depressing and controversial lyrics.
But what most don’t realise is that the
band’s frontman, Shane MacGowan, was
born on Christmas Day and really believed
in the Christ of Christmas.
MacGowan had a typical Catholic upbringing
and even considered becoming
a priest, but once in the music business
he led a typical rock’n’roll lifestyle –
even becoming a heroin addict.
Despite that, it seems he clung on to
faith in Jesus. He prayed every day, and
was saddened that many people don’t
understand the real meaning of Christmas.
He once told a Christian newspaper:
“I don’t take it for granted that I
was born on Christmas Day, Christ’s
birthday, and I don’t like that people
Marcus Lynam/Wikimedia
miss the point of Christmas.
“It’s not about Santa Claus and presents,
it’s supposed to be about the
teachings of Christ, who is love. Jesus
forgives everyone and we need to practise
forgiveness as much as we can. And
Jesus teaches peace and love and tolerance,
which is what we all need.”
Biblical themes often ran through his
music. The album that Fairytale appeared
on was titled, If I Should Fall from
Grace with God. He often attended
church and at his funeral his minister
said MacGowan “had great faith”.
In a 2022 interview with The Guardian,
MacGowan said he lost his faith “a few
times” over his life “but never for long”.

Page 4 I GOOD NEWS I December 2025
Director: Alanna Brown
Stars: Serayah, Tyler Lepley,
Phylicia Rashad
Certificate: TV-14
Available: On Netflix
Ruth & Boaz
LOVE STORY: Tyler Lepley and Serayah play the romantic leads in this
modern re-telling of the Bible story
SEVERAL Shakespeare plays
have been updated for the modern
world – Romeo and Juliet,
for example, became West Side
Story.
While they are less well-known, a
number of Bible stories have also been
updated for a modern audience – and
this film is a modern-day retelling of
one of the most iconic love stories in
the Bible (from the book of Ruth). It’s
more West Side Story than The Greatest
Story Ever Told.
Ruth is an Atlanta-based R&B – convenient
initials, there – singer, whose
boyfriend and his father are murdered.
Naomi, the widowed mother of
the boyfriend, finds that her husband
was seriously in debt and her home
was going to be repossessed. Fortunately,
Naomi has a house of her own
up in rural Tennessee and so moves
there. Ruth joins Naomi in the country
and looks for a job. She finds one,
picking grapes on a vineyard owned
by Bo Astra – Boaz for short – a goodlooking,
kind and, most importantly,
single man.
Anyone who knows the story of
By Simon Carver
Ruth in the Bible will recognise many
features in this film version, although
important cultural elements
in the original story have been
omitted. However, it would have
been hard to make an updated version
of the Old Testament story of
Ruth while retaining some of the
ancient practices of Israel in the second
millennium BC.
Overall, this adaptation of the
ancient tale works well, whether or
not one knows the Bible story. It
shows ordinary people working out
what faith in God means for them
when life doesn’t go as planned.
Ruth & Boaz hints that God
worked in the background to arrange
the relationship between its two romantic
leads. Of course, the idea of
God working through ordinary
people is not new. In the final
chapter of the Bible story about Ruth,
she gives birth to a boy named Obed,
who was “the father of Jesse, the
father of David.” David was Israel’s
greatest King and an ancestor of
Jesus. So a love story between two
ordinary people who tried to be faithful
to God led to the Saviour being
born at Christmas.
CHRIS Marriott was killed two Christmases ago because
he thought nothing of giving up his time to help someone
in trouble.
His tragic death took place in Sheffield on 27
December 2023 when he was run down by Hassan
Jhangur as he tried to help Jhangur’s sister, who
had been injured in an earlier fight and was lying
in the road.
What became the charity worker’s final act of kindness
was no surprise to those who knew Chris, who
has been called a ‘Good Samaritan’.
Chris and his wife Bryony were out for a Christmas
holiday stroll when they saw Nafeesa Jhangur lying
motionless among a group of people. Both rushed over
to help – but little did they know that they were caught
up in vicious family dispute.
Hassan Jhangur killed Chris and seriously injured
four others when he deliberately ploughed his SEAT
Ibiza into the crowd. He then got out and repeatedly
stabbed his brother-in-law.
