AUSTRALIAN PRAYER NETWORK NEWSLETTER

* NATIONAL CHURCH ADOPT A SCHOOL INITIATIVE AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS

* ISLAM CHANGING THE FACE OF BRITAIN’S STATE SCHOOLS

* ALMOST 100,000 CHILDREN DISPLACED BY CYCLONE AND FLOODS IN MOZAMBIQUE

* BURMA’S CHRISTANS FACE DISCRIMINATION, RAPE, FORCED LABOUR AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

* YOUTH ACTIVITY DAYS A FRONT TO RECRUIT MUSLIMS

* MISSIONARIES PRAISE GOD IN MYANMAR PRISON

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NATIONAL CHURCH ADOPT A SCHOOL INITIATIVE AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS

In this era when liberal legal groups are endlessly suing to keep the church out of public schools, principals in Texas are begging for churches to adopt their schools for the sake of the students. It reportedly began 18 years ago, when the principal of a Dallas high school contacted Dr. Tony Evans, senior pastor at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, and asked for help. The school was riddled with gang activity, truancy, delinquency and poor academic performance. Oak Cliff agreed to adopt the school. “We began to provide mentoring, tutoring and family support services for those students,” Evans said. “Grades went up, delinquency went down and stability entered the school.”

The principal of that school was later promoted to head of the district and wanted to see all 18 high schools achieve the same success. “Eighteen schools then became 64 schools, because one principal talked to another principal, and they all wanted us to adopt their schools,” Evans said. “And we had the same results.” As interest grew, it became clear a structured program was needed. Thus was born the National Church Adopt-a-School Initiative. “What we did was develop a manual to show other churches how they could adopt a school in their community and turn it around and use it to impact the whole community,” Evans said. “Because when a church adopts a school, and the school has kids, and the kids have parents – that’s church, school and family – that’s the hub of a community. We’re trying to get schools adopted all over America by churches who’ll provide mentoring, tutoring and family support services.” Evans is quoted as saying “We had a young man that stole $1,500 from his employer. He got caught and they sentenced him to three years in jail. That would have been $20,000 per year – $60,000 to house him for a $1,500 crime. And the person he stole from wouldn’t get paid back with the young man in jail. We went before the judge and said, ‘Your honour, why don’t you give the kid back to us – to our program? What we will do is we will put a mentor over him. We will hold him accountable. We will get him a part-time job to pay back the guy he stole from. We will give him a male influence in his life – and we’ll bring you a brand-new kid in six months.’ We did that, took back a brand-new kid in six months. The judge said, ‘Will you take 20 more?’

Evans said even a small church can have a big impact. “Work with the parents on job training, job placement, literacy, GED, preventive health, parenting classes,” he said. “The list goes on and on and on. We have a whole menu. So, a church can start where it is able and expand from there or link with another church – particularly of a different race or a different culture – to team up together on the school.”

Source: Focus on the Family

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ISLAM CHANGING THE FACE OF BRITAIN’S STATE SCHOOLS

Professor Tim Brighouse, chief adviser for London Schools, has launched a guide to make government schools more sensitive to their Muslim students. Drawn up by the Muslim Council of Britain (MBC), it suggests a cultural transformation of schools with significant numbers of Muslims students. That’s actually quite a few schools, given that the Muslim population in a number of cities in England is now around 15% of the population.

What is clear from the Muslim Council’s suggestions is that these big minorities are not keen on assimilating, but in perpetuating an imported culture, with the help of state schools. These are some of the MCB’s demands:

* Muslim girls who choose to wear the headscarf during all school lessons and activities are permitted to do so, including during physical education. * School respects the decision of Muslim boys to grow a beard. * School takes account of Ramadan when planning internal examinations and tries to avoid scheduling them during the month of Ramadan. * School avoids holding parents’ meetings and other school social events in the evening during the month of Ramadan. * The school recognises and celebrates the two Eids and other Islamic festivals in collective worship or assembly themes. * School makes provision to allow boys and girls to swim in single gender classes and ensures that teachers and attendants are of the same gender as the pupils. * Schools with very high Muslim pupil populations should offer daily Islamic collective worship for their Muslim pupils’ spiritual and moral development. The MCB’s report says Muslim pupils’ faith and cultural heritage should be affirmed and developed positively within schools to contribute to promote the value and importance of education and to overcoming barriers to learning and achievement.

