news in brief
Algeria: Facebook crime
A Christian in Algeria was sentenced on 1 August to three years in prison and given a heavy fine for blasphemy against Islam and its prophet for a social media post.
Slimane Bouhafs, 49, was arrested for posting a message on social media about the light of Jesus overcoming the ‘lie’ of Islam and its prophet. He also published photos showing the execution of a civilian by an Islamist terrorist. His family said the trial was a ‘sham’.
PNG: thank you, fifty times!
Rosie Crowter
Date posted: 1 Oct 2016
On July 10 1966 the Evangelical Church of Papua New Guinea (ECPNG) was born.
So, in July this year, there was much rejoicing and celebrating in the various districts as we remembered how God had brought his messengers with the wonderful Good News that ‘Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners’ – sinners from every tribe and nation in the world, including this island with 850 tribes!
Africa: Council of Anglican Provinces
Chris Sugden
Date posted: 1 Oct 2016
The Council of the Anglican Provinces of
Africa (CAPA) was
founded
in 1979
in
Chilema, Malawi, by the Anglican Primates
of Africa. It reaches out to individuals, communities and groups through more than 40
million dedicated Church members in the
25 African countries with an Anglican presence. That 40 million
is over half
the
Church-going Anglicans in the world.
CAPA is headed by a council to run the
Provinces’ activities. Its secretariat, headed
by General Secretary Canon Grace Kaiso
from Uganda, is based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Dithering or deciding?
Susie Leafe
Date posted: 1 Oct 2016
There have been a lot of headlines about the
Church of England in recent weeks.
Many open letters have been written, a
celibate gay bishop has been paraded, and
even Church meetings in Tunbridge Wells
have got a mention. I don’t think it is just
the lack of real news during the ‘silly season’
that has caused it. No, it is also the fact that
the Shared Conversations about Scripture,
Sexuality and Mission are officially over, and
the time has come to make a decision. And
there is no easy answer.
YOUNG LEADERS TAKE BATON
Julia Cameron
Date posted: 1 Oct 2016
Six years after the Third Lausanne Congress came the Third Lausanne Younger Leaders’ Gathering (YLG2016) in Jakarta.
YLG2016, held in August, was probably the most connected gathering of leaders ever. Its planning was chaired by a Brazilian, Sarah Breuel who, with her young family, is serving in Italy with IFES. In the previous year, an online platform was launched.
After mission
Janet Cordle
Date posted: 1 Jan 2013
Book Review
HEADING HOME
My search for purpose in a temporary world
Read review
The Shandong revival
Jonathan Bayes
Date posted: 1 Aug 2016
Jonathan Bayes with a little bit of history of the church in China during the 1930s to encourage us
Shandong is a coastal province in the north-east of mainland China.
Engaging
Martin Salter
Date posted: 1 Jul 2016
Book Review
CHRISTIAN MISSION IN THE MODERN WORLD:
Updated and Expanded
Read review
Steve Brady’s story
Keswick Ministries
Date posted: 1 Aug 2016
Steve Brady, Principal of Moorlands College in Dorset, will tell you that he is from Liverpool and a true Evertonian.
Steve Brady loves football, but truly comes alive when talking about the Word of God. Steve comes from a mixed church background and had little to do with church during his childhood.
Knowing God Better
Hearing God’s Word
Jonathan Lamb
Date posted: 1 Aug 2016
It was similar to working on the mains electricity of a house, but doing so with the electricity still switched on!
This was how the scholar-clergyman J.B. Phillips explained the experience of working on a paraphrase of the Bible some years ago.
The place of prayer
Peter Lewis
Date posted: 1 Aug 2016
Peter Lewis encourages us to realise that seeking God’s face is never a waste of time
It must have been a strange sight.
KESWICK CONVENTION’S GLOBAL FAMILY
Jutta Devenish
Date posted: 1 Aug 2016
You might be walking through a snow blizzard in Hokkaido, or in the warm Caribbean sunshine of Trinidad, or in the shade of the forests of Belgrave Heights outside Melbourne, or driving along the sophisticated streets of Helsinki.
