A Sunday school teachers’ training class in the Chinese city of Huainan in Anhui province was attacked by national security guards the morning of Thursday, July 27. About 40 authorities arrived in five police cars and two buses, surrounding the home of Li Lizhong where the training was being held. Without showing any search warrant or other legal documents, officials pried open the locked doors of the house to get in. They carried away church equipment and took more than 40 Christians to the local police station on claims that the class was "disturbing the peace." Also present were more than 90 children between the ages of 9 and 16. All but two of the Christians were later released with the remaining two receiving 15-day sentences of "administrative custody." (China Aid Association)

* HCJB World Radio-Australia’s shortwave station in Kununurra broadcasts 16.5 hours of Mandarin and 14 hours of Cantonese programming each week.

20 CHRISTIANS WOUNDED IN IRAQI CAR BOMB ATTACK ON CHURCHES

At least 20 Christians were wounded in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Mosul in car bomb attacks exploding just minutes apart directed at one Armenian and one Catholic church in Baghdad. The attack centered around the main Armenian church where Christians often hurry to avoid attacks and delay baptism services because of shootings and violence. The latest violence adds to human rights groups’ concerns that Christians will flee the nation to other neighboring countries like Jordan. Local Christian professionals are also targeted for kidnapping, often for a ransom of thousands of dollars. (Worthy News/BosNewsLife)

MORE THAN HALF OF IRAQ’S CHRISTIANS HAVE LEFT SINCE BEGINNING OF WAR

More than half of all Christians have fled the war-torn nation of Iraq in the last three years, according to a Catholic bishop in Baghdad. Chaldean Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Andreos Abouna said that before the invasion there were approximately 1.2 million Christians in the mostly Shiite Muslim nation. Now the overall number has dropped to about 600,000 with 75 percent of the Christians residing in Baghdad. "What we are hearing now is the alarm bell for Christianity in Iraq," Abouna said. "When so many are leaving from a small community like ours, you know that it is dangerous -- dangerous for the future of the church in Iraq." (Religion Today)

‘SEND A JEEP TO CONGO’ PROJECT GETS KIDS INVOLVED IN MISSIONS

The Evangelical Free Church Mission is encouraging kids to get involved in global missionary efforts with its new "Send a Jeep to Congo" project. The project is designed for vacation Bible schools or Sunday school classes to work at raising funds to provide a four-wheel drive vehicle for missionaries who serve in remote areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Each jeep project, typically about $8,000, is adopted by a church for use in a specific mission field by a specific missionary. The jeeps are constructed by Evangelical Free Church personnel who discovered Vietnam War-era jeep parts readily available and began assembling these parts to build working jeeps at an affordable cost. (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio works with local partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo to broadcast the gospel on Christian stations in Boma, Bukavu and Kinshasa. Programs go out in English, French, Kikongo Fioti, Lingala, Luba and Swahili. Weekly programs in the Songe and Kikongo San Salvador languages also air from local FM stations in the country.

WORLD VISION PRESIDENT EMERITUS TED ENGSTROM DIES AT 90

Dr. Ted W. Engstrom, president emeritus of World Vision International and former president of Youth for Christ International, died on Friday, July 14. He was 90 years. Engstrom was key in turning World Vision from a small aid agency focused on war orphans into one of the world’s largest and most extensive relief and development organizations. Called a "giant in American evangelical circles," Engstrom was also a gifted preacher, the author of more than 50 books and a devoted husband and the father of three. "He valued everyone and made everyone feel valued," said Dean Hirsch, president and chief executive officer of World Vision International. "And his ability to integrate the gospel with everyday life was absolutely inspiring. Dr. Ted made work and faith walk together." (Assist News Service)