A ministry of HCJB World Radio

Today’s Headlines:

ERITREAN AUTHORITIES CONFISCATE FULL GOSPEL CHURCH IN CAPITAL MINISTRY TO AID 1,500 FAMILIES LEFT HOMELESS BY FIRE IN MANILA SLUM CHINESE HOUSE-CHURCH CHRISTIAN RELEASED AFTER BELIEVERS PROTEST INNOVATIVE YOUTH MINISTRY FOUNDER DIES IN CAR ACCIDENT DESPITE SECURITY RISKS, MISSIONARY SCHOOL IN NIGERIA EXPANDS WITNESS COOPERATION PROMOTES SPIRITUAL GROWTH IN MYANMAR

Today’s News Stories:

ERITREAN AUTHORITIES CONFISCATE FULL GOSPEL CHURCH IN CAPITAL Government authorities in the Eritrean capital of Asmara confiscated and sealed the complex of the Full Gospel Church during the past two weeks, ordering the church staff and members to evacuate the building permanently on Oct. 15. Located in the Gaza Banda district of Asmara, the large complex had served as the Full Gospel Church’s main headquarters and meeting place for the past 11 years. Meanwhile, all but six of the 62 young people who were arrested and locked into metal containers last August for having Bibles in their possession at the Sawa summer military camp, have been released. Also released were 12 young evangelicals from Asmara’s Dubre Bethel Church who were arrested during a house prayer meeting on Sept. 7 and refused to sign a denial of their faith. Including other arrests in recent months, a total of 230 evangelical Christians are known to be jailed for their faith in Eritrea. (Compass)

MINISTRY TO AID 1,500 FAMILIES LEFT HOMELESS BY FIRE IN MANILA SLUM On Monday, Oct. 20, a fire broke out in a huge slum area of Pasay City outside of Manila that took nearly eight hours to contain. The blaze apparently started when a husband threw a gas lamp at his wife. With congestion making it nearly impossible for fire equipment to reach the fire, the flames spread rapidly, destroying more than 1,500 shanties and a bus terminal. In response to the fire, staff members from ACTION Philippines visited the area to see what help was needed. “What we saw was unbelievable,” said ministry spokesman Jeff Anderson. “The entire area was burned to the ground with people scattered across the streets, sidewalks and the nearest overpass. There were long lines of people waiting for hours in the hot sun for assistance from the city government. We saw people trying to clean the area where their dwellings used to be, with shocked expressions on their faces. It’s a miracle there are no reported fatalities.” The local mayor asked the ministry for assistance in the relief efforts. Despite the devastation, Pasay Baptist Church was spared. “The fire surrounded the front of the compound, but there was no damage,” Anderson said. “The church has now become a temporary relocation and relief center for several families.” ACTION plans to work with partners Speed the Light and Pasay Baptist Church to provide basic relief goods such as food (milk, sugar, cooking oil, rice, canned food), cooking pots and utensils, blankets, sleeping mats and building supplies. (ACTION Philippines)

CHINESE HOUSE-CHURCH CHRISTIAN RELEASED AFTER BELIEVERS PROTEST Xiao Bi-guang, an advocate for house-church Christians in China, has been released from prison and has returned to his home in Beijing. His wife, Gou Qinghui, reported that he was not beaten or physically abused during his incarceration. Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) attributes his soon release to the publicity the case has received as well as the prayers and protests of Christians around the world. At one point police asked him, “How did you get your story on the Internet?” Police reportedly couldn’t find a link to prove that Bi-guang was involved in activities that “subverted the Chinese government and socialist system,” a charge that could carry long prison terms and even a death sentence. He was arrested on Sept. 26. VOM spokesman Todd Nettleton said the case is “proof positive that Christians around the world can make a difference with their prayers and telephone calls and letters to the Chinese embassy.” (Voice of the Martyrs/Assist News Service)

