WORLDWIDE PHOTOS Ltd The Religious Media Agency

WEEKLY NEWS REVIEW

February 13, 2003

INDEX

AUSTRALIA: 1. WAR IS NOT INEVITABLE (World Vision Aust) 2. NEW TWIST ON ‘PYRAMID SCHEME’ (Southern Cross) 3. NCYC FOR ADELAIDE IN ’05 (Journey) 4. ST JAMES TOURS AUSTRALIA (Rebecca St James) 5. LEAD IN A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY (Wesley Mission) 6. CHRISTIAN AUTHOR IMPACTS AUSTRALIA (Vic Baptist Witness)

OVERSEAS: 7. WAR IS STILL ‘NOT JUSTIFIABLE’ (Church Times) 8. FESTIVAL OF PEACE FOR TONGA (Festival News) 9. BAPTISTS AID CONGOLESE TORNADO VICTIMS (American Baptist News) 10. LUIS PALAU FESTIVAL IN BUENOS AIRES (LPEA) 11. LORD ALTON SPEARHEADS ACTION FOR BURMA (Christian Herald) 12. PASTORS TACKLE RISING GUN CRIME (Christian Herald) 13. SAYING ‘YES!’ TO MARRIAGE (Christian Herald) 14. PRAYER VIGIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF MARRIAGE (Life & Family) 15. DIVORCEES TO FACE QUESTIONING (C of E Newspaper)

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1. WAR IS NOT INEVITABLE (World Vision Aust) World Vision has joined a coalition of humanitarian aid agencies asking the United Nations Security Council to hold an extraordinary session to focus on the humanitarian impact of military action in Iraq. World Vision recently participated in two separate fact finding missions within Iraq, which highlighted that: 500,000 children are already malnourished; 60 per cent of the country’s 13 million children survive on food imports arranged under the “oil for food” program; children as young as four and five are already experiencing the psychological trauma associated with war. “War is not inevitable,” Mr Lynn Arnold, World Vision’s chief executive, said. “Iraqi children alone give us 13 million reasons to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in the region.”

2. NEW TWIST ON ‘PYRAMID SCHEME’ (Southern Cross) Dubbed a ‘pyramid scheme of grace’, the concept of ‘pay it on’ where you give money away with the request the recipient uses it for the good of others has received a new twist at Penrith Anglican College, in Sydney’s west. A school parent generously gave $50 to each of the school’s 42 chaplaincy groups. The chaplaincy groups devised ways to use the $50 to raise more money for their ‘partner’ organisations. Ideas included a car wash, food stalls and a fashion parade. Most chaplaincy groups at least doubled their $50, with the total amount raised by the students in excess of $6,000. The final list of groups supported by the students ranged from well known organisations such as Anglicare and CMS to struggling ministries such as one outback church.

3. NCYC FOR ADELAIDE IN ’05 (Journey) The next NCYC (National Christian Youth Convention) will be held in Adelaide from January 3 to 8, 2005. Convention co-ordinator, Al Brocklehurst, said the national church has asked the SA Synod to “reinvent” NCYC. “They’ve asked us to make NCYC as affordable and accessible to as many people as possible – to every young person inside and outside the church. To do that we’re redesigning the program of NCYC. We’ll base it in tent cities – that will be the principal accommodation – and it will be self-catered.” The theme for the convention will be “Live this life”, which is about modelling the life of Christ, so that we can have an impact on our personal, church and community life.

4. ST JAMES TOURS AUSTRALIA (Rebecca St James) Rebecca St James’ homeland of Australia is the next stop on “The Worship God Tour” – a tour that has truly become international in scope! Currently in Australia for a brief rest time before launching her next U.S. tour in March, Rebecca has a select schedule of dates set in “Oz” (her pet name for Australia) and its island neighbour, New Zealand. Rebecca is appearing in New Zealand from February 13 to 16 and then returns to Australia. She will be appearing at the Dream Centre, Gold Coast (February 20); the Gateway Baptist Church, Brisbane (February 21); in the Dayspring Christian Centre, Sydney (February 22); at the Contemporary Christian Centre, Newcastle (February 23); at the Victory Community Church, Perth (February 26); at the Village Community Church, Adelaide (February 28) and at the Brimbank Christian Church, Melbourne (March 1).

5. LEAD IN A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY (Wesley Mission) A leading academic has called on the Church to show leadership in developing a sustainable economy and society in the 21st century. Distinguished Professor Dexter Dunphy from the University of Technology, Sydney, and a former Associate Professor at Harvard University said the Christian Church had both the values and a spiritual commitment to transform society. Speaking to 160 of Wesley Mission’s senior managers in Sydney, Professor Dunphy said the world, including the Church, could no longer conduct business as it had always done. Massive over-consumption and the associated degradation of eco-systems were threatening the future viability of life on the planet.

6. CHRISTIAN AUTHOR IMPACTS AUSTRALIA (Vic Baptist Witness) Noted author, Bill Hybels is speaking at a one-off event in Sydney, February 19-21, at the new Hillsong Auditorium in Baulkham Hills. The theme for the “Bill Hybels Conference – 2003” is “Building Prevailing Churches: It Takes a Team”. Workshops will deal with Building an Arts Team; a Leadership Team; an Evangelistic Team; a Contagious Youth Team and a Children’s Ministry Team as well as Building a Team to Help People Discover Financial Freedom. The Conference is already booked out but for other information contact the Willow Creek Association Australia on 1800 65 65 22.

