WORLDWIDE PHOTOS LTD The Religious Media Agency

WEEKLY NEWS REVIEW

December 12, 2002

INDEX

AUSTRALIA: 1. LIFE’S GOOD FOR WESLEY DISABILITY SERVICES (Wesley Mission) 2. COMMUNITY DAY PATROL IN NT (Mission Australia) 3. BANKSTOWN CAROL SERVICE “A MIRACLE” (Worldwide Photos) 4. PREVENT BUSH FIRES – BAN SMOKING IN CARS (CDP) 5. DROUGHT AND FIRE: HELP TO REBUILD LIVES! (Wesley Mission) 6. CUP GIFT FOR CHRISTMAS (Insights)

OVERSEAS: 7. SAMARITAN BOXES ON THE WAY (Agape Press) 8. AMISH HOUSE-RAISING FOR FAMILY IN NEED (Agape Press) 9. WOMEN’S CONGRESS IN INDONESIA (Church of God) 10. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FIRED FOR PRAYER (ANS) 11. NIGERIA RIOT HITS BAPTISTS (BWA) 12. RECORD-BREAKING CAROL SERVICE (Christian Herald) 13. FREE AT LAST! (Christian Herald) 14. NOBEL AWARD CEREMONY FOR JIMMY CARTER (Carter Centre) 15. HUNGER STRIKE PROTEST (Christian Herald)

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1. LIFE’S GOOD FOR WESLEY DISABILITY SERVICES (Wesley Mission) Wesley Mission’s Disability Services have received early Christmas gifts from the white-goods company, LG, which claims to “make life good”. The products, valued at $16,616, included a refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, two televisions and microwave to Wesley Mission’s Disability Services. Wesley Mission Children’s Respite Service provides pre-planned and emergency respite for children aged between 5-18yrs of age. The program gives parents and carers a break while they shop, keep up friendships, visit the doctor or dentist or just have time to themselves. Gemma McCarthy, Wesley Mission’s Manager of Accommodation and Respite Care Services (Disability) said that Wesley Disability Services aimed to ensure that people with a disability were valued, accepted and enabled to grow as members of the community.

2. COMMUNITY DAY PATROL IN NT (Mission Australia) The Northern Territory Minister for Community Development, John Ah Kit, has congratulated Mission Australia on a New Community Day Patrol Service. The service is a major element of the Northern Territory Government’s “Itinerants Project in Darwin and Palmerston”. Mission Australia will operate the new day patrols, which will operate 8am to 4pm Monday to Friday. Aaron Henricksen, Mission Australia’s Regional Manager, Qld and NT, said, the Community Patrols would operate in conjunction with an expanded service of up to 24 hours’ operation of the Sobering-up Shelter in Caryota Place, Coconut Grove, on an “as-needs” basis. “The new service would use a ‘brief intervention’ approach,” he said, “such as people caught up in a family group of drinkers but who didn’t want to remain there.”.

3. BANKSTOWN CAROL SERVICE “A MIRACLE” (Worldwide Photos) Following a Family Festival in the afternoon and a Carol Service at night, a Council employee remarked, “This was a miracle”. The Combined Christian Churches and the Bankstown City Council Carol Service attracted approximately 4,000 local people from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and religions. Families had fun and the food was free. Over 40 churches worked together with Fusion staff, to present a Carol Service, backed financially by local businesses and the State Government. Local artists and band entertained the gathering and the Christmas Story was presented on stage. A special collection raised nearly $1,500 for the Bushfire Appeal.

4. PREVENT BUSH FIRES – BAN SMOKING IN CARS (CDP) The Rev Fred Nile MLC, leader of the Christian Democratic Party, called in Parliament for a ban on smoking in cars because of the number of bush fires that have been caused by careless motorists throwing their cigarette butts out of their car windows, while driving through bush-lands. “Urgent action must be taken to ban smoking in cars that would automatically prevent bush fires in NSW,” said Rev Fred Nile MLC. He asked: “Will the Government consider a prohibition on persons smoking in cars, especially during the bushfire season, similar to the prohibition on smoking in public places, which would have the double value of preventing bushfires and reducing road accidents, and reducing the health dangers of passive smoke on passengers, especially children.” The response was that this matter has been discussed before and felt it would be too hard to police such a move. However, the question is to be passed on the relevant Minister.

5. DROUGHT AND FIRE: HELP TO REBUILD LIVES! (Wesley Mission) Wesley Mission has distributed thousands of dollars to needy families in drought ravaged rural NSW. Now, more than 60 bushfires have raged across the State in recent days and more families than ever need your help. There are many families and individuals who have not been able to receive – or who are too humble to ask for help. Wesley Mission is helping those people through its Drought and Bushfire Appeal. You can make a difference today. Phone 1800 021 821

6. CUP GIFT FOR CHRISTMAS (Insights) A win on the Melbourne Cup helped launch Ashfield Uniting Church’s 17th Christmas Appeal. Last month a young couple with their children solemnly handed over $4,000 in cash to help the needy at Christmas. The mother had won the money in a Melbourne Cup sweep. “I didn’t feel right about keeping all the money I won,” she said. “So many needy people come to you for help that I thought I would give the money to you. I hope it helps.” On Christmas Day, in the grounds of Ashfield Uniting Church, the Exodus Foundation holds a “Free Hot Traditional Christmas Lunch” for Sydney’s poor, needy and lonely. Last year almost 3,000 people shared in the food, fun and festivities. Exodus Foundation can be contacted on (02) 9799 2811.

