Today’s Headlines:

22,000 ATTEND URBANA STUDENT MISSIONS CONFERENCE IN ST. LOUIS

CONTEST SEEKS INNOVATIVE METHODS OF SHARING THE GOSPEL

CONVOY OF HOPE HOSTS FIRSTHAND LOOK AT POVERTY IN KENYA

CHINESE POLICE RAID CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION IN INNER MONGOLIA

CHURCH BURNED, CAROLERS ARRESTED DURING CELEBRATIONS IN INDIA

Today’s Top Stories:

22,000 ATTEND URBANA STUDENT MISSIONS CONFERENCE IN ST. LOUIS

A record number of students attended Urbana 06, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s 21st student missions convention, in St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 27-31. Normally held every three years, there were 22,487 paid registrations for Urbana 06, topping the previous high of 20,700 at Urbana 2000. Actual attendance figures are still being tallied. Urbana 06 Director Jim Tebbe felt a difference in this year’s Urbana convention. “It seems that there was a different tenor to it than even 2003,” Tebbe said. “There’s a serious of purpose here that has surprised me.” The conference theme was, “You Have a Calling,” based on Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:1. Tebbe said the students reacted with “a whole new openness and responsiveness that hasn’t been there before.” InterVarsity/USA President Alec Hill attributed the increased number of attendees to the desire of the students of this generation who are driven by their faith in Christ to be as passionate for social justice as they are for proclaiming the gospel. “My generation separated justice and proclamation,” said Hill. “To this generation that’s a false dichotomy.” (InterVarsity Christian Fellowship)

CONTEST SEEKS INNOVATIVE METHODS OF SHARING THE GOSPEL

A contest seeking improved ways to spread the gospel message is seeking entrants to help everyone in developing improved soul saving methods. Management expert, professor and author Donald W. Mitchell said he is sponsoring the contest as a way to improve evangelistic efforts overall and help others save more souls. His experience in working as a management professor for Christian missionaries and pastors persuaded him that opportunities for greater effectiveness are available in spreading and inspiring belief in the gospel through avoiding wasteful duplication of support efforts, slightly shifting the focus of soul-saving efforts, and combining the most effective soul-saving methods in new ways. The contest winner will coauthor a book featuring the winning method with Mitchell. Runners-up will be featured in another book called, 101 Great Ways to Save More Souls. All royalties and profits from the book will be donated to a Christian charitable foundation, and the entries will be broadly shared to help evangelistic efforts everywhere. Entries are due by Easter. For more information visit http://www.livespirituallybetterthanabillionaire.blogspot.com. (Christian Newswire)

CONVOY OF HOPE HOSTS FIRSTHAND LOOK AT POVERTY IN KENYA

The Missouri-based ministry Convoy of Hope (COH) believes a firsthand look at poverty and hunger will change a person’s priorities. The organization distributed more than 18 million pounds of food worth more than $20 million to nearly 4 million people in 2006. And the organization would like to do even more this year. In an effort to raise support for efforts that combat poverty, the ministry is holding a walking tour of Kenya’s Mathare Valley set for May 24-31, called HopeWalk Africa. Reporter Hal Donaldson wrote about the region a few years ago, calling it “one of the most needy places in the world. About 250,000 people live in heart-wrenching poverty. There you see children picking food off garbage heaps and lapping water out of streams filled with sewage.” Participants will experience the needs and learn how they can make a lasting difference in the lives of poverty-stricken people. COH has launched a feeding program in the valley, but much more is needed to feed, clothe, educate, provide clean water and help fight the onslaught of AIDS. (Assist News Service)

* HCJB Global has worked with local partners to install eight radio outlets in seven cities of Kenya.

CHINESE POLICE RAID CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION IN INNER MONGOLIA

Local police in northern China’s Inner Mongolia province raided a house church Christmas celebration held in Duolun county. Three church leaders are being detained after about 30 policemen and staff from the local Religious Affairs Bureau arrived in five vehicles to attack the celebration on Friday, Dec. 29. They declared the event an “illegal gathering” and sentenced the leaders to 15 days’ administrative detention. Another church leader in Xinjiang province was rearrested on Saturday, Dec. 23, and then allowed bail following Christmas pending his trial. It is believed the arrest was designed to deter local Christians from holding Christmas celebrations. (China Aid Association)

CHURCH BURNED, CAROLERS ARRESTED DURING CELEBRATIONS IN INDIA

In India a thatched church decorated for Christmas was burned down on Saturday, Dec. 23, and carol singers were arrested on Christmas Eve while Christian services were disrupted in several Indian states. Hindu extremists burned down the decorated, thatched-roof church in Orissa state’s Koraput district.

On Christmas Eve Pastor James Ram and 10 other Christian missionaries were beaten and arrested after singing carols in the remote shanty town in Dhamtari in Chhattisgarh state.

The Times of India reported that the carolers and church members were accused of “bribing poor Hindus in a slum colony to convert to Christianity,” quoting Bharat Singh, superintendent of police in Dhamtari. “They were promising people economic help and jobs in exchange for conversion.” Ram was released by about 10:30 p.m. Dec. 24, and the other believers were released by 6:30 p.m. the following day.

Hindu extremists also prevented tribal Christians in Tilonda village in Maharashtra state’s Thane district from holding a joint Christmas Eve prayer service. More than 400 Christians had gathered for the event which was later canceled due to threats of violence from the large mob that shouted anti-Christian slogans and drove worshipers away from the building.

In a positive note, officials in Dangs, Gujarat, prevented an anti-Christian rally instigated after eight statues of local gods were desecrated by unknown attackers on Dec. 14. Hindu extremists blamed Christians for the sacrilege and announced plans to hold a rally in the area on Christmas Day. Local officials halted the rally because previous violence had erupted in the days leading up to previous Christmases. (Compass Direct/Religion Today)

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