WORLDWIDE PHOTOS Ltd The Religious Media Agency

WEEKLY NEWS REVIEW

April 24, 2003

INDEX

AUSTRALIA: 1. BUS LEAVES FOR ULURU & LIFETIME MEMORIES (Fusion Qld) 2. EASTER IN TOOWOOMBA (Royce Perkins) 3. EQUIPPING THE SAINTS (Lutheran Media) 4. GORDON MOYES WILL HIT THE GROUND RUNNING (CDP press release) 5. GGS SHOOTERS AIM AT OVERSEAS TARGETS (Gippsland Anglican) 6. WOOLWORTHS SUPPORTS A.C.T. FIRE VICTIMS (Warcry)

OVERSEAS: 7. SALVATION ARMY POISED TO HELP IN IRAQ (Slvtn Army News-UK) 8. DALITS AT RISK OF INCREASED VIOLENCE (Methodist Recorder) 9. WATER IS AGENCIES’ PRIORITY (Church Times) 10. CHANGES PLANNED FOR THEO EDUCATION IN UK (C of E Newspaper) 11. TC DIRECTOR ON DRUG COMMISSION (AoG News) 12. IRAQIS PRAY FOR END TO CHAOS AT EASTER ( MCNS) 13. CREATION MUSEUM TAKING SHAPE (ASSIST News/AiG) 14. BIBLE ILLITERATE CHRISTIANS (Agape News) 15. CHURCH OPENS DRIVE-THROUGH PRAYER BOOTH (Charisma News)

-oOo-

1. BUS LEAVES FOR ULURU & LIFETIME MEMORIES (Fusion Qld) The coach carrying a group of 70 young “Pilgrims” from Brisbane to Uluru, left Brisbane on Monday, April 21. Organised by the Awakening-based group, Schools in Harmony, the team will visit the Daydream Mine in Port Augusta, experience cultural exchanges with indigenous children and tour the opal mines at Coober Pedy. In the Centre, they will join up with 15 other busloads from around Australia. The young people will spend three days at Uluru, see sunrise at The Rock and perform in their own concert and cultural exchange program. The return trip to Brisbane will go via the Northern Territory, Mt Isa, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast and arrive back in Brisbane, Thursday, May 1. Each participant had to raise $825 to cover their fare, meals and accommodation. Mal Garvin, the National Co-ordinator of the Aussie Awakening, said: “One of the delightful by-products of the pilgrimage is the way whole communities have come together to support their kids in fund-raising ventures, from sausage sizzles to car washes.” This gave them the message that their community cares about them and values them.

2. EASTER IN TOOWOOMBA (Royce Perkins) Most Toowoomba churches reported larger-than-usual congregations for Easter services, some Easter Day services being described as “packed”. A major factor was the 3-day Australian Gospel Music Festival which attracted over 30,000 people to Toowoomba’s Queen’s Park from around Australia and overseas, many hundreds of them camping in the Tent City set up within the park. National and international musicians were part of the line-up, with a circus, snake show, Kids Korner and fireworks. Friday night’s programme, featuring James Morrison and David Meece, drew about 6,000 to the Queens Park amphitheatre, with more than 10,000 attending The Bible Society sponsored Sunday night Combined Churches Service.

3. EQUIPPING THE SAINTS (Lutheran Media) Lutheran Media Ministry is planning to introduce “Equipping the Saints”, a training package to assist in linking up local congregations with those who respond to radio or television programs. Volunteers will learn about Media Ministry’s outreach, as well as visiting and advocacy. It is planned to hold workshops in major centres over the next 18 months. In July sessions are planned for Toowoomba and Nambour; and in August for the eastern suburbs of Melbourne (Ringwood).

