Zprávy HCJB 19.4.2009 - 25.4.2009

 Vůbec první egyptský muslim dostal potvrzení o změně náboženství
   Muslimovi v Egyptě koptická církev oficiálně potvrdila změnu náboženství, což se podle Daily News Egypt stalo v Egyptě vůbec poprvé. Jde o významný pokrok v probíhající debatě o právu jednotlivce změnit své náboženství uvedené v občanském průkazu. Dotyčný Maher Al-Gohari potvrzení potřeboval, aby před soudem prokázal, že konvertoval od islámu ke křesťanství a tak se domohl změny údaje ve svém občanském průkazu. Konverze ke křesťanství je v Egyptě citlivým tématem. Oficiálně není nezákonná, ale zajišťování potřebných dokladů a mechanismus podávání žádosti zatím téměř hraničily s nemožností. Jde o teprve druhý případ, kdy se soud vůbec k pokynu doložit změnu náboženství propracoval. Vloni soud zamítl podobnou žádost Mohameda Hegazy o změnu údaje o náboženství v jeho občanském průkazu. Arab Vision tento vývoj v Egyptě bedlivě sleduje, protože pro její muslimské diváky, kteří jsou přitahováni ke Kristu televizním vysíláním, může mnoho znamenat. Asi deset procent z 80 milionů Egypťanů jsou křesťané. Zdroj: Arab Vision
 
 Dvě iránské křesťanky vězněny bez obžaloby
   Dvě iránské křesťanky obviněné z „činů proti bezpečnosti státu“ a z „nedovoleného shromažďováni“ jsou v teheránském vězení již déle než měsíc zadržovány v přeplněné cele a bez možnosti kontaktu s právníkem. Amnesty International minulý týden ve své výzvě k rychlému zákroku ve prospěch zadržených oznámila, že úřady sice výše uvedená obvinění vyslovily, obě ženy však vězní bez oficiální žaloby. Amnesty International iránské úřady vyzvala, aby obě ženy propustily, současně vyjádřila obavy o jejich zdraví. 27letá Myryam Rastompour a 30letá Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, které se aktivně podílely na církevní činnosti a na distribuci Biblí byly podle Amnesty International uvězněny ve čtvrtek 5. března. Jsou ve vazební části vězení Evin, v posledních letech známého a kritizovaného pro případy porušování lidských práv a popravami. Rodiny zadržených žen nabídly převodní smlouvy na své domy, aby získaly prostředky na kauci, ale soudce zatím ani nerozhodl o obvinění. Podle Amnesty International mají obě ženy infekci, vysoké horečky, nemají však odpovídající lékařskou péči. Jsou i nadále ve vazbě v přecpané cele s dalšími 27 ženami. Zdroj: Compass Direct News
 
 Všechny zprávy v angličtině
   HCJB GLOBAL LAUNCHES CONTEST TO ENCOURAGE OUTREACH AMID ONGOING RECESSION

Source: HCJB Global
HCJB Global is launching its Voice and Hands Contest to encourage and enable believers both to pray and to reach out to their communities and the world during these tough economic times. The Voice and Hands Contest is a part of the “Me and My Household” initiative which HCJB Global announced in February.

HCJB Global President Wayne Pederson said the goal of the contest is to “challenge individuals, households and churches to come up with ministry projects that have a ‘voice’ component that declares Jesus and a ‘hands’ component that demonstrates the love of Jesus in tangible ways.”

Pederson is inviting people to submit their project ideas to HCJB Global, and 10 submissions will be selected to each receive a $200 prize that can be used toward their outreach or short-term mission trip and a Flip Video Camera to record their experience. HCJB Global also will be allowing people to vote for a subset of entries as part of the selection process.

As an encouragement to those seeking to reach out, the mission also is giving away at www.hcjbglobal.org/resources a free “Voice and Hands Reader” that provides 30 days of devotionals and inspirational stories, along with worship music about what it means to be the “Voice and Hands of Jesus.”

The title of the contest reflects the fact that HCJB Global is known as the “Voice and Hands” of Jesus around the world because the ministry both proclaims the good news and provides practical aid to the people with whom it shares the gospel.

Voice and Hands Contest entries can be submitted and rules are available at www.hcjbglobal.org/contest. Contest entries must be received by Wednesday, May 20. Contest winners will be announced on Monday, June 1.

HCJB Global’s “Me and My Household” initiative is based on research that shows the ministry is reaching more than 1 million households in the Arab world through its radio ministry. Joshua 23:15 says, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

The mission is also offering a free prayer e-card at www.hcjbglobal.org/myprayer that Christians can use to send a household prayer to their immediate and extended families.

The Voice and Hands Contest is the next step in the campaign.

“We believe one of the ways God may be answering the prayers we have been encouraging since February is by giving His people new ideas and fresh enthusiasm for reaching both their neighbors and those around the world,” Pederson said. ”The Voice and Hands Contest is a way of collecting these ideas, celebrating what God is birthing in the minds and hearts of His people, and providing encouragement and seed money for the implementation of these God-given ideas.”

