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Today’s Headlines:

4 STUDENTS AT CHRISTIAN SCHOOL IN INDIA KIDNAPPED, KILLED 371 PASTORS MEET FOR TRAINING IN PHILIPPINES DESPITE TERRORIST THREAT CONFERENCE IN U.K. URGES CHRISTIANS TO SHOW LOVE TO PERSECUTORS 130 GATHER IN CYPRUS FOR CONSULTATION ON CHURCH, TELEVISION ONLINE CHURCH REACHES PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS IN CLOSED COUNTRIES FEAR, LACK OF FAITH HINDER MANY CHRISTIANS FROM WITNESSING

Today’s News Stories:

4 STUDENTS AT CHRISTIAN SCHOOL IN INDIA KIDNAPPED, KILLED Four students at a Christian school in India were kidnapped and killed Friday, Nov. 14, in an area that is wracked by ethnic violence. Two of the students were the teenage sons of a man named Rustam who heads Gospel for Asia’s English Medium School in the northeastern state of Assam. The four students killed by the Kuki tribal people. The murders were in retaliation against Karbi tribals who days before had kidnapped 28 Kukis and murdered eight. To avenge the murders of the children, the Karbis burned down many Kuki villages, killing a number of youths and men. Villagers are fleeing their homes in fear. “Rustam’s whole family is in great shock and pain,” wrote a GFA leader. “Pray that God may comfort them and grant them His grace to overcome this time of grief and pain and help them to be firm in their faith. Also pray for the others who have lost loved ones in the conflict.” Much blood has been shed in the last 10 years due to ethnic strife between these tribes, and authorities rarely intervene. (Gospel for Asia)

* HCJB World Radio-Australia’s new shortwave site Kununurra airs 6.5 hours of daily English programming across South Asia, including India. Two half-hour programs in Urdu, airing Monday through Saturday, went on the air in July, and plans are being made to launch Hindi programs. A radio training center for South Asia has been established in New Delhi. In partnership with FEBA Radio, HCJB World Radio also airs weekly Christian programs to eastern India via shortwave in three languages: Bhojpuri, Chattisgarhi and Mundari.

371 PASTORS MEET FOR TRAINING IN PHILIPPINES DESPITE TERRORIST THREAT In the Philippines where an Al-Qaida affiliate is training Indonesian extremists, believers are concerned that a four-month-old peace accord will end if they fulfill a strike threatened against Christians near Christmas. Against this backdrop, Global Advance’s David Shibley says his team recently met with church leaders to share a mission vision. “It was exciting because not too many pastors’ conferences are held in that area,” he said. “This [event was held] on the island of Mindanao where there’s been considerable terrorist activity, and yet we found a group of pastors who were very committed to continuing to advance the gospel.” Shibley describes the outcome of the conference as “encouraging” with 371 pastors and church leaders attending this Frontline Shepherd’s Conference. “More than 100 of them made committments to cross-cultural ministry and to be the firs fruits of Filipino missionaries who would go, not only to the rest of Asia, but to the ends of the earth.” (Mission Network News)

CONFERENCE IN U.K. URGES CHRISTIANS TO SHOW LOVE TO PERSECUTORS There were impassioned pleas for British Christians to use their freedom to speak out for the persecuted church at what is believed to be the world’s largest Christian human rights conference in London Saturday, Nov. 15. More than 1,000 people heard speakers from around the globe give moving, first-hand accounts of the growing hardship faced by up to 250 million Christians who are persecuted for their faith. The conference, using the theme “Grace Under Pressure,” was held jointly by two British human rights organizations, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Release International, with support from Premier Radio. The venue was Westminster Chapel. Delegates heard stories of faith under fire from Indonesia, India, Peru, Nigeria, North Korea, Iraq, Sudan and the Middle East. They also listened as speakers describe how Christians were striving to respond to violence with love and by praying for their persecutors. “The church is asleep,” warned CSW President Baroness Caroline Cox. “Militant Islam is rapidly gaining ground. Unless we wake up and take this seriously, there will be a backlash against all Muslims — including moderates.” Attendees heard repeated calls for Christians to reach out instead with a hand of love to their oppressors. (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)

130 GATHER IN CYPRUS FOR CONSULTATION ON CHURCH, TELEVISION Some 130 partners, associates, staff and supporters of SAT-7 television ministry met in Larnaca, Cyprus, Nov. 6-8, for “Network 2003,” a three-day event with the theme, “TV and the Church: Encounters with television in the Middle East.” The conference addressed some of the key issues concerning the impact of TV on contemporary Arab society and on the life, work and witness of the church. Bishop Moussa stressed the importance of SAT-7, pointing out that it can do what no church can do — enter millions of homes daily with a variety of speakers, presenting a Christian view on many different subjects. TV was also examined as a tool for social change, and its effectiveness in impacting attitudes, opinions and behavior was frankly discussed. Programming on the 24-hour-a-day digital channel will be expanded throughout 2004 and 2005. Farsi broadcasts will also be extended, including regular slots for children’s programming, and support provided to a sister organization developing Christian TV programming in and for Turkey. SAT-7’s mission is to provide the churches and Christians of the Middle East and North Africa an opportunity to witness to Jesus Christ through inspirational, informative and educational television services. (Assist News Service)

* HCJB World Radio reaches across North Africa, the Middle East and Europe with Christian Arabic programming aired via shortwave, satellite and local stations. The Radio Al Mahabba (Radio Love) Arabic satellite network airs programs direct-to-home 24 hours a day. This region has the world’s highest concentration of personal satellite dishes.

ONLINE CHURCH REACHES PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS IN CLOSED COUNTRIES The Hungary-based International Christian Internet Church (ICIC) operates a website aimed at reaching persecuted Christians worldwide with church services. Founder Rev. Lazlo Banfi, 42, who suffered for his faith under communism, said the ICIC’s new Internet address (http://www.churchmeeting.net) would make it easier for people “who can not or do not want to go to church” to find his ministry. The Internet is often the only way for persecuted Christians to participate in a church service, he said. Earlier this year a “33-year-old man from Iran wrote a short e-mail saying that their Christian church was closed six years ago,” said Banfi. “However, the six or eight believers in the group now gather in a private home to join the online worship service, listen to the preaching, read the daily Bible verse and to shortly pray together. This is the only way to practice their faith.” (Assist News Service)

FEAR, LACK OF FAITH HINDER MANY CHRISTIANS FROM WITNESSING A recent poll conducted via the website for Mission Network News (mnn.gospelcom.net) indicates that 43 percent of browsers aren’t sharing their faith on a regular basis. The question is, why? Jerry Wiles, author of The Faithful Witness and president of Living Water International, gives some insight. “The main barrier that most people have is fear and the preconceived idea about the way people might respond if they took the initiative,” he says. “When you see the biblical pattern in the early church the ordinary people, wherever they went, they [shared] the gospel. It wasn’t just the pastors and evangelists, it was the ordinary people.” Wiles says people who are actively reaching out “will discover that there’s more people in their hearts to talk about the Lord and, in fact, prepared to receive Christ into their lives.” Wiles says North American Christians have a lot of training and resources, but lack faith when it comes to witnessing. “The cutting edge is taking the gospel and inviting people to come to Him. Living Water International works to make clean, safe drinking water available to the needy abroad while sharing living water that can only be found in Christ.” (Mission Network News)

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * 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 * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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