Biblický vzdělávací program pro děti začíná na Papui-Nové Guineji. Jde o zcela nový projekt vycházející z New Tribes Mission a AWANA Clubs International.

After months of political unrest, the island nation of Madagascar off Africa's east coast is "on the way back to normality," says Marc Rakoto, general secretary of the Malagasy Bible Society. Summing up recent political developments, Rakoto said that Marc Ravalomanana, who declared himself president in February, has set up a "government of reconciliation" with ministers representing the country's various regions. The capital city of Antananarivo, which was crippled when roads to the ports were cut off, is now returning to normal. All national roads are open, fuel supplies are available and the prices of basic foodstuffs are falling. People have returned to work, roads, bridges and other elements of infrastructure are being repaired, and electricity is no longer being rationed. "We are very grateful to all of you who lifted up Madagascar in prayer," Rakoto said. "We could feel God's hand leading us through the crisis. But continue to pray for complete peace on the island. Pray that the spirit of revenge will be replaced by a spirit of repentance and forgiveness, and that more people come to the Lord." Rakoto expects that the Bible Society will soon resume distribution of Scriptures in the country. "We are now waiting for the Scriptures that have been held up at the harbor of Toamasina for five months," he said. (Bible Society in Australia)

* HCJB World Radio has helped establish two Christian FM radio stations in Madagascar together with local partners. Broadcasts air in French and Malagasy in the cities of Diego Suarez and Antananarivo.

JOINT CHILDREN'S BIBLE PROGRAM TO BEGIN IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA

AWANA Clubs International and New Tribes Mission (NTM) are working as partners to help teach the Bible to children in Papua New Guinea. AWANA President Jack Eggar says one of the ministry's workers is in the country to begin a program patterned after NTM's chronological Bible study. "The program is just a brand new baby," he says. "It's been a couple years in the testing. In the next year or so we will be putting together some plans as to where do we go for the next step. Hopefully, from what we learn there we will be able to sit down with NTM in the future and take a hard look at what we can do together as partners in the ministry of the gospel. Pray that we'll have the wisdom in utilizing this program as well look out to other countries around the world." (Mission Network News)

* Staff members from the HCJB World Radio Engineering Center in Elkhart, Ind., are working with partners in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to design and build a satellite radio network with at least 32 outlets planned. The first outlet went on the air in Port Moresby in January. Together with Wycliffe Bible Translators, HCJB World Radio also helped plant a Christian FM radio station in Kitai in 1996.

91-DAY PRAYER EFFORT FOCUSES ON GRAND RAPIDS SCHOOLS

While summer vacation is winding down for most students in North America, people in Grand Rapids, Mich., spent the summer praying for their children's schools. Prayer Zone America's John Hulett says the ministry has targeted 66 area schools. "What we do is have a group of people meet at the flagpole. We walk around the school in a very biblical fashion to territorially take this school back for Christ and to make it a softening area where the gospel can be shared through students." Hulett says there is a "heart for prayer in Grand Rapids," and when given the opportunity, people will take advantage of it. "Part of our desire in doing the prayer walks was to sow seeds around these schools. We desire that there be 50 people praying for their local school every day." The final school was targeted last week. The group will conclude its 91 days of prayer with a citywide prayer zone rally in mid-September and wrap it up with "See You at the Pole." (Mission Network News)

FORMER HOSTAGE GRACIA BURNHAM 'SINGING A NEW SONG'

Singing to the Lord out loud is once again possible for missionary Gracia Burnham who spent more than a year as a hostage in the Philippines. Her husband, Martin, along with a Filipino nurse were killed in the rescue effort June 7. In the early days of captivity, Gracia and other women hostages sang together, and she taught two of them the words to "How Great Thou Art." "When the other hostages were released and more military appeared on the island, we had to talk quietly," she said. "Even the teenage boys who were guarding us were told to be quiet." Gracia also explained that her captors were more sensitive about a woman singing, "so my vocal chords were not used. I truly thought that I might not be able to sing for the rest of my life." When she was first released, Gracia's voice was raspy, but with the freedom to talk, her vocal chords have returned to normal. "It's great to be able to sing along with everyone in church," she said. Life is also returning to normal in the Burnham household as Gracia's three children, Jeff, Mindy and Zach, begin the fall semester. (New Tribes Mission)

NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE NAMES SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR RADIO

Dr. Paul Virts, executive vice president of Leading the Way Ministries with Dr. Michael Youssef in Atlanta, Ga., has been named senior vice president for media at Northwestern College & Radio. He begins his duties next month. The radio program airs on 800 outlets across the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia and New Zealand while the weekly television program airs on networks throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North Africa and the Middle East. "My immediate goal is to make sure everyone understands the mission, vision and strategic direction of the ministry and that they know what God has called Northwestern Radio to accomplish," Virts says. "In time we will determine how we might be able to use other media, such as the Internet and TV, to accomplish our mission. But radio will remain a primary emphasis at Northwestern." Meanwhile, Dr. Alan S. Cureton, who began serving as the eighth president of the 100-year-old college in January, will be officially inaugurated on Sept. 13. Northwestern Radio, a media ministry of the college, includes 13 Christian AM and FM radio stations in Minnesota, Iowa, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Florida. The SkyLight and Sky2 satellite networks are carried on 300 stations. LifeNet.FM is an Internet contemporary Christian music station. (Northwestern College & Radio)

SURVEY: TYPICAL WORSHIPER IS FEMALE, 50, MARRIED, WELL EDUCATED

The results of a survey of 300,000 worshipers in more than 2,000 congregations in the U.S. show that two out of every 100 people sitting in worship services are attending that church for the first time. The U.S. Congregational Life Survey, released last spring, showed that 10 percent of U.S. churches draw 50 percent of all worshipers each week. The average Roman Catholic parish has 375 attending mass each week while Protestant congregations average 84 in worship each week. The typical worshiper is female, 50 years old, employed, well educated and married. About 83 percent of those in the pews attend weekly. Married couples with children are the "minority profile" in congregations, as they are in the general U.S. population. The majority of worshipers (63 percent) spend at least a few times a week in private devotional activities such as reading the Bible or other devotional materials, praying or meditating. The survey was conducted by U.S. Congregations, a religious research group housed in the offices of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in Louisville, Ky. Participating congregations came from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, United Methodist Church, Southern Baptist Convention, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), United Church of Christ, Roman Catholic Church, Seventh-day Adventist Church and Church of the Nazarene. (Episcopal News Service)

FREE BOOKLET: Order your own copy of HCJB World Radio's new 20-page booklet, "God Keeps Opening Doors," by e-mailing your name and mailing address to doors@hcjb.org. You'll also receive a free bookmark.

Pákistánská extrémistická skupina se přihlásila ke zodpovědnosti za útoky. Pákistánské úřady oznámily, že činovníci skupiny Laskar-e-Jhangvi podporující organizaci al-Kajdá se měli přihlásit k posledním teroristickým útokům na křesťanská zařízení v Pákistánu. Vycvičeni byli pravděpodobně v Afghánistánu předtím, než na něj USA zaútočily.

Guvernér severonigerijského státu usiluje o zavedení arabštiny. Ahmed Sani, guvernér státu Zamfara oznámil, že bude usilovat o zavedení arabštiny a to i pro křesťany, což prý dále pomůže věci islámu. Guvernér se takto chlubil před islámskými duchovními a před hosty z velvyslanectví Saúdské Arábie. Ve tomto nigerijském federálním státu již je uplatňováno islámské zákonodárství šaríja.

Severokorejské rodině emigrantů hrozí repatriace a těžký trest. Rodina Jung Jae Songa postupně uprchla se severní Koreje do Číny, byli ale chyceni při pokusu překročit hranice do Mongolska. Nyní jim hrozí nedobrovolný návrat do severní Koreje, zde věznění, mučení či smrt.

