* MANY ARE LEAVING THE CHURCH TIRED OF SUPERFICIAL
CHRISTIANITY
* CHRISTIAN TELEVISION REACHES OUT TO MUSLIMS
* UNITED NATIONS VOTES ON DEFAMATION OF RELIGIONS
RESOLUTION
* ISLAMISTS RAID HOUSES AND CHURCHES IN WEST JAVA
* THE SIX MEGATHEMES THAT EMERGED IN 2010
* BBC HOLDS BIBLE READING
EVENT
———————————————–
MANY ARE LEAVING
THE CHURCH TIRED OF SUPERFICIAL CHRISTIANITY
Christianity Today claims that America’s churches are not only
“failing to attract younger worshipers,” but they are also “not
holding on to the ones” raised in the church. Research studies
indicate that “70% of young people leave the church by age 22” and
that figure “increases to 80% by age 30.” The American Religious
Identification Survey (ARIS) revealed that the “percentage of
Americans claiming ‘no religion’ has almost doubled in two decades”
(8.1% in 1990 to 15% in 2008).
Among the young (18 to 29 years old) the number doubled (11% in 1990
to 22% in 2008), with 73% coming from religious homes and 66%
describing themselves as “de-converts.” Consequently church growth is
not keeping up with the birth rate. The Pew Forum on Religion and
Public Life reported in May 2009 that “young Americans are dropping
out of religion at a disturbing rate of five to six times the
historic rate (30 to 40 percent have no religion today, versus 5 to
10 percent a generation ago).”
Church historians explain the youth dropout rates as a “phase” that
young people frequently go through – they go to college and quit
going to church, but return when they marry and have children. Others
have trouble accepting that argument because the current trend to
later marriage and a more pluralistic culture, means less
“gravitational pull” back to Christian values and habits. Others
insist that colleges “deprogram” young people.
In his book “How Religion Divides and Unites Us,” Joseph Bottum finds
that the “massive increase” – from 5% to 25% – of those with “no
religion” is because of a “religion’s perceived lack of tolerance.”
In Mr. Bottum’s view, the source of that intolerance is sex: “The
percentage of Americans who believe their is nothing wrong with
premarital sex leapt from 24% to 47%” in the early ’70s and “has
continued upward ever since.” Indeed, the fighting over sexual
morality is what turns young people from the fold.
Mr. Bottum points out, “America needs its believers to believe
something” and the lack of deeply held beliefs is behind the drop in
church membership. The Christianity Today article, concluded that
most young people leaving the church “had been exposed to a
superficial form of Christianity that effectively inoculated them
against authentic faith.” Researcher Kenda Dean says that many
American congregations are ‘almost Christian’ – but perhaps not
fully, at least not in terms of theology or practice.”
She writes, “American young people are, theoretically, fine with
religious faith – but it does not concern them much, and is not
durable enough to survive long after they graduate from high school.”
Ms. Dean places the blame squarely with teens’ parents and those of
us who call ourselves “Christian.” She writes, “Since the religious
and spiritual choices of American teenagers echo, with astonishing
clarity, the religious and spiritual choices of the adults who love
them, lackadaisical faith is not young people’s issue, but ours.”
Lest we miss her point, Ms. Dean adds that the secret to young people
keeping the faith is for them to see modelled “the kind of mature,
passionate faith we say we want young people to have.” The NSYR
pictures the spiritual life of teenagers as one of “Moralistic
Therapeutic Deism” – a religion to make people “be happy and feel
good about oneself.” Such lukewarm goals and lacklustre faith lack
the vitality tochallenge young people.
Ms. Dean declares that many adolescents “harbour no ill will toward
religion” – they just see it as a “good, well-rounded thing to do.”
She adds, “American young people are unwittingly being formed into an
impostor faith that poses as Christianity, but that in fact lacks the
holy desire and missional clarity necessary for Christian
discipleship.” Three out of four American teenagers claim to be
Christians and most belong to a church, but only half of them
consider their faith as very important.
If we are to bring our young people back to authentic Christianity,
we must acknowledge:
a) “Teenagers with consequential Christian faith share a profound and
personal sense of God’s love and forgiveness on their journey of
faith.
b) They know that the family stories the church tells along the way
include them.
c) They are confident that Christ has a part for them to play in
bringing about God’s purposes and that the journey they are on
contributes to God’s good direction for the world. But such
consequential faith – faith that grows by confessing a creed,
belonging to a community and pursuing God’s purpose and hope – is not
the faith that most American teenagers seem to have.”
We have failed to “meaningfully share the core content of the
Christian faith” with our young people; is it any wonder that they
see the church as insignificant and our God as unimportant? No wonder
they shrug off that insignificant faith and ignore that irrelevant
God when they enter college. Such banal, faux Christianity is
unlikely to bear up under scrutiny and highly unlikely to survive
into adulthood. There is a tremendous price to be paid if we do not
teach and model the “real thing” for our young people.
Source: Washington
Times
———————————————–
CHRISTIAN
TELEVISION REACHES OUT TO MUSLIMS
Thousands of godly men and women risk their lives every day
in Islamic nations reaching out to Muslims. Over the past 15
years thousands of Muslims have received dreams and visions of
Jesus. No other religious group in history has had so many of those
supernatural revelations from God. At the same time, God has released
satellite Christian television right into Muslim homes each week. One
alliance of ministries, now broadcasts three live shows in Arabic
each week into the homes of over 70 nations.
These shows are distinctive because they are all in Arabic (the
sacred and official language of Islam); they explain the real
teachings of Islam to Muslims and they talk to Muslims on live
television by phone. Truth Talk is one show. It ¢â‚¬â„¢s host, Father
Zakaria Boutros, is one of the foremost Christian apologist ¢â‚¬â„¢s to the
Muslim world. Few Muslim apologists ever want to debate him. On his
show, he has MBB ¢â‚¬â„¢s( Muslim Background Believer) share their testimony
of finding Jesus.