Chris was a devout Christian who attended City
Church Sheffield and worked for the Community
Money Advice and Jubilee+ charities.
Family handout/PA Wire
Man who died while
helping a stranger will be
remembered this Christmas
According to the BBC Chris was described by
those who knew him as someone people could rely
on, a natural bridge-builder who brought people together,
and “the kind of person who would take a
day off work just to support someone feeling u
nwell”.
Jubilee+ is a Christian anti-poverty organisation
where Chris was a conference administrator. Chief
executive Natalie Williams told the BBC: “When I
heard how Chris died, my first thought was that it
was so in keeping with who he was. It was no surprise
to me at all that he died helping someone else.
“Chris was a man of very, very strong faith, and his
faith in Jesus motivated him to want to be a Good
Samaritan in all areas of his life. It wasn’t just a oneoff
thing for him. It was a day-by-day decision to do
good for other people.”
Good News says: Chris is someone we can all wish
to be like – someone who, like the Saviour we worship
this Christmas, put others before himself.
GOOD SAMARITAN: Chris Marriott, pictured
here with his wife Bryony, died while helping
a stranger in need in Sheffield
Grieving at Christmas
Christian counsellor Colin Johnson has advice for those
who feel Christmas will never be the same again
DO YOU know what
it’s like to be surrounded
by people in
a ‘party’ mood when
all you can feel is
sadness? The absence
of a loved one
or another kind of
loss can make the
thought of Christmas
unbearably difficult.
Why is this? The festivities
that surround
this time of year can
highlight what’s missing,
making grief
heavier and harder to
bear. Family traditions,
such as shared meals
and present-giving, will
not be the same without
that special person.
You may feel pressure
to put on a brave face
because you don’t want
to spoil other people’s
celebrations. If your
loss isn’t bereavement
but redundancy or a
failed relationship, then
feelings of resentment
or failure may dampen
any sense of celebration.
Christmas brings the
expectation of the
coming year, but when
you’ve experienced loss,
you may not want to
think of a future without
that person. You prefer
looking back,
rather than
forward.
What
should
you do if
you are
in that
Colin Johnson
situation? Acknowledge
your loss, be kind to
yourself. Recognise that
this year Christmas will
be hard, but you will get
through it. Don’t beat
yourself up because
you’ve not got your
usual Christmas exuberance.
Consider starting
some new traditions to
remember who you have
lost. Maybe light a
special candle during
Christmas dinner, hang a
memorial ornament on
the tree, or share a memory
about that person.
How can faith help?
The Christmas story is
about hope. Jesus is
called Immanuel, which
means “God with us”.
We’re not alone. He
understands. The Bible
describes Jesus as “a
man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief”
(Isaiah 53:3). As far as we
know, he lost his father
when he was young.
Later, he was rejected by
friends, had family misunderstandings,
and
then was mocked, tortured
and executed as a
criminal on a cross.
I know who I’d rather
turn to when in need of
understanding and comfort
– someone who has
been through life’s
troubles and can relate
from first-hand experience.
Wouldn’t you?
Jesus knows and
cares. When Christmas
carols speak of peace
and comfort, they are
not being dismissive of
your pain and grief –
they point to the fact that
God is with you and will
walk through every valley
with you, if you turn to
him.
This Christmas may not
be what you planned or
desired. The colours may
have turned grey; all that
you once found joyful
has turned into sadness,
and others may not
understand. But Jesus,
the Man of Sorrows,
knows exactly where you
are. Reach out to him and
ask for his help.

GOOD NEWS I December 2025 I Page 5
CHRISTMAS MEANS ‘GOD WITH US’
One of the UK’s most well-known Christian speakers,
J John, explains the real meaning of Christmas
IN THE first chapter of Matthew’s
gospel in the Bible, we read how Joseph
is told by an angel in a dream
that Mary is going to conceive
through the Holy Spirit and will
give birth to a son, who he is to call
Jesus. Matthew then tells us:
“All this took place
to fulfil what the Lord
had said through the
prophet: ‘The virgin
will conceive and give
birth to a son, and
they will call him
Immanuel’ (which
means ‘God with us’)”
(Matthew 1:22-23).