Tensions are flaring anew between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia's troubled region of Central Sulawesi. Violence grew on the weekend with the advent of Indonesia's Independence Day on Saturday, raising fears of a concerted jihad against believers. The latest unrest erupted on Sunday night when at least three bomb explosions rocked Poso, reported The Jakarta Post. There were no reports of casualties or damage. However, at least four people, including a 2-year-old child, were killed, and another person was seriously wounded in Saturday's attack on Kayumba village in the Mori Atas sub-district bordering Poso. Central Sulawesi police spokesman Agus Sugianto said 43 houses and eight shops, one car and four motorcycles were also set ablaze. The police and military found 14 homemade firearms and 400 bullets after the attack by unidentified gunmen. Security officials identified the attackers but were waiting for the "proper time" to capture them, Sugianto said. It is unclear whether Islamic extremists attacked the Christian town of Tentena as threatened. Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs says thousands of people are praying for the believers there. "Tentena seems very much in the sights of those jihad warriors," he says. "The Christians are doing whatever they can to set up defense mechanisms for themselves. They're also asking the government to provide some type of military presence that will hopefully offset this attack when and if it comes, but they are very much relying on the Lord, because that's really the only hope they have." (Mission Network News/The Jakarta Post)

PAKISTANI EXTREMIST GROUP CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ATTACKS

High-ranking Pakistani officials say the alleged leader of an outlawed Islamic extremist group has claimed responsibility for two recent deadly attacks on Christian church-related facilities in the country. The word from senior police and Interior ministry officials followed the arrest last week of 12 members of the pro-al-Qaida movement called Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. Authorities believe the militants were trained at terrorist camps in Afghanistan before the U.S. toppled the Taliban. The group claims responsibility for an attack earlier this month on a chapel on the grounds of a Presbyterian hospital in which four nurses were killed and 25 people were hurt. That came just days after raiders stormed a Christian school, killing six Pakistanis. A teacher quickly locked school doors, and none of the 150 students - many of them children of missionaries -- from 20 countries was hurt. (Associated Press)

GOVERNOR OF NORTHERN NIGERIAN STATE ENFORCES USE OF ARABIC

In a controversial step, the governor of the northern Nigerian state of Zamfara, Ahmed Sani, a Muslim, announced the enforced use of the Arabic language by all residents of the state, including Christians. Sani, who introduced sharia (Islamic legal code) to states in northern Nigeria in 1999, said he would enforce the teaching and usage of Arabic in order to enhance the Islamic faith among the people, regardless of their religious persuasion. In a speech to Islamic clerics and guests from the Saudi Arabia Embassy, the governor thanked guests for their support of his administration since the imposition of sharia, and noted that God had entrusted Saudi Arabia with the task of ensuring the progress of Islam around the globe. "We will do our best to make sure that we understand and speak Arabic," he said. (Compass)

* HCJB World Radio, together with partners In Touch Ministries, SIM and the Evangelical Church of West Africa, began airing weekly half-hour programs in the Igbo language in 2000. The programs air via shortwave to Nigeria's 15 million Igbo speakers.

NORTH KOREAN FAMILY FACES REPATRIATION, SEVERE PENALTIES

A father who had previously escaped from North Korea fears for the safety of his family as they face imminent repatriation from China. Jung Jae Song managed to escape to South Korea in 1997 while his wife, Rah Myung-Ok, 10-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son escaped to China in 2000. He went to meet them in China in 2001, but all four were arrested along with 12 others while attempting to cross from China to Mongolia on the night of Dec. 29, 2001. Song was released in March 2002, but it is feared that his family will soon be sent back to North Korea where they could face imprisonment, torture and even death. His wife and children, along with nine others, were taken from Manzhouli at the northern tip of China near the Russian border on Aug. 1. It was believed that they would arrive at the border with North Korea on Aug. 4 in preparation for repatriation. Stuart Windsor, national director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, said the story of the Song family is typical of what is happening in North Korea and China. "Similar agony is suffered by countless other families who are separated after trying to flee North Korea. It is an outrage that China returns North Koreans to brutal and sometimes fatal punishment." (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)

URBANA-STYLE CONFERENCE PLANNED FOR PANAMA IN JANUARY

A ministry conference planned for Latin American young people could revolutionize the number of Christians entering ministry and missionary service in this decade. Latina 2003, patterned after the Urbana missionary conferences in U.S., is set for Panama Jan. 8-10, 2003. Miguel Angel De Marco, vice president of ministries for Latin America Mission, says that rather than concentrate on identifying and challenging young adults for missionary service, the conference will seek a new generation of pastors and church leaders. While patterned after Urbana, De Marco says the event will be different in a number of ways. "Urbana focuses on missionaries, while Latina 2003 will focus on all Christian vocations," he explained. The conference will also target young adults of all ages with participants from many countries. It is being organized by a coalition of churches and mission agencies including Youth for Christ, PM International, Iindef, Operation Mobilization, Campus Crusade for Christ, SIM and others. Studies have shown that many young Latin American Christians are interested in entering the ministry, but few follow through, De Marco said. "The churches are full of young people, but the seminaries are struggling to survive because of the lack of students. Today's young people need to talk about vocation, and the churches need to encourage them." (Latin America Mission)

