A Salvation Army band has won the right to represent Switzerland at next year's Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. Featuring a 94-year-old on stand-up bass, the six-piece band romped to victory despite stiff competition from more accomplished groups boasting big record sales. The band will carry the weight and hopes of Swiss expectation next year in the Swedish town of Malmo with its English language ballad entitled ‘You and Me’, which departs from the traditional brass-band Army sound with heavy electric guitars. But the band has spurned the Eurovision kitsch and sequins, with most of its members wearing the traditional Salvation Army uniform. In its only concessions to 21st-Century fashion, the lead guitarist wears jeans while a tambourine-waving singer wears a polo shirt emblazoned with the Salvation Army motif. The group's victory was described as ‘sensational’ by Tages Anzeiger, a Swiss newspaper.
Praise: God for this wonderful opportunity to sing God’s praises and witness to an international audience. (Jdg.5:3)
Saints on the street
19 Jun 2010
Baptist churches have been encouraged to set aside a number of Sundays each year to get out into their neighbourhoods and meet people who would not normally come to church. The future president of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Revd Chris Duffett has launched an evangelistic project called Saints on the Street (St St). 'As the vast majority of people in the UK do not go to church, St St projects take church to the vast majority,' he explained. 'Our hope is that St St may become a vision for Baptist churches in the UK to set aside some Sundays in the year where the morning service is used to engage with people who wouldn't consider going to church.' Recently he invited shoppers in Peterborough to walk along a VIP red carpet to give them the message that God thinks they are 'Very Important People'. Forty copies of Mark's Gospel were given away. Praise: that this Baptist outreach may be effective in bringing the good news to the unchurched. (Isa. 52:7)
S. Asia: Bamboo artisans share Jesus
02 Jul 2010
Nearly every day, five S. Asian tribal women travel to surrounding villages to sell their hand-crafted bamboo items. But when these women go to the markets, they bring something else with them: Jesus. Even though these rural women don’t know how to read, they bring Gospel tracts with them everywhere they go. One week, the women had an extraordinary opportunity before them when they visited one of Laxmi’s relatives, Shalini. She had suffered for more than a year from a tumor in her neck. In faith, the five women shared Jesus’ love with Shalini and prayed for her. God answered their cries and healed Shalini, completely removing the tumor that had plagued her for so long. Shalini and her whole family saw Jesus’ power and chose to follow Him, leaving their old traditions and religious practices to put their trust in the one true God. Six other families in their village also chose Jesus. Praise: God for His wonderful healing power. (Ac.10:38)
S Korea: Senior citizens urged to turn to God
09 Oct 2010
South Korean senior citizens are urged to get closer to God in order to find happiness in their old age. Seoul archdiocesan Pastoral Administration for Seniors’ organized the Seniors’ Day festival on Oct. 5 in Seoul. ‘It has celebrated the annual event every October since 1988. Some 3,500 seniors attended the event. Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung of Seoul said, ‘seniors have experienced life’s joys and sorrows. Jesus knows all hardships. What we need most in our remaining days is to realize that we are all beloved of the Lord.’ With Seoul’s aging population increasing to more than one million, Seoul RC archdiocese in cooperation with the local government sets up day care centres for senior citizens at parishes. So far, it has opened six centres in six parishes and plans to open nine more by February next year. Praise: God that He blesses even those who are old and grey. (Is.46:4) More: http://www.ucanews.com/2010/10/06/koreas-senior-citizens-urged-to-turn-to-god/
Rwanda: Answered prayer for peaceful elections
14 Aug 2010
On Monday August 9th over 12,000 believers from various religious denominations in Kigali thronged Amahoro National Stadium to pray for Rwanda’s presidential elections to be peaceful. - See Prayer Alert 3210) The crusade from midday to sunset was dubbed ‘Rwanda is in your hands Lord.’ The presidential elections started the next day. The event was characterized by prayers being led by several pastors, and there were testimonies and entertainment from local church choirs. Pastor Antoine Rutayisire observed that bad politics plunged the country into genocide and urged all churches to wake up and play their role in changing the mindset of Rwandans. ‘It's now our churches time to pave the way for a better Rwanda. Rwanda is ours always. If we sleep it will crumble down,’ He called on all Rwandans to love and always pray for their country. Praise: God for answered prayers and ask him to continue to unite His church across the continent of Africa. (2Ch.7:14)
Russian hotels to have a Bible in every room
29 Aug 2013With so much bad news coming out of Russia these days, it is surprising (and encouraging) to learn that this month, Russian hotels are to have Bibles in every room. According to Teresa Neumann of Breaking Christian News (http://breakingchristiannews.com), the first 6,000 copies of the New Testament and Psalms were installed this month in rooms of Izmailovo, one of the largest hotels in Moscow. ‘The move is supported by the government's Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management Department of the Moscow Government and the Commission with the Diocesan Missionary Council of the capital’, reports The Christian Telegraph. Dimitriy Pershin, the chairman of the Commission said, ‘Actually, in every European hotel, guests can find Bibles in the rooms. The Gospel is a book that has become the foundation of European culture. It is an essential feature of the respectful and hospitable attitude towards the guests, as well as an indicator of the cultural level of the owners of hotels.’
Praise: God for this initiative and pray that it will lead to more opportunities. (Ac.6:7)
More: http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2013/s13080097.htm
Russia: ‘Gigantic statue’ of Jesus unveiled
14 Mar 2011
It appears easier to erect religious statues in the former USSR than other countries in the West. A Russian publication, Russia Information Center, reports that a ‘gigantic statue’ of Jesus Christ will be unveiled in Prokopievsk, in the region of Kemerovo. The unveiling is part of ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of the city. According to the report, the monument, measuring 11 metres high, will sit atop the highest point in the town. Beams of light will reportedly illuminate it from below and the pedestal it sits upon bears inscriptions of the Ten Commandments. Several other monuments gracing the town by sculptor Konstantin Zinich include one of Adam and Eve. Praise: God that Jesus and His Word are central to the celebrations of Prokopievsk. More: http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/articles/display_art.html?ID=8732
Russia: Prison Ministry
06 Mar 2011
An offender writes, ‘I understand how baptism will clean our heart from all evil and allow God’s love within our soul. It has taken a lot of faith to get where I am in my life now, deep soul-searching too. Sometimes we are all faced with things in our life that are challenging and which we have no control over. I certainly made very bad choices in my past and realize that I had to pay a high price for those mistakes. But at least I can say I’ve learned my lesson! My deliverance came when I personally accepted Jesus Christ into my life. Everything for me became very clear, and the road was chosen for me. JESUS is my life now and I must always do the right thing. I love life and my family.’ Over the years it has become much more difficult for prisoners to receive Christian literature. Praise: God that this prisoner is practicing his new found faith, and ask that many more prisoners meet Jesus. More: http://www.stsilas.org/