4. GORDON MOYES WILL HIT THE GROUND RUNNING (CDP press release) NSW MP, Gordon Moyes MLC expressed appreciation to the voters of New South Wales for returning him to the NSW Legislative Council in the March election. Dr Moyes obtained the 19th seat, of 21 available seats, in Wednesday’s distribution of preferences by the State Electoral Office. “I intend to hit the ground running on the key issues important to Christians in our state: family relationships, health care, law enforcement, freedom of association, education, life issues and the environment. He commented that he would like to thank everyone who helped them during this election campaign. “We had many volunteers who gave of their time, effort and resources to ensure that the Christian voice is heard in our State Parliament,” said Dr Moyes. “The Rev Fred Nile and myself will continue to strongly represent the Christian viewpoint in Parliament.”

5. GGS SHOOTERS AIM AT OVERSEAS TARGETS (Gippsland Anglican) James Clancy (17) and Rohan Lay (16), two Gippsland Grammar students, represented Australia at the Oceania Shooting Championships in New Zealand this week, April 20-22. The Year 12 students are regarded as two of the top five junior shooters in Australia and had to perform against teams from New Zealand, New Caledonia, Fiji and Tahiti. Already they have been invited to participate in the World Shooting Titles to be held in America, in July. The Oceania Championships is a World Cup qualifier, as is the Field and Game Shooting Federation Grand Prix, which both shooters will attend.

6. WOOLWORTHS SUPPORTS A.C.T. FIRE VICTIMS (Warcry) Woolworths has made a donation of $45,800 to The Salvation Army’s work with victims of the Canberra bushfires. The sum, donated by staff and customers at the company’s 74 stores across the Australian Capital Territory and southern New South Wales, was in addition to $50,000 already donated by the company. The public’s response reflects the compassion we all feel towards those who lost their homes and properties,” said Alan Mills, manager of Woolworths in Woden, A.C.T..

7. SALVATION ARMY POISED TO HELP IN IRAQ (Slvtn Army News-UK) The Salvation Army is mobilising resources in response to the humanitarian

crisis in Iraq. Personnel have been placed on standby and an operations base is to be set up in the region, ready for a humanitarian effort. Salvation Army emergency services officers Major Cedric Hills and Major Mike Olsen have visited the region to find out exactly what help is needed. “We want to be in a position to respond immediately the security situation permits,” says Cedric. “Our emergency staff are prepared to commence providing humanitarian assistance, and personnel from all around the world are on standby, ready for immediate deployment.” Water, sanitation, food and shelter are seen by UN officials as priorities for any humanitarian effort.

8. DALITS AT RISK OF INCREASED VIOLENCE (Methodist Recorder) Indian Churches are increasingly alarmed at what they see as the rise of Hindu chauvinism and the World Council of Churches (WCC) has denounced increasing violence against the low-caste Dalit community. According to the chair of the Dalit Solidarity Network (UK), minister in the London circuit the Rev David Haslam, the National Council of Churches of India was sufficiently alarmed to have organised a consultation on “Communalism and Fascism”. The new general secretary of the Church of South India, Dr Pauline Satyamurthi, said: “It is time for the Churches to speak out about what is happening. We cannot be cowards.”

9. WATER IS AGENCIES’ PRIORITY (Church Times) Disruption to water supplies continued to be the main threat to health in south and central Iraq last week, as electricity blackouts hampered the purification and distribution of water. “Water is the thing that everyone needs at the moment,” a Christian Aid spokeswoman said. The charity has funded a mobile water-treatment unit that can provide drinking-water for up to 150,000 people a day. The extent of the problem in Iraq was revealed by an Oxfam water engineer, John Cosgrove, who accompanied UNICEF on an assessment trip into southern Iraq. Oxfam was hoping to fly 13 tonnes of water and sanitation equipment into Kuwait from England. Of the eight water-purification plants operated by Norwegian Church Aid, a partner of Christian Aid, in Baghdad, four are out of action as a result of looting.

10. CHANGES PLANNED FOR THEO EDUCATION IN UK (C of E Newspaper) A huge shake-up to theological colleges and clergy training in the United Kingdom, has been planned to cut spiralling costs and halt the patchy provision of theological education across the Church of England. In a radical blueprint, Bishop John Hind’s working party has recommended new regional training partnerships to bring together theological colleges, diocesan training courses and a whole range of other institutions and courses. The new training partnerships will have a brief to work with other denominations and bring a greater consistency to clergy formation. The report, “Formation and Ministry within a Learning Church”, states that without a radical shake-up at least two medium-size theological colleges will have to close in the years ahead.