NEW WEBSITE POINTS CHINESE-SPEAKING BROWSERS TO CHRIST

A new website is being used to point Chinese web browsers to Christ. "We've had an English homepage (palau.org) and a Spanish language website that both get a tremendous amount of traffic," says David Sanford is of the Luis Palau Evangelistic Association. "But for the first time we've done a foreign language website that's seeker-friendly. It seeks to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to Chinese-speaking and Chinese-reading individuals throughout the world." Sanford says many are hoping the site will be the springboard to get Palau into China for evangelistic meetings on a regular basis. "He's already had the opportunity to present the gospel in Shanghai. His dream and prayer is to be able to go back and preach in the huge soccer stadium there in Shanghai to more than 100,000 people. And then be able to go to other cities throughout China." (Mission Network News)

FREE BOOKLET: Order your own copy of HCJB World Radio's new 20-page booklet, "God Keeps Opening Doors," by e-mailing your name and mailing address to doors@hcjb.org. You'll also receive a free bookmark.

Authorities in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, have issued a warrant for the arrest of pastor Rinaldy Damanik, a leader of the Crisis Center for the Church of Central Sulawesi. Damanik. He is accused of carrying guns and ammunition in a car while attempting to evacuate Christians from the village of Peleru. Damanik denies the charges. An article in The Jakarta Post describes Damanik as a "Christian extremist," stirring up recent attacks in the Tentena area. However, Christian sources describe him as a peacemaker, encouraging local Christians to remain calm and not to retaliate for attacks against them. Charges against Damanik may stem from his demands that those responsible for the violent attacks since the signing of the Malino peace agreement last December be brought to justice. Damanik also recently accused Yusuf Kalla, the Indonesian coordinator of social welfare, of "having a good relationship" with the Laskar Jihad, a Muslim extremist group. Many Indonesians are blaming the Laskar Jihad for destroying six villages last week. However, some high-ranking Indonesian military officers are implying that the real source of the attacks is a group of "50 foreigners" in the Poso area. Meanwhile, an impending attack on Tentena by up to 2,500 jihad terrorists was averted last weekend when the Indonesian government responded by sending in hundreds of additional troops. However, Christians remain on "high alert" as there continue to be sightings of jihad terrorists in the area. (International Christian Concern/International Friends of Compassion)

CHILDREN MOST AT RISK AS FAMINE SPREADS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

The United Nations World Food Program expects the number of people requiring immediate food aid in Sub-Saharan Africa to rise to almost 13 million by the end of the year. SIM missionary Bob Carter says situation may be even worse that authorities suspect. In some areas of Zambia, more than one-third of the younger generation is at risk. "It's the children who suffer the most from malnutrition, the orphans especially," he says. "They have the least access to food, healthcare, education and all of these other things." Carter says the problems are not easily solved, and he urges believers to respond to people's critical physical and spiritual needs. "The approach to overcome malnutrition is extremely complicated and extremely broad-based," he says. "Then of course HIV/AIDS is a big issue there, and as AIDS increases, so do the incidences of tuberculosis. We need to really mobilize the church to do what the church is supposed to do." (Mission Network News)

COFFEE MINISTRY BOOSTS NICARAGUAN FARMERS, PROMOTES MISSIONS

World Relief is working with coffee farmers in Nicaragua to help people break out of the poverty cycle while helping U.S. churches raise money for missions. Mission Blend+Nicaragua is the first in a series of Mission Blend coffees -- a rich blend of java grown by farmers in Nicaragua who are directly supported by World Relief's agricultural ministries. The project helps farmers in Nicaragua find long-term solutions to poverty by ensuring a fair trade price for their crop. The coffee is roasted and distributed by Pura Vida Coffee Co. Churches then buy the coffee at cost and resell it, sending the proceeds to missions. World Relief provides a direct link to the farmers who grow the beans for Mission Blend. Nicaraguan farmers attend special agricultural centers to learn how to produce higher crop yields, environmental conservation techniques and ways to market their crops. "We're moving these farmers from a hand-to-mouth existence to managing sustainable, profit-making farming enterprises," says Kevin Sanderson, World Relief's Nicaragua director. This is one of World Relief many community-based services to boost the local economy and improve healthcare. World Relief is the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals. (World Relief)

