Christian Chinese editor released early

Li Ying was released five years early in China following an outpouring of international support. Li was once sentenced to death. Her story is here.

Going to Home Depot? Check out this story first

The American Family Association has sent out an alert to its members urging them to take a stand against Home Depot (also to pray for its chairman). The story is here.
Would you (or are you) boycott Home Depot? Put your comment below.

On Jeremy Lin's faith

CAMBRIDGE (WordNews.org) Feb. 16, 2012 – New York Knick sensation Jeremy Lin had a strong faith on the Harvard campus and a passion for daily Bible study, weekly small group meetings and telling his teammates about Christ, according to his InterVarsity mentor, Adrian Tam.
Lin, who recently set an NBA record with the most points scored in his first five starts with 136 points, was involved with the Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Christian Fellowship.

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A Word News conversation with Stryper’s Michael Sweet – part I: Band On A Mission, Bringing Hope

[Editor's Note: Word News published this series on Fridays. The stories were lost because of a server problem years ago. Word News is rebuilding these exclusive stories and will run them under the category "Flashback." Enjoy!]
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. (WordNews.org) Oct. 7, 2005 — One of Christian music’s top-selling — and controversial — bands, Stryper, is back on the road, and on a mission.
“We’re back together,” said Michael Sweet, lead singer and one of the founders of the band that dates back to 1983 and once topped Billboard.
The Stryper “Reborn” tour is in the early stages. The first new album since 1990. [Editor’s note: Stryper has since put out “The Covering” in 2011 and “Murder by Pride” in 2009].

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Congress to hear testimony about imprisoned Christian in China

Today's top story at http://www.wordnews.org features testimony from the wife of an imprisoned Christian in China and a ministry trying to help him.

40 Days for Life launches campaign in 251 cities

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WordNews.org) Feb. 8, 2012 – On this, the 40th anniversary of legal abortion, a group called 40 Days for Life is launching a campaign in 251 cities across the country as well as Australia, Canada, England, and Spain.
The campaign begins Feb. 22 and runs through April 1.
"This is a critical year in terms of the sanctity of human life -- a year in which people from across America and beyond are preparing to take a public stand on behalf of innocent lives at risk,” said Shawn Carney, campaign director of 40 Days for Life.

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Cancer charity Komen ends grant to Planned Parenthood

NEW YORK (WordNews.org) Jan. 31, 2012 — Susan G. Komen for the Cure is stopping its partnership with Planned Parenthood, Fox News is reporting.
Fox quoted Komen spokeswoman Leslie Aun saying the end of the partnership was the result of the charity adopting a new criteria that prevents it from proving grants to organizations by local, state and federal authorities. An inquiry was launched in Florida regarding whether taxpayer funds were used to pay for abortions.

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FDR’s D-Day landing prayer bill passes House

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WordNews.org) Jan. 24, 2012 – A bill that would include FDR’s D-Day landing prayer in its entirety in a plaque at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., has passed the House 386-26.
The bill is now headed to the Senate for hearings, according to the Ohio Christian Alliance.

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Family Worship Sunday is Jan. 29

RICHMOND, Va.,(WordNews.org) Jan. 24, 2012  — Jan. 29 is Family Worship Sunday (January is Family Worship Month, by the way). Pastors around the globe are speaking to their congregations this Sunday about the importance of reading the scriptures, praying and singing together as a family in the home, organizers said.

For more information

Patrick Morley: A Borneo Christian? (Part 9)

CASSELBERRY, Fla. (WordNews.org) Jan. 26, 2012 – Patrick Morley remains thankful some four decades later to some men who reached out to him early in his adulthood.
That’s because unlike his father, Morley attended a church that had a vision to disciple men like him.
“I’m just so grateful that almost 40 years from now these men saw this young struggling father, came around him—and they discipled me. So I was able to fully break the cycle in a way my dad was not,” Morley tells WordNews.org.
Morley is the head of the Man in the Mirror ministry and is launching a major initiative to hire 330 men nationwide who will oversee a total of 330,000 churches—one man per 1,000 churches.

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Patrick Morley talks about creating, capturing and sustaining momentum

CASSELBERRY, Fla. (WordNews.org) Jan. 23, 2012 – Patrick Morley, author of the best-selling “Man in the Mirror” series, says he’s learned a lot about what not to do.
At 63, he finds himself heading up a men’s discipleship initiative that seeks to hire 330 men to help 330,000 churches nationwide disciple men.
That’s right, one man who will be an area director for a region covering 1,000 churches.
“There are some guys around the country that are already doing this effectively,” he said. “The main thing is that we have figured out through a lot of mistakes how to actually help a church actually develop a sustainable discipleship ministry to men. And that is the No. 1 problem in men’s discipleship”—sustainability, Morley tells WordNews.org.

