World Missionary Press Faces 115 Million Scripture Booklet Backorder

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World Missionary Press Faces 115 Million Scripture Booklet Backorder

If you promise to provide free Christian evangelistic literature to anyone who asks, people are going to take notice. For 58 years, World Missionary Press has done just that, but with such a helpful mindset comes challenges of supply and demand.

Right now, Helen Williams, Freight Shipment Coordinator for World Missionary Press, says 115 million Scripture booklets are on backorder. Right now, they can only produce six and a half million every month; that means that even without any new orders, it would take over a year and a half to catch up to current orders.

Some of these ordered booklets have already been produced, but printing isn’t enough to call a shipment “finished.” According to Williams, “Some of them have been produced [and] are sitting in the warehouse waiting to be shipped, and that waiting is just on logistics of getting a boat, getting a booking, [and] getting all the paperwork ready.”

With so many logistics keeping booklets from reaching World Missionary Press distributor partners, on-the-ground locals sometimes have to make by without the resources they need. That’s especially a problem for some partners who rely heavily on these resources because they don’t have the training to pursue other evangelistic projects.

“When they have to send out these evangelists with either not a full box or just a minimal amount, that limits their effectiveness,” Williams says. “It’s a little discouraging for them.

SOURCE: Mission Network News, Alex Anhalt

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How One Mother Trapped in Sexual Slavery in India Refuses to Let Her Daughter Suffer the Pain She Did

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Pushana gently brushes soft kisses across her daughter’s brown cheek. Her toddler turns and gazes up at her. She reaches out her tiny hand, which her mother covers with another kiss.

I first met Pushana four years ago in the Banchara community of India. She was still a teenager at that time, and she was one of the first girls who taught me about the horrific reality of nari mata—the tradition that forces girls to sell their bodies to pay for their brothers’ dowries.

This year, I got to speak with her again and meet her beautiful little girl. Pushana wants to boldly speak out about this abuse so her own daughter won’t have to suffer. And today, you can help give a voice to women like Pushana and fight for their freedom from sexual slavery.

Pushana’s family doesn’t approve of her speaking out against this work. They believe it’s simply a normal part of their culture. So, Pushana asked that I not tell you her real name or show you her picture.

I’ve chosen to use the name “Pushana” for this brave young mom because it means “protector” and “provider,” and that’s exactly what she is for her two children.

Pushana doesn’t want her daughter, whom I’ll call Angel, to follow in her footsteps someday. She dreams of her 2-year-old growing up, graduating from school, and having a beautiful wedding and a compassionate husband—everything Pushana did not.

She dreams of her little girl living in a nice house, not the tiny, one-room dwelling they now call home. The colorful paint on the walls is faded and peeling. A few dishes sit in the kitchen, located only a few feet from the bed. And in this small space, Pushana tries to give her children everything.

Pushana holds Angel on her lap as the afternoon sun casts a sliver of light in the dark room. They sit on the bed, a subtle reminder of the work that dominates Pushana’s entire life.

She is paying off the debt of three brothers’ marriage dowries. What she owes totals around $9,500—an astronomical amount for someone living in poverty. And the interest compounds daily. Her brothers do nothing to help her with the debt, though they are aware their sister works in the sex industry to pay for their security. It will take Pushana most of her life to pay the debt.

She looks down at Angel and kisses the child’s head. Her daughter’s life could easily mirror her own if Angel doesn’t escape the traditions that her community has followed for generations.

“I don’t want her to suffer like I do,” Pushana says.

The single mother is doing her best. Her 8-year-old son goes to a good school thanks to child sponsorship, and she hopes her daughter will follow in his footsteps.

But there’s one problem. When her brother is old enough to marry, it’s Angel who will be expected to go thousands of dollars into debt for him—and to repay it with her body.

For now, though, Angel is tired of sitting on her mother’s lap. She slides off and wobbles into the sunlight.

When I ask Pushana how she will make sure her daughter doesn’t have to suffer, she doesn’t hesitate.

“I will pay the money,” she says, tears slowly sliding down her cheeks.