NEW LITERACY MINISTRY IN INDIA HAS GROWING SPIRITUAL IMPACT

Response to a new literacy ministry in India is growing. The World Bible Translation Center has launched 39 literacy groups that use an easy-to-read version of the Proverbs and the Gospel of Mark as a primer. Translation Center teams are now reporting baptisms among their students, all of whom were Hindus in Karnataka. Team leaders say the literacy project has become the backbone for evangelism in the area. The center hopes to launch 60 similar groups in needy areas. (Mission Network News)

* CHRISTIAN RECORDING ARTIST PRESENTS 2 CONCERTS IN ECUADOR

Popular Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman -- on tour previewing with participants a new documentary called "Beyond the Gates," a film about the Waorani (formerly called Auca) people of Ecuador -- presented two free concerts in Ecuador earlier this month. The first concert was in Puyo, capital of Pastaza province, on Aug. 3, and the second was performed before about 600 persons at HCJB World Radio's Larson Center in Quito Aug. 11.

In his recent U.S. tours, Chapman has been including live testimony from Steve Saint, son of martyr Nate Saint, and Mincaye, one of the Waorani men who killed five missionaries in the jungles of Ecuador in January 1956. Chapman's latest album, "Declaration," includes a song with Mincaye providing vocal backup in his native language. Among those at the concert in Quito were Steve McCully, son of missionary martyr, Ed McCully, and Jesse Saint, grandson of Nate Saint.

The U.S. premiere of the 93-minute documentary took place in Ocala, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 17. All five missionary widows and their children were present -- the first time they had been together since 1957. Tementa, head elder of the Waorani church and pilot of the "cloth airplane," represented the tribe at the premiere. The cloth airplane is a small aircraft designed by Indigenous People's Technology and Education Center (I-TEC), a ministry founded by Steve Saint.

The documentary tells about how the five missionaries were martyred and how the tribe was subsequently reached with the gospel. It also gives an update about the Waorani church. Killings among the Waorani dropped off dramatically after missionaries introduced "God's Carvings" (the Bible) to the tribe. Kimo and Dyuwi, two of killers, later baptized two of Nate Saint's children. The killers' hope is that those who live "badly, badly" will also be able to "walk God's trail" as many of the Waorani now do.

No date has been set for the public release of the documentary, produced by Bearing Fruit Communications. The production is one of 17 films to be screened during the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, Ind., Oct. 17-25. (HCJB World Radio)

FREE BOOKLET: Order your own copy of HCJB World Radio's new 20-page booklet, "God Keeps Opening Doors," by e-mailing your name and mailing address to doors@hcjb.org . You'll also receive a free bookmark.

*Nejnovější zprávy v originální anglické verzi jsou vždy ZDE (klikněte).

*Společně s místními partnery vysílá HCJB World Radio evangelizační programy na FM ze čtyř kolumbijských měst. Také vysílá program ve španělštině na krátkých vlnách. Toto vysílání je slyšitelné nejen v Kolumbii, ale po celé Latinské Americe.

Police without a search warrant raided an apartment in the Uzbek town of Dzhurabek (outside of Nukus) where a group of 13 Protestants was meeting on Friday, Aug. 9. The police seized religious literature, including a Bible. The Christians were subsequently fined. The officers reportedly said that Uzbek citizens were not allowed to have Bibles, but Dzhurabek Ametov, the local police chief, denied this claim. He said the policemen's actions were within the law because meetings of unregistered religious associations are prohibited. Shoazim Minovarov, chairman of the Uzbek Committee for Religious Affairs, said, "if a Bible really was confiscated from the Protestants, then they can appeal to the committee . . . and the Bible will be returned to them." Authorities in the region have adopted a harsh attitude toward Christians in Protestant churches. It is all but impossible for churches to register, and many Protestant leaders have been subjected to fines. (Keston News Service)

