16 November 2006 Daily Update from HCJB World Radio

Today’s Headlines:

CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN AIMS TO REACH 15,000 CHILDREN IN RUSSIA

MICAH NETWORK PARTNERS WITH WORLD EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE

EXTREMISTS ATTACK INDONESIAN LECTURER FOR BECOMING CHRISTIAN

Audio clips from the award-winning radio group GRF Christian Radio, produced to coincide with the release of the new James Bond film, “Casino Royale,” are available from HCJB World Radio-UK. The spots are ideal for playing in church services or classrooms or for broadcast, prompting listeners to think about the root causes of evil and suffering. Each clip is 40 seconds long and can be downloaded from Audiopot, the ministry’s online library of creative Christian audio, at http://www.audiopot.org.

Today’s Top Stories:

CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN AIMS TO REACH 15,000 CHILDREN IN RUSSIA

The Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) is again gearing up for its Immanuel’s Child Christmas outreach in an effort to present the gospel to 15,000 children in Russia and other nations in the Commonwealth of Independent States. SGA’s Joel Griffith says it’s a great outreach as “dedicated Christians from local Bible-preaching churches (across North America) deliver the gifts and establish credibility in the community. They develop one-on-one relationships with the children to make disciples. It also opens the door for follow-up ministry that takes place throughout the year. It’s just really a neat church partnership.” He added that the outreach opens doors to share Christ with needy families. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to have not only churches here have a ministry overseas across the lands of Russia,” Griffith explained. “It’s also a chance to help the churches there have an open door to reach their communities and children in their communities.” Last year’s program reached about 11,000 children. (Mission Network News)

A suspected Muslim militant admitted Wednesday, Nov. 15, that he was involved in the beheadings of three Christian schoolgirls in Indonesia last year and asked forgiveness from their families. Hasanuddin, 34, told a Jakarta court he had helped plan the attack, but rejected claims that he was the mastermind. He said he wanted to avenge the killing of scores of Muslims at a boarding school in 2000 during the peak of Muslim-Christian violence in the Poso region of eastern Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province. He and two other suspects are tried under Indonesia’s anti-terror laws and could face death by firing squad if found guilty. The three schoolgirls, Theresia Morangke, 15, Alfita Poliwo, 17, and Yarni Sambue, 15, were killed as they walked to the private Christian school near their home in the town of Poso. One of their heads was discovered outside a church. A fourth girl, 15-year-old Noviana Malewa, received serious injuries to her face and neck but managed to escape and report what had happened. (BosNewsLife)

MICAH NETWORK PARTNERS WITH WORLD EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE

The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) announced that the Micah Network as its newest Global Partner, formalizing the strong relationship that began two years ago with the joint launch of the Micah Challenge initiative. “It’s our hope this new partnership will facilitate greater coordination and integration of relief and development work in our network of 3 million churches around the world,” said Geoff Tunnicliffe, international director for the WEA. Steve Bradbury, chair of the Micah Network, added that the partnership will benefit both organizations. “It’s my heartfelt prayer that God will bless the Micah Network/WEA relationship and use it to enhance our capacities to serve Him,” he said. Micah Network is a group of nearly 300 Christian relief, development and justice organizations that work together to meet the needs of the poor and oppressed, proclaim the mission of the church and advocate biblical values to leaders and decision makers around the world. (Evangelical News/World Evangelical Alliance)

EXTREMISTS ATTACK INDONESIAN LECTURER FOR BECOMING CHRISTIAN

Muslim extremists in West Java, Indonesia, attempted to murder a lecturer in mid-October for converting to Christianity from Islam three years ago. The theology lecturer, whose name was withheld for security reasons, has taken shelter in another province to escape further threats to his life. Sources said that a man claiming to be a Christian called the lecturer. saying he wanted to study Islam in order to better relate to his Muslim acquaintances. After meeting with the caller and his friends several times, they asked him to travel with them to Lembang, a small community on the outskirts of Bandung. En route they slipped a rope over the lecturer’s neck and attempted to strangle him. They hit him several times over the head with a hammer, but he managed to jump out of the car and roll downhill. Police arrested one of the men responsible for the attack, but the others escaped. (Compass Direct News)

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