Today’s Headlines:

CHINESE AUTHORITIES STEP UP PRESSURE ON CHURCH WORKERS

FOOD CRISIS IN ZAMBIA AFFECTS MINISTRY’S AIDS ORPHAN PROGRAM

TEAM HEADING TO BELARUS ON 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHERNOBYL DISASTER

EUROPEAN CHRISTIANS GEAR UP FOR MAJOR EVANGELISTIC OUTREACH

ILLINOIS CHURCH USES INNOVATIVE METHODS TO KEEP MEN ATTENDING

Today’s Top Stories:

CHINESE AUTHORITIES STEP UP PRESSURE ON CHURCH WORKERS

The Chinese government’s opposition to what they consider “illegal evil cults” took a different turn Monday, March 6, when an officially registered church was raided for allegedly providing “illegal evil cult” training.

An eyewitness told China Aid sources that Public Security Bureau (PSB)

officers raided a registered Three-Self Patriotic Church in the village of Qiaozhuang in Henan province while 50 Christians were receiving Bible training from Pastor Liu Tuanjie from Shangshui county. According to Chinese regulations, even within government churches, church leaders can only minister in their designated areas.

Liu and two other church leaders were taken into custody. One was released after her family paid a fine. As of Friday, March 10, Liu and Li remained in custody.

China Aid also reported that a prominent Chinese musician, Su Wenxing, was recently placed under house arrest. Su is regarded as one of the top conductors in the country. In April 2004 authorities abruptly canceled a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” by the China National Orchestra conducted by Su. He was reportedly told by guards at his door that he could face arrest if he continues his “provocative (evangelistic) activities” through music.

In a separate incident on Monday, March 6, PSB officers removed two house church leaders, Ruan Yonggui and Liu Fukao, from their homes in Baihe county in Shanxi province. They belong to a well-known house church group called China Gospel Fellowship. (Voice of the Martyrs)

FOOD CRISIS IN ZAMBIA AFFECTS MINISTRY’S AIDS ORPHAN PROGRAM

An extreme shortage of corn meal in Zambia has Teen Missions International on alert. Reports say the shortage is widespread because of poor crop yields in previous harvests, forcing many to eat leaves and other low-nutrition foods to stay alive. The crisis has hit Teen Missions’ AIDS orphan program as well, says Bob Bland. In one village where no one has eaten for days because of the food shortage, three babies in an orphanage died of starvation. Teen Missions is raising money to ship in 10 units of corn meal. Bland says this type of ministry earns the respect of the people, opening opportunities for evangelism. “The people are very open to you because you’re the ones that helped them,” he said. (Mission Network News)

TEAM HEADING TO BELARUS ON 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHERNOBYL DISASTER

Twenty years ago a toxic nuclear cloud was released from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, but people in the region are still suffering. Tim Burns of Global Aid Network USA said a team is heading to the region on Friday, March 31. Although Chernobyl’s nuclear reactor was actually in Ukraine, 60 to 70 percent of the 190,000 tons of toxic waste fell on southern Belarus. “So Belarus really took the majority of the hit,” he said. The 30-member team will partner with local churches and visit orphanages, hospitals, schools and welfare centers “where the hurting people are.” Team members will distribute basic medical supplies, vitamins, school supplies, toys and Christian literature in an effort to show people the hope found only in Christ. The team will work through local churches, encouraging pastors and making it easier for them to minister in orphanages and hospitals. (Mission Network News)

EUROPEAN CHRISTIANS GEAR UP FOR MAJOR EVANGELISTIC OUTREACH

Christians in Europe are getting ready for one of the biggest evangelistic outreach programs on the continent. ProChrist will be aired daily from Munich via satellite to 1,250 venues in 21 European countries March 19-26. The main speaker is Rev. Ulrich Parzany of Kassel, Germany. Parzany, former general secretary of the German YMCA, explained that while the cultural program will be more diverse this year, the spiritual message remains the same. ProChrist has 56 venues in Hungary, 55 in Slovakia, 49 in the Czech Republic, 45 in Poland and 31 in Croatia. Churches in Slovenia, Portugal and the Netherlands are participating for the first time, and a total of 3,000 local churches are involved in the program. Preparations for ProChrist started almost a year ago in Germany when 70 two-seater “Smart” cars displaying the ProChrist logo were sent out as “the smallest church on earth.” Each car was equipped with a Bible, a cross and a CD with hymns. The vehicles were driven by Christian volunteers and traveled across Germany as drivers offered transport and talked to passengers. More than 60,000 conversations about the Christian faith were registered. ProChrist started in 1993 in Essen, Germany, with Billy Graham as the main speaker. (Assist News Service)

ILLINOIS CHURCH USES INNOVATIVE METHODS TO KEEP MEN ATTENDING

Statistically more men are unchurched than women, and a Family News in Focus story suggests that the discrepancy is growing due to many churches gearing their culture and messages towards women. One church in Peoria, Ill., called The Grove is trying to find ways to attract men to their church by using the term “head coach” rather than pastor. The church challenges men to raise the bar on their marriages, their work life and their relationship with God. David Murrow, author of Why Men Hate Going to Church, said, “There’s a reputation among men that church is something for women, weirdoes and wimps. It’s not something a real manly man would do. You walk into the typical church of 100 or 150 people, and you’re going to find soft cushiony pews, fresh flowers on the altar, a lace doily on the communion table, quilted banners on the walls.” But it’s more than the ambiance that has men staying home. “Guys are all about mission, they’re about adventure, they’re about challenge, and the more you can turn the church culture toward those things, the more you’re going to interest the guys.” The Grove is finding that women will come along to a place where the men feel comfortable, too. (Religion Today)