Exloring Life Eternal

EVENT - 30 DAYS MUSLIM PRAYER FOCUS
from: WorldChristian.com (http://www.worldchristian.com)

From September 24 to October 23, 2006, join the largest ongoing international call to Christians to learn about and respectfully pray for the Muslim world. Millions of Christians worldwide participate annually in this strategic prayer focus.

Each year a new, informative prayer guide booklet is produced and translated into dozens of languages. These booklets are for use primarily (but not exclusively) during Islam's important annual month of fasting and religious observance. This year Ramadan will start on September 24.

Order your copy of the 52-page North American edition http://www.30daysprayer.com
by e-mail: <orders@worldchristian.com>
Or contact WorldChristian.com, P.O. Box 9208, Colorado Springs, CO 80932, USA, Tel.: 719.380.0936.

Other nations & language editions are listed here:
http://www.30daysprayer.com/muslim/add%5Fmusl.html

Abbreviated e-mail edition sent daily during Ramadan:
Subscribe by writing to Ron Kernahan <infos@30-days.net> or
http://www.30-days.net/aboutus/email.htm

MIDDLE EAST - SOUNDS OF HOPE - ASSIST News Service
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s06050012.htm
May 3, 2006 == By W. Terry Whalin

When it comes to the Middle East, the news media often tells
the public about events related to Jews or Muslims. In contrast,
little news or silence is heard about the 15 million Middle-Eastern
Christians in this birthplace of Christianity.

This spring the silence was broken through a conference, Sounds
of Hope (http://www.soundsofhope.net), co-sponsored by Venture
International (http://www.ventureint.org) and by the Billy Graham
Center on the campus of Wheaton College. The event fulfilled
a dream of Venture founder Leonard Rodgers to bring Christian
leaders together from the East and the West.
...

TOPICS:
Words from Egypt
A Voice from Bethlehem
Religion in Lebanon
What Is God Doing in Iraq?
What about Women?
The Ancient Church
God Through Us

from: OSCAR (http://www.oscar.org.uk), UK information service for world mission

It is obvious but often overlooked. Missions and missionaries depend on prayer support.

When you pray for those in mission work, do you struggle with what to pray? Maybe you have so many things to pray for that it is difficult to focus on the real issues. We don't just need to pray longer and harder, we need to pray smarter. Several valuable resources highlight prayer topics for missionaries and their families. There is even one about how to pray for missionaries' children! Several of these resources are available in print form and on-line.

OSCAR’s Mission Directory
http://www.oscar.org.uk/opportunity/organisations/index.htm
can put you in touch with missions who will gladly supply you with fuel for prayer and have you join their ministry in this way.
Prayer Points - Pray for the current needs of a number of mission organizations.
http://www.PrayerPoints.org

Prayer Square - Pray for the needs of various individual missionaries.
http://www.PrayerSquare.org

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Alternatively, you can pray for individual missionaries’ needs through one of the following sites:
Missionary Prayer Shield:
http://www.prayercentral.net/engage/prayercards/#mshield

24-7 Prayer:
http://www.24-7prayer.com

People Teams:
http://www.peopleteams.org

A leaflet entitled 'Praying for Missionaries' that can help you focus your prayers:
http://www.clc.org.uk/praying%5Ffor%5Fmissionaries.cfm

A further on-line guide entitled 'How to Pray for Missionaries' Kids' is on OMF USA's web site:
http://www.us.omf.org/content.asp?id=9167

Abbreviated version:
http://www.omf.org.uk/content.asp?id=27458

Source (http://www.oscar.org.uk/supporter/roles/pray.htm).

NOTE: OSCAR is also featuring an article about praying for missionaries:
http://www.oscar.org.uk/oscaractive/articles/rich.htm

We enjoyed last month's feature on raising kids overseas:
http://www.oscar.org.uk/oscaractive/articles/knellm.htm

Kudos to Mike Frith who is continuing to build OSCAR into a helpful and dynamic web site for missions resources. He welcomes your submissions!

Becoming a World-Changing Church
By David Mays

This newly released 32-page booklet is the compilation of six articles published in the ACMC quarterly 'Mobilizer' magazine, under the topic "Your Church and Its Mission."

