Today’s Headlines:

MISSIONARY PILOTS CREDIT PRAYER FOR CLEARING INDONESIA’S SKIES

‘HIP-HOP SERVICES’ USED TO REACH NEW YORK’S YOUNG PEOPLE

CHURCHES CALL FOR ‘SAFE HAVEN’ FOR PERSECUTED IRAQI CHRISTIANS

BILLY GRAHAM KEEPS ACTIVE AMID CHALLENGES OF ADVANCING AGE

GOSPEL FOR ASIA ADDS RADIO BROADCASTS IN 11 NEW LANGUAGES

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Today’s Top Stories:

MISSIONARY PILOTS CREDIT PRAYER FOR CLEARING INDONESIA’S SKIES

Dense smoke from agricultural burning in Indonesia has been making it difficult for pilots with New Tribes Missions to reach missionary teams working in remote locations. Indonesian people use fire to clear land for planting during this time of year. Without rain in the forecast, which can clear the air, the missionaries began praying. The missionaries considered their prayers answered when they heard from Christina Buettner, whose husband is a pilot in Indonesia. “The smoke just lifted . . . without any rain,” she said. “The airports opened up again, and one of our missionaries was able to fly out from interior after waiting to come out a long time.” However, the answered prayers didn’t stop. Locals were saying it would take a week of rain to clear the smoke because it was extremely dense this year. But Buettner said, “A few days later the rains came, and it has been raining pretty hard every night. We actually started to see cloud formations and some bits of blue sky. We are so grateful for this wonderful mercy and intervention of God.” (Mission Network News)

‘HIP-HOP SERVICES’ USED TO REACH NEW YORK’S YOUNG PEOPLE

New York Episcopal priest Rev. Timothy Holder has gotten the attention of some teens and young adults by using an innovative “hip-hop” worship style. Two years ago, Holder, who goes by the rap name “Poppa T,” created the HipHopEMass after an armed hostage situation at the church made him focus on the neighborhood’s younger generation. Now using rap music and the hip-hop vernacular, he has attracted some 12,000 people to about 75 “hip-hop services” nationwide in the past two years. The popularity of the outreach has led to the production of a CD album, hip-hop prayer books, Bible stories and Psalms — all in hip-hop language. “Don’t get me wrong,” said Holder. “We are not replacing or substituting the Bible. We are bringing the story of the Bible to a younger generation and making it immediate and upfront. Hip-hop really is a culture. It’s about social change and justice. We’re here to promote the love and strength you find in hip-hop — not the hate, misogyny and crime.” (Worldwide Religious News)

CHURCH CALLS FOR ‘SAFE HAVEN’ FOR PERSECUTED IRAQI CHRISTIANS

The church is calling for action to provide a “safe haven” for Iraqi Christians who are increasingly the targets of soaring violence. The American Catholic bishops have asked U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to grant asylum to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Christians who have fled their homes to escape persecution. John Pontifex of the British branch of Aid to the Church in Need, a charity set up to help persecuted Christians, said he was aware of reports of the crucifixion of a Christian boy in Basra in October, but did not have details. He said he also agreed with the U.S. bishops’ assessment of the situation in Iraq. “What we are now witnessing in Iraq is a vicious attempt to wipe Christianity from the face of a country,” he said. “Beheadings, killings, arrests and torture — it’s the stuff of nightmares, an era every bit as cruel as the persecution of Christians in Roman times.” (Religion Today)

BILLY GRAHAM KEEPS ACTIVE AMID CHALLENGES OF ADVANCING AGE

As U.S. citizens went to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 7, evangelist Billy Graham and his family celebrated his 88th birthday. A news release from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) said, “Although Mr. Graham has not held any crusades in the past year, he has participated in a number of important ministry events, including speaking at his son Franklin’s festivals in New Orleans and Baltimore. In addition, he completed his latest book, The Journey, to help individuals grow in their Christian faith.” Graham said this has been a “difficult year” as he and Ruth face the challenges of advancing age. “Yet, we still look forward with hope, as we know that every day brings us closer to a reunion with our loved ones and a face-to-face meeting with our Savior,” he said. The Grahams spend most of their days quietly at home, enjoying each others’ company in special times of Bible study and fellowship. (Assist News Service)

GOSPEL FOR ASIA ADDS RADIO BROADCASTS IN 11 NEW LANGUAGES

Christian broadcasts are available to an additional 6 million people as Gospel for Asia (GFA) recently added 11 new languages to its radio broadcasts. “We are now sharing the gospel via broadcasts in 103 languages in 10 countries,” said GFA President K.P. Yohannan. “Radio is a powerful tool because it can reach into huts in a remote village as easily as it can reach businessmen working in a city skyscraper.” The new languages (spoken in India, Nepal, Tibet and China) are Gurung, Khandesi, Ladakhi, Bantawa, Lungeli Magar, Rongmei, Netakani, Reang, Rengma, Vadari and Varli. “We were praying for native speakers of these languages, and God has graciously answered our prayers,” said Yohannan. “All of the GFA missionaries producing the new programs are native speakers and are excited about the opportunity to use the radio to share the gospel with their own people who have never heard it.” Missionaries are reaching isolated villages and discovering churches that have already been planted because of previous radio broadcasts. (Gospel for Asia)

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