Today’s Headlines:

POLICE BEAT CHRISTIANS AFTER ‘RESCUING’ THEM FROM HINDU MOB

CHURCH IN IRAQ HELPS REBUILD PARISH IN NEW ORLEANS

MUSLIM COUNTRY AGREES TO ALLOW BIBLE TEACHING IN SCHOOLS

RURAL PEOPLE GROUP IN VENEZUELA CATCHES VISION FOR MISSIONS

FIRST NATIONS CONFERENCE TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES FACING CHURCHES

Today’s Top Stories:

POLICE BEAT CHRISTIANS AFTER ‘RESCUING’ THEM FROM HINDU MOB

Religious tensions in Punjab state increased last week as police who had taken several Christians into custody, presumably to protect them from Hindu extremists, instead beat them in jail. At least 40 Christians were praying at a home in Maloud the night of Sunday, Sept. 25, when a mob, including members of the Hindu extremist group Bajrang Dal, stormed the house. The mob threatened the Christians and beat some of them. The believers called the police, and four of them — Gurdev Singh, Balkaran Singh, Jaswant Singh and Amar Singh, a pastor — were taken into custody as the mob had grown increasingly violent. At the police station, however, Hukum Chand Sharma, assistant sub-inspector of the Maloud police station, repeatedly struck the Christians, gravely injuring Gurdev Singh and Amar Singh. Later he also beat 60-year-old Pastor Sukhdev Singh who was later hospitalized with serious injuries. (Compass)

* Radio programs in 12 languages (English, Urdu, Hindi, Nepali, Chattisgarhi, Bangla, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telegu, Marwari, Marathi and Santhali) air to India from HCJB World Radio-Australia’s shortwave station in Kununurra. The programs are produced at the ministry’s studios in New Delhi, India.

CHURCH IN IRAQ HELPS REBUILD PARISH IN NEW ORLEANS

A 300-member church in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan governance is providing aid to Hurricane Katrina victims in the U.S. The church is collecting money to help the Adullam Christian Fellowship Church in St. Bernard’s Parish, an area that was hit hardest by the flooding. “We saw the pictures of the devastation on television,” said Rev. Hazem, pastor of the two-year old Kurdzman Church in Iraq. “We were motivated to help the people of New Orleans rebuild so we called our friends at World Compassion to see how to get money to Louisiana.” World Compassion has been working in Iraq since U.S. forces entered Iraq. Randy Millett, pastor of the 350-member Adullam Christian Fellowship, said he was surprised that an Iraqi church would help. “We’ve been destroyed; but, we will rebuild,” he said. “And we’re grateful for our friends around the world — including those in Iraq — who are standing with us during this difficult time.” (Assist News Service)

MUSLIM COUNTRY AGREES TO ALLOW BIBLE TEACHING IN SCHOOLS

The tsunami in Southeast Asia last December created a swath of destruction that devastated 11 countries in the region. In this area of the world where Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam are common, Christians are sometimes persecuted for their faith. One country in the tsunami zone is notorious for attacks on Christians, but Bob Bland of Teen Missions International just returned from the area with good news. He said the government of an unnamed Muslim nation in the region has agreed to allow students from the area Bible school to teach the Bible in public schools. Bland calls this an “incredible opportunity” as students are already taking advantage, but he’s still concerned. “It isn’t without threats,” he said. “But God has opened the doors, and surely we must go in.” (Mission Network News)

RURAL PEOPLE GROUP IN VENEZUELA CATCHES VISION FOR MISSIONS

The missions movement has taken off with the Maco tribe in Venezuela. Greg Sanford of New Tribes Mission says when this group responded to the gospel, they wanted to share the good news with others. “A number of believers along with some of our missionaries have been able to go to another Maco village quite a [distance] away and have been teaching and preaching there. Just recently, we got word that over 100 folks in the second location put their trust in Christ after finally understanding and grasping the gospel.” This group was recently baptized. Sanford says the team is now working to make sure the new church body has tools for growth and is pushing forward in the translation process to give the church the New Testament in their language. (Mission Network News)

* HCJB World Radio worked with local partners to establish a Christian station in La Morita, Venezuela, in 2000. Partner stations in two additional Venezuelan cities are also affiliated with ALAS, the ministry’s Latin American satellite radio network with 89 outlets in 17 countries.

FIRST NATIONS CONFERENCE TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES FACING CHURCHES

The Many Nations, One Voice conference is coming to Immanuel’s Church in Silver Springs, Md., Oct. 6-9, with the theme, “Equipping Today’s Church to Meet Tomorrow’s Challenges.” Author Brian McLarne will speak on what happens when Christians begin emerging from unrecognized colonial mindsets. “When they emerge, they find a natural convergence occurring across race and culture, politics and denominations. That convergence requires us to rethink the way we tell the story of our past. It invites us to imagine a new kind of story for the future, and it gives us a rich new perspective on the good news of Jesus Christ.” Richard Twiss, president of Wiconi International, says First Nations thinkers bring a fresh and insightful component to add to the conversation around the emerging church. “They bring a biblical view from outside the confines of Western culture that allows others to see more of the kingdom than they do. This is a picture of ‘body life’ that Paul the apostle said would build itself up in love. Every part is necessary and needed.” (Assist News Service)