SOURCE: Charisma News, Noel Brewer Yeatts

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Host of Churches, Conferences, Christian Concerts Canceling Events Due to Coronavirus Pandemic Including The Potter’s House and Lakewood Church

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Host of Churches, Conferences, Christian Concerts Canceling Events Due to Coronavirus Pandemic Including The Potter’s House and Lakewood Church

Upon communicating with local health officials and heeding advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many churches and Christian concerts have made the difficult decision of canceling events until further notice. See below for a roundup.

Megachurches Canceling

1. The Potter’s House is postponing absolutely all church activities, per an update on Bishop T.D. Jakes’ website. However, services will be livestreamed on various mediums such as YouTube, to be watched at home.

2. Jentezen Franklin announced on his Instagram that all of Free Chapel’s campuses will be closed on Sunday, March 15. Services will be available online, via livestream, at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., here: freechapel.org/live.

 

 

The health and safety of every person who walks onto our campuses continues to be a top priority for the Free Chapel leadership. Our team has been carefully monitoring the evolving COVID-19 (Coronavirus) situation through the CDC and local health authorities and will continue to take proactive approaches to keep our community healthy and safe. To that end, we feel the safest course of action is to cancel public attendance to our services this Sunday, March 15 at all of our campuses. However, we will be broadcasting our services and I will be sharing a LIVE message through our streaming services on freechapel.org, Youtube, and Facebook. We will be working closely with local health authorities to determine when we will resume services again. Please pray for those affected by this virus. Prayer is powerful, and God is our perfect source of comfort and care. Join us in praying for the people and regions affected, and for the protection of our nation, community, and church.

A post shared by Jentezen Franklin (@jentezen) on

3. The Belonging Co is also canceling all public gatherings and services on Sunday, March 15, and Tuesday, March 17, to honor the request of Mayor John Cooper. People can watch Pastor David McCracken via livestream online Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. CST, and 4 p.m. CST. Tuesday’s service will be livestreamed at 7:30 p.m. CST here: thebelongingco.churchonline.org/.

4. Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, is also canceling services Sunday, March 15. Services will still be available on Facebook Live, YouTube, Roku, AppleTV, Osteen’s and Lakewood Church’s websites.

Conferences Canceling

1. Beth Moore is moving her Tuesday night “Living Proof Night” to livestream on March 17. Anyone can join online at 7 p.m. CST via her ministry’s Facebook page here.

2. Hillsong’s Colour Conference 2020 is postponing its 2020 events in Los Angeles, California, and New York until 2021. All registrations for those locations in 2020 will automatically transfer to the Colour 2021 events. Click here for the full message.

SOURCE: Charisma News

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Despite Painful Misscarriages, Carrie Underwood Continues to Give God the Glory

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Despite Painful Misscarriages, Carrie Underwood Continues to Give God the Glory

Country star Carrie Underwood thanked God during a surprise presentation as her 2018 album Cry Pretty was certified Platinum by the RIAA, according to Nash Country Daily.

“This means a lot, because I feel like this is the project that I’ve done, and the album that I’ve done, that is the most ‘me.’ I’m honored and I’m humbled, and God is good,” said Underwood.

Underwood is open about her faith and doesn’t shy away from talking about God.

In a new interview with Women’s Health, Underwood opened up about the pain of suffering miscarriages.

“For my body to not be doing something it was ‘supposed to do’ was a tough pill to swallow. It reminded me I’m not in control of everything,” said Underwood.

Her Women’s Health interview is not the first time the starlet has opened up about her infertility struggles. In previous interviews, she mentioned how her faith played a role in processing through the trauma.

“In the beginning it was like, ‘OK, God, we know this just wasn’t Your timing. And that is all right. We will bounce back and figure our way through it.’ And I got pregnant again in the spring, and it didn’t work out.”

SOURCE: Movieguide, Allyson Vannatta

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President Trump Declares Sunday, March 15 a National Day of Prayer Due to Coronavirus Pandemic

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President Donald Trump tweeted on March 13 that he is declaring Sunday, March 15, a national day of prayer due to the events of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. President Trump asks us to remember the faith of America’s Founders, and how they called upon God for protection. Join with us in praying for our nation and world: that Jesus would bring swift healing for those ill, and that He would allow this disease to be eradicated.

