Christian Today staff writer

• CofE drops centuries-old rule that every church should hold Sunday services

  The Church of England's General Synod has formally dropped a requirement for weekly worship to be held in every parish church.

• What the Sermon of the Year can do for preachers – and the church

  The Sermon of the Year event is run by Preach Magazine and London School of Theology, and it's aimed at encouraging and celebrating the art of preaching.

• Jihadists kill Spanish priest in Burkina Faso

  A Spanish priest has been murdered by suspected jihadists in Burkina Faso.

• Satanic Nazi group is luring young people to far right, new report warns

  In one ritual a 'Mass of Heresy' is performed before an altar adorned with a swastika banner, a photograph of Hitler and a copy of Mein Kampf.

• Rescue my daughter, Leah Sharibu's mother pleads with Nigerian government

  A year after the abduction of Nigerian Christian schoolgirl Leah Sharibu, her mother Rebecca renewed her appeal to the government to keep its promise to rescue her.

• Tajik authorities confiscate, burn 5,000 Baptist calendars

  Customs authorities in Tajikistan have confirmed they have confiscated and burned 5,000 Christian calendars ordered by a Baptist church in the Central Asian country.

• Christian Aid: Let's hear the voices of schoolchildren striking over climate change

  Tens of thousands of students around the world have followed in the footsteps of Swedish 16-year-old Greta Thunberg

• Church leaders urged to release the power of the gathered community

  o many of us have been doing it for so long we have forgotten why we gather – the purpose, the power and the impact the gathered community of Christians can have to bring lasting kingdom change.'

• Two years after abduction, Raymond Koh's family still want answers

  The family of Malaysian pastor Raymond Koh has asked the country's prime minister to order a new investigation into his kidnapping.

• Nigerian priest kidnapped and murdered, family still held

  Anthony Idris Jata'u, a priest in the Diocese of Sokoto, was kidnapped last Thursday with his wife, three children and two sisters-in-law. His body was found on Saturday.

• Men still dominate UK Christian conference platforms, report says

  Figures released today show that men out outnumber women on platforms by 62 to 38 per cent – an increase of one per cent on last year.

• Do falling divorce rates show men are getting better at marriage?

  Tomorrow, Valentine's Day, is traditionally a date when many couples take the plunge and get engaged.