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(Congo–Kinshasa)–We begin today in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the situation in the eastern part of the country remains volatile. Thousands have fled the fighting, even as peacekeeping troops entered the fray. Grace Ministries'[1] Sam Vinton says many Christian workers were forced to use emergency plans. “This time, because this is tribal warfare, in the northeast of Congo, especially, this has resulted in many not only missionaries, (but also) national pastors, being evacuated. I think there are organizations from east Africa have flown in there and evacuated quite a number of people. Then, many have fled across the border into Uganda. So naturally, this is really very disruptive.” Vinton says that’s especially true because the theological seminary is in Bunia, the heart of the conflict. He urges prayer. “We just have to continue to pray that the Lord will intervene and spare the Christians and bring this to some kind of an end so that people can live in peace, and that the Gospel can go forward and produce the results in the lives of people who need the Lord at this time, especially when they’ve lost everything.”

(Liberia)–Elsewhere, fighting in Liberia has forced tens of thousands of displaced people to flee the camps outside Monrovia in which they were living. Heavy rains are complicating the sanitation needs. World Vision International’s[2] teams are in the refugee camps to determine where medical supplies are critical. World Vision shares the hope of Christ by meeting spiritual and physical needs.

(USA)–Churches are needed to help support a ministry that’s placing individuals in missionary service. Finishers Project[3] provides adult Christians information and challenge for discovering and processing ministry opportunities in missions. Finishers’ Nelson Malwitz says they’re successful, but it costs money. “For every person that we connect with either at a conference or at the web site, the Finishers Project cost is about $25 a person. For every person we connect with, about one in 20 actually go, which I think is a pretty good ratio. So, if you divided by 20, it costs about $500 to place one person.” Malwitz says that’s why they’re looking for churches to help. “Finishers Project is looking for 70 churches nationwide to come along side to be part of praying, promoting, and participating of the sending forth of laborers so that more and more of our generation look at this as a viable option as to what to do with the rest of their life.”

(USA)–Next, a recent survey from Barna Research indicates four out of 10 Americans discuss religion and other spiritual matters in any given week. The survey indicates most people talk about movies and television, money, sports, politics and then spiritual beliefs. Life Action Revival Ministries[4] Byron Paulus says this research isn’t necessarily good news. “It just kind of hit me, you know, that passage there in Mark that says, ‘The deceitfulness of riches, the cares of this world, the cares of life, choke out the word so that we become unfruitful.’ And so, we take encouragement in the percentage that do talk about it, we wonder if what really is being talked about most has it really become counter productive.” Paulus doesn’t believe this is a sign of revival. “When our conversation is more on movies and money and sports and politics than it is on spiritual beliefs, there’s a ways to go yet before we can declare there’s a movement of or toward revival.”

(USA)–And finally, despite recent economic troubles, Compassion International[5] has reached a major milestone. Compassion is now providing life-changing assistance to more than 500-thousand children worldwide. While this is an incredible milestone, Compassion’s President and CEO, Doctor Wesley Stafford, says there are many more children who need help. Compassion works through the local church praying that whole families turn to Christ as they’re helped. Pray that many more people will become child sponsors.

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=GMI [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=WVI [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=FNP [4] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=LARM [5] http://www.gospelcom.net/mnn/media/group.php?agencyAb=CMP ———————————————————————

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