ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) — The North American Mission Board (NAMB) is implementing a series of budgetary freezes and cutbacks designed to keep missionaries on the field during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

NAMB president Kevin Ezell shared information Thursday (March 19) with staff and missionaries on a video conference call and in emails to state convention leaders and other mission partners.

“We hope these proactive steps will allow our missionaries to continue ministering throughout the crisis, however long it lasts,” Ezell said. “At this point we just don’t know how severe the financial impact will be on our churches, but we want to do everything we can to keep serving them and keep supporting our missionaries.”

The freeze covers all discretionary spending at NAMB’s Alpharetta building and for NAMB missionaries and staff serving throughout North America. NAMB resources will be focused exclusively on mission-critical ministry needs and supporting church planters and ministry personnel. In addition, NAMB events have been postponed until May 31.

Source: Baptist Press

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With schools closing around the country, Krista Peterson, the Baptist Convention of New Mexico’s associate director of children’s leadership development, has created a list of ideas for home discipleship.

Below are Peterson’s 15 ideas for taking advantage of this opportunity and time to disciple kids while they’re home.

— Challenge kids to read the book of Luke, together or individually. Here is a challenge from last year with age-appropriate segments of Luke divided out. www.bcnm.com/nm-kids-reading-gods-word

— Have your kids choose a Bible story and put together a dramatic re-enactment of it. Record it and post on social media for others to see.

— Write and decorate cards to thank those who are part of your child’s development.

— Play board games together or provide kids with a file folder and encourage them to make up their own board game.

— Challenge your kids to memorize Bible verses or passages (like Psalm 23). Award prizes for accomplishments.

— Start a Bible verse challenge. Have your kids create motions for a verse. Record your kids saying the verse and making the motions, send it to another family, and ask them to do the same and keep passing it on.

— Do random acts of kindness like super-secret spies like baking cookies and leaving them on doorsteps without anyone seeing you.

— Make a “blessings” board and write down everything you’re thankful for that God has provided for us.

Source: Baptist Press

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FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) — Individuals who were interested in participating in upcoming Preview Days for The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Scarborough College now have an innovative way to learn about academic programs and faculty as part of a new Virtual Preview initiative, beginning with live video-conferencing Virtual Preview sessions featuring President Adam W. Greenway and faculty members.

“The call to ministry is the call to prepare — and always will be, no matter how the coronavirus is currently interrupting theological education,” Greenway said. “Nothing less than the eternal destinies of human beings is at stake in Gospel ministry, and those who are called to ministry must not permit current inconveniences to interrupt their commitment to seek the very best in preparation for that calling.”

Because of the ongoing need for well-prepared Gospel ministers, Greenway said his administration is introducing a new way to deliver a seminary preview experience.

“The Gospel is too important to wait; let us show you how Southwestern Seminary and Scarborough College can help you get ready for ministry — whether that means being on our campus in Fort Worth or being with us via online platforms,” he said.

The Virtual Preview sessions will replace Preview Days previously scheduled for April 3-4 before the seminary announced various event cancellations in response to COVID-19. Prospective students will have the opportunity to hear from and dialogue with Greenway and faculty members, as well as with seminary admissions staff.

Most sessions are to be held each Tuesday and Thursday of March and April, beginning at 12 p.m. CT, while the sessions with Greenway will be held March 27, 1-2:30 p.m., April 1, 1-2:30 p.m., and April 8, 3:30-5 p.m. The full list of sessions:

— March 24: Office of Admissions

— March 26: Master of Divinity programs, Research Professor of Systematic Theology Malcolm B. Yarnell III

— March 27 (1-2:30 p.m. CT): President Adam W. Greenway

Source: Baptist Press

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A pastor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, says he will defy government orders intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The Oneness Pentecostal congregation met on Tuesday, despite the declaration of a state-wide public health emergency banning gatherings of 50 or more people. Life Tabernacle Church plans to meet again on Sunday, setting up a possible legal clash between religious liberty protections and the state’s authority to respond to a pandemic.

“The virus, we believe, is politically motivated,” pastor Tony Spell told CNN affiliate WAFB. “We hold our religious rights dear, and we are going to assemble no matter what someone says.”

The church typically draws more than 1,000 attendees on Sunday. About 300 gathered Tuesday night and the pastor posted a 25-minute clip of the service from Central City News on his Facebook page. Ministers passed out anointed handkerchiefs and Spell preached about fear.

“This is an extreme test brought on us by the spirit of antichrist and the mystery of lawlessness,” he told the congregation. “What good is the church in an hour of peril if the the church craters and caves in to the fears and the spirits of torment in our society?”

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared the emergency on Tuesday, sharply limiting public and private gatherings of people in the state. Edwards, who is Catholic, is following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says the impact of the highly infectious coronavirus can be mitigated by reducing social interaction.

“I’m a person of faith,” Edwards said in his public announcement. “I happen to believe very much in the awesome power of prayer. I also believe in science, and the scientists at the CDC say that the measures we are taking will minimize the spread.”

The governor could call the National Guard to force the church to close but hasn’t done so yet. An official spokesman for the National Guard said it has not “been tasked with enforcing any of the curfew, social distancing, or meeting requirements as set by the governor.” A court might also issue an order telling the church not to meet.

A local prosecutor, East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore, told CNN that law enforcement would try to tread lightly in the situation.

“This is a very delicate issue and balance between emergency powers, the First Amendment, and religious rights and freedoms,” Moore said. “We respect the people’s right to meet and practice their religion, but during these dangerous times, some temporary restrictions will prevail.”

Legal experts say that though there are robust protections for religious practice, and constitutional guarantees of the right to worship and even just assemble, states can order churches to close in extraordinary circumstances.