Many books on ”doing church” cite the Great Commission as the church's marching orders, identify the core of the Great Commission as making disciples, and give primary attention to reaching people
like you in your own community. The "all nations" part of the Great Commission is often treated in a page or two near the back of the book under "missions."

This booklet takes a fresh approach to making the Great Commission the central organizing principle of a church. The first part argues that "all nations" or "all the earth" is an integral part of the overriding purpose and mission of the church. The second part helps church leaders look objectively at their priorities and use of resources. The third part outlines what a globally focused church might look like. The fourth part discusses the relationship between purpose and ministries. The fifth part approaches the concept of implementing change. The sixth part examines the roles of church leaders in light of the mission.

Read excerpts (http://www.davidmays.org) from “Becoming a World-Changing Church.”

Available from ACMC’s on-line store (http://www.acmc.org).

NOTE: Like most writers, David is also an avid reader. We enjoy looking over his shoulder and get ideas for our own reading from his Book Notes (http://www.davidmays.org/BN.html). These come out about once a week and deal with mission and culture issues as well as leadership, management, and other interests. To subscribe, write to David Mays <davidmays@acmc.org>.

MALAYSIA - COURTS FACE CHALLENGE OF CHRISTIAN CONVERSIONS
from: Compass Direct (http://www.compassdirect.org) - April
26, 2006

On April 13 [Malaysia's] Federal Court granted permission to
Lina Joy, a Malaysian Muslim convert to Christianity, to appeal
the government’s refusal to remove her Muslim status from her
identity card.

The ground-breaking decision came after lower courts – the High
Court and the Court of Appeal – repeatedly dismissed her application.
Besides religious rights for Joy, at issue is whether Islamic
courts have the sole right to handle cases of Muslims who leave
their religion.

Joy, previously known as Azlina binti Jailani, became a Christian
in 1990 and was baptized in 1998. The NRD refused to change her
religious status and insisted that Joy obtain an order from the
Islamic law (sharia) court stating that she had become an apostate.

Full story here (http://www.compassdirect.org/en/newslongen.php?idelement=4332).

RESOURCES FOR GLOBAL PRAYER

“Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I
am going to do something in your days that you would not believe,
even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5

The next Global Day of Prayer is Pentecost Sunday, June 4, 2006.
http://www.globaldayofprayer.com
Are you ready? Millions of Christians are expected to pray for the ten days preceding Pentecost as well. An useful guide has been published by Waymakers:
http://www.waymakers.org

Other resources and details are also available at GDOP USA:
http://www.gdopusa.com

This day of prayer coincides with the launch of an even more
extensive prayer campaign, an unprecedented year-long prayer
focus on the world’s least-reached peoples:

Ethne' - http://www.ethne.net
[See below!]

Global Prayer Digest - http://www.global-prayer-digest.org

Joshua Project - http://www.joshuaproject.net

... and others are teaming up to provide information to fuel this effort, which will last from June 2006 through May 2007. We expect united prayer will open doors and fuel effective outreach efforts throughout the earth!

Each month will be dedicated to prayer for one of 12 regions:

June 2006: South Pacific
July 2006: Southeast Asia
August 2006: Northeast Asia
September 2006: South Asia
October 2006: Central Asia
November 2006: Middle East and North Africa
December 2006: East and South Africa
January 2007: West and Central Africa
February 2007: Eastern Europe and Eurasia
March 2007: Western Europe
April 2007: Central and South America
May 2007: North America and the Caribbean

A map is available here:
http://www.joshuaproject.net/ethne globalregion.php

Ethne' has produced a DVD with video testimonies and videos highlighting each world region and its prayer needs. They are currently finalizing global distribution channels. “Other
resources will be available through the Ethne site and are being uploaded now as quickly as possible. You are given permission to duplicate and distribute as much as possible,” write the Ethne staff.

Write to request further information:
prayer (at) ethne (dot) net

BOOK - A GUIDE TO MISSIONS NETWORKING AND PARTNERSHIP
from: visionSynergy <info@visionsynergy.net>

"Well Connected: Releasing Power and Restoring Hope"
By Phill Butler

Phill Butler's new book is a practical guide to inspire and inform those who want to help God's people work together - in their neighborhoods or around the world. It addresses the theory, theology, and practice of networking, which help mission organizations and churches realize Jesus' vision that “they may all be one ... so that the world will know you have sent me” (John 17:21).

