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OUTSOURCING PRAYER--Outsourcing
to India is now also embracing the sacred, according to a NYTimes article
(04/06/13). Blaming it on a shortage of priests, requests for a special mass
or prayers are routed from Americans, Canadians and Europeans often via the
Vatican to clergy in India.
Increasing numbers of them arrive by email, especially
to India's southwestern state of Kerala, where one of the largest
concentrations of India's Christians can be found. "In Kerala's churches,
memorial and thanksgiving prayers conducted for local residents are said for
a donation of 40 rupees (90 cents), whereas a prayer request from the United
States typically comes with $5, the Indian priests say."
Responding to the concerns expressed by Westerners,
Indian church leaders point out that this is not a recent development, but
that rich churches short on priests have been sharing their needs and
resources with their poorer brethren for decades. "The Rev. Paul Thelakkat,
a Cochin-based spokesman for the Synod of Bishops of the Syro-Malabar
Church, said, "The prayer is heartfelt, and every prayer is treated as the
same whether it is paid for in dollars, euros or in rupees." (NYT; 04/06/13)
Thumbs Up from 5,000 pastors for Mel's movie "The Passion of
the Christ" click here to read the full story
From WCN issue #24
PERSECUTION SUNDAY–The seventh annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, supported, among others, by Open Doors, the Voice of the Martyrs and the World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission, occurred on Sunday, November 9, 2003. Some 200,000 churches worldwide are believed to have taken time to pray for the estimated 200 million Christians who are denied full human rights. According to the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), this is the largest group in the world oppressed for their beliefs. Read also: Persecuted Believers
AMERICANS AND RELIGION–A September Gallup Poll survey shows that 65% of Americans say religion is “very important” in their lives, a 9% increase since May. The high point for those saying religion is very important (75%) came in 1952, while the low (52%) came in 1978. (Gallup Poll Vault, Sept. 2-4)
SEA CHANGE–If the number of Anglicans in Great Britain continues to decline at the current rate, Muslims in that country will outnumber Anglicans by 2013. Immigration, births, and conversions are responsible for the shift, combined with the decline of the state church; it lost 31% of its members over 20 years, 24% in the last ten. On the bright side, mainstream evangelicals have grown by 68% in the same ten-year period. (GO World)
GROWING CHURCH–According to a study entitled “Religious Congregations and Membership: 2000,” the fastest growing religious denomination in the USA in the last ten years was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, increasing its U.S. membership by 19.3%. Following the Mormon church, the highest growth was seen in the conservative Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, with 18.6%; the Assemblies of God with 18.5%, and the Roman Catholic Church with 16.2%. The church that lost the highest percentage of members was the Presbyterian Church USA, with an 11.6% decrease. (NY Times, 02/09/18)
About Schmidt, a movie with a child sponsorship theme
Archive:
WCN Christian World #23
Bible / Theology Titles
The
Passion of the Christ
Movie tie-in book with stunning photos from Mel
Gibson's movie
Prevailing
Church
Whether the church is 50 people or 5,000 people, this book
addresses key concerns common to all. Randy Pope covers both
the practical (Realistic Goals and Cultural Relevance,
etc.), and the theological (Holiness, and Discipleship).
Church
on Sunday, Work on Monday
(while supplies last)
The challenge of fusing Christian values with business
life. Takes the "spirituality at work" movement to the next level, offering
practical advice on how the church can help with this quest
Call,
The (with workbook)
In the tradition of CS Lewis and Oswald
Chambers, renowned Guinness has penned a classic reflective work on life's
purpose. Answering the call of our creator is "the ultimate why" for living
-- the highest source of purpose in human existence. Apart from such a
calling, all hope of discovering purpose will always end in disappointment.
The Calling will inspire readers to live a life of focus, gratitude,
humility and vision.
last update: 2004 Jun 13