Source: Christianity Today

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Minno announces it’s free “Church at Home” in response to COVID-19.  This program gives churches and families easy-to-use digital tools to transfer the church experience to your home, including help for talking to kids about Coronavirus. Check out: www.gominno.com

(Nashville, TN—March 18, 2020) Minno—a new, Nashville-based children’s digital media company featuring one of the world’s largest collections of Classic VeggieTales and an expertly-curated collection of media choices for Christian families, is responding to changes due to COVID-19 today with a free resource for families unable to physically attend church. The Minno free Church at Home program affords families an easy-to-use, home-based digital Sunday School experience.

“Families have unexpectedly found themselves unable to gather with their church communities likely for several weeks. While pastors are doing their best to provide an online church for adults, most are not in a position to replicate Children’s Ministry or Sunday School. We immediately asked ourselves what we could do to help leveraging the Minno platform, and our team worked quickly to launch a Church at Home experience. It’s live today all around the world for everyone, and it’s free,” said Erick Goss, CEO and Co-founder of Minno and former senior manager at Amazon. “Using Minno Church at Home, families can worship, learn, pray together, and download activities with the click of a button on Sunday and throughout the week. On weekdays, while children are out of school, parents can take advantage of free daily devotionals, as well as selections from our catalog of programming that is always curated on the foundations of care for others.”

SOURCE: Assist News

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Presidents of Churches Together in England have issued a call to prayer in the light of the Coronavirus pandemic. This is for all churches and people of prayer across the country to join on Sunday 22nd March, Mothering Sunday.

In a press release they said:

“This Mothering Sunday, 22nd March, we are calling all churches in England to a National Day of Prayer and Action. At such a time as this, when so many are fearful and there is great uncertainty, we are reminded of our dependence on our loving Heavenly Father and the future that he holds.”

As part of this campaign all Christians are being encouraged to light a candle in the windows of their homes as ‘a symbol of the light of life, Jesus Christ, our source and hope in prayer.’

The press release added:

“Whether you are continuing to worship as congregations or not, we have the great privilege and freedom to be able to call upon God, wherever we are, individually and corporately, for healing in our nation. We would pray for all in leadership at this time, making decisions about the containment of the COVID-19 virus, for those working in health and social care, and especially for the most vulnerable, whether elderly or those with underlying health conditions.”

SOURCE: Assist News

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For the video production ministry, Love Story Foundation, a recent 9-day film project at Siloé Wellness Center was not just about telling the story behind the multiple-services health facility, but the growing relationships inside and outside the crew.

MEDIA ON MISSION NEWS

“Through the leadership of Love Story’s Alexander Mora and the grace of God, our film team was able to experience God moving not only among the amazing people serving the community at Siloé, and not only among the beautiful people of La Mision being cared for, but ourselves as well,” said Alex Murashko, an LSF Siloé Project crew member.

“Mora’s vision of film shoots becoming most importantly about our relationship with Jesus Christ — “the greatest love story ever told” — and loving others, became reality during this trip. This was Love Story’s first official video project and missions trip since Mora and his wife began their journey into full time ministry at the beginning of 2020,” said Murashko, who is the founder of Media on Mission.

PARADIGM SHIFT

Each day, before filming began inside the Siloé Wellness Center and in the community of La Mision, the 4-man crew began with prayer and reading of the devotional “Jesus Calling.” The prayer and devotion time was followed by a short walk to the center’s conference room where daily production briefings took place.

While on the project, the crew set out to capture the story of how Brendan and Sarah Mayer, who are the founders of Siloé Ministries, said they felt they were led by God to offer not only medical services, but the “whole person” needs of the people of La Mision and surrounding area. The Love Story team was able to not only hear how God moved in the Mayers’ life to make incredible things happen, but also listen to the testimonies of patients and staff members about God’s love, grace, and healing.

It is these kind of “paradigm shift” stories that Love Story wants people to learn about, Mora said.

“We are so grateful and honored to have been able to serve everyone at Siloé Ministries. Thank you to Brendan Mayer and his wife, Sarah Mayer, and their whole team for their hospitality. Their testimony was so encouraging to me and to the Love Story team,” LSF stated on Facebook. “I want to say thank you to the team God sent with us on this project: Alex Murashko, Joe L. Sandoval, John Beeson and Alexander Mora. Thank you for your giving hearts and attitudes of gratitude. Without your help we would not have been able to do this. God showed up in so many ways and I am full of joy and gratitude for what God is doing and how He used this trip to grow us in our faith.”

LA MISION BAJA FIRES: MEDIA AND MINISTRIES COME TOGETHER TO BACK THE HEROES

SOURCE: Assist News

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Christian Solidarity Worldwide has welcomed a statement by a member of the transitional government of Sudan in which he claimed Sudan would be removing the death penalty for apostasy.

According to a CSW press release, on 8 March Mohamed Hassan Arabi, a member of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) Coordination Council, told the Sudan Tribune that the death penalty would be removed under the Miscellaneous Amendments Bill of 2020 and replaced with a disposition making it a criminal offence to accuse someone of apostasy.

CSW went on to report that article 126 of Sudan’s 1991 Criminal Code stipulates that those found guilty of apostasy are to be sentenced to death. The article has historically been used to target religious minorities and restrict freedom of expression. In May 2014 Meriam Ibrahim was sentenced to death by hanging for apostasy by the Public Order Court in El Haj Yousif, Khartoum. A court of appeal overturned the original ruling in June 2014.

The Criminal Code also contains several other provisions which limit personal freedoms and criminalise blasphemy. There was no indication that these aspects of the Criminal Code were due to be repealed.

SOURCE: Assist News

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