Today’s Headlines:

CHINA CHRISTIAN COUNCIL ISSUES APPEAL FOR DAMAGED CHURCHES

NEW ARAB CONVERTS TAKE EPIC CAMEL TREK TO SHARE THE GOSPEL

JESUS CHRIST TELEVISION BROADCASTS GOSPEL FROM PAKISTAN

STUDY: 48 PERCENT OF AUSTRALIA’S YOUNG ADULTS BELIEVE IN GOD

HOPEGIVERS’ ‘ALL INDIA GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER’ BEGINS TONIGHT

Today’s Top Stories:

CHINA CHRISTIAN COUNCIL ISSUES APPEAL FOR DAMAGED CHURCHES

The Social Service Department of the China Christian Council (CCC) has sent out an urgent appeal for assistance in rebuilding churches that were damaged during the intense typhoon that hit the Chinese costal provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian on August 10. More than 43 Protestant churches have been either destroyed or heavily damaged. Churches in those areas reported 37 deaths and 15 wounded among the Christian population. The typhoon, called Saomai, was the most intense typhoon to hit China in 50 years, causing great economic losses to the cities of Cangnan and Funding and the surrounding areas. More than 8,000 Christian brothers and sisters are homeless due to the disaster. The CCC’s appeal quotes Galatians 6:10, which says, “So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially those of the family of faith.” The announcement said, “We appeal to brothers and sisters home and abroad for your kindness and loving hearts to pray for them and provide offerings to help them endure through this difficult time.” (Amity News Service)

NEW ARAB CONVERTS TAKE EPIC CAMEL TREK TO SHARE THE GOSPEL

Recently, converted Arab Christians in northern Africa undertook a grueling, three-month camel journey across the Sahara desert to share the gospel with a hostile group of nomads. The group was unable to contact their families, were once beaten by metal rods, kidnapped, and one man was stabbed. Nonetheless, they returned with intentions to repeat the trip again next year. Southern Baptist missionaries introduced the Arabs to Christ six years ago when there were fewer than 10 Christians in the Muslim group of 1.5 million. Now there are nine worship groups who attentively listen to teachings on church planting and evangelism. The Arab believers felt led to share the gospel with a non-Arab tribe that was notoriously fierce and unfriendly to outsiders. Even the women of the group were said to carry knives and guns. The worship groups contributed eight camels, horses, tea, grain and cooking oil to the effort. They gathered stacks of Gospel cassettes and “JESUS” videos dubbed into the recently translated language of the nomadic people. Team members memorized key Bible stories to tell and compiled calendars with prayer requests for each day of their anticipated 90-day desert trek. The group found open hearts in at least ten nomadic camps. “The trip was very difficult, as we expected it would be,” the missionary said. “But they testify that God cared for them along the way and that their faith has grown.” (Baptist Press)

JESUS CHRIST TELEVISION BROADCASTS GOSPEL FROM PAKISTAN

Pakistan now has its own Christian television channel called Jesus Christ Television (JCTV). Started in 2002, JCTV is based in Lahore, Pakistan and run by second-generation Christian Pastor Javed Rauf, 31. Rauf said, “God gave me a vision to preach the Gospel through another way — by using mass media. So it is my privilege that I am involved in the television media.” The station broadcasts programming 24 hours per day, mostly in the Urdu language with some items in English translated into Urdu. “We have lots of testimonies,” shares Rauf. “Even when we just pass through the streets, people stop me there and say that they are Muslim and they have bought a television so they can watch JCTV. I believe that it is God who brought JCTV to Pakistan and there’ll be a great change with the passage of time.” Pakistan is the world’s sixth most populous country and the second most populous Muslim country. (Assist News Service)

STUDY: 48 PERCENT OF AUSTRALIA’S YOUNG ADULTS BELIEVE IN GOD

A three-year study on youth spirituality in Australia found that only 48 percent of Generation Y believe in God. Generation Y, defined as individuals born between 1976 and 1990, was found to rely on family and friends as the sources of their beliefs, values and social support. Fewer than half of the group identifies with any traditional religion. The study’s co-author, Dr. Andrew Singleton says, “It’s well-known that there has been a turn away from church attendance and participation in young people, but we thought there was going to be a move towards alternative spiritualities.” Instead, the majority of Australia’s Generation Y seems to be content to have no spiritual belief at all. The study, known as the Spirit of Generation Y Project (2003-2006) was conducted by Monash University, the Australian Catholic University and the Christian Research Association. (Religion Today)

HOPEGIVERS’ ‘ALL INDIA GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER’ BEGINS TONIGHT

Hopegivers International is hosting the “All India Global Day of Prayer” tonight and tomorrow, Friday and Saturday October 13 and 14. Bill Bray, with Hopegivers International, says Christians worldwide will be joining their institutions, schools, hospitals, orphanages and their 20,000 churches to pray. Bray says they will “intercede for the crisis situation in India and the persecution that’s going on there in these last months.” The event will continue around the clock as local groups worldwide join in prayer. Bray says, “All over the nation there’s almost daily report of this increased wave and pressure on the believers.” Despite the persecution, Bray says Christians are continuing their evangelistic work. “They’re cautious; they’re careful. They’re not doing public evangelism like they used to — street meetings and tract distribution — but they’re doing a lot more quiet witnessing one-on-one and continuing all the activities.” (Mission Network News)