"This is a book that many of us have been awaiting for a long
time. I know of no one whom the Lord has used more effectively
in launching ministry partnerships than Phill Butler. Phill writes
from a deep reservoir of experience as he has been used of God
to launch literally scores of significant ministry partnerships
around the world. No one is better equipped than Phill to provide
this significant book for all of us to not only read, but to
be led of the Holy Spirit to put the principles into practice
wherever we minister." - Paul Cedar, Chairman of the Mission
America Coalition

Ordering information: Waynesboro, GA: Authentic Media, 2006,
352 pages. Available for US$15.95 plus shipping and handling
from ConnectBook.net (http://www.connectedbook.net) or write
to Power of Connecting <info@powerofconnecting>.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We can’t say enough good things about Phill Butler
and the ministries he has launched and inspired. Get a taste
for yourself through several chapters of this book posted at
ConnectedBook.net (http://www.connectedbook.net).

Collective wisdom on this topic from the staff of Interdev was also published in a paperback book by Ernie Addicott. “Body Matters: A Guide to Partnership in Christian Mission” is available from Interdev Partnership Associates (IPA) for US$10 plus shipping and handling.

To learn more, contact IPA (http://aaraujo@ipassociates.org).

Both these books are also available from William Carey Library
(http://williamcareylibrary.gospelcom.net).

If you are interested in writing short stories that have a Christian spiritual message, or are simply morally & ethically sound, you may want to check out:

http://www.abc111.net/cgi-bin/goTEAM.cgi?l=E&db=TEAM&go=TWRadio63

INJUSTICE!!
Muslims rebel against Quran.
Muslims kidnap - a capital punishment, according to the Law.
Egyptian Muslims must change this way or be called into account by God!
Egyptian Muslims must turn to the Lord Jesus or else they will miss His mercy.

= Mert Hershberger

=======

EGYPT - COPT FINDS MISSING SISTER IN MUSLIM HOME
from: Compass Direct (http://www.compassdirect.org)
March 31,
2006

Following a three-month search, an Egyptian Christian has discovered his missing sister living with a Muslim family near her home town and professing faith in Islam.

Spurred by a brief telephone message from Theresa Ghattass Kamal saying that she was being held against her will and forced to convert to Islam, Sa'eed Ghattass Kamal last week tracked his sister’s suspected captors to the Bedouin desert area of El-Ga'ar, near his home in Wadi El-Natroun, 50 miles northwest of Cairo.

=====
INJUSTICE!!

Full story with pictures:
http://www.compassdirect.org/en/newslongen.php?idelement=4279

Visit the "Missions Catalyst" events calendar -http://www.calebproject.org/main.php/calendar

The TentMaker Project
From Nate Wilson
http://www.tentmakerproject.org

Micro-enterprise development is a fast-growing trend in mission strategies today. By extending modest loans to stimulate the productivity of small businesses, micro-enterprise development agencies offer financial help to the poor while minimizing dependency upon foreign money.

The TentMaker Project offers a model of this kind of development, using the resources of local churches to make the process work with low overhead, high repayment rates, and constant opportunities for discipleship. It grew out of a short-term mission trip to Uganda taken by a pastor in Carbondale, IL, & has been enthusiastically endorsed by long-term missionaries as they have seen the model in action.

Learn more at the ministry’s web site:
http://www.TentMakerProject.org

HIGHLIGHTS:
Profiles of micro-loan recipients: http://www.carbondalepca.com/tentmaker/TentMakerProfiles.htm
[Photos, text, and video interviews - show how people's lives
have been impacted by small business financing loaned church-
to-church.]

Simulation of how it works:
http://www.carbondalepca.com/tentmaker/TMPsimulation.pdf
This document describes a simple group activity that can help Westerners begin to relate to the reality of poverty and the usefulness of micro-enterprise development. (in .PDF)

A Sample Policy Document:
http://www.carbondalepca.com/tentmaker/TMPUgandaPolicy.pdf
This policy statement produced by African leaders outlining the
logistics of church-based micro-loans. (in .PDF)

Nate Wilson is the servant-hearted man of God who led Missions-Catalyst (before it had that name) for ~ the first eight years.
To learn about their family:
http://www.NateWilsonFamily.Net

www.asiaharvest.org
Asia Harvest

From Headhunters to Church Planters:
An Amazing Spiritual Awakening in Nagaland
By Paul Hattaway

Surely one of the greatest spiritual revivals in history happened
in a remote corner of northeast India from the 1950s to 1970s,
when more than one million Naga people came to Christ. For centuries
the Nagas were head-hunters and lived bound by dark demonic powers.
Paul Hattaway, the author of “The Heavenly Man” and “Back to
Jerusalem,” is a frequent visitor to Nagaland. He has interviewed
numerous eyewitnesses to the revivals, documenting how it came
about, the opposition and brutal persecution that followed, and
the astonishing miracles that accompanied it.

