Christian News Bulletin

FLASH DRIVES FLY TO NORTH KOREA A North Korean defector used 350 helium balloons to send 1,000 flash drives loaded with portions of the Bible across the border into North Korea from the South Korean side, according to a report in The Christian Post. The flash drives were donated by college and high school students in the United States. ARCHBISHOP TO ADVISE UN The Church Times reports that the Archbishop of Canterbury is to serve on a newly established United Nations board on mediation, advising the UN Secretary-General on initiatives for peace. Archbishop Welby is the only religious leader among the 18 current and former global leaders invited to join the new advisory board. NO ‘CHRISTMAS’ AT BIG W Several news outlets have reported that retail giant Big W is under fire from Australian customers for removing all mention of Christmas from their popular range of seasonal tree products. Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies said it was sad retailers seemed to be moving to “de-Christianise” the holiday. “I think it is a very sad reflection on our society, that we dishonour the heritage we have in Australia,” he said.

REVIVAL ON CAPE YORK PENINSULA Eternity Magazine reports that scenes of reconciliation and a dramatic fall in violence have marked a revival in Aurukun, an Indigenous town on Australia’s Cape York Peninsula. One thousand of the town’s 1300-strong population crowded into the Uniting Church during months of intense seeking after God. PRAYING AT THE POLE Towards the end of last month, students across the world gathered at their school’s flagpole for the 25th annual “See You at the Pole” prayer event. The prayer rallies were led by students who met at flagpoles for a time of prayer before the school day began. The Christian Post reported that one million students participated in the event this year. AN INSPIRING DOCUMENTARY A documentary film on the life of Steve McQueen, who achieved worldwide fame and fortune as the highest-paid actor of his era in Hollywood, yet late in life quietly embarked on a spiritual journey that led him to Christian faith, was released recently. STEVE MCQUEEN: AMERICAN ICON is hosted by Greg Laurie. The movie is narrated by Oscar® nominee and Emmy® winner Gary Sinise, and was directed by Jon Erwin and Ben Smallbone.

MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE Decision Magazine carries a report on the newly constructed Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. Scheduled to open on 17th November, the 430,000 square foot facility will be a multimedia experience allowing guests to explore and learn about the Bible’s history, stories and impact. COMMUNITY CHAPLAINS Anglican Media reports that Sydney Anglicans have plans underway to recruit a force of 1,000 community chaplains by the year 2020. The aim is that community chaplains will act as evangelists in every community to either form churches or feed into existing churches. FUNDRAISING CONCERTS Silvie Paladino is one of Australia’s most versatile and talented entertainers. The singer will appear in two special concerts on Saturday 28th October in Bayswater, Victoria. The special non-profit events, organised by Breakthrough Church, are fundraisers for the church’s program that supplies breakfast meals in schools for needy families in Melbourne’s outer east.

ANCIENT SEALS FOUND IN JERUSALEM In an excavation at Jerusalem’s City of David, archaeologists have found dozens of seals with “biblical-type” names on them. The seals may mean the city housed thousands of refugees, according to The Christian Post. The names, written in ancient Hebrew, “support the theory that Israelites fleeing the Assyrians found shelter, and even high office, in the southern kingdom of Judah," archaeologists said. NIGERIAN CLERGY CALL FOR COMPENSATION According to christianheadlines.com religious leaders in Nigeria are renewing and amplifying their call for the government to pay compensation for the destruction of churches by Boko Haram. Nigerian clergy say at least 1,000 churches have been destroyed in the six-year insurgency, which the government declared crushed last year. COLIN BUCHANAN ON TOUR Eternity Magazine reports that singer-songwriter Colin Buchanan is touring Australia this month. In his concerts, the Aussie performer talks and sings about Arthur Stace, the man who wrote the word ‘Eternity’ in chalk on the streets of Sydney. Buchanan states: “The power of Arthur Stace’s story is the power of the gospel – not simply that his life was transformed, but that the gospel works at micro and macro levels. I think we ought to be encouraged that there’s a Christian story behind that word.”

UK CHURCH ATTENDANCE GROWS Churches in the UK have been struggling to maintain attendance, but one thing that is bringing in more attendees is a renewing of old choral evensong music. According to ChristianToday.com, choral evensong music has been around for centuries as part of church worship music. The renewing of this particular music is revitalizing churches around Britain. “ROCKIN’ THROUGH THE PSALMS” The Christian Post reports that Elvis Presley fans now have an opportunity to study the Bible just like the king of rock 'n' roll thanks to the  Museum of the Bible. The Museum of the Bible is presenting a YouVersion Bible reading plan called "Rockin' Through the Psalms With the 'King.'" The week-long Bible plan takes a glimpse into the cultural icon's personal Bible, complete with his notes, to help readers connect with the book of Psalms through the eyes of the music legend.