11. TC DIRECTOR ON DRUG COMMISSION (AoG News) Assemblies of God Teen Challenge for Southern California Director Dennis Griffith has been appointed by President George Bush to serve on the White House Advisory Commission on Drug-Free Communities. The Commission provides input and expertise on the Drug-Free Communities program, a federal initiative that provides resources to local organisations working to reduce substance abuse in their communities. Griffith is the executive director of Teen Challenge International – Southern California and has served with Teen Challenge for 25 years. Under Griffith’s leadership, the Southern California organisation has grown to a network of nine centres, which provides youth, adults and families with effective and comprehensive drug prevention services.

12. IRAQIS PRAY FOR END TO CHAOS AT EASTER ( MCNS) Christians in Baghdad and throughout Iraq observed a quiet Easter Sunday, expressing relief that the regime under Saddam Hussein has fallen as well as praying for peace and an end to the post- war uncertainty. Some voiced their fear of religious persecution if Iraq becomes an Islamic state. “Now we must all work together to rebuild our society and also promote the role of Christianity. The responsibility on us is great,” said Jalil Mansoor David, who led the service at St Paul’s church in the northern city of Mosul. The estimated 250,000 Christians make up a very small portion of the Iraqi population, only about one percent of the population, according to Baghdad church officials. “This will be the happiest Easter of all. We are celebrating Easter just as all Christians celebrate Easter all over the world,” said Izzat, an Iraqi Christian.

13. CREATION MUSEUM TAKING SHAPE (ASSIST News/AiG) The cold winter is over, flowers are blooming and steel is going up at the unique Creation Museum, under construction in Northern Kentucky. Massive steel beams-some 50 feet high-now rise above the scenic skyline along Interstate 275. “Answers in Genesis”, a non-profit apologetics ministry based in the Cincinnati suburb of Florence, Kentucky, is building a 95,000 sq. ft. complex, debt- free, as donations come in. Over $7 million has already been raised. “Plans for the interior of the museum are taking shape, as well. As soon as guests walk through the front doors, realistic, life-size dioramas will provide a snapshot of an early world — including Adam with dinosaurs — that will challenge evolutionary worldviews,” according to the Media Director, of Answers in Genesis-USA, Mark Looy.

14. BIBLE ILLITERATE CHRISTIANS (Agape News) A popular Bible teacher and author says more pastors need to encourage members of their congregation to put more emphasis on Bible study. Dr. Henry Blackaby says many churches are driven by activities and entertainment instead of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word. Blackaby says when he served as a pastor, he always pressed his congregation to read the Bible — and then helped them to understand how God makes Himself known through particular scriptures, how to obey the God who has revealed Himself in the scriptures, and how to let God do His work. Blackaby says the current generation of Christians is the most biblically illiterate he has seen in his lifetime.

15. CHURCH OPENS DRIVE-THROUGH PRAYER BOOTH (Charisma News) A California church has opened a drive-through prayer booth to minister to people who might be intimidated by the idea of setting foot inside its worship center to ask for divine help. Main Place Christian Fellowship Church in Tustin, Orange County, has taken over a former photo booth in the strip mall across the street. Pastors and volunteers man the kiosk weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.. In addition to “Free Prayers,” the booth also advertises free “Flowers, Bibles, Bottled Water.” Visitors with time to spare are invited to sit on chairs at the back of the booth and talk with those on duty. Special needs are referred to the church office, which offers food, shelter, clothing and medical contacts. “This is like a fast-food place for God,” said one homeless visitor.

-30-

os.yahoo.com/rlgmediaau”>http://au.photos.yahoo.com/rlgmediaau http://community.webshots.com/user/ramon_williams ——————————————————————- Telling others, what others are doing for the Lord.

— Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).