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Britt Nicole releases details of new album on Twitter

Christian music artist Britt Nicole released details of her next album on her Twitter account (@ittsbrittnicole). "Hear it is...... The record title is "GOLD" and it will come out on MARCH 27 !!!!! :) can't wait for u guys to hear!

WordNews.org profiled Britt in a six-part series.

Patrick Morley: God’s calling and a warehouse full of books (Part 2)

CASSELBERRY, Fla. (WordNews.org) Jan. 19, 2012 – At 63, bestselling Christian author Patrick Morley has seen several trends in men’s ministries in the United States.
Best known for his book “Man in the Mirror,” Morley is the author of 18 books. His latest, “Man Alive,” is out this month.
“Back when I became a follower of Jesus in 1973, there was a huge marketplace for men.” Navigators was one ministry that was big in the Orlando, Fla., area where he lives.
A decade later, God called Morley to write “Man in the Mirror.” To read more

NH bill would prohibit contracts with abortion providers

CONCORD, N.H. (WordNews.org) Jan. 19, 2012 — The New Hampshire House of Representatives passed a bill 207 to 147 that shifts state taxpayer funds away from abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood.
Instead, under the measure, funds would go to public and private entities that provide comprehensive health care to women and that do not provide abortions.
The bill’s language was developed in part by the Alliance Defense Fund and the Susan B. Anthony List. It now heads to the state Senate.

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Prayer at the flagpole constitutional? Ministry leader to school board of ed

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. (WordNews.org) Jan. 18, 2012 – The head of Bible Concepts Ministries is scheduled to address the Clay County, Fla., school board tomorrow about biblical concepts and constitutional principles pertaining to churches and civil groups.
Biblical Concepts Ministries teaches free seminars.
Johnson and BCM has been involved the fight for religious freedom and second amendment issues.

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Patrick Morley: Looking for a few (hundred) good men (Part 1)

CASSELBERRY, Fla. (WordNews.org) Jan. 18, 2012 – Patrick Morley, the bestselling author of the book “Man in the Mirror” is leading an effort to improve the discipleship of men across the country.
A national casting call has been launched at www.mimareadirectors.org. It is a collaboration with Young Life, Campus Crusade for Christ, Compass—Finances God’s Way, and the Navigators. The purpose: to recruit candidates throughout the country with a passion for discipling.
The goal is lofty: to disciple 1 million men by 2015; 10 million men by the end of 2020.
To that end, Morley’s group is looking to hire 330 men who will be responsible for 1,000 churches each.

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Home schoolers face stiff fines, opposition in Sweden

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (WordNews.org) Jan. 17, 2012 – The Home School Legal Defense Association and Alliance Defense Fund say proposed changes to Swedish law could make it easier for the government to take children away from home-schooling families.
Liberal Party politician Lotta Edholm wrote in a Jan. 10 column in Aftonbladet, a prominent Swedish newspaper, that “the social services law should be amended so that social services are able to intervene when children are kept away from school by their parents — often for religious or ideological reasons.”
The Home School Legal Defense Association said the recommended law change comes at a time when there are already stringent penalties for home schooling in Sweden. The Home School Legal Defense Association and Alliance Defense Fund have applied to the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of one family whose child was taken by the government in 2009 and have filed a brief in a Swedish appellate court on behalf of another family fined an amount equivalent to $26,000.



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Anti-abortion film to play on Jumbo screen in D.C. before March for Life

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WordNews.org) Jan 17, 2012 — An anti-abortion film “Created Equal” will be shown on a jumbo LED screen in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 23.
The video can be viewed here [Warning: Graphic].
The video will be debut at the March for Life. Organizers says this is the first time in the history of the pro-life movement that an abortion video has been broadcast in the public square on a jumbo LED screen.
“Getting this video into the heads of Americans is Planned Parenthood’s worst nightmare,” said Mark Harrington, Created Equal’s executive director.

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Does God care about who wins?

A lot of commentators question whether God cares about the outcome of a certain event.
Like the Broncos vs. the Patriots tonight.
The arguments include there are Christians on both sides. Good point. Just like one prays for a cloudless day when hosting a picnic, that farmer is desperate for rain.
Ahhh, decisions, decisions.
Then there's the argument that God must have better things to do. That may seem true to some, especially non football fans but since He is omnipotent, this really won't drain Him. He is the original multitasker.
He cares enough to know the very hairs on our heads.
My thought is this: who will give Him the glory and maximize the platform He has afforded them? Tebow, in his book, talks about everyone having a platform. And making the most of that platform. He also says life is about more important things than a game. It seems to bewilder him, the attention he gets for playing football.
It's a good perspective.
One God may just favor tonight.

Christian causes tapping into Tebow

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (WordNews.org) Jan. 13, 2012 – Tomorrow, Tim Tebow takes to the field in Gillette Stadium to take on the