7. SAMARITAN BOXES ON THE WAY (Agape Press) A huge cargo plane left from New York to Africa Tuesday, packed with 100,000 shoebox gifts for children infected with the AIDS virus. Rev. Franklin Graham stated that is just a fraction of the six million gifts collected this year for Operation Christmas Child. Graham explained that many of the gifts from American children will be distributed in Muslim areas. He said that he wants “people of all faiths to know that God does love them and care for them, and that His son, Jesus Christ, came [to] this Earth, and that’s why we celebrate Christmas.” The son of evangelist Billy Graham said that his father has lots of plans for 2003 and his mother’s health is better than when she was hospitalised earlier this year.

8. AMISH HOUSE-RAISING FOR FAMILY IN NEED (Agape Press) The Amish and their neighbours are working side-by-side to help a family hit by tragedy earlier this fall. Associated Press reports that people in Pulaski, Pennsylvania, are holding a traditional Amish house-raising for a family who lost five of their nine children and their home in a tragic fire. Workers gathered before daybreak in freezing cold weather. Some men wore black, broad-brimmed hats and held shovels or hammers; others sported camouflage caps and drove backhoes. The report says it usually takes two or three weeks for the Amish to build a new home — but that with the help of their neighbours, they expect to have the family in the house by the end of the week. A spokesman for the group says it will be done without blueprints or plans of any kind.

9. WOMEN’S CONGRESS IN INDONESIA (Church of God) The 2002 Women’s Congress, which recently convened in Batu Malang, East Java, was attended by more than 1,300 delegates according to Mrs. Yuliana Abednego, general director of the Church of God Women’s Ministries. The women travelled from the various islands of Indonesia to the Women’s Congress, held at the Purnama Hotel in Batu Malang, East Java. The theme, “Becoming a Beautiful Woman in Christ,” was carried out in the workshops as well as in the general sessions. Oleda Atkinson, co-ordinator of International Women’s Ministries, was one of the keynote speakers, and Gail Lemmert, director of counselling, Lee University, was guest speaker in two of the workshops. Oleda’s topics were “Becoming a Beautiful Woman in Christ” and “Women of Prayer, Empowered for Service”.

10. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FIRED FOR PRAYER (ANS) Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service, reports that Dennis Mansfield, Executive Director for Parents Television Council, in Hollywood, California has apparently been fired due to a prayer by Ted Baehr, longtime chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission, at a recent PTC Awards Dinner in Los Angeles. According to Mansfield, who was Executive Director for less than 60 days, he was summarily fired following the awards dinner. The prayer was for Brent Bozell, PTC Founder, who had suffered a heart attack and was unable to attend the awards dinner. According to Mansfield, Baehr, a minister, invoked the name of Jesus Christ, angering some PTC donors and a consultant for PTC. Mansfield was informed that the prayer resulted in loss of donor gifts. “I would sincerely hope that the loss of donors’ monies would not be considered more important than the health and well-being of Mr. Bozell.”

11. NIGERIA RIOT HITS BAPTISTS (BWA) Ademola Ishola, general secretary of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, says Baptists lost 14 churches in the carnage in Kaduna. “We cannot be sure how many of our members lost their lives in the senseless massacre and wanton destruction of properties,” Ishola said. Ishola explained that most of this fighting is political although the Miss World contest came at a very sensitive time for Muslims, during the holy month of Ramadan. He sees this as a direct attack on the Christian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who is a Baptist. “It was one of the ways to create chaos and confusion in the country to discredit the President,” he said. “Persecution is not a pleasant experience, but it keeps the Church more focused on why we are saved and for what.”

12. RECORD-BREAKING CAROL SERVICE (Christian Herald) A crowd of 16,100 attended “Sing Your Hearts Out For The Lad” at Manchester City’s Maine Road ground last Sunday. The multi-media presentation was recognised as setting a new world record for carol service attendance by invigilators from Guinness World Records. The show service featured TV presenter Diane Louise Jordan, actress Kathy “Nora Batty” Staff, BBC Radio 2 presenter Don MacLean, and Olympic champion Jonathan Edwards.

13. FREE AT LAST! (Christian Herald) Ian Stillman is to return to Britain this week (13 December) after his shock release from India’s Shimla jail on health grounds. The veteran Christian deaf worker was freed after Jack Straw’s intervention in the case, which had seen Ian jailed on drug smuggling charges in August 2000, and has been consistently highlighted by the “Friends of Ian Stillman” over the past two years. Indian authorities responded to international concerns, and a 91,000-signature global petition, which highlighted Ian’s failing health as a diabetic and amputee.

14. NOBEL AWARD CEREMONY FOR JIMMY CARTER (Carter Centre) Gunnar Berge, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said in his address in Oslo, Dec. 10, 2002, that: “This year’s Laureate Jimmy Carter is most decidedly on life’s muster roll. He is one of the most deserving and least controversial Laureates for a long time. To quote from the Nobel Committee’s reasons for awarding Carter this year’s Peace Prize: ‘The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2002 to Jimmy Carter, for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development’. In conclusion Mr Berge said: ” Jimmy Carter will probably not go down in American history as the most effective President. But he is certainly the best ex-president the country ever had. And, most importantly for us: he is a most worthy recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Jimmy Carter stands out very clearly on the muster roll of life!”

15. HUNGER STRIKE PROTEST (Christian Herald) A blind Christian lawyer who has been held in a Cuban prison for nine months has just completed three months of an ongoing liquid-only fast. Juan Carlos Gonzalez Leiva has been held on charges of “acts of disrespect towards Fidel Castro, public disorder, resisting authority and disobedience” since 5 March. He now weighs just over seven stone, and as part of his protest against the regime, dresses all in black, has shaved his head and has not bathed since 1 November. ( I think I’d let him go!)

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