Father Z, as he is affectionately known, then teaches on a biblical
theme. Muslims and former Muslims from all over the world call into
the show on live telephone calls to discuss the Bible and the Quran!
Another show is called Daring Questions hosted by Rachid, a former
Muslim from Morocco. This show discusses some of the most
controversial aspects of Islam and takes live phone calls and SMS
responses. It is estimated that a Muslim audience probably numbering
in the tens of millions view these shows!
Dozens of ministries on the ground follow up with the many calls and
email responses each week. There are however many challenges to this
media ministry alliance. Only God can provide for it, protect it and
help the workers persevere despite the many risks, high production
costs and Muslim threats against it. Soon, these powerful programs
will be in several other languages, thus multiplying the need for
more workers and resources.
Please pray for this alliance in the ¢â‚¬Å“air war ¢â‚¬ against the deceptions
of Islam. Just as in WWII, it may be that the war has to be won in
the air before it can be fully won on the ground. Please pray that
these weekly Arabic broadcasts can be quickly translated into
Indonesian, Urdu, Farsi, Turkish, French and English. Pray for the
wisdom, strength and resources to bring in this great harvest of
souls for Jesus all over the world. Thank God, too, that He is doing
it. Saving Muslims is His idea and His passion.
Source: Intercessors
Network
———————————————–
UNITED NATIONS
VOTES ON DEFAMATION OF RELIGIONS RESOLUTION
Whilst the Defamation of Religions Resolution has once again passed
through the United Nations, support for the concept is seriously
decreasing. The resolution is put forward by Islamic countries as a
means of protecting Islam from criticism for human rights violations
and terrorism. It was only adopted after a recorded vote of 76 in
favour to 67 against, with 40 abstentions.” Even though the
non-binding resolution was not completely defeated, since 2005 the
resolution has consistently lost support.
The recent vote demonstrated the narrowest margin ever. Member states
of the Organization of Islamic Conference admit there is internal
debate about the possibility of not introducing the resolution in
2011 meaning we may yet see the end of this resolution even though it
passed! Open Doors worked across the world to raise concern and to
encourage prayer against the resolution. It is believed this campaign
which was called “Free to Believe”, played a vital part in the loss
of support for the resolution.
The “Free to Believe” campaign was also designed to encourage
Christians worldwide to stand together with brothers and sisters who
are denied religious freedom and suffer persecution because of their
faith in Christ. 428,856 people from over 70 countries participated
in the Free to Believe campaign which was deemed an outstanding
success. Open Doors will continue to urge national delegations at the
United Nations to vote YES to Religious Liberty and vote NO on this
resolution if it returns in 2011.
Source: Open
Doors
———————————————–
ISLAMISTS RAID
HOUSES AND CHURCHES IN WEST JAVA
About 200 demonstrators from hard-line Islamic organizations in West
Java have disrupted the worship of a church in Rancaekek district,
driving more than 100 worshippers from the building. Members of the
Islamic Defenders Front, the Indonesian Ulama Forum and the Islamic
Reformist Movement arrived with the Civil Service Police Unit of
Rancaekek district and sealed the house used by the Huria Kristen
Batak Protestant (of HKBP) Bethania church, thus leaving other
churches that use it without a worship venue.
The protestors also disrupted the worship of six other churches
meeting in homes the same day, including the Indonesian Evangelical
Tabernacle Church, the Pentecostal Tabernacle Church, and the Church
of Pentecost-Rancaekek. In the HKBP incident, the demonstrators
removed by force more than 100 members of the HKBP church on Teratai
Street, the pastor said. ¢â‚¬Å“Because they were fearful, children and
women were crying when they came out of their place of worship, ¢â‚¬ the
Rev. Badia Hutagalung said.
Hutagalung said the church was using the house because it had not
been able to obtain permission to establish a church building under
conditions imposed by Indonesian law. The Joint Ministerial
Decreepromulgated in 1969 and revised in 2006 requires places of
worship to obtain the approval of at least 60 persons from the local
community, mandates there be at least 90 church members, and the
church must be approved by the village head. ¢â‚¬Å“These terms are very
difficult to for us to fulfil, ¢â‚¬ Hutagalung said.
Source: Compass
Direct
———————————————–
THE SIX MEGATHEMES
THAT EMERGED IN 2010
Change usually happens slowly in the Church. But a review of the past
year’s research conducted by the Barna Group provides a time-lapse
portrayal of how the religious environment in the U.S. is morphing
into something new. Analysing insights drawn from more than 5,000
non-proprietary interviews conducted over the past 11 months, the
following patterns were evident in the survey findings give much food
for thought and prayer.
1. The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate.
2. Christians are becoming more ingrown and less
outreach-oriented
3. Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual
principles and more desirous of learning pragmatic solutions for
life.
4. Among Christians, interest in participating in community action is
escalating.
5. The post-modern insistence on tolerance is winning over the
Christian Church.
6. The influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives is
largely invisible.
Source: Barna
Group
———————————————–
BBC HOLDS BIBLE
READING EVENT
The BBC, despite accusations of religiously biased reporting, devoted
part of the day of January 9 to readings from the Bible. The unusual
BBC scheduling was part of the 400th anniversary of the King James
Bible. UK secularists were “up in arms” about the decision, but a BBC
spokesman said: “The King James Bible is generally accepted to have
had a significant impact on our language, the arts and music. A 400th
anniversary is a special landmark, and it was appropriate that the
BBC mark such a significant event.”
Source: Digital
Journal
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