Christian News Bulletin

 THE BIBLE IN SIGN LANGUAGE Mission Network News reports that the world’s first complete Sign Language Bible is almost complete. DOOR International has finished filming the final portion of Scripture in their decades-long project. DOOR is planning for an October celebration of the first full Bible translation. THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH The personal importance of faith is increasing in much of the world, according to a survey of more than 38,000 people across 34 countries spanning six continents. In an analysis released recently by Christianity Today, the Pew Research Centre found that 61% of respondents to its Global Attitudes Survey agreed that ‘God plays an important role’ in their lives. SEARCH FOR THE BIBLE The coronavirus pandemic has kept many Christians from attending church meetings and Bible study, but new Barna Group research shows some heartening statistics. Researcher John Plake, with Bible Society, says they have noticed an increase in curious exploration of Scripture. Google trends show there has been a five-year spike on Internet searches around the word 'Bible'.

WORLD VISION IN BEIRUT World Vision is busy assisting people affected by the recent blast in Beirut, Lebanon with primary needs of food, water and shelter. World Vision worker Rami Shamma reports that emotional care is also provided, which is crucial for Lebanese children. He says the trauma is ‘stacked up’ and they are providing psychological first aid. MEGHAN MARKLE’S FAITH Meghan Markle's faith in God has got her through ‘the darkest moments’ in her life, according to a new biography about her marriage to Prince Harry, Finding Freedom. The authors, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, claim that belief in God plays ‘a central role’ in Meghan’s life. Christian Today reports the book as stating: ‘It's prayer and conversations with God that have gotten her through the darkest moments.’ STATUE OF BILLY GRAHAM A life-sized statue of the late Billy Graham will be installed in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall collection. The late evangelist’s statue will replace a statue of a white supremacist, Charles Aycock, that the government wants removed. Franklin Graham told Religion News Service the statue is not something his father would have pushed for. 

ANCIENT CHURCH DISCOVERED Archaeologists in Israel have unearthed a 1,300-year-old Christian church that is a short distance from the traditional site of Jesus’ transfiguration. The church, about 118 feet by 39 feet, includes “ornate mosaic floors” and was recently found in an excavation in the Israeli village of Kfar Kama, which is about a two-hour drive north of Jerusalem. Kfar Kama is a few miles from Mount Tabor, which Origen – a third-century theologian – said was the site of Jesus’ Transfiguration. The archaeological find was announced in a press release by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. POPE VISITS SUMMER CAMP Eternity News reports that Pope Francis decided to take a little stroll from his place to visit the children attending the Vatican’s summer camps – much to the surprise of its organisers and attendees. After chatting to the kids about the day’s activities and checking they were happy, Pope Francis greeted each of the 22 camp counsellors, posed for a group photo with everyone, then set off on his walk home. CHRISTIAN PRODUCTION COMPANY Antonio Sabato Jr., a conservative Christian actor best known for his role in “General Hospital” in the ‘90s, is launching his own production company aimed to help creative professionals who have been blacklisted by Hollywood for their religious or political beliefs, according to the Christian Post.

CHURCH OFFLINE According to Eternity News, the Barna research group reports that 32 per cent of “practising Christians” in the United states have stopped attending church online during the COVID-induced lockdown. They note that a small number of these people may be attending church physically but add “we can, for the most part, confidently interpret this group as those who have dropped out of church for the time being.” HAGIA SOPHIA Turkish President Erdoğan has invited Pope Francis to the former Byzantine-era church, Hagia Sophia, after the government was given the go-ahead to convert it into a functioning mosque. News of Erdoğan's decision to invite a number of special guests to the Hagia reopening comes as officials warn that the historic Christian mosaics and iconography that adorn the walls will be covered up by curtains during times of Islamic prayer. Premier Christian News reports that the move to convert the building to a mosque was condemned by the heads of the Greek Orthodox Church along with many senior clergy across the globe. FOOD OR FAITH Open Doors UK and Ireland told Premier Christian News that it has been "inundated" with reports of Christians worldwide who are being asked to renounce their faith in exchange for emergency Covid-19 aid. Christians from countries including Bangladesh, India, Sudan and Malaysia, say they are facing an ultimatum. A pastor in Western Sudan is quoted as saying, “When Christian converts do ask for help from their Muslim community, they are told they have to give up Christianity if they want to be helped. It is a tragedy."

FROM CHURCH TO MOSQUE ‘For the Orthodox Church, Hagia Sofia is as important as St Peter's Basilica in Rome is for Catholics. The church was built in the 6th Century and was devoted to Christ the Saviour. For us, it has been and will always remain the Church devoted to Christ’, says Metropolitan Hilarion, spokesman of the Moscow Patriarchate according to Breaking Christian News. Moments after Turkish President Erdogan's controversial decision to convert Istanbul's Hagia Sophia into a mosque, the Muslim call to prayer sounded from the UNESCO World Heritage site. Once the largest church in Christendom, the Hagia Sophia was first converted into a mosque more than 500 years ago during the Islamic Ottoman Empire, then turned into a museum by Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern-day Turkey. “HOPE” IN PRISON Anglican News reports that the Church of England broadcast its first online prison church service on Sunday 12 July on prison television and radio as well as on the church's website, Facebook page and YouTube channel. The service, with the theme of Hope, included contributions from prison staff and chaplains as well as prayers, reflections and artwork written and created by prisoners. COLIN BUCHANAN ONLINE A night of song with Colin Buchanan will be held via Facebook Live on Colin’s Facebook page on Thursday 23 July, from 7.30pm. Anyone may tune in online and listen to the songs. The concert is free, and no registration is required. Just turn up on Colin’s Facebook page by the commencement time.