7. WAR IS STILL ‘NOT JUSTIFIABLE’ (Church Times) The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, says he is using “every channel” to argue against going to war with Iraq, including counselling Tony Blair. Dr Williams’ said that, as a Christian, he would find war “unacceptable”; and he asked whether military action was the best way of engaging with Iraq’s “fragile and desperate” society. “Outside the presidential palaces, civil society has unravelled, infant mortality has trebled in ten years, one child in four is born underweight, one child in five is malnourished,” Dr Williams said. War would cause a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Iraq, and in the surrounding regions.

8. FESTIVAL OF PEACE FOR TONGA (Festival News) The proposed “Festival of Peace” in Tonga has been reviewed and confirmed, according to the co-ordinator, Dave Godby of BGEA International Ministries. The dates will be July 16-20. There will be a 4 day International Institute of Evangelism organised by the BGEA International Training division and a 5 day Festival of Peace organised by BGEA International Ministries, in the Teufaiva Stadium. Both events are in partnership with the Tongan Festival Executive. Isileli Taukolo, the Executive Secretary and Chair of the Media Working Committee, is President of Doulos Television and is very involved in Christian TV and Radio.

9. BAPTISTS AID CONGOLESE TORNADO VICTIMS (American Baptist News) A health team supported by American Baptist International Ministries missionary personnel responded within hours to aid victims of a tornado that devastated Bandundu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo last week. The February 2 tornado destroyed more than 2,500 houses, 10 schools, two health centres and a church. Seventeen people died, including two women who were in labour, and thousands were injured and left homeless. American Baptist International Ministries missionary Bill Clemmer reported that, in response to an urgent plea for help from the district medical doctor, the SANRU health project dispatched a ‘plane with medicine, relief supplies and a disaster response team to Yumbi. More than 1,500 persons in that town of 40,000 were treated for injuries sustained largely as a result of falling structures and debris.

10. LUIS PALAU FESTIVAL IN BUENOS AIRES (LPEA) Two of the largest crowds ever to attend public events in Buenos Aires came to the Monumento de los Espanoles Friday and Saturday night for the “Festival of Hope” featuring world evangelist and author Luis Palau. A combined audience estimated by city officials at close to a million people over two days braved record-setting heat and the threat of severe thunderstorms to hear some of Latin America’s top Christian music artists and a “message of hope” from Dr. Palau. The events came at a time of great political and economic turmoil in the city of 13.5 million where unemployment, poverty and hunger are commonplace. The festival extended beyond the concert events to include a food distribution program to 20,000 families and personal visits to over 3 million homes throughout the region. Dr. Palau met with political and spiritual leaders during festival week, including Argentina’s President Eduardo Duhaide. Local and national media covered the festival as an event of national significance and impact.

11. LORD ALTON SPEARHEADS ACTION FOR BURMA (Christian Herald) Lord Alton of Liverpool recently returned from the Thai-Burma border with graphic evidence of the continuing genocide against Burma’s ethnic minorities. Lord Alton travelled with American Congressman Joseph Pitts, on behalf of Jubilee Campaign, to the refugee camps in Thailand where many of the 130,000 Karen people have fled to escape the atrocities. An estimated 30,000 Karen, Karenni and Shan have been killed as a direct or indirect result of military action.

12. PASTORS TACKLE RISING GUN CRIME (Christian Herald) Christians from all church backgrounds and streams in Britain, will be attending an open day for street pastors course devised by black church leader, Rev Les Isaac, on 22 February. The course officially starts in March and students will be taught how to provide pastoral care to young people on the streets. On completing the course, ‘graduates’ will be issued with special clothing to indicate they are a street pastor. They will then be sent out to Peckham, Brixton, Tottenham and Hackney to care for their ‘flock’.

13. SAYING ‘YES!’ TO MARRIAGE (Christian Herald) Civil and religious leaders in Bath signed Britain’s first ever Community Marriage Policy on Tuesday. The move was part of a raft of initiatives organised to mark National Marriage Week, February 9-15. The policy, drawn up by the newly formed National Association of Community Family Trusts, was described as “a statement of intent to turn the appalling tide of family breakdown”. Bath Community Family Trust is now being developed to help give basic relationship skills to married couples.

14. PRAYER VIGIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF MARRIAGE (Life & Family) Clergy and faithful of many Christian denominations will gather on Sunday, February 23, from 7.00 pm – 8.30 pm to pray for the defence of marriage in Canada. Recent rulings in courts and government proposals indicate that Canada could soon see “same-sex” marriage or the elimination of marriage in law. Marriage in Canada is seriously threatened. Archbishop Adam Exner and clergy from many denominations will take part in this important prayer event-because prayer matters-because Christian unity matters-because Marriage matters. Children are especially welcome — “we are praying for the defence of marriage, after all” –so bring family and friends.

15. DIVORCEES TO FACE QUESTIONING (C of E Newspaper) Divorcees wanting to be re-married in an Anglican church in Britain, will be asked to complete an application form, which demands details of their marital history. The Church of England gave its official blessing to the remarriage of divorcees last July, and final obstacles were then removed in November, but clergy will be sent advice from their bishops later this month to help them in judging whether to grant couples their wish. Although some dioceses have offered suggestions to their priests in the past, it will be the first time that nationally agreed advice has been sent out to the parishes. Couples wanting to be re-married will have to write down in the application form how many marriages they have had before, how old they were when they were first married and why they want to be married in church. Those who respond that they have been married more than once before could have their chances significantly reduced, as the advice to clergy says that “the Church should not find itself being a party to ‘serial monogamy’.”

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