News headlines for October 8th 2003

Iraq projects resume despite security risks. Iraq (MNN)–We begin today in Iraq, where ministry projects resumed following a five-week delay. The Southern Baptist International Mission Board’s[1] Mark Kelly says they pulled back following the truck bomb attack on the United Nations’ offices in Baghdad. Security concerns involved threats from Saddam loyalists against non-military targets. However, Kelly believes the risk decreased. “They believe that if people observe the proper precautions, that it was not as dangerous as they had feared it might be, and so, they’re going to begin with the volunteer projects, on a small scale, the teams will be smaller and their projects will be de-centralized, not gathering in any one place.” Kelly urges prayer for teams. “Everyone who serves there would ask that people pray for their safety. But again, their primary concern is to have opportunities to distribute the food boxes that represent just a tangible expression of God’s love for the people of Iraq.” Full Story: http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/5214

Satellite TV viewing is increasing in Iraq, helping Christians share the Gospel. Next, Iraqis are now turning to satellite television to get the information they need and want. According to SAT-7[2] , Christian television for the Middle East and North Africa, many people are now buying satellite dishes, which were illegal under the former regime. Staff members say churches are recording SAT-7 programming and distributing it to people who have little or no access to Christian material. Pray that Iraqis will continue to enjoy this freedom and that many will turn to Christ. Full Story: http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/5217

An evangelistic movement sweeps Colombia. Colombia (MNN)–This past spring, an amazing door opened to a new initiative in Colombia. A ministry movement in Latin America called “Plan of 1,000 Days” is a vision on a countrywide basis for evangelism. Global Missions Fellowship’s[3] Sam Ingrassia recently trained Christians in five cities to evangelize with the Evangecube. “They saw the effectiveness of evangelism and equipping individual workers to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So, what happened was they challenged us to raise a certain number of cubes, which was astounding to me. They asked for 30-thousand Evangecubes.” GMF’s Mike Jorgenen explains his role in this groundbreaking project. “They indicated that they had not yet been planting new churches, so they asked Global Missions Fellowship to train their best churches how to multiply themselves by planting new churches. Next year, we hope to be in about 12 different cities with them, training what they call ‘model churches’.” Full Story: http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/5215 [4]

50-years of missionary service is being celebrated in the Philippines. Philippines (MNN) — 50 years of ministry in the Philippines is what’s being celebrated by OC International’s[5] . President Greg Gripentrog says the celebration will commemorate more than that. He says OC was used as a means to start the DAWN movement, a nationwide effort to see 50-thousand churches established by the year two-thousand. “So, that would have meant 40,000 new churches. And, the thrilling thing is that by the end of the year 2,000 according to the official tally, there were 51,000 churches. We were thrilled to be part of that and we are going back to celebrate these great things God has done.” Gripentrog says the job isn’t done in the Philippines, especially on the Island of Mindanao. “There are still literally thousands of barrios there in the Philippines that still don’t have an evangelical church. And so, our team is involved actually now in a new thrust targeted on planting somewhere around 8,000 churches on the Island of Mindanao by the year 2010.” Full Story: http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/5218

funding is needed to help an organization reach out to orphans around the world. USA (MNN) — And, the response has been incredible, but now there’s another need. Buckner Orphan Care International[6] says they’ve been able to collect 220-thousand pairs of shoes during their ‘Shoes For Orphan Souls’ campaign. The goal was 150-thousand pairs. But, now the challenge is raising 100-thousand dollars to ship the shoes before winter to places like Russia and Romania. These new shoes give Buckner workers a platform to share the Gospel with children and orphanage workers. Pray that many will respond to this need. Full Story: http://mnn.gospelcom.net/article/5216

[1] http://www.gospelcom.net/media/group.php?agencyAb=IMB [2] http://www.gospelcom.net/media/group.php?agencyAb=SAT7 [3] http://www.gospelcom.net/media/group.php?agencyAb=GMF [4]

http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?f=/mnn/interviews/10-08-03globalmissionsfellowship.rm [5] http://www.gospelcom.net/media/group.php?agencyAb=OCI [6] http://www.gospelcom.net/media/group.php?agencyAb=BOC ———————————————————————

Mission Network News, a service of Cornerstone University of Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. http://www.MNNonline.org