NewLife Faith News - May 1st
Compiled and Edited by Stan Hunt
A youth ministry expert is emphasizing the role that intergenerational relationships play in keeping young people in the Church and connected to their faith. John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Centre for Christian Worldview, warns that young people today are "untethered" from the truth and disconnected from meaning and purpose.
He quotes a British survey conducted over a decade, which found that 13 years ago, 90% of young people aged 18-28 believed that life had meaning. When the same question was asked 10 years later, only 10% of respondents reportedly felt that life had meaning.
Mr Stonestreet told the Christian Post that what we have left is a generation of young people with their feet firmly planted in midair. He believes the solution for a generation in "desperate need" is the reintroduction of truth through intergenerational relationships and mentoring.
When you have truth and relationships in a package deal, it is a powerful force, he says. A sense of belonging is crucial to keeping young people in church.
Source: The Christian Post
A Gospel outreach will share the inspiring 1924 story of a Scottish runner with a million people during the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Eric Liddell was known for his unwavering faith in God and his refusal to compromise his beliefs even at the risk of missing out on Olympic glory. Despite being the strong favourite for the 100m event he refused to run on a Sunday.
Instead, he entered the 400m event, winning gold and setting a new world record in the process. Evangelist J John created a booklet 'Running the Race of Your Life' retelling the memorable feat in time for the Paris Olympics.
He told Christian Today the fact that both the 1924 and 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games take place in Paris cannot be a coincidence. The goal is to distribute a million copies to inspire conversations about God during the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2024.
Source: Christian Today
Amid increasing difficulties, Christians in China need multiple ways to access God’s Word. Print or digital copies of the Bible that can be secured and accessed offline are becoming more and more necessary.
Kurt Rovenstine with Bibles for China says restrictions on websites, and all the things that are happening in China make it increasingly difficult to access the Bible online. He told Mission Network News it is much more important now for Christians to have a Bible they can tuck under their pillow.
Bibles for China’s work is entirely legal within the nation. And that’s why they want to pursue their work with urgency. It is unknown how long this door is going to stay open. They have ongoing distribution plans for this year and avenues to carry them out. Prayer is requested for workers who are on the front lines.
Source: Mission Network News
The government of Iran can limit or shut down the internet and track people’s use of it. Because of this more and more Iranians are turning to satellite TV which cannot be stopped or monitored. Transform Iran and other ministries are making the most of this to reach the country with the Gospel.
Lana Silk with Transform Iran told Mission Network News Iranians are not necessarily looking for Jesus but TV is where many find Him. Transform Iran creates programs that people will want to watch, and they are hearing from people finding the message of Jesus.
Ms Silk says when people make contact, they minister to them in person and lead them to Christ. In addition to just completing a series on the history, politics and heritage of Iran, the ministry is focusing on children’s programming. There are around 10 million children between the ages of five and 12 in Iran.
Source: Mission Network News
The faith stories of three unsung heroes of the Titanic disaster have resurfaced. Christian Today reports the accounts detail selfless acts of heroism and the offering of Christian ministry during the tragedy that struck on the night of April 14th, 1912.
Among the victims of the sinking ship were three clergymen Juozas Montvila of Lithuania, Josef Peruschitz, of Bavaria, and Thomas Byles of England. They chose to stay on board to help people facing their final moments. They led prayers and provided solace as the Titanic met its end, claiming the lives of 1,503 souls.
On the morning before the disaster, they had led a service preaching about spiritual preparedness, and emphasising the need for the lifeboat offered by Jesus Christ. As people prepared to die that night the clergy led in prayers of repentance, as people prepared to meet God.
The bodies of the ministers were not recovered.
Source: Christian Today
A former TV host in the U.S. is taking her sons to Israel, where they will “be safer and feel more welcomed. Campbell Brown is on her way to Israel because of the antisemitism as hundreds of arrests have been made on college campuses amid unrest and anti-Israel protests in the wake of the war in Gaza.
More than 150 people were arrested this week on the campus of New York University, according to the New York Police Department. This follows another recent mass arrest at Columbia University, where more than 100 people were detained.
Underscoring the seriousness of the situation, Columbia University transitioned to full remote learning Monday. A Jewish leader sent a message to around 300 Jewish students urging them to leave campus. CBN News reports that Jewish students fear for their safety as protests intensify. Some of the protests have reportedly praised Hamas and commended terroristic violence.