The very idea of the
presence of God with
his people is one of the
‘master themes’ of the
Bible. In Genesis we
read that “in the beginning”
human beings
knew the presence of
God and had fellowship
with him. Their
tragic rebellion against
God resulted in an
appalling break in
relations between humankind
and God,
something that has
continued ever since.
Deep down, we are all
“She will give birth to a son,
and you are to give him the
name Jesus, because he
will save his people
from their sins.”
The Bibe, Matthew 1:21
naturally those who
have chosen to keep
God at a distance…
By quoting this passage
about ‘God with
us’, Matthew is saying
that something astonishingly
new is happening:
through this infant
we will be able to meet
with God. That theme of
Jesus giving access to
God is picked up elsewhere
in Matthew’s
gospel. So we read that
when Jesus died on the
cross, “at that moment
the curtain of the
temple was torn in two
from top to bottom”
(Matthew 27:51).
This theme of Immanuel
– God with us –
continues to the very last
verse of Matthew’s
gospel where the
resurrected Jesus
declares to his
followers: “And
surely I am with
you always, to the
very end of the age”
(Matthew 28:20).
The promise of
God now being
with his people
through Jesus
and the Holy
Spirit weaves its
way in and out of
the letters of the New
Testament and culminates
in the glorious
vision of God living
eternally with his
people at the end of the
Book of Revelation.
If we understand this,
we can see what a tremendous
comfort this
idea is. We can have access
to God. In Christ,
God has come close to
us. Those who come to
Jesus and accept him as
their Saviour have the
privilege of knowing God
as a loving parent.
In the difficulties and
challenges of life, this
presence of God is
deeply encouraging.
In Jesus, God stands
alongside us in the hospital,
when we sit alone
at home, when we face
temptation and when
the darkness of death
looms before us.
The tremendous
news of Christmas is
that those who come
to Jesus no longer need
to be alone.
In Jesus, ‘God is with
us.’
Adapted from Celebrating
Christmas by J John. Available
from jjohn.com.
TOY SHOP CHAIN’S BIG CHRISTMAS GIFT
Entertainer boss gives all the shops to the staff!
THE founder and owner of The Entertainer
has handed the business to his
staff – a nice present, in plenty of time
for Christmas
With 160 shops, The
Entertainer is now the
UK’s biggest toy chain
and has miraculously
survived in recent
years while other retail
chains have disappeared
– despite not
being open on Sundays,
not selling Halloween
toys and giving
away ten per cent of its
profits every year.
Founder Gary Grant
told the BBC that “The
Entertainer has thrived
against all the odds,”
surviving the financial
crisis of 2008, the Covid
pandemic, the decline of
the High Street and the
rise of online shopping.
That ‘miraculous’ story
has a great deal to do
with the Grant family’s
Christian ethos, which is
at the heart of the company.
At Christmas, instead
of giving central
place in their shop windows
to promoting a
new product, each shop
features a nativity scene
to remind families that
Christmas is all about
Jesus.
The shops close on a
Sunday because the
Grants believe God gave
us all one day a week for
worship and rest, and
they want their staff to
enjoy family time together.
The chain refuses
Tim Ellis/Wikimedia
KEEPING CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS: A typical Entertainer shop window nativity scene,
with a message about ‘the reason for the season – the birth of Jesus’
to profit from Halloween
because the Grants don’t
want children getting interested
in evil, and the
motivation to donate ten
per cent of its annual
profits to charity is about
honouring God with their
wealth – following the
Bible’s instructions on
giving ten per cent away.
Gary is gifting ownership
of the multi-million
pound empire to his staff
through an employee
By the Editor
trust, so they get a share
of the profits and control
of the firm.
An employee told the
BBC that handing over
the business to staff is “a
typical Gary thing to do”.
He has “always had employees’
best interest at
heart. He’s always looking
after us.”
Gary commented: “We
would have been very
concerned selling to a
business that has a completely
different set of
values… This is a winwin
for everybody that
we employ.”
Last Christmas, Gary
told Hope Together how
he became a Christian:
“In 1991, my wife bought
me a ticket for a men’s
breakfast at her local
church. I went very reluctantly,
but I heard the
speaker talk about faith
in God that was all about
relationship… Here was
a God who cared about
me personally. Who
knew me. The very next
day I turned up at church
and it was amazing.