It is my great honor to declare Sunday, March 15th as a National Day of Prayer. We are a Country that, throughout our history, has looked to God for protection and strength in times like these….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2020

It is my great honor to declare Sunday, March 15th as a National Day of Prayer. We are a Country that, throughout our history, has looked to God for protection and strength in times like these….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2020

SOURCE: Charisma News

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Chet Hanks Says his Parents Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are Doing Fine After they Announced they Tested Positive for Coronavirus

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Chet Hanks Says his Parents Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are Doing Fine After they Announced they Tested Positive for Coronavirus

Just after Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were confirmed to have Coronavirus, their son Chet Hanks responded in a video to his fans.

The 29-year-old rapper took to Instagram on Wednesday to record a video, which began with, ‘What’s up everyone? Yeah, it’s true, my parents got Coronavirus. It’s crazy.’

He added they were in Australia, where his father was shooting a movie, an untitled biopic about Elvis Presley, where Hanks was playing Colonel Tom Parker.

‘I just got off the phone with them. They both are fine,’ Hanks added. ‘They’re not even that sick. They’re not worried about it.’

He added that his parents, ‘aren’t trippin’ but they’re going through the necessary health precautions, obviously.’

‘I don’t think it’s anything to be too worried about,’ he added. ‘I appreciate everyone’s concern and the well-wishes, but I think everything’s gonna be all right.’

‘But, I appreciate it and everybody just stay safe out there. Much love,’ Chet concluded.

Another one of Tom and Rita’s children, Colin Hanks, responded to the news on Instagram with a heartfelt statement.

‘We are so grateful for the outpouring of support from everyone,’ Colin began. ‘My parents are receiving excellent care in Australia and are doing well (and in good spirits) given the circumstances.

‘Despite the fact that I’m in LA and haven’t seen them in over three weeks, we have been in constant contact and am confident that they will make a full recovery.

Tom himself broke the news with a statement on his Instagram, along with a photo of a discarded latex glove in a wastebasket.

‘Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the Coronavirus, and were found to be positive,’ Tom said on Instagram.

‘Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks’ will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires,’ he added.

‘Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no? We’ll keep the world posted and updated. Take care of yourselves! Hanx!’ the actor concluded.

Hanks has been filming the untitled Elvis Presley biopic since late January in Australia, the home country of director Baz Luhrmann.

Austin Butler stars as Elvis, while Maggie Gyllenhaal and Rufus Sewell play the King’s parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley.

There is no word yet how Hanks’ diagnosis will affect production on the biopic, which is slated for release on October 1, 2021.

SOURCE: Daily Mail, Brian Gallagher

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Political Strategist Warns That Too Many American Christians Are Not Putting God First When Engaging in Politics and Must Support Both Social Justice and Moral Order

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Political Strategist Warns That Too Many American Christians Are Not Putting God First When Engaging in Politics and Must Support Both Social Justice and Moral Order

A Democratic political strategist has warned that all too often Christians end up worshiping “lesser gods” when they’re involved in politics.

Justin Giboney, an attorney who’s also president of the AND Campaign, spoke at the Just Gospel 2020 conference at Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, last week.

Giboney said that when it comes to politics, while “Christians should be shining like the North Star in the dead of night,” too many “sound like generic Republicans or generic Democrats.”

“Our faith is not evident in our tactics, in our posture, or in our rhetorical devices,” said Giboney. “Let’s be serious, our politics isn’t winning over any converts.”

He said that many American Christians involved in politics have shown that they have “become converts to lesser gods and lesser institutions,” with Christians “discipling backwards.”

“We have evangelicals using terms like ‘patriotism’ to silence pleas for injustice. Even worse, we have some folks using the Gospel as a reason not to do justice,” continued Giboney.

“Then we have some Christians who rightly concern themselves with justice, but aren’t bold enough to speak on the necessity of obedience and personal transformation along with liberation.”

Giboney felt that “many Christians have placed their trust in methods and ideologies that are built on a foundation that’s certain to collapse.”

“We’ve placed our faith in the tenets of conservatism or the forecast of progressivism,” he added. “We’ve outsourced our public witness to secular commentators and think-tanks that now do the thinking for us.”

