Thank you for our children!
Now that spring is here, thousands of children across Russia and her neighbouring countries are eagerly anticipating the summer that follows, and with it - more than 300 Christian summer camps that Slavic Gospel Association partners help make possible each year. Next to Christmas, summer camp season is perhaps the most important time of the year for reaching needy children with the Gospel. Children from believing families invite their unbelieving friends to camp, churches invite unbelieving families in their neighbourhoods to allow their children to attend, and children who attended the previous year are eager to spread the word. Only eternity will reveal how many boys and girls first encountered the living Saviour at a summer camp in Russia.
Praise: God in advance for the 2013 camp season; as it nears ask God to provide the resources needed to reach as many children as possible. (Ps.136:1)
More: http://www.sga.org/2013/04/thank-you-for-our-children/
Thank you for our children!
Now that spring is here, thousands of children across Russia and her neighbouring countries are eagerly anticipating the summer that follows, and with it - more than 300 Christian summer camps that Slavic Gospel Association partners help make possible each year. Next to Christmas, summer camp season is perhaps the most important time of the year for reaching needy children with the Gospel. Children from believing families invite their unbelieving friends to camp, churches invite unbelieving families in their neighbourhoods to allow their children to attend, and children who attended the previous year are eager to spread the word. Only eternity will reveal how many boys and girls first encountered the living Saviour at a summer camp in Russia.
Praise: God in advance for the 2013 camp season; as it nears ask God to provide the resources needed to reach as many children as possible. (Ps.136:1)
More: http://www.sga.org/2013/04/thank-you-for-our-children/
Vicar raises £10,000 by giving £550
Church of England vicar who handed out £10 notes to his West Yorkshire congregation and asked them to invest it to help raise cash, has had his prayers answered. The Rev Richard Steel distributed £550 last November in the hope of raising money for repairs at St John's Church in Kirkheaton, near Huddersfield. Members of the church had used the cash to raise about £10,000, meaning the work could now go ahead, said Mr Steel. ‘It's inspired people. It's just taken off fantastically,’ he said. While almost £500,000 has already been raised over the past seven years towards repairs at St John's, Mr Steel said he decided to give his congregation a new challenge to find the remaining cash. Inspiration came from the parable of the talents, in which Jesus tells the story of a man who entrusts money to his servants, he said.
Praise: God for the response to this challenge and for the result. (Mt.25:14-30)
More: http://www.theway.co.uk/feature.php?id=9154&this=Vicar_raises_10,000_by_giving_550_pounds
Vicar raises £10,000 by giving £550
Church of England vicar who handed out £10 notes to his West Yorkshire congregation and asked them to invest it to help raise cash, has had his prayers answered. The Rev Richard Steel distributed £550 last November in the hope of raising money for repairs at St John's Church in Kirkheaton, near Huddersfield. Members of the church had used the cash to raise about £10,000, meaning the work could now go ahead, said Mr Steel. ‘It's inspired people. It's just taken off fantastically,’ he said. While almost £500,000 has already been raised over the past seven years towards repairs at St John's, Mr Steel said he decided to give his congregation a new challenge to find the remaining cash. Inspiration came from the parable of the talents, in which Jesus tells the story of a man who entrusts money to his servants, he said.
Praise: God for the response to this challenge and for the result. (Mt.25:14-30)
More: http://www.theway.co.uk/feature.php?id=9154&this=Vicar_raises_10,000_by_giving_550_pounds
Iraq: 10 years of rebuilding
Ten years after the start of the Iraq war the International Medical Corps is proud to have been one of the few humanitarian organisations able to deliver assistance to the Iraqi people non-stop throughout the decade. Before the conflict started they provided primary health care services and training to Iraqi medical professionals. Within days of the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime their emergency response teams were working closely with the Ministry of Health to maintain vital services to some of the most vulnerable Iraqis. The story of International Medical Corps in Iraq has been one of hope and determination by the Iraqi people to secure a safer, healthier, self-reliant future. They provide primary and secondary health care, mental health & psychosocial support and economic livelihood training to some of the 1.5 million Iraqis displaced inside the country.
Pray: for this and similar work to continue renovating hospitals, training medical practitioners and assisting the returning refugees and displaced Iraqi people.