That’s when I became a
Christian. Overnight.”
Whether we come to
faith overnight or in a
gradual process doesn’t
matter – but this Christmas
would be a great
time to get to know Jesus
for yourself. Two thousand
years ago he came
from heaven to live on
earth with us – and still
wants to live in our
hearts with us today.
GIVING THE SHOPS
TO HIS STAFF:
Entertainer founder
Gary Grant
Emma Hollings Photography

Page 6 I GOOD NEWS I December 2025
Guest editorial by Mike Popplewell
Peace on Earth
‘Peace on Earth and goodwill to all men’
is scarcely evident this Christmastime –
or any other time of year. However, in our
world of bitterly divided politics, racial
disharmony and war-torn regions, it is
worth recalling the Christmas when opposing
armies laid down their arms and
offered the hand of friendship.
The incident took place at Christmas 1914 all
along the Western Front as Britain and its Allied
Armies faced the might of Kaiser Wilhelm’s
German forces in ‘The Great War’.
Our soldiers had gone into battle believing
that it would ‘all be over by Christmas’. But by
that first wartime Christmas, the war had already
developed into a stalemate and combatants
on both sides were clearly missing home
comforts and their loved ones.
Most accounts say the quiet of Christmas Eve
was broken by a lone German voice drifting
across no man’s land, singing “Stille nacht,
heilige nacht” – the well-known carol, Silent
Night.
Graham Williams of the Fifth London Rifle
Brigade recalled: “First the Germans would
sing one of their carols and then we would
sing one of ours, until when we started up O
Come, All Ye Faithful the Germans immediately
joined in singing the same hymn.”
Inner peace
On Christmas Day, about 100,000 men
emerged from their trenches to shake hands,
share photos, exchange tokens of friendship
and, in at least one place, play football. For a
brief time there was peace and goodwill in
abundance.
Sadly, the war dragged on for another four
years, killing an estimated 15-22 million people
– my grandfather and great uncle among them.
Such death and destruction is often given as
a reason not to believe in God, but the Bible
actually tells us there will always be “wars and
rumours of wars” until Jesus returns. We are
not robots; we have a free will to choose our
own path in life. It is up to us to choose the
path to inner peace – that would lead to outer
peace if everyone followed it.
Jesus said he is ‘the Gate’ to our Father God
– and only him. Christmas was the beginning
of his mission to sacrifice his own life to save
ours, and anyone prepared to give their life in
service to him can experience the inner peace
he promised.
This Christmas, let us be thankful for the
birth of the child destined to open the gates of
heaven for you and me.
GOOD NEWS Issue no. 293
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PASTOR BILL: Bringing hope to
thousands of children across
the world
A BOY once abandoned
on the street
by his mother now
reaches more than
one and a half million
children worldwide
with the hope of
Jesus Christ.
That boy is Pastor Bill Wilson,
the founder and senior
pastor of Metro World Child,
the world’s largest Sunday
School.
But every year on Christmas
Eve, Bill returns to that same
street corner where, at just 12
years old, his mother left him
with the haunting words: “I
can’t do this anymore. You
wait here.”
For three days he waited, hungry,
confused and alone. She
never came back.
A local mechanic, himself on
the way to visit his dying son
in hospital, stopped and asked
Bill a simple question: “Are you
okay?”
That simple act put many
things into motion. The man
immediately brought Bill food
and water, as well as arranging
for him to attend a Sunday
School camp on the same day.
From that day forward, Bill’s
life would never be the same
Why every year on Christmas Eve
Bill Wilson returns to the same
street corner where his
mother deserted him
by Ian White
as he accepted Jesus as his personal
Saviour.
Now 77, Bill has spent his entire
life making sure no child
is forgotten the way he once
was. He has fought for
children for almost 60 years,
so that they “won’t become
another statistic”.
What Bill began in 1980 as
a local Sunday School in
Brooklyn, New York, has
grown into Metro World Child,
serving more than 1.5 million
children weekly across 25
countries, including the Philippines,
Kenya, South Africa,
Peru, Zambia and Rwanda.