THREATS FROM COLOMBIAN REBELS PUT MISSIONARIES ON ALERT

New rebel threats against Americans in Colombia have renewed concerns for missionaries, prompting them to be even more careful about their movements. In addition, spillover of the over 40-year-old rebel conflict into the neighboring countries of Ecuador, Venezuela and Brazil is also affecting missionary work there. U.S. embassy officials said they were investigating a reported order from a rebel commander to attack U.S. citizens in Colombia. The latest threat followed a warning issued by the U.S. embassy in Bogotá last March that missionaries in rural Colombia could be the targets of guerrilla attacks. Alvin Góngora of Latin America Mission who lives in Bogotá said such threats are common, "but they hardly ever are confirmed and thankfully seldom take place." While some missionaries have left the country due to increasing violence and threats, many remain. "Colombians are the ones who are being singled out, targeted, harassed and killed," he said. In the Ecuadorian oil town of Lago Agrio, just 12 miles from the Colombian border, more than 100 people have been killed in the past few months. Dan Batchelor of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board said missionaries are being increasingly cautious in the San Lorenzo area near Ecuador's coast. "We have had to curtail trips up the Cayapas River into the jungle where the Chachi Indians live . . . due to guerrilla activity," he said. HCJB World Radio is also advising missionaries in Ecuador to curtail travel to border areas. "We have to notify our supervisors and the personnel department if we plan to travel north of Pichincha province," said missionary Jorge Zambrano. An HCJB World Radio missionary was among those assaulted along an Ecuadorian highway near the border with Colombia last February by a group of armed men thought to be Colombian guerrillas. (Latin America Mission News Service)

* Together with local partners, HCJB World Radio broadcasts the gospel on FM stations in four Colombian cities. The ministry also airs Spanish programs across Colombia and all of Latin America via shortwave.

14 STUDENTS GO ON TRIAL IN LIBYA FOR CONVERTING TO CHRISTIANITY

Twelve female and two male students from Nasser University in Tripoli, Libya, are on trial for converting to Christianity. Their names and how they became Christians are not known. A Libyan national who saw the students being transferred from one prison to another reported that they were blindfolded and bound to one another. In a report by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, a Christian worker familiar with the area commented, "The students are presumably in this for the long haul. If the students were released from prison, presumably they would be killed by their families for disgracing them." Other students arrested for converting to Christianity at the same time gained their freedom by reciting the Muslim creed, indicating conversion back to Islam. (Voice of the Martyrs)

NEW LAW ALLOWS CHRISTIANS TO BUILD, REPAIR CHURCHES IN TURKEY

Two major hurdles face evangelical churches in Turkey: lack of trained leaders and few suitable buildings. But a Turkish church planter says conditions are right to do something about both. Part of the problem is the absence of a provision for evangelical churches in the Turkish constitution. "Turkey's laws are based on the way things were when the Lausanne Treaty was signed in 1923," he said. "At that time there were virtually no evangelicals in Turkey. So the only Christians recognized by the constitution are Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox." Until recently, all churches were banned from constructing new buildings or renovating existing ones. That all changed earlier this month when the Turkish parliament adopted laws that allows churches to buy land, construct new buildings and repair old ones. "Turkey wants very much to be part of the European Union," he said, "so this is prompting a lot of changes in traditional ways of doing things, especially in the area of human rights." However, most of the 3,000 believers in Turkey, a country of 67 million, remain skeptical. Authorities tend to be suspicious of the small evangelical churches -- often meeting in storefronts and homes - and consider them to be illegitimate. Despite the obstacles, the pastor plans to train 100 Christian leaders as part of his main church's ministry (Christian Aid Mission)

PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN'S ACQUITTAL RAISES HOPES FOR OTHER INMATES

With the acquittal of Ayub Masih last week by the Pakistani Supreme Court, hopes were raised that other Christians facing blasphemy charges will receive favorable rulings by the courts. Christian schoolmaster Pervez Masih, for example, has been in jail on blasphemy charges since April 1, 2001. He was charged with the crime when Mohammed Ibrahim complained to police that he had heard from two students that Masih had uttered blasphemous words against the prophet Mohammed during a lesson earlier in the year. Ibrahim operates a private Muslim high school that he founded almost two years ago in the same vicinity as the private school that Masih founded and has operated for 15 years in Chailayke village. Local sources suggest that Ibrahim used this tactic to close the rival school. On June 17 Masih was attacked in his cell by a fellow prisoner and was badly cut with a broken glass near one of his eyes. His attacker also ripped his Bible. For his own safety, Masih is now kept in a separate cell with limited contact with other prisoners. Local sources say he is in good spirits and has been allowed to have several Christian books and a Bible. Masih urges believers to keep praying as his case continues before the courts. (Voice of the Martyrs)

GOSPEL FOR ASIA TO BEGIN BROADCASTS TO AFGHANISTAN ON SEPT. 11

On Sept. 11, as people around the world remember those who died in the terrorist attacks on the U.S., Gospel for Asia (GFA) will begin broadcasting the gospel into Afghanistan. The programs will air daily in the nation's two official languages, Dari and Pashto. The programs will initially consist of Scripture readings. "We believe that God has been preparing the hearts of the Afghan people to receive the Word of God," said GFA President K.P. Yohannan. With an estimated 1,000 to 3,000 believers, Afghanistan is one of the world's least-evangelized countries. Years of fighting have decimated the land and impoverished the Afghan people. One in four Afghan women are widows, and there are 4 million orphans. "The Lord cares intensely for the people of Afghanistan," said Yohannan. "And they so desperately need the hope and peace of Christ." For the past 17 years GFA has produced and aired radio broadcasts using airtime purchased from other radio ministries to broadcast in 20 languages. "Our radio ministry is entering a new era as we launch the GFA Radio Network," says a website report. "Using several powerful transmitters, we will be broadcasting the gospel to some of the neediest countries in the Indian sub-continent -- the heart of the 10/40 Window. Our goal is to broadcast in at least 200 languages as soon as possible." (Assist News Service)

* HCJB World Radio is bringing words of hope and encouragement to people across Central Asia via radio. Together with partners, Christian broadcasts go out in Dari, Hazaragi, Pashto, Turkmen, Tajik, Southern Uzbek and Uzbek. These include all five major languages spoken in Afghanistan.

FREE BOOKLET: Order your own copy of HCJB World Radio's new 20-page booklet, "God Keeps Opening Doors," by e-mailing your name and mailing address to doors@hcjb.org . You'll also receive a free bookmark.

Dle průzkumu je Matka Tereza považována za "největší občanku Indie". Průzkum provedl časopis Outlook Magazine.

Rozmach evangelia vyžaduje více misionářů. Nyní odchází více starých misionářů do výslužby, než nových přichází.

In the Philippines, Muslim guerrillas have beheaded two Jehovah's Witnesses preachers in response to government claims that the rebels are "almost defeated." Officials on southern Jolo Island say the two were killed two days after Abu Sayyaf guerrillas seized them and six others on Aug. 20. The Filipinos were ambushed and kidnapped from their vehicle as they traveled through the remote town of Patikul. Later two men were released and two were beheaded while the four women remain in captivity. The two men released are Muslims, while the six others were all Jehovah's Witnesses. The two preachers were quickly executed without any ransom demand being issued. Notes accompanying the severed heads of the victims included a passage from the Koran denouncing the victims as "infidels." The notes added that the kidnappings and killings were an act of jihad, and threatened that "those who do not believe in Allah will suffer the same fate." (Reuters/World Evangelical Alliance)

FLOOD RELIEF EFFORTS UNDERWAY IN INDIA, VIETNAM

As flooded rivers displace millions of people across Asian, exceeding in many places the destructiveness of recent monsoon seasons, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is providing emergency relief assistance to the most vulnerable families in the region. CRS, which is concentrating its efforts in eastern India and Vietnam, is providing immediate food support while also planning for longer-term needs in the areas of agricultural rehabilitation and disaster mitigation. "The terrible flooding in Europe is squarely in the media's eye, as it should be, and it's getting most of the world's attention," said Catholic Relief Services Executive Director Ken Hackett. "We stand in solidarity with those afflicted by tragedy in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and elsewhere in Europe. But in other parts of the world, less exposed devastation is taking place." More than 800 people have died in the monsoon flooding with millions displaced in India alone. CRS is working with local partners in the eastern Indian states of Assam, Bihar, Nagaland and West Bengal to provide 135 metric tons of emergency food to approximately 70,000 of the most affected individuals. (Assist News Service)

* In partnership with FEBA Radio, HCJB World Radio airs weekly Christian programs to eastern India via shortwave in two languages: Chattisgarhi and Mundari. HCJB World Radio also broadcasts 11/2 hours of English programming daily to India via shortwave from South America. The ministry is investigating potential opportunities to help launch local Christian stations in key cities across India.

