News headlines for March 11th 2003

(Middle East)–We begin today in the Middle East where troops are pre-positioned near Turkey and waiting for a face-off with Iraq. This period is difficult for soldiers, but it often helps open the doors for ministry, so says General Dick Abel, director of Campus Crusade’s military ministry. He says The Jesus Film Project[1] plays a key role in outreach. “That’s a time that you do your continuing training, in whatever combat arms you’re in, but there’s a lot of wait time. That’s a time when you do a lot of thinking, too, and that’s a time where people understand they’re going into harms’ way, and it’s a time when they’re quite vulnerable, actually.” According to Abel, chaplains are saying that sailors and Marines respond well to the video, but there is much more to do. “Our goal has always been to put the Jesus video on every base and on every ship in the armed forces. We’re seeing that happen, and seeing results of it. As long as they’re using it, just like God’s Word says, His Word will not come back void.”

(India)–Next, profiling Christians in Gujarat is one more step in a growing oppression campaign of the minority faith. Global Advance’s[2] David Shibley says that’s why they held a Frontline Shepherd’s Conference last week in Hyderabad, India: to help train indigenous church leaders. “I saw a tremendous fervor for Christ and also a strong commitment to continue to spread the gospel and to plant new churches even in the midst of very clearly increasing opposition even from the government.” Shibley says India’s church needs prayer. “We need to be praying particularly for courage for our brothers and sisters in India particularly pastoral leaders as they increasingly come under threats of violence, but also, that they will continue to aggressively plant churches and preach the Gospel and reach the still very large cluster of unreached peoples in northern India.”

(Haiti)–God is working through Food For The Poor[3] to answer prayers and provide desperately sought after powered milk. The United States Department of Agriculture is partnering to send the lifesaving nutrition to remote clinics and hospitals throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. These countries have seen a drastic increase in food prices and near-famine food shortages and therefore the rate of malnutrition has risen. The powered milk will especially help young children recover from malnutrition.

(China)–Meanwhile, despite persecution against Christians in China, Church leaders in China have ambitious evangelism training goals. According to Evangelism Explosion’s[4] Buddy Gaines they held six clinics last year, but 10 are planned this year. Gaines says what’s more exciting is the local church is catching the vision. “They are in the process of building, I think it’s, a six story building. Which will be a training center. A portion of the that building will be dedicated for the Evangelism Explosion training. And, their goal is to bring in pastors from all of the provinces, train them, and then send them back to do this ministry.” Gaines says funding is needed to help with this project. “To give scholarships. And, then of course the adapting the materials to the Chinese culture there. We’re printing new materials. They’re setting up and office and they need some office equipment. So, we’re looking at a $75,000 project for this year.”

(Australia)–And finally, Teen Missions International[5] reports they had their largest Boot Camp in the history of their work. 143 young people are now ready to serve the Lord on teams to Vanuatu, Chili, India, Greece, Fiji, Zambia and Thailand. Teen Missions International uses Boot Camps to train young people in construction, evangelism, Bible, team work, and discipline. Nearly 28-thousand teens have been trained through Teen Missions since 1982. Teams are being formed now for summer outreach.

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=JFP [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=GAM [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=FFP [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=EEI [5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=TMI ———————————————————————

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