“In crowded slums, garbage
dumps, war zones, inner cities
and remote villages, thousands
of children hear for the
very first time that Jesus loves
them and has not forgotten
them,” says Bill.
Bill hated Christmas as a
child. With an alcoholic
mother, there were no presents,
no meals, no celebration.
But everything changed at
the Christmas when the
church took him in. The pastor
preached on God giving his
only Son, Jesus, for us so that
all our wrongdoings can be
forgiven.
As a frail boy sitting in the
pews, Bill whispered: “Lord,
you gave your life for me, but
I have nothing to give you. Just
me.”
That night, for the first time,
Christmas meant hope.
He recalls meeting a lonely
grandmother on the street that
Christmas Eve. She was weeping,
telling him she had no
family. Bill replied simply: “I
don’t have anybody either. But
I can be your family, and you
can be mine if you want.”
He dug into his pocket and
handed her a small piece of
chocolate, the only thing he
had. With tears in her eyes,
she whispered: “I didn’t think
anyone would give me anything
this Christmas.”
It was just a piece of chocolate,
but to her it was everything.
To Bill, it was the beginning
of a lifetime of giving.
Each Christmas Eve, Bill sits
at that same street corner
where his mother left him to
reflect, to pray and to make
phone calls to thank supporters
from all over the world,
because “I never want to forget
where I came from”.
He adds: “I pray for the
children Metro serves and for
the supporters, churches and
pastors. And for the ordinary
Christians, like the ordinary
Christian man who stopped
for me, that God would raise
up many more to reach this
generation of children.
“It’s always the ordinary
Christian who makes the difference.”
Last Christmas, Bill wrote:
“And so, all these Christmases
later, as I stand on that same
corner remembering that
grandma, I feel like the little
boy again, just wanting to help
as many people understand
the real meaning of Christmas
as I can.”
And now, in this new festive
season, he invites us to join
him.
Because somewhere tonight,
another child is waiting—hungry,
abandoned or simply feeling
forgotten. And just like Bill
once did, they need someone
who will stop, notice and
reach out to them.
This Christmas, as you celebrate
with family, gifts and
lights, remember the children
who have none of these. Let
Bill’s story remind us of that
first Christmas when God gave
his Son, and inspire us to give
ourselves.
You can choose to be the ordinary
person who makes a
difference.
To learn more about MetroWorld
Child or to help bring the hope of
Christmas to a child, visit
www.metroworldchild.org

GOOD NEWS I December 2025 I Page 7
Flavours to Savour
Lemon and
ginger
shortbread
CHRISTMAS
1. Tom Smith invented which Christmas
table essential?
2. How many Wise Men visited Joseph,
Mary and the baby Jesus in Bethlehem?
3. Name the Epiphany carol written by
John H Hopkins which has an Asiatic,
and tenuous Waltham Forest footballclub,
link in its title. Anagram:
Argentine foreswore Keith (2:5:5:2:6:3)
4. Which dramatic British Christmas
seasonal tradition began in 1721?
Anagram: inapt memo (9)
5. Ankara is the capital of which
seemingly Christmas-dinner related
European country?
6. TS Eliot’s poem, The Journey of the
______ , begins: “A cold coming we had
of it, just the worst time of the year for
a journey, and such a long journey.” It
tells the story of which epic Christmas
expedition?
7. On 26 December 1982 an animation
of Raymond Briggs’ story, scored by
Howard Blake, was first shown on TV.
An immediate success, it won numerous
awards and has been shown each
subsequent Christmas. What is it?
BRAIN SIZZLING
PRAYER
REQUESTS
If you would like prayer for whatever
issue you are facing, or help to
become a Christian, call the UCB
Prayerline on 01782 36 3000 (UK
local call rate) or 01 4299 930 in the
Republic of Ireland. The Prayerline is
open Monday to Friday from 9am to
10pm and on Saturdays from 10am
to 3pm (closed on Sundays and bank
holidays). Trained Christian
volunteers will take your call and
pray for you and with you.
8. One of the gifts given by the Wise Men
to the baby Jesus was myrrh. What
does myrrh represent?
9. The children’s charity, Barnardo’s, was
founded after a destitute street urchin
died of the cold. What was his nickname?
It is also the name of a vegetable
which appears in most Christmas
dinners.
