Exloring Life Eternal

JORDAN-BASED MINISTRY DISTRIBUTES AID, BIBLES IN MIDDLE EAST
Manara Ministries, an evangelical relief and development agency based in Amman, Jordan, recently visited the two largest churches in Damascus, Syria,that are hosting Iraqi refugees. “Along with providing 2,000 Bibles, we were able to distribute some food parcels for needy widows in the area,” reports President Issam Ghattas. “We praise the Lord for obtaining government permission to ship 50,000 [Bible storybooks] for children into Syria.” Manara continues to operate Christian bookstores in Amman, Jordan, and Baghdad, Iraq, although book shipments from main suppliers in Cairo, Egypt, are sometimes blocked due to security problems. Manara, along with a local church, has organized the first widows’ conference in Iraq. [ASSIST 25 Oct.’05]

QATAR’S FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN 1,400 YEARS
The reform-minded emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, has
donated land on the outskirts of Doha for the construction of the first
Christian church in that country since the 7th century. The $7 million
Church of the Epiphany, which will open in 2006, will not have a spire or free-standing cross. Christianity was unknown in most Gulf Arab states within a few centuries of the arrival of Islam, but many Christians have migrated to the region since the discovery of oil. Qatar’s Anglican community is roughly 7,000 and 10,000 people. [CSM 10 Nov.’05]

SAT-7 LAUNCHES “2006 YEAR OF THE FAMILY” CAMPAIGN
Serving as the premier Arabic Christian satellite TV channel for millions of people in the Middle East and North Africa, SAT-7 announced today the launch of a new family initiative called the 2006 Year of the Family campaign to give the Christian message through the basic block of a family unit. Beginning next year, SAT-7 will be airing special television programs with the theme "Together we can shape the future!" Launched in 1996, SAT-7 developed satellite broadcasts for Christians of the Middle East and North Africa. Though it started airing only 2 hours of Arabic Christian TV per week, today the channel broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, bringing the message of Christ into millions of homes. [CHRISTIAN POST 10 Nov.’05]

MUSLIMS IN EUROPE
More than 53 million Muslims are currently living in Europe; 14 million of
them reside in the European Union (EU), according to the Central
Institute-Islam Archives in Soest, Germany. Among the 25 EU states France
has the highest number of Muslims – 5.5 million – followed by Germany (3.2
million), the United Kingdom (1.5 million) and Italy (1 million). Taking
into account the whole continent, Russia has 25 million Muslims and the
European part of Turkey 5.9 million. The Muslim population in Germany is
mostly made up of Turkish migrants, but the number of Muslims holding a
German passport has risen to almost one million. Muslim worship in Germany is on the rise. One in five Muslim adolescents worships regularly. The number of converts to Islam has reached a new high in Germany. According to the institute more than 1,100 persons changed their religion to Islam between 2004 and 2005. Approximately 60% of converts were women, most of them converting because they married a Muslim. But the reverse is also true: more and more Muslims in Germany become Christians. Most of them are Iranians in exile. The Islam-Institute believes that altogether more than 100,000 Iranian Shiites have converted to the Christian faith since the Islamic revolution. Most of them live in the United States. [IDEA Nov.’05]

RESOURCES
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Email: editor@globalmissiology.org

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backdated & editted

Qatar, Arabian Peninsula

Leader: Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Dominant Religion: Sunni Islam
Christians: 10-11% (expatriots)
Persecution Rating: 33rd

Qatar is in the process of introducing a new constitution, which establishes a partly elected legislative council. However the Emir has the right to veto new laws but must propose amendments to the council to address his concerns. The constitution includes religious freedom. There is no national church in Qatar. Expatriate churches were granted legal status in 2003, which allows them to apply for religious visas for full-time pastors, rent property, and operate bank accounts in the name of the church. One remaining problem is that they are required to have 1,000 members before their registration is accepted. Smaller fellowships must register as societies or clubs. During 2003, four expatriate pastors and their families were deported.

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Prayer points:

= Pray that the new constitution would be effectively implemented for the benefit of all Qataris and resident foreign workers.

= Pray for further changes to the legal recognition of churches, especially for the size requirement to be lowered.

= Pray for the provision of gifted expatriate pastors for all fellowships, and that they would not be deported for no reason.

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Dear LORD God, ruler of the universe, we commit the land of Qatar to you. Bless the efforts of the Emir to introduce a constitution for the benefit of nationals and expatriate workers. Provide gifted pastors and teachers for the expatriate Christian Church in Qatar. Amen.

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Sources: LifeAgape International, Barnabus Fund, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Forum 18 News Service, Jubilee Campaign, Middle East Concern, Open Doors International, and 3P Ministries
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"Copyright © 2005, Window International Network. All rights reserved."

Pray for a young National Muslim man who varies in his intensity of following Jesus. Sometimes he is very committed – frequently meeting the men discipling him and other times he misses every appointment. Pray that "M" would be able to put behind him the things that draw him away from growing in his walk with Jesus.

Praise the Lord for a German man who committed his life to the Lord recently. Pray that he would wisely share his new faith ith the National Muslims in his work place and neighborhood.

Pray for the two women that were arrested in the United Arab Emirates for distribution of Christian materials in a public place. The police have treated them well, but it would be best if they were deported and not given a prison sentence. ** (see below ... The Lord answered even before we asked!!)

Pray for the team of tentmakers from the Arabian Peninsula meeting with several Christian foundations to discuss special projects that will facilitate spreading the Gospel in all 7 AP countries.

Please pray for a believing local couple who are having severe financial and marriage problems. Pray also for wisdom for those counseling them.

Praise God, he is bringing more people to Qatar who have a heart to reach out to the National people. May more Christians here catch that vision.

Pray for Sandra, a National Muslim woman who has come to faith. She was part of our country's PTAP prayer request before. Her unbelieving husband is still violent with her. She is afraid to read her Bible for fear of his reprisal. Pray that the God of eternity would bring peace to her life. Pray for wisdom for those discipling her.