News Archives

Story number 1 for 5 May 2000

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Headlining today’s news, civil war is intensifying in Sri Lanka. The government has banned all activities that could harm national security. The government is facing possibly its greatest crisis in its 17-year ethnic war against Tamil Tiger rebels in the north. Back to the Bible’s James Kanaganayagam is in Sri Lanka, producing radio programs for the Sri Lankan people. “Physically we are not threatened by the situation at the moment, but there are co-workers of ours who are in the field who are in the areas that are being affected, so we are very concerned for them.” Kanaganayagam says many pastors and lay leaders need assistance as they struggle with the effects of war. “We have linked up with the Lanka Bible College and we are conducting counseling courses for pastors to equip them to be able to counsel the churches. We find that many pastors themselves need to be counseled because of the stress they have gone through and are going through.” Pray that evangelism can continue despite the violence.

Story number 3 for 5 May 2000

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Copies of the Jesus Film are being sent back in large numbers in the United States. A Coalition of evangelical churches coordinated an effort and mail out 400-thousand video tapes on the life of Jesus to people in Florida. Angry Jews responded by sending them back to sender. A Post Office spokeswoman says she’s never before seen such a massive mail-back. The million-dollar project was paid for by area churches hoping to share the Gospel with their community.

Story number 4 for 5 May 2000

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Meanwhile, Audio Scriptures International is looking for technically savvy volunteers to help distribute the Bible in audio form. Audio Scripture’s Mark Hoekstra says they’ve been putting scripture in audio form on the internet, but not all of their material is accessible. He says that’s why they need volunteers. “A lot of people have computers and the MP3 encoder programs and they’re playing around with these things. And, so we’re soliciting many volunteers in America to convert the files from cassettes or the material that it’s on right now into format that can be put up on the internet.” Hoekstra says once that’s done scripture can be available to anyone in the world who has a computer. “We have portions of scripture in 85 languages on the web now. We have audio scriptures in over 300 languages. And I’d like to see everyone of them up there and made available.” Audio Scriptures is looking for up to 30 volunteers to help with this project.

Story number 1 for 4 May 2000

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The Russian Republic of Chechnya is where we begin today’s newscast. According to Russian Ministry’s Sergei Rakhuba, they’re on the brink of an incredible ministry opportunity in that Muslim area. Food for the Poor donated 10 containers of clothing to give to the thousands of refugees in the region. “Missionaries and volunteers and Christians from all the evangelical churches in the area will take these goals to the refugee camps. And, then start to build relationships and friendships and tell them and share the Gospel with them.” Russian Ministries needs 19-thousand-dollars for in-land transportation so this incredible ministry opportunity can happen. Rakhuba says this shipment is vital to their outreach plans. “When you come and start preaching, you know, they don’t accept this preach, they are saying, hey we have a different religion so go away. But, if you come and bring some help then they open their hearts for listening.”

Story number 2 for 4 May 2000

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Meanwhile, missionary radio is having a great impact on the house church movement in nearby China. Trans World Radio’s Tim Klingbeil (kling-byl) just returned from a trip to that country where he observed their Radio Church Kit project. “It’s a project where Trans World Radio through various house church networks and others within the country, distributes kits that include shortwave radios, Bibles, and study materials or books that go along with some of the programs that are aired on our broadcasts.” Klingbeil says despite persecution, the work of Trans World Radio is meeting a desperate need for discipleship and training in China. “Some house church leaders we met with in Southern China. These two men were leaders of a house church network that included 30-thousand meeting points. There was probably a million people with in this church network. One of the men told us that about 80-percent of the people in his network listened regularly to Trans World Radio’s programs, to help them keep doctrinally pure in the church in China.”

Story number 3 for 4 May 2000

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The President of Nigeria is calling people to pray for peace in his violence-plagued country. President Olusegun Obasanjo was the keynote speaker at the Nigerian Baptist Convention’s 150th Anniversary celebration last week. During his speech, the declared Baptist stressed the need for reconciliation between Christians and Muslims. Baptist World Alliance’s Denton Lotz attended the event, as did the head of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board. The IMB started work in Nigeria on August 5, 1850.

Story number 4 for 4 May 2000

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Next, Mainstay Church Resources is reporting success in the most recent series of the 50-day Spiritual Adventure. Mainstay’s Randall Mains says not only do the participants study the life of Christ, they also learn how to minister to the community. “It’s a wonderful year in this new millennium to really focus ourselves on the Lord, to take a fresh look at Jesus Christ , and to see how attractive He really is, even today. I mean, Christ had something about Him that people really were attracted to back then, and He continues to have that same kind of magnetism today.” Mains says this year’s theme neatly dove-tailed with the national “Lighthouse” prayer movement. “The Adventure equips these 400-thosuand participants to start lighthouses of prayer, helping them to flesh out their faith in that area through practical action steps…which enabled them to, again, pray for, care for and share Jesus with their friends and neighbors.” This year’s Adventure has five national seasons, with the most popular at Lent and Easter up through Pentecost.