“Christians have separated our faith from our politics and we’ve allowed our political affiliations to become religious in nature, liturgical in display.”

Giboney believes Christians in the public square must advocate for both justice and “moral order,” arguing that conservative and liberal ideologies have failed to sufficiently lobby for both.

Source: Christian Post

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Theology Professor Offers 3 Ways Christians’ Religious Beliefs Should Influence Their Politics

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Theology Professor Offers 3 Ways Christians’ Religious Beliefs Should Influence Their Politics

A theology professor says there are three ways in which Christians’ religious beliefs should influence how they engage in politics.

Vincent Bacote, director of the Center for Applied Christian Ethics at Wheaton College in Illinois, was one of the speakers at the Just Gospel 2020 conference at Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, last week.

The first thing one must do, according to Bacote, is recognize that “a Christian is a citizen of God’s Kingdom,” which means “Jesus is their King.”

“Now, if Jesus is their King,” he explained, “that means that they have their ultimate allegiance to Jesus as their King, which makes all other obligations relative. All other commitments relative.”

“If I have ‘non-negotiable political commitments,’ am I willing to have those ‘non-negotiable political commitments’ questioned by this King to whom I have an ultimate allegiance? Can He ask me, ‘hey can we revisit that?’”

Bacote challenged those gathered by stating that “if Jesus is your King,” then “let Him interrogate us all the time,” including on political stances.

The second concept is the Christian process of sanctification and recognizing that no Christian sees the world “with perfect clarity” as they grow in faith, which means they “can miss things.”

Bacote sought to apply this sanctification process to political engagement, saying that “when it comes to your politics, you recognize ‘you know, I might be missing something.’ Which means then that whatever you’re doing with their political commitments you need to have a posture of humility, because you have not arrived,” Bacote continued.

“If a Christian is in a process of becoming holy, holy in position but in a process of living up to what that position is, then we ought to be people of humility when it comes to how we are articulating and pursuing our political commitments.”

The third concept he shared is the Christian belief in the resurrection, which shows that Christians have “the greatest hope of all” and thus should not act as “a peddler of fear.”

Bacote spoke against Christians who openly act like “we’re going to lose it all” if “political fortunes” do not go their way, something that the professor labeled as “Easter amnesia.”

“Did you just go to church? Did you just hear that God conquered death? Because if you believe He conquered death, why are you acting like, ‘but He can’t deal with this?’” he asked.

Bacote also focused on how he believes many Christians form their political views, arguing that most do so because of secular concerns that were made immediate to them through others.

As an example, he noted that African Americans tend to vote for Democratic candidates even though they are usually more socially conservative than the overall party.

Source: Christian Post

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Entertainers and entities on hold over coronavirus

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Entertainers and entities on hold over coronavirus

Some of the few entertainment entities that remained open and fully functioning were shutting down like much of the rest of the world on Friday, a day after institutions from Broadway to Disneyland closed their doors, TV shows including “The Price Is Right” halted production, and movie release dates strategically scheduled years in advance were pushed back indefinitely.

Here’s a look at the latest closings, cancellations and postponements related to the new coronavirus, which most people recover from but can cause severe illness in the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions.

THE VIEW FROM HOME

Joy Behar says she’s going to skip her co-hosting duties on “The View” next week and stay home amid growing concerns over the coronavirus.

“I’m in a higher risk group because of my age, but I’m perfectly healthy,” the 77-year-old comedian and performer said on the show Friday. “I’m going to socially distance myself.”

Behar said she doesn’t trust the government and made the decision to self-quarantine herself. She added she is lucky that she doesn’t have child care needs and has enough money to tide her over.

“Are you going to miss me?” she asked her co-hosts. “Probably,” joked Whoopi Goldberg.

“I think it’s always better to be cautious than to be sorry,” Meghan McCain said.

Other talk shows that are shot in front of live audiences will stop production altogether.

HBO announced Friday that “Real Time with Bill Maher” and “Last Week Tonight with Trevor Noah” will go on hiatus after their weekend airings, and Comedy Central says “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah: and ”Lights Out with David Spade” will also temporarily halt production.

Late in the day, Ellen DeGeneres announced that her daytime talk show would go off the air until March 30.