INNOVATIVE YOUTH MINISTRY FOUNDER DIES IN CAR ACCIDENT Mike Yaconelli, owner and co-founder of Youth Specialties, in El Cajon, Calif., died early Thursday, Oct. 30, after being involved in a car accident the previous evening. He was 61. In addition to starting the organization dedicated to equipping and training youth workers through events and resources, Yaconelli was the founder and general editor of The Door (formerly The Wittenberg Door) and the author of numerous books, including Dangerous Wonder and Messy Spirituality. He was also a contributing columnist to the Youthworker journal. “Mike lived a life of wonder and amazement at God’s grace,” said Tic Long, president of events at Youth Specialties. “He never claimed to be perfect; he just lived as he was — a man after God’s own heart.” Perhaps his greatest contribution was his ability to “encourage and inspire youth workers for almost 30 years at the National Youth Workers Convention.” Youth Specialties has worked alongside Christian youth workers from nearly every denomination and youth-serving organization for 34 years. Each year the ministry serves more than 100,000 youth workers worldwide via training seminars, conventions, resources and the Internet. Yaconelli leaves behind his wife, Carla, five children and four grandchildren. (Youth Specialties)

DESPITE SECURITY RISKS, MISSIONARY SCHOOL IN NIGERIA EXPANDS WITNESS The spread of rigid forms of Islam is creating division, chaos and religious violence in both East and West Africa. Nigeria is a case in point. The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is in the process of rebuilding its missionary school following arson attacks last year, said spokesman Dan Egeler. “The school was targeted by Islamic fundamentalists, and the dormitory for the boys was burned down, twice. They were singled out because they were the children of missionaries who were going in and expressing the gospel message to Muslim people.” Egeler says the school opens many opportunities to share Christ in the community. “The predominant part of that community is Muslim. But the high-quality education has moral fiber. They don’t truly understand the Christian philosophy of education, but they’re attracted to that, and enrolled their children. As a result, the Muslim kids are hearing the gospel message in the context of the school day.” Funding is still needed to repair the damage from the fires. On his recent trip to Nigeria, Egeler handed the school’s administrator $1,000 in cash to replace the dormitory’s metal roof. (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio, together with partners In Touch Ministries, SIM and the Evangelical Church of West Africa, began airing weekly half-hour programs in the Igbo language in 2000. In 2003, weekly broadcasts were added in two additional languages: Yoruba and Hausa.

COOPERATION PROMOTES SPIRITUAL GROWTH IN MYANMAR “Our political situation is discouraging. Economically we are at the bottom. Yet transcending this gloom is a spiritual awakening,” said Ronnie Tin Maung Tun, leader of Witnessing for Christ in Myanmar (Burma) and the Evangelical Christian Fellowship of Myanmar. Tun was speaking at Christian Aid Mission’s Gateways Conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario, last week. He said the chief sign of awakening is the new openness among Christian leaders. In the heyday of foreign missions, denominations carved the country into sections and would be responsible for evangelizing a certain section while avoiding work in a neighboring section. Emphasis was on growing one’s own work rather than on cooperative ventures. Today a new generation of leaders is making friends across denominational and geographical lines. Their evangelical zeal is prompting them to do things together. They are more interested in networking than in maintaining their independent works. Recently they conducted a five-day training seminar for workers. They subsidized the workers’ transportation, fed them, trained them, and sent them back home. Tun said that 42 organizations and churches are cooperating together in the country. “It’s a new day in Myanmar,” he said. (Missions Insider)

FREE WORLD WALL MAP: Full-color, 22-inch by 34-inch world wall map. To order, e-mail your name and mailing address to .

* * * * * * * * * * * * * James A. Ferrier HCJB World Radio U.S. Ministries Communications Director E-mail: Phone: 1-719-590-9800 Fax: 1-719-590-9801 Web: http://www.hcjb.org http://www.beyondthecall.org * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Editor’s Note. Feel free to forward this to any interested friends. Our lists are distributed for information purposes and to encourage prayer. HCJB World Radio does not necessarily endorse or support the activities on which it reports. _______________________________________________ HCJBDaily mailing list

with subscribe in the subject line.

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