More: http://www.internationalmedicalcorps.org.uk/where-we-work/middle-east/iraq/
Pakistan: Election prayer campaign
Pakistan is waging a continued war against terrorism, Talibanisation, extremism and radicalization as they go to the polls in May. They genuinely expect democracy to bring good governance that will deliver them from the quagmire of problems. Election-2013 will be of significant importance and have long term consequences for democratic consolidation in Pakistan. The National Prayer Network of Pakistan in partnership with local churches initiated a prayer campaign in December 2012 focusing on the 2013 General Election. The campaign aims to motivate Christians across Pakistan to pray for the upcoming election, believing persistent prayer will impact the election process. The campaign is also focusing on a spiritual and moral awakening of the Church and for the healing of the nation. We are being asked to pray for the Church’s Spiritual Awakening to the power of prayer to change things. See: http://www.prayerconnect.net/news/prayer-connect-news/taliban-prayer-focus
Pray: God will lead the Pakistani Church into a revival through the life-changing power of Jesus Christ in her midst, and a true cultural transformation. (Pr.11:14)
More: http://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Prayer-Network-Pakistan/251652868252?sk=photos_stream
North Korea: Sabre rattling
South Korea suspects North Korea to be behind cyber-attacks on computer networks at two major banks and three top TV broadcasters which went into shutdown on Wednesday. Also this week North Korea produced another video showing the United States under attack. The White House and Washington featured in a four-minute video titled ‘Firestorms will rain on the Headquarters of War’ posted on the YouTube channel of North Korea's official website from the state media. The video portrays the United States as a bullying nuclear power intent on bending Pyongyang to its will. ‘Second by second, the fuse of a nuclear war is burning,’ a female narrator warned. ‘There is no limit to the range of our strategic rockets,’ the narrator said. Meanwhile crimes against humanity are committed daily. 200,000 men, women and children are held in prison camps. Religious persecution is boundless. Christianity is ‘public enemy number one’.
Pray: for an end to violent religious oppression, threats of pre-emptive nuclear strikes and continued tensions on the Korean peninsula. (Job20:4-6 &1Ch.17:9)
More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/
India: Orissa – more violence against Christians
At 2:30 am on 15th February, 60 police officers forced entry into Christian homes in a village in Ganjam district. Pastor Jahaya Mandal heard the commotion and investigated, then police started to interrogate him about his ministry. Church deacon Korneil Roita was called for and subsequently tied to a tree and beaten severely. Other Christians were also tied to trees and beaten. When one of them shouted, ‘O God, O Jesus, Alleluia, Alleluia,’ the police increased the brutality, causing severe injuries. Four hours later police led six (including the pastor and deacon) into the jungle with hands tied and feet bare walking over thorny and rocky ground causing their feet to bleed. They were then taken 12 kilometres from their village and left in a very bad state. Christians in India are vulnerable to violent attacks by Hindu extremists. While police often fail to intervene they are rarely the perpetrators of violence against Christians. Please pray that the police and local officials will do more to uphold religious liberties in India.
Pray: God's peace, comfort and protection over those Christians living in pain and fear of further violence. Ps.12:5-6)
More: http://persecution.in/content/christian-villagers-beaten-orissa
Afghanistan: Christian translations
Please pray for the protection of a production team putting together a film that depicts part of the life of Jesus. It is being dubbed into the language of the largest Afghani tribal group. Pray for the safety of local believers who have volunteered to have their voices used in this project. They are exposing themselves to tremendous risk. When one local believer was asked about his voice being used in the project, he replied, ‘Not my voice only, but all of me belongs to God. It’s my service to Him!’ Pray also for more speakers to come forward, to enable the production of multiple dialects of this language. Pray that the completed film will have secure and anointed distribution.
Pray: for many local people to become followers of Jesus and to be protected as they share their faith. (Mk.10:28-30)
Israel: Security/Syria’s chemical weapons?
In 1997, CIA Director George Tenet told Congress that Syria had or was actively developing chemical and biological weapons. Syria is considered to have one of the most advanced chemical weapon programs in the Arab world. See: http://www.wisconsinproject.org/countries/syria/chem.html On Wednesday a senior Israeli official said ‘it is clear that chemical weapons were recently used in Syria’ and that the attack will be a main topic of conversation with visiting President Barack Obama at the end of this week. The statement conflicts with US assessments of ‘no evidence’ behind Tuesday's chemical weapons attack on a village in the north of Syria. However, a senior US defence official told the Associated Press that he concurred chemical weapons had been used. He spoke anonymously because he is not allowed to speak to the media. Israel is concerned that Syria's chemical arsenal could fall into the hands of anti-Israel militants like Lebanon's Hezbollah, an al-Assad ally, or an al-Qaida-linked group fighting with the Syrian rebels.
Pray: against the use of chemical weapons in the middle east, in the light of Obama’s declaration of military intervention should they be proven to be used. (Pr.2:10-12)
More: http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-official-chemical-weapons-used-syria-095543871.html