Source: Intercessors Network

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ALMOST 100,000 CHILDREN DISPLACED BY CYCLONE AND FLOODS IN MOZAMBIQUE

Around 80,000 children in the southern African country of Mozambique have now been displaced by flooding after a cyclone added to the misery of almost a month of floods that destroyed the homes of at least 160,000 people. Persistent heavy rains across southern Africa have wreaked havoc for hundreds of thousands of people in the region over the past month. Cyclone Favio, which killed at least two children in Mozambique, also severely damaged the central hospital at Vilanculos, as well as an estimated 220 school classrooms. “It is rare for a country to be hit by two massive and simultaneous emergencies within such a short period of time,” said the Head of UNICEF in Mozambique, Leila Pakkala. “Mozambique responded quickly to the flooding, but there is no quick fix, and all our problems around water and sanitation, shelter, health, and education are now exacerbated by this severe cyclone.” The next week is “absolutely critical” for children who have lost homes, schools and are in danger of contracting diseases. Current priorities for the Government, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are to ensure water facilities are clean and serviceable, temporary health structures are functioning, children are back in school, and drugs and health equipment are delivered to all affected areas.

Source: UNICEF

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BURMA’S CHRISTANS FACE DISCRIMINATION, RAPE, FORCED LABOUR AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports fresh evidence of violations of religious freedom and human rights against the largely Christian Kachin ethnic group. It reports restrictions on the construction, extension or renovation of churches, and widespread discrimination against Kachin Christians in Government positions. Rape, forced labour, land confiscation and forced relocation continue to be “widespread and regular”. According to one Kachin, “rape happens in every area where there is an SPDC army camp.” The trafficking of Kachin women from Burma into China, often to be sold as “wives” or sex slaves, is also widespread and alarming, with more than 50 cases reported so far this year. Since March, 12 Kachin women have been rescued, four from the China-North Korea border. A former Burma Army Major who has defected confirmed the widespread use of rape by the SPDC, and the use of child soldiers. Burma has the highest number of child soldiers in the world. SPDC soldiers are given a quota of new soldiers to recruit each month, to help the army expand. Soldiers go to railway stations, bus stations and other public locations and simply grab whoever they can find. “Many of the recruits are too young or too old to be in the army,” the defector said. According to Human Rights Watch, over70,000 children have been forcibly conscripted into the Burma Army. “Burma’s junta is one of the world’s worst violators of human rights. It is essential that the international community recognise the desperate situation in Burma, and take action by bringing the issue to the agenda of the United Nations Security Council.”

Source: Christian Solidarity Worldwide

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YOUTH ACTIVITY DAYS A FRONT TO RECRUIT MUSLIMS

Undercover reporters have been first-hand witnesses to the early stages of the radicalization of young Asians by Islamic militants. In an effort to recruit young Britons, a group which is banned from British university campuses, gathers young men to play paintball or go white-water rafting in the forests of suburban England. During time-outs, the youths are instructed by an imam dressed in fatigues on the need to unite Muslims worldwide in an international empire. Preaching against the existence of Israel and urging Moslems not to vote in British elections the group, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, has been described as a “conveyor belt to terrorism” by critics even within the Muslim community. Group leaders described Osama Bin Laden as a “Muslim brother” and say it is the “responsibility” of every Muslim to bring back the caliphate, or a pan – Islamic government.

Source: Sunday Times

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MISSIONARIES PRAISE GOD IN MYANMAR PRISON

Recently, three Gospel for Asia native missionaries serving in Myanma (Burma) were arrested and thrown into prison. In prison, water and food rations were cut short for the three prisoners. Although hungry, thirsty and uncomfortable, the believers did not get discouraged. Rather, they took advantage of the time to pray and worship the Lord. Their hearts were filled with gratitude toward God for counting them worthy to suffer for His name. They spent their time in prison singing and praising God. The prison guards and administrators were surprised and shocked to see men rejoicing in the confines of their prison cells. The guards were also impressed by the good conduct and exemplary behaviour of the three Christian prisoners. Six days following the arrests, after asking the believers for forgiveness for their unjust imprisonment, officials released the missionaries. As the believers stepped out into freedom, they again praised God-for their stay in the prison and for His timely help in their release. A spokesman for the missionaries said “Through this experience, these missionaries have been greatly encouraged spiritually. Their zeal for the Lord’s work has increased.”

Source: Gospel for Asia

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