LITTLE MERMAID WON’T BE PART OF YOUR WORLD FOR A WHILE

The Walt Disney Co. says its shutting down many of its live-action productions, including “The Little Mermaid” and Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel,” due to the coronavirus.

Hollywood on Friday continued to halt shoots of most films and television series to help control the spread of the virus. For Disney, that includes the live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid”; “The Last Duel,” with Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Ben Affleck; Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”; a “Home Alone” remake; and Guillermo Del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley.” It’s also putting on hold a pair of films in pre-production: “Peter Pan and Wendy” and a “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” reboot.

“While there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on our productions, after considering the current environment and the best interests of our cast and crew, we have made the decision to pause production on some of our live-action films for a short time,” said a spokesman for Disney. “We will continue to assess the situation and restart as soon as feasible.”

The Walt Disney Co. on Thursday delayed the releases of several upcoming films, including “Mulan.”

Disney is also slowing things on its television side, shutting down the productions of “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Genius: Aretha” for at least three weeks. And the crisis is hampering production of potential new shows, with work on more than a dozen pilots halted.

HALLOWED HALLS COME TO HALT

Rock and country music have both closed their halls of fame.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland announced Friday that the facility is shutting down for two weeks. The hall had already postponed its annual induction ceremony and surrounding festivities until later in the year.

In Nashville, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will close to the public on Friday and will remain that way through March 31. The museum, which calls itself “the Smithsonian of country music,” is one of the Nashville’s biggest tourist draws, bringing in a record 1.3 million visitors last year.

THEME PARKS GO DARK

No rolling or coasting will be happening at Six Flags theme parks.

The amusement park giant announced Friday that all of its U.S. parks will go dark over coronavirus concerns starting Saturday through the end of March, including Six Flags Magic Mountain near Los Angeles, Six Flags over Texas near Dallas and Six Flags over Georgia in Atlanta.

Hundred-year-old Southern California institution Knott’s Berry Farm is shutting down for the same time frame.

“While there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at our properties, we believe it is the right decision for our guests, associates and community,” Knott’s said in a statement Friday.

The decision comes a day after Disney announced the planned shutdown of its parks.

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MOVIE THEATERS STILL MOVING ALONG

U.S. movie theaters have resisted the movement to close for the most part, but some are instituting limits for their audiences.

AMC, the country’s largest chain, on Friday said it would sell no more than half its seats in each theater beginning Saturday and until the end of April to help facilitate social distancing. AMC said it will sell no more than 250 tickets for a showing.

The Alamo Drafthouse chain is instituting “seat separation” policies, along with extra cleaning of theaters in between showings.

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Source: Associated Press

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Pastors Weigh-In on Why They Are Keeping Their Church’s Doors Open despite Coronavirus Fears

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Pastors Weigh-In on Why They Are Keeping Their Church’s Doors Open despite Coronavirus Fears

As America begins to settle into the new norm of uncertainty amid the coronavirus outbreak, church life as we know it is changing.

Many churches across the American landscape are temporarily closing their doors. Dunwoody Baptist Church is located on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, and like most churches, they’re having to deal with what Sunday will look like.

Christian Headlines sat down with church leaders Allen Taliaferro and Robert Comeaux, to discuss the new changes that their church members will see on Sunday. As soon as the interview begins, one glance at Taliaferro’s face reveals that for this executive pastor this has not been a normal week. He currently has 48 voicemails and text messages that need returning. When asked when he started preparing response protocols, he’s quick to point out the teamwork of the staff and church members.

“One of our members on our leadership team called me last week to ask what our plan would be. At the time I didn’t think much of it, but by the end of the week we had a plan ready to go,” Taliaferro said.

Comeaux, who is the church’s worship pastor, jumped right in, explaining, “We are in a new season of church life in America as we know it.”

Dunwoody has a plan in place for Sunday and practical directives for its members. Taliaferro shared that everything from who holds the door to the Lord’s supper will look different. “Our plan for Sunday will be, for example, only a few people will hold the door open with lots of hand sanitizer.”

The church will also refrain from passing the offering plate and the Lord’s supper will be individually wrapped, compared to the typically shared community of partaking of the Lord’s Supper.

Source: Christian Headlines

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