10. From London, how far
is it to Bethlehem:
2,500, 3,000, 3,500 or
4,000 miles?
11. A Christmas dinner
wouldn’t be complete
without which green
vegetable? Clue: A
European city.
12. Which King of Israel
wanted to kill
the baby who would
grow up to become the
Messiah?
SUDOKU
by Shogun
FILL in all the squares in
the grid so that each row,
each column and each of
the 3x3 squares contains
all the digits from 1 to 9.
NOVEMBER 2025 SOLUTION
Ingredients
BREAK TIME CROSSWORD
HELP FOR READERS
HOW TO KNOW JESUS
FOR YOURSELF
8. Myrrh is a perfume used to
anoint dead bodies; it is
symbolic of Jesus’ death.
All the Magi’s gifts - gold,
frankincense and myrrh –
had spiritual symbolism:
kingship (gold), worship
(frankincense) and death
(myrrh)
9. Carrots
10. 3,500 miles
11. Brussels sprouts
12. Herod
1 2 3
AS you have read through Good News, we hope you have
seen the difference knowing Jesus Christ makes to
people’s lives.
If you would like to know more about this, read on, or see:
www. goodnews-paper.org.uk and click on the Finding Faith
section.
The Christian faith is not some philosophy, dreamt up to make
people feel better, or to be a crutch in times of need. It is
based on a person. Our time itself is measured from the day
of his birth. His life is a fact of history: Jesus Christ.
In Jesus, God became a man, lived a perfect life, and died on
a cross – taking God’s punishment for all your wrong-doing
and mine. But he came back to life to prove his power over
death, then went back to heaven and will one day return
again.
In Jesus, we are offered a person to follow, a power to transform
lives, a purpose for living and eternal life.
If you would like to know Jesus Christ for yourself...
1. Read aloud, meaningfully and
sincerely, the prayer opposite, and
2. Fill in the coupon so we can send you information
to help you in your new life.
10
4 5
16 17 18
21
14
19
12
1. Crackers
2. No one knows
3. We Three Kings of Orient Are
4. Pantomime. The first real
pantomime was performed
in 1721. The origin of pantomime
was probably Italian
street-theatre, two centuries
earlier.
5. Turkey
6. The journey of the Magi (or
Kings) to seek out and worship
the newborn Jesus
7. The Snowman
QUICK QUIZ ANSWERS
9
20
13
22
8
with Chef
Mike Darracott
(makes about 20 biscuits):
200g unsalted butter,
softened
100g caster sugar
250g plain flour
50g crystallised ginger,
finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground ginger
Pinch of salt
PRAYER
Dear God, I believe Jesus died for my sins
(things I do wrong) so that I can be forgiven
and receive your free gift of eternal life.
Please forgive me, and come into my life to help
me live your way. From this moment on, I want
to follow Jesus’ example and join other Christians
in serving you and other people.
Amen.
6
11
7
15
Method
Preheat oven: Set to 160°C (fan) or 180°C (conventional).
Line two baking trays with baking parchment.
Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the butter and
sugar together until light and fluffy (use a wooden spoon or
electric mixer).
Add dry ingredients: Sift in the flour, ground ginger and salt.
Add the chopped crystallised ginger, lemon zest and lemon
juice. Mix until a soft dough forms.
Shape the biscuits: Roll the dough into a log (about 5cm
diameter). Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes
to firm up.
Slice and bake: Unwrap the dough and slice into 5mm thick
rounds, roll a design roller over them to make the pattern or
simply leave flat. Prick some holes with a fork. Place on the
prepared trays, leaving space between each. Bake for 12–15
minutes until pale golden.