POLL: MOTHER TERESA VOTED AS INDIA'S 'GREATEST CITIZEN'

Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who "spent her life caring for the poor in the slums of Calcutta," has been named India's "greatest citizen" in a magazine poll. The survey was published this week by Outlook magazine, reported the Associated Press. Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace prize in 1979 for her work in Calcutta. In the poll, she beat out India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who came in second. Indira Gandhi, India's prime minister for 15 years, placed fourth in the list of 10. Mother Teresa was voted the greatest Indian citizen since the country's independence in 1947. There were more than 50,000 respondents to the poll. Mother Teresa, born in 1910 in the Macedonian capital of Skopje, eventually took Indian citizenship. She died in Calcutta in 1997 at the age of 87. Her order continues to run many outreach centers worldwide. (Religion Today)

EVANGELISM EXPLOSION URGES PRAYER TO BOOST MISSIONARY FORCE

The latest statistics on mission workers are sobering with more missionaries retiring than beginning service. If the present trends continue, this will eventually lead to a "severe shortage" of missionaries, says Evangelism Explosion's John Sorensen. As a result, Evangelism Explosion has declared Sept. 29 a "Worldwide Day of Prayer for the Harvest." "We'd love to see this as a day for the church to really pray that God would send forth laborers into the harvest field, and that a huge outpouring of prayer would occur because of this orchestration of this day," Sorensen says. "We're asking that the Lord would provide us with an onslaught of indigenous workers around the world who would be willing to go and share the gospel with unreached people groups." (Mission Network News)

CYCLING RELAY TO BUILD AWARENESS OF AIDS IN AFRICA

World Vision is using cycling power to reach parts of Africa for Christ. The group's AIDS Cycling Relay begins next week in an effort to further increase awareness to one of the world's greatest crises. "Making the world sit up and take notice and doing something that's much more positive and energetic," says World Vision's Brian Peterson. "A cycle relay, the adventure, the effort, the action of it all really does allow us to draw some attention to a problem that can often times just be so overwhelming and depressing. We are going to be going through some areas of Africa where positive and productive things are being done." The relay will begin in Mozambique and end in Durban, South Africa. Peterson, who will be participating in the event, says the group' efforts will open up opportunities to share the gospel and demonstrate how the good news of Christ and the local church are making a difference in people's lives. (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio regularly sends out short-term teams to the Living Hope Community Center (a ministry of Fish Hoek Baptist Church) near Cape Town, South Africa. A team from Kensington Community Church in Troy, Mich., led by HCJB World Radio missionary Jerry Carnill from Quito, returns on Saturday after a two-week outreach. The community center provides assistance to HIV/AIDS patients as well as counseling and preventive healthcare education. HCJB World Radio Communications Director Jim Ferrier from Colorado Springs, Colo., joined the team to document the work and help with renovations. HCJB World Radio also operates an AIDS clinic at its Vozandes Hospital in Quito, Ecuador.

STUDY LINKS CHILDHOOD CHURCH ATTENDANCE TO LONGER LIFE

How seriously does your church take its ministry to children? The Barna Research Group, which studied the correlation between attending church as a child and one's adult religious practices, says it pays to be serious. The study showed that adults who attended church regularly as a child are three times as likely to be attending a church today as are their peers who avoided church during childhood. The Barna Research Update indicates that denominational loyalty remains "surprisingly strong" among those who attended church as children, but those who were unchurched have a somewhat different slate of church preferences than their churchgoing peers. There is a significant generational decline taking place in church involvement, says Barna, but the decline is especially evident among those who were unchurched as children. Adults who frequented church as a child are more likely to engage in several core religious practices than are adults who were unchurched as children. (Religion Today)

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