Source: CBN Christian World News
As part of its support of people struggling with housing costs, Anglicare has opened its latest social housing development. The development at the former Steelworks Hotel site in Port Kembla includes 30 studio apartments for social housing residents aged 55 and over.
Sydneyanglicans.net reports it is part of a $10 million development that has been 50-50 funded by the NSW Government and Anglicare Sydney. Anglicare CEO Simon Miller says 10 out of 18 regions in Greater Sydney have no affordable rental properties for people on income support.
It’s clear that the minimum wage is falling well short of the increasing cost of housing, he says. With the lowest number of private rentals listed in the last decade, only a handful can be accessed by people on the minimum wage, jobseeker or the age pension.
Anglicare provides families and individuals assistance with rent, food, and electricity through community hubs.
Source: Sydneyanglicans.net
A Bible translation group is equipping Indonesian Christians with training and tools to translate the Bible into more than 35 languages. Wycliffe Associates believes the people who need Scripture, should be in the driver’s seat of Bible translation for their people.
Mark Stedman, the Vice President of Technology at Wycliffe Associates says it’s important to empower people to translate the Bible into their heart language. Wycliffe provides software and hardware resources to meet the specific needs of the people group doing the Bible translation.
Mr Stedman told Mission Network News they source different copyright unencumbered texts which allow the translation to be done accurately and effectively. As technology advances, Wycliffe is cautiously optimistic about the role that tools like artificial intelligence can play in draft translation.
All translations are subject to thorough checking. In remote islands of Indonesia Wycliffe provides small satellite modems allowing translators to reach the internet.
Source: Mission Network News
A pastor who set a Guinness World Record for the longest tenure at a church has died aged 94.
The late Rev Dr Doris Benford Sr. was known for his lengthy service at the Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church in Texas City.
Dr Benford was honoured by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2022 for the "Longest tenure as pastor of the same church." He began preaching at the church at age 20 in 1950 and held the position for 72 years and 61 days.
On Easter Sunday 2024, Dr Benford delivered his final sermon. The church leadership told the Christian Post he was actively involved in helping the needy, providing food and clothing, and organizing events for church outreach. He would often drive the church bus to take families and children on field trips and vacations.
In tribute, his chair in the pulpit will remain covered for 30 days.
Source: The Christian Post
Thousands of young Christians in Nigeria are being trained in digital content creation. Education is just one of 12 main strands of work where Barnabas Aid is partnering with African Christian communities to help them become self-sufficient and independent.
They call this project Opportunity Africa. Dalytop, one Nigerian Christian youth involved in digital learning is grateful for this opportunity. His mother and father were killed by extremists in an anti-Christian attack. He told Barnabas - you are giving me something to be happy about and to help me live a productive life.
Another part of the project is giving piglets to Christian farmers who have lost everything in the attacks. The plan is that local churches will work together to develop a “meat market” with Christian butcheries.
This will provide jobs for Christians, and the economic situation of the Christian community will be improved. Islamist militants won’t touch pigs.
Source: Barnabas Aid
Kenyan authorities are set to adopt a new national programme that will phase out traditional orphanages over the next decade. The move aims to reunite families rather than keep children in institutional homes. Some church leaders in the country, whose denominations run hundreds of orphanages, have expressed support for the plan.
They told Religion News Service some children's homes have exposed children to abuse, and they allege some orphanages are run only to gain from donor funding. However, Bishop Johnes Meliyio of the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church says while the move may be a good idea, shutting the church homes is another issue.
He says the centres cannot be permanent homes, but they play an important role by supporting needy children without government support. In Kenya, 3.6 million children are orphans, 47% of whom lost parents to HIV and AIDS. An estimated 45,000 children live in more than 845 private institutions in Kenya.
Source: Religion News Service
Grammy-winning singer Rebecca St. James prays that a new film about her family’s trials gives people hope and leads them to “treasure” their family. Unsung Hero (PG) follows the story of her parents, David and Helen Smallbone, who moved from Australia to the U.S. in the early 1990s.
According to Christian Headlines, they were forced to scramble to make ends meet when the job that led to their move didn’t materialize. Eventually, Rebecca found a career in contemporary Christian music and changed her name from Smallbone to St. James to appease music executives.
Much later, her brothers, Joel and Luke Smallbone, launched their group, For King and Country. The movie gets its name from Rebecca’s mother, the “unsung hero”. who worked behind the scenes to encourage the family. The film ends with a paraphrased quote from Mother Teresa: “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”
Source: Christian Headlines