Cool: Allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer
to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tip: Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Mike’s book Proper Cornish Childhood is available on Amazon
Across
1. Male deer with coat reddish in
summer and greyish in winter (7)
5. King associated with the Christmas
story (5)…
9. … and another seasonal king (9)
10. Military badge or emblem (8)
11. First word of one carol’s chorus (4)
12. & 20. Down: ‘She (Mary) gave birth
to her -----, a -----’ [Bible: Luke 2]
(9,3)
16. What Christians tend to do a lot
at Christmas (4)
17. Visor used to protect one from
strong light (8)
19. Decoration often associated
with this season (9)
21. ‘I ----- good tidings of a
Saviour’s birth’ (carol) (5)
22. Choral work (7)
• See next issue for solution
Down
2. Three kings are described as coming
from the ----- (carol) (6)
3. What many Bethlehem mothers would
be doing concerning their babies after
the orders by 5 Across (9)
4. Church law or rule (5)
6. Old unit of length, used for
measuring cloth, etc. (3)
7. Put out; expelled (6)
8. Smear with a sticky substance (6)
11. ‘The star drew nigh to the -----’
(carol) (5-4)
13. Takes off the outer covering of nuts (6)
14. Could be used to control brightness
at the candlelight service (6)
15. The four weeks before Christmas (6)
18. Additional (5)
20. (See 12 Across)
NOVEMBER 2025 ANSWERS
M B E S E G G
A P R I C O T S K A T E
M I Z A C L R
B U G L E R H U B A R B
A H M D
A T E A S P OON
F U L I
O O I O S
F U N D A M E N T A L S
F N R L C
B O U L D E R E P O C H
E N R E N W I
A B I D E A B D O M EN
T T W L Y E A
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Page 8 I GOOD NEWS I December 2025
WORLD no. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler
usually spends Christmas Day at
home with his family, celebrating the
season and helping prepare a meal.
Except this year, he might avoid using
anything sharp.
Last Christmas, while making home-made ravioli,
he sustained a hand injury from a broken
wine glass. While away on holiday, he couldn’t
find a kitchen tool the right shape to cut out the
pasta, so he used the wine glass – but pressing it
down resulted in the glass shattering and cutting
his hand.
The injury was so bad it required surgery and
caused him to miss the first two PGA Tour events
of the new year. However, it didn’t stop him winning
the PGA Championship in May and the British
Open in July.
And just before that Open win, he revealed that
although golf is “one of the greatest joys” of his
life, other things are much more important. He told
reporters: “This is not a fulfilling life. It’s fulfilling
from a sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling
from a sense of the deepest places of your
heart. There’s a lot of people that make it to what
they thought was going to fulfil them in life. And
then you get there, all of a sudden you get to No. 1
in the world, and they’re, like, what’s the point?
Why do I want to win this tournament so badly?...
“This is not the be-all, end-all; this is not the
most important thing in my life.”
As he has said many times, the most important
things in his life are family – and faith in the Christ
of Christmas. And he is right – as human beings
the only things that bring real fulfilment are our
relationship with God and with other people.
During the PGA Championship this year, Scottie
explained: “I feel like I’ve been given a gift to play
golf, but at the end of the day, the golf tournament
is over. You take your hat off, shake hands, and
you move on. And so, my faith is such an important
part of my golf game because it’s not only an important
part of my life but it’s what helps me kind
of realise that it’s not that big of a deal.
“I’m called to compete; I’m not called to go win
every single golf tournament. Do I want to win every
single golf tournament? Of course. But at the end of
the day, that’s not what’s gonna satisfy my soul.”
He describes himself on Instagram as a ‘Christ
Follower’ and often talks about the faith that guides
him in golf and life. After his 2022 Masters win he
said: “The reason why I play golf is I’m trying to
glorify God and all that he’s done in my life.”
On the ‘Bible Caddie Podcast’, Scottie told how
reading his Bible had helped him develop his relationship
with God: “When I started really prioritising
quiet time in the morning — reading Scripture
— and setting my mind each morning to things
that are true and things that are good, that was
really when I could see significant change in my
life… reading God’s Word [the Bible] and just trying
to live like Jesus did, the best way we can.”
He ended by inviting his listeners to trust in Jesus
who came into this world at Christmas and then
“died and saved us from our sins”, so that “we will
live forever with Christ when we eventually pass
on from this earth.”
World’s best
golfer finds
true meaning
of Christmas
– and life
DEEP IN THOUGHT: Scottie Scheffler at the 2025
Texas Children’s Houston Open
Cpav54/Wikimedia
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Editorial: Good News Editor, PO Box 9831, Nottingham NG2 9JN. Publisher: Good News Fellowship UK, reg. charity no. 1167287, www.goodnews-paper.org.uk. Printers: Iliffe Print Ltd, Cambridge.