CANADIAN PASTOR FREED Several religious news agencies have reported that, earlier this month, North Korea released a Canadian pastor who was convicted of attempting to undermine the regime of Kim Jong Un. North Korea’s state media said that the pastor was freed on humanitarian grounds. The Rev. Rim Hyon Su, also known as Hyeon Soo Lim, was accused by the state of using religion as a ruse to overthrow the government. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2015. The South Korean-born pastor of Toronto’s Light Korean Presbyterian Church had pleaded guilty to trying to undermine the worship of Kim, which is required of all North Koreans. CHURCH ABANDONING THE POOR? According to Church Times, a warning from the Bishop of Burnley, the Rt Revd Philip North, that the Church of England is “complicit in the abandonment of the poor”, and will continue to decline unless this is redressed, has been welcomed by church leaders and parish priests in the UK. Bishop North warned: “The simple and hard truth is that, in the poorest parts of the country, we are withdrawing preachers. We are seeing the slow and steady withdrawal of church life from those communities where the poorest people in our nation live.” STORY OF A RESTORED MARRIAGE Christian Headlines reports that actress Renee Zellweger will star in the upcoming film "Same Kind of Different As Me," a film that deals with a husband and wife's marriage and redemption. The film is not being marketed as a faith-based movie, but Paramount Pictures and Christian entertainment company, Pure Flix, produced it.

BAPTIST PASTORS FACE PRISON The Baptist Standard reports that two Baptist pastors in Myanmar who have been imprisoned since Christmas Eve face up to eight years in prison for helping a journalist who photographed evidence of the Myanmar military’s bombing of a Roman Catholic church. IRAQUI TOWN ELECTS CHRISTIAN WOMAN AS MAYOR A Catholic woman has made history by being elected as the new mayor of an Iraqi town according to Premier.org. Lara Yussif Zara has become the first Christian woman to be mayor of Alqosh, a small town on the Nineveh Plain in Iraq, after the Municipal Council of Qaraqosh voted unanimously for her election. ACTOR OVERCOMES ADDICTION Christianheadlines.com tells how actor Kelsey Grammer overcame his alcohol addiction with God’s help. Grammer said that, without God, he turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with the pain of a series of tragic events. Grammer’s drug and alcohol addiction became so bad that he was caught drunk driving and spent time in prison. The consequences of his actions made him come to grips with what was happening in his life. He ended up giving his life to Christ, and through Jesus’ power, turned his life around. "As a Christian, we always fail because we can't become Christ," the now 62-year-old said. "But I can try to at least emulate the best qualities, even if I may fall short."

BENEFITS OF GOD Breaking Christian News reports that as people grow older, those who are securely attached to God are more likely to have a sense of wellbeing – and the more frequently they pray, the greater that feeling, according to a Baylor University study. The study, published in the Journal Of Aging And Health, focuses on three measures of wellbeing –optimism, self‐esteem and contentment with life – and shows that for all of them, there is a relationship between attachment to God and prayer. CHAPLAINS IN GYMS According to Premier News, gym members across the UK will have the opportunity to have more help not only with their fitness, but with life in general. Sports Chaplaincy UK, which provides and supports chaplains in professional and amateur sports, has recently partnered with an organisation that will put chaplains in gyms across the nation. ‘I CAN ONLY IMAGINE’ Actor Dennis Quaid will star in the upcoming film I Can Only Imagine, which is based on the popular Christian song of the same name. Quaid says the movie highlights the power of a changed heart. Along with Quaid, the faith-based movie will also feature country star Trace Adkins and Cloris Leachman, among other familiar Hollywood names.

CHURCHES SEIZED BY TURKISH GOVERNMENT Turkey’s president and his government continue to target Christians. In his latest effort to subjugate Turkey’s Christian population to the government, Turkish President Erdogan seized control of 50 Syriac churches. According to CBN News’ Chief International Reporter Gary Lane, Erdogan and his government are intentionally targeting Christian churches in their quest to bring Sharia Law to Turkey. DNA ANALYSIS SUPPORTS BIBLICAL STORY Morning Star News reports that recent analysis and study of ancient mummies in Egypt has revealed findings that coincide with the Bible’s account of Noah’s descendants. Researchers from the University of Tuebingen and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Jena, both of which are in Germany, found that the DNA of mummies entombed in Middle Egypt, actually matches that of Neolithic and Bronze Age peoples from the Near East, Anatolia, and the Eastern Mediterranean instead of modern Egyptians. ‘LEFT BEHIND’ FILM SERIES Paul Lalonde, writer of the apocalyptic adventure film ‘Left Behind,’ has announced that he's working on a new ‘Left Behind’ movie series based on all 16 books. Lalonde declared: "I have officially acquired the movie rights to the entire 'Left Behind' series. I have been working closely with Jerry B. Jenkins and the LaHaye family to make it all happen." And he added: "We are going to tell the entire story of the 'Left Behind' series over the course of six to eight movies."

ANCIENT ROAD UNEARTHED The Jerusalem Post reports that Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists have unearthed a road running from Jerusalem’s gates and the Pool of Siloam to the Temple. “Jesus would have walked on this newly excavated road to the Temple Mount,” said Moran Hagbi, one of the directors of the excavation. The archaeologists also discovered evidence of the last battle between Roman forces and Jewish rebels which resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70. CHRISTIAN CHARITY IN BURUNDI As Burundi marks its 55th year of independence, Tearfund, a Christian charity, has told Premier.org that its humanitarian crisis is worsening. As conflict rages, over one quarter of the population need urgent assistance and 400,000 are living as refugees in neighbouring Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The charity has been responding with an emergency feeding and nutrition programme in key areas of Burundi. CHRISTIAN REFUGEES FLY TO FRANCE France will begin taking in Syrian Christian refugees this month. They will be flown in from Lebanon, where they have been living in refugee camps. An accord signed earlier this year between the French government and an alliance of Christian charities states that up to 500 Syrian Christian refugees are to be brought over as part of what an Air France spokesperson said is a "humanitarian corridor" project.