“Generous giving during difficult times has an added impact,” he added. “First of all, the needs are greater during times of economic distress. Secondly, when Christians give in times of crisis, we bear witness to an unbelieving world that our trust is not in money, but in God and His provision. Giving in tough times is a powerful gospel witness.”

HCJB Global is also challenging households in North America and around the world to pray for unreached households and to give $1 to reach one household in the Arab world for one year.

VISITING DOCTORS GIVE NEW HOPE TO CEREBRAL PALSY PATIENTS IN ECUADOR

Source: HCJB Global
For many children, their diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP) means spastic muscles, dislocated hips and the inability to walk. Determined to change the story of Ecuadorian children with CP, doctors from Chile, Colombia, Venezuela and Argentina come to Ecuador each January to learn from each other and perform life-changing surgeries on cerebral palsy patients. Dr. Jim Gage, a stateside expert on gait analysis and treatment for CP, forms the teams of doctors that spend three weeks seeing patients and carrying out operations. This January they saw between 70 and 80 patients, doing surgeries on 35 of them. With their combined expertise, the doctors learn from each other while performing surgeries on special CP cases that might normally confound a doctor conducting the surgery solo.

“Each of us has a different experience,” explained Dr. Eckehart Wolff, a surgeon at Hospital Vozandes-Shell, HCJB Global Hands’ jungle hospital in Ecuador. “We have special cases, no one knows what to do, and then we figure it out.”

In the last two years, 350 new CP patients have come through the hospital from Quito, San Lorenzo, Shell and other parts of Ecuador. Wolff is often able to perform the necessary operations, but for cases that are particularly challenging, the children wait to have surgery when the doctors meet together in Quito at the beginning of each year.

Many children in Ecuador suffer from CP because of complications during childbirth. The poor are most frequently affected as they often don’t have access to proper medical care during delivery.

After the surgery and continued physical therapy, many of the children can do something they’ve never been able to do—walk—an ability that can also have a profound psychological impact on them.

“Without the operation they wouldn’t be walking a year later,” Wolff said. “We train them to walk. If you walk, your mind works. We give these kids a chance.”

BAPTISTS AID IMPERILED FAMILIES AMID UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE

Source: Baptist Press
Southern Baptists are continuing to provide desperately needed relief to families suffering in Zimbabwe’s unprecedented economic disaster. “The current unemployment rate is reported to be 94 percent, and the annual inflation rate was estimated … at 2 trillion percent,” said Mark Hatfield of Baptist Global Response, an international relief and development organization. The country’s new national unity government emerged from a weekend retreat Monday, April 6, with a visionary 100-day plan to bring Zimbabwe out of its downward spiral. The agenda focuses on five “clusters”--the country’s economy, security, infrastructure, social services, and interests and rights. Hatfield says the challenges faced, however, stagger the imagination. The only goods available in stores are priced in foreign currency that ordinary citizens do not have. Hospitals are hamstrung by a lack of medicines, water and electricity. Schools cannot function for lack of teachers and supplies. Southern Baptists have responded on several fronts, distributing food, assisting Sanyati Baptist Hospital and providing school supplies.

* HCJB Global Voice signed a partnership agreement with the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe in 2001.

WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD ANNOUNCES NAME CHANGE

Source: Answers in Action
The Worldwide Church of God, founded by the late Herbert W. Armstrong, announced that it changed its name to Grace Communion International effective Friday, April 3. Church President Joseph Tkach said the new name better reflects the group’s commitment to the core message of the gospel--God’s grace extended to humanity through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Founded as the Radio Church of God in 1934, the group became known as the Worldwide Church of God in 1968. After Armstrong’s death in 1986, the church re-examined its doctrines, teachings and practices and eventually repudiated Armstrong’s teachings and embraced the historic, orthodox, Christian theology and practice. The name change has been in the works since 2005 as leaders sought input from member churches around the world. Tkach added that “grace lies at the heart of our values and mission as a transformed church.” Grace Communion International has 900 congregati ons with 42,000 members worldwide.

MINISTRY HELPS FILL DEARTH OF PASTORAL TRAINING IN UGANDA

Source: Mission Network News
In Uganda few pastors are well-trained or educated in exegesis or other biblical studies. Whether or not they have seminary training, they typically lack the resources to do intensive studies of the Bible. Many don’t even own a concordance, either in their own language or in English. AMG International is doing its best to change this. Heading the AMG pastoral program, Reuben Musiime leads pastoral conferences to provide church leaders with skills to lead their congregations. AMG President Paul Jenks says the mission provides not just a basic library for the pastors, but also training. The “basic library” includes materials such as concordances and Bible handbooks for pastors to dive deeper into the Word. As they gain more insight and understanding of the Bible, they are better equipped to reveal more truth to their congregations and to evangelize. Evangelism will specifically be put into practice at AMG’s orphanage in Uganda. Jenks says although it is technically an orphanage, AMG plans to keep the children as connected to their extended families as possible. There is a great need for child sponsors of these Ugandan orphans.