“Today, almost one million Christians live joyful lives in Nagaland.
We have been conquered by God’s overwhelming grace and love ...
I recommend ‘From Head-hunters to Church Planters’ as an accurate
and incisive account of what God has done among the Nagas. May
God be glorified thorugh this book, and may your own heart be
revived as you read the wonderful things that God has done in
Nagaland!” - Naga Pastor Gwayhunlo Khing

Waynesboro, GA: Authentic, 2006, 144 pages.
Available from Asia Harvest
On the Web: http://www.asiaharvest.org
Price US$13 (including postage anywhere in the world)
with discounts for bulk orders.

=====

MERT: Having read some of the accounts, I can honestly say that they have helped prepare me for where I am today & that they equipped me with greater ability to discern danger & do God's work with faith & joy.

BOOK - I THINK GOD WANTS ME TO BE A MISSIONARY
from: Emmaus Road International (http://www.eri.org)

"I Think God Wants Me to Be a Missionary"
By Neal Pirolo

Prompted by the high attrition rate of missionaries who do not
first ‘count the cost’ of cross-cultural ministry, Neal Pirolo
offers this book to help candidates look closely at scores of
issues that should be clarified long before they say goodbye.
In an easy-to-read dialogue style, four young people represent
thousands of others.

A happy-go-lucky guy about to graduate from high school.
A most proper young lady who has always been home-schooled.
Kyle "engaged" to another young lady ... but one Sunday evening ...

In "I Think God Wants Me to Be a Missionary," we enter the lives of these missionary-hopefuls, their pastors, and others, and become involved in the dialogue as these young people deal with scores of issues to consider before saying goodbye.

Ordering information:
San Diego, CA: Emmaus Road International, 2005, 288 pages.
US$8.95 plus shipping and handling
On the web: http://www.eri.org
By phone: 858-292-7020

MIDDLE EAST: GROWING INTEREST IN GOSPEL
from: Mission Network News (http://www.mnnonline.org) - January
30, 2006

Throughout the Middle East, Christians are quietly and faithfully
living for Christ despite opposition and persecution.

In countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran, there is a growing phenomenon
of interest in the gospel of Jesus, and Lee DeYoung with Words
of Hope (http://www.woh.org/about.php) says the interest is in
response to efforts to promote hostility toward Christians.

"Efforts to suppress and to vilify Christians, for some people,
actually produce a reaction that increases their curiosity and
their interest. And thankfully, we've heard accounts of people
who quietly share, Christians sharing with Muslim neighbors who
ask them about their faith and why they believe what they believe."

Many Muslims really are seeking after God. They have a hunger
to know him, and as they have opportunities to talk with Christians,
they find a common quest to discover God. Many are finding Jesus.

DeYoung says that as attempts are made to spark antagonism, there's
a growing curiosity, and people are saying, "'Well, what is it
about you that causes people to be so opposed in my country,
or among others who share my religion?' And that leads to opportunities
for dialogue, or it leads to interest in hearing radio programs."

Source here (http://www.mnnonline.org/article/8253).

TRAINING: HEART OF GOD MINISTRIES
from: Audrey Colwell <acolwell@heartofgod.com>, Heart of God
Ministries (http://www.heartofgod.com)

Heart of God Ministries (HGM), in Choctaw, Oklahoma, USA is an
interdenominational missions agency focused on training and sending
teams for long-term ministry among the unreached – the two billion
people who currently have no access to the gospel.

TRAIN: Beautiful Feet Boot Camp is a five-month program that
offers missionary training for the whole person: physical, spiritual,
mental, and emotional. HGM also offers a year-long intensive
internship that includes Boot Camp training, discipleship, service
opportunities, and a short-term trip.