But in all of these locations you will see banners and posters advertising Keswick!
A weekend for Muslims
Paul Barnes
Date posted: 1 Jul 2016
Over 70 people gathered at The Hayes Conference Centre in Derbyshire for a weekend of prayer for Muslims, 10-12 June.
Longstanding members of the Fellowship of Faith for the Muslims (FFM) mingled with representatives of various mission organisations – some of whom were serving missionaries visiting the UK: a couple from South India serving with Tribals Transformation India; an Indian Manipuri family with three children serving with SIM in Bangladesh; and a couple from Basel serving in France. There were several believers who had turned to Christ from a Muslim background, including an Iranian family who were present with their two children, having fled persecution in Iran.
Northumberland weekend
George Curry
Date posted: 1 Sep 2016
Those who attended the Northumberland
Bible teaching weekend said it was an excellent
event. Sponsored by Longhorsley
Mission Church, Kevin Bidwell (Sheffield)
and Derek Cleave (Bristol) addressed the
200+ who gathered on 2–4 July 2016.
In three sessions Kevin Bidwell opened up
our call as Christians to run, wrestle and box.
Derek Cleave, also in three sermons, ably
helped us explore the obedience of Abraham.
From death to life
Donald Morrison
Date posted: 1 Jul 2016
Donald Morrison reports on the precious life of a baby saved by the gracious intervening providence of God
How true the words of William Cowper.
Oxford’s 25 missions
Andrew Atherstone
Date posted: 1 Feb 2015
In February, the Christian Union at Oxford University launches a major mission to students: Andrew Atherstone delves into the archives.
Tim Keller and Os Guinness are in town.
Synod: culture over Scripture
Susie Leafe
Date posted: 1 Aug 2016
The General Synod of
the Church of
England is drawing to a close as I write.
In fact, it officially came to an end last
Saturday night but since then the majority
of members have been cloistered in Shared
Conversations about Sexuality, Mission and
Scripture. I say the majority, because some
have disappeared home and others, including myself, have been here but have refused
to take part in the process because of the
fundamental flaws in the way that they have
been designed.
Listening to giants
Karen Soole
Date posted: 1 Aug 2016
Book Review
A CAMARADERIE OF CONFIDENCE:
The fruit of unfailing faith in the lives of Charles Spurgeon, George Muller and Hudson Taylor
Read review
The gospel on the Somme
As the country commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme we are enabled to read a believer’s diary
William Ransley left the Army in April 1889.
news in brief
Bangladesh: murdered
On 5 June, Sunil Gomez, a Christian grocer, was murdered inside his shop in a Christian neighbourhood in the district of Natore.
On 7 June, Ananda Gopal Ganuli, a Hindu religious leader, was killed in Jhenaidah after performing his regular religious rites in a temple in the Naldanga area, where he served as a priest. Attacks on religious minorities by extremist groups in Bangladesh have escalated rapidly in recent months. Responsibility for the murders has reportedly been claimed by Daesh (Islamic State).
news in brief
Africa: reached
FEBA Radio broadcasts on shortwave to reach listeners across a wide area of the Horn of Africa and shares audio content on micro SD cards that can be played on mobile phones, it was reported in May.
In partnership with the local church, house groups are run where people listen to the programmes on the SD cards. Currently 96 house groups and more than 700 Christians are meeting in an area where Christian believers are often attacked, churches shut down, preaching forbidden and there is antagonism towards the gospel.
Saved to serve
Greg Tarr
Date posted: 1 May 2016
The world is in a terrible state and yet the
Bible speaks of a multitude
from every
tribe, people and language that no one can
count gathered together around the throne
and in front of the Lamb.
How will a lost world be saved? That’s the
question to which around 100 young people
(aged mostly between 15 and 25) sought the
answer at a weekend called Saved2Serve,
which took place at All Nations Christian
College, 8–10 April.