* Through Apoyo, a training ministry of HCJB Global, the mission held pastoral training, evangelistic/discipleship events and all-church conferences for more than 3,000 pastoral leaders and church members in Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Cuba, Chile and Argentina in 2008. Apoyo also completed three-year Training National Trainers (TNT) cycles for groups of about a dozen church workers in six countries last year.

ONE WOMAN’S CALLING SHAKES THE VIEW OF WHAT MINISTRY LOOKS LIKE

Source: Christian Newswire
Southern California resident Monica Kinnaird owns Chosenphotography, an unusual visual ministry rooted in faith and service.” The Lord gifted me in the area of photography, and I intend to share that gift to glorify His name,” Kinnaird said. She recently branched off into a clothing line called Him of the Garment. Kinnaird and others visit churches and organizations, incorporating a visual, musical display of portraiture followed by a fashion show to contemporary Christian music. Then, she and the youth all give their testimonies and hold a “town hall” type dialog with everyone in attendance. “Everyone has something to give that is theirs alone,” she said. “We want to inspire people to service. We also want for people to see how cool, how edgy, how innovative God is … and how much His people love Him.”

INTERNET EVANGELISM DAY SET FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 26

Sources: Internet Evangelism Day, FEB News Snippets
Many churches will highlight the potential of the Internet on Sunday, April 26, by holding an Internet Evangelism (IE) Day. Organizers say the Web can be used by God as a tool for international outreach. Many churches will build a presentation into their services or other activities on or near that day. This may be as short as a two-minute announcement, or can be a longer program using the free downloads from IE Day’s website: a PowerPoint, video clips, music, drama scripts and handouts. “You don’t need to be technical to be an online evangelist,” said coordinator Tony Whittaker. “There are many ways you can share your faith in your spare time, without any technical knowledge at all.”

UPDATE: EGYPTIAN MUSLIM RECEIVES FIRST CONVERSION CERTIFICATE

Source: Arab Vision
A Muslim man has received a conversion certificate from the Coptic Church for the first time in Egypt, according to a report in the Daily News Egypt. This is a significant development in the ongoing debate on the right to change one’s religion on Egyptian identification cards. The man, Maher Al-Gohari, needed the certificate from the church in order to verify to the court that he had converted from Islam to Christianity and request the change to be made on his identification card. Converting to Christianity remains a sensitive issue in Egypt. Officially it is not illegal, but securing the necessary paperwork and approval for it has so far proved nearly impossible. This is only the second time a conversion certificate has been requested. Last year a court rejected a similar request from Mohamed Hegazy to change his identification status from Muslim to Christian. Arab Vision is monitoring these developments in Egypt closely, watching for further ramifi cations that could impact the freedom and rights of many of its Muslim television viewers who are drawn to Christ through its programs. About 10 percent of Egypt’s Christians 80 million inhabitants are Christians.

STATE PROSECUTOR ASKS FOR 7-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR CUBAN PASTOR

Sources: Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Assist News Service
A Cuban state prosecutor has requested a seven-year prison sentence for Pastor Omar Gude Pérez, already imprisoned in Camaguey, Cuba, on charges of “illicit economic activity and falsification of documents.” Gude’s close associates, however, believe he’s being targeted because of his religious activity and leadership of a rapidly growing Christian movement. The prosecutor’s petition goes on to accuse the pastor of “counter-revolutionary conduct and attitudes.” Gude is a leader of a nondenominational, nonpolitical religious movement in Cuba known as the Apostolic Reformation. He has already spent almost one year in prison without being given a trial. He was first detained last May after authorities initially charged him with “human trafficking.” These charges were thrown out last month, however, by a local court citing a lack of evidence. The case was then referred to Havana, and last week the fam ily was notified of the new charges. A spokesperson for Christian Solidarity Worldwide cited an increase in reported violations of religious liberty since Raul Castro took power in early 2008.

* HCJB Global Voice continues to air Spanish programs to Cuba via shortwave from South America. Hundreds of listeners have enrolled in the ministry’s Bible Institute of the Air, a Spanish correspondence program incorporating radio broadcasts. In addition, numerous pastoral training workshops, held in conjunction with Leadership Resources International, have been held in Cuba since the mid-1990s.

2 CHRISTIAN WOMEN IMPRISONED IN IRAN WITHOUT OFFICIAL CHARGES

Source: Compass Direct News
Accused of “acting against state security” and “taking part in illegal gatherings,” two Iranian Christian women have been held in a Tehran prison for more than a month in a crowded cell with no access to legal representation. Amnesty International, in an appeal for urgent action last week, reported that authorities have made the accusations known but have imprisoned the women without filing official charges. The organization called on Iranian authorities to release them and expressed concern for their health. Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, 30, who were active in church activities and distributing Bibles according to Amnesty’s appeal, were arrested on Thursday, March 5. They are being held in the detention center of Evin Prison, a facility that has drawn criticism for its human rights violations and executions in recent years. Their families have presented the title deeds of their homes as bail but a re still waiting for approval from the judge. Amnesty reported that Esmaeilabad said both are suffering from infections and high fevers and have not received adequate medical care. They continue to be detained in an overcrowded cell with 27 other women.

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