GO SHORT-TERM: HGM offers three-week exposure trips in the spring
for those who want to experience what life is really like for
the unreached.

GO LONG-TERM: Those who feel called to serve as missionaries
can train with and be sent by HGM for church-planting work among
people who’ve never heard of Jesus.

VOLUNTEER: You can be a part of what God’s doing by joining with
HGM, as a part-time volunteer, as a full-time staff member, or
as a financial supporter.

MOBILIZE: HGM offers resources like missions mobilization material,
seminars, and speakers, that can help your church to get involved
in God’s global movement.

For more information, visit Heart of God Ministries (http://www.heartofgod.com)
on the web or call 405.737.9446.

EDITOR’S NOTE: They have a very cool web site! Take a look.

ARTICLE: PRAY FOR MISSIONARY WOMEN
Marti Smith <msmith@cproject.com>, Managing Editor

After doing research for a book on women in missions (see the Resource Review from June 22, 2005 of the BOOK - Through Her
Eyes
(http://www.calebproject.org/main.php/resource%5Freviews),
I put together a sheet of ideas on how to pray for women who are cross-cultural missionaries. It's simply entitled, "Pray for Missionary Women," and includes prayer needs of single women, married women, rookie missionaries, and seasoned veterans.

Have a use for such a thing? You can download it here:
http://www.calebproject.org/userfiles/main.php/PMW.pdf
or request a copy of the 60 kb file by e-mail
msmith (at) cproject (dot) com.

WEB SITE: OSCAR
from: *email:mike@oscar.org.uk: Mike Frith, OSCAR (http://www.oscar.org.uk)
– February 17, 2006

On March 1, 2006, OSCAR, the web-based UK Information Service
for World Mission, will re-launch its web site with a virtual
party on the Internet. Party goers will be able to play virtual
hide-and-seek, virtual pass-the-parcel, and mingle with other
virtual party goers during activities and discussions.

The re-launch also coincides with the organization's sixth birthday,
so the idea of a virtual party came about.

Mike Frith, OSCAR's Founding Director, says, "The web site re-
design and re-launch marks the beginning of the next phase of
OSCAR's life. I'm thrilled with all that OSCAR has achieved over
the last six years, but even more excited about what lies ahead."

Everyone is invited to join in the party on March 1 at the OSCAR
web site (http://www.oscar.org.uk), which includes the following
features:

* Opportunity zone - mission organizations and opportunities
plus news and info from around the world.

* Service zone - mission support services and relevant information.

* Supporter zone - information, advice, and resources for mission
supporters.

* OSCARactive - the interactive section of the OSCAR web site.

* News & events - time-critical information such as news, coming
events, and weather.

* About OSCAR - the background of OSCAR plus information on donations
and sponsorship.

IRAQ: CHURCHES TARGETED AS TENSIONS RISE
from: World Evangelical Alliance
http://www.worldevangelicalalliance.org)
Religious Liberty Prayer List - February 1, 2006
By Elizabeth Kendal

On Sunday, January 29, five car bombs exploded in Kirkuk and
Baghdad between 4:10pm and 4:30pm. Three people were killed by
the Kirkuk bombs which went off outside the Church of the Virgin
and an Orthodox church. In Baghdad, car bombs exploded outside
the Vatican embassy, The Disciples of St. Peter and Paul Orthodox
Church, and an Anglican church. At least 14 people altogether
were injured. An Assyrian Christian source reported that Assyrian
Christian university students in Mosul were beaten by mobs of
Muslim students angry about the cartoons of Mohammed published
in Denmark last September. It appears the church bombings were
also linked to local anger over the Danish cartoons.

Iraqi Christians are extremely vulnerable. Sunnis and Shi'ites are reported to be polarizing along sectarian lines, with social groups and even whole suburbs becoming less mixed and identifying more by religious affiliation. It is also reportedly the same with student groups in universities. As people, groups, and whole communities start to identify by religious affiliation rather than their common Iraqi nationality, the Christian minority find themselves increasingly despised, marginalized, and exposed. They are endangered, without equality before the (Islamic) law, having no retaliation ideology, and lacking security in a lawless Islamic society.

Full story: http://www.evangelicalalliance.org.au/rlc/postings/postings.php?ID=548