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS Online church meetings have replaced traditional in-person services across the world, forcing churches to find new digital solutions to reach their communities. The charity Christian Vision (CV) provides free online resources through their website and social media platforms. They have seen a quadrupling of their reach to 182 million people over a 30-day period and more than 17 million individuals have viewed one of CV’s online gospel presentations, introducing them to the person of Jesus Christ. Commenting on this development, Bob Edmiston, Founder and Chairman of Christian Vision, said: “It’s as though God just switched the lights on, and everyone is online during lockdown. People’s lives have been placed on hold and they are looking for answers to life’s biggest questions.” SURF CHURCH A growing church planting ministry is having an impact on the surfing community in Northern Portugal. Operation Mobilisation’s Surf Church Porto began in the home of Troy and Michelle Pitney in 2015 with just 6 people. Three years ago, numbers grew to around 80 attendees, forcing the couple to move the church out of their home and into a new location near the beach. Mr Pitney told ASSIST News their vision is to continue planting churches across the country in order to make disciples who go on to disciple others. CHARLIE DANIELS Christianheadlines reports that Charlie Daniels, the country/gospel singer and southern rocker who was best known for the 1979 hit The Devil Went Down to Georgia and who also was an outspoken Christian, died last Monday from a stroke. He was 83.

GLOBAL WORSHIP EVENT Assist News Service reports that world‐renowned Christian hymn writers, Keith and Kristyn Getty, have announced details of a six continent virtual worship event. The four-day Sing! Global event is set to feature more than 100 speakers and artists. The event will take place from 30 August to 2 September. The content will be available for 90 days. HONG KONG CLERGY According to The Christian Post, a controversial new national security law for Hong Kong, as proposed by China, has caused concerns that the semi-autonomous city’s vocal clergy who have supported the democracy movement could be extradited to and tried in mainland China. Hundreds of Protestant leaders or Christian organizations who have actively spoken out against the Hong Kong government might face the same fate. JESUS THE GAME CHANGER Australian Christian media ministry, Olive Tree Media, has started production on a new season of Jesus The Game Changer. This new series will be released in October by Trinity Broadcast Network in the US and will be available in Australia, NZ and the UK for churches soon after.

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY An Anglican church in the UK is taking the 'revolutionary' step of employing a full-time journalist. The church in Kent is advertising for a 'multi-skilled qualified journalist' to report community and church-based news. Christian Today reports the move comes as the outlook for local newspapers looks increasingly bleak. Half of the stories will focus on the local community, its people and groups, schools and new housing. The other half will focus on telling the story of the church, its people, purpose and history. REOPENING FOR WORSHIP A group of clergy, scientists and other experts has released a guide to help congregations consider best practices for reopening for worship. According to Religion News Service the document recommends each congregation create a COVID‐19 Task Force to oversee preparations. Among the suggestions are: Have no physical contact. Nod instead of shaking hands. Refrain from singing. Preach shorter sermons. Mouth congregational prayers instead of speaking and maintain social distancing. THE AUSTRALIAN BLESSING Eternity News reports that the Australian Blessing video released on YouTube is already in the top ten trending videos. Blessing videos have become a global internet sensation during the COVID lockdown as worship leaders in different countries have united across denominational lines to sing a blessing over their nation.

CHOIRS SILENT IN UK The Christian Post reports that along with the Royal School of Church Music, the Church of England is encouraging the UK government to be proactive to ensure making music can resume in churches once it is safe. The Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, said “We are encouraging the Government to be alert to the consequences of our choirs’ continued silence – and to take a proactive approach to allowing singing to return to our churches and cathedrals as soon as it is possible to do so safely. “This way we can safeguard our choral tradition which many believe to be the finest in the world.” ONLINE EVANGELISM A leading online evangelism ministry reached a major milestone in May by delivering its 2 billionth gospel presentation, some 15 years after it was founded by one of the original employees of Apple. Global Ministry Outreach reaches the world’s lost population through search engines and social media by targeting keywords and directing people to a website catering to their needs. Christian Headlines reports that it was founded in 2005 by Walt Wilson, who worked under Steve Jobs in the early days of Apple. Since its founding, more than 230 million people have indicated they became a Christian through the ministry. HOPE IN MINNEAPOLIS The street in Minneapolis where George Floyd died in police custody has become a place of baptism and prayer. According to CBN News, people have posted images and videos of Christians gathering near the site, worshipping and praying.

“ETERNITY” IN THE SKY The word “Eternity” was written in the sky above the Sydney Harbour Bridge earlier this month. The cursive script used by Arthur Stace, who wrote it in chalk on pavements and building as a one-word sermon half a million times, was once again seen by thousands. The sky writing was to promote a movie about Arthur Stace, which is produced and directed by Richard Attieh of the Australian Television & Media Group. A GOOD SAMARITAN According to Christian Headlines the actor Denzel Washington recently helped a homeless man in danger. This Christian celebrity did his best to be a good Samaritan to a man in need. It happened around West Hollywood when the 65-year-old actor was driving around town. He saw a homeless man that was dangerously close to oncoming traffic, so Denzel pulled his car over to help the man get out of the street. When the police were called to the situation, Denzel remained by his side for the whole time. Later, Denzel gave the man a sandwich and a face mask to help protect him from the coronavirus. ONLINE SERMONS The Christian Post reports that there’s been an increase in sermons published on Faithlife’s online platform that discuss injustice, eschatology, suffering, sickness and other topics related to the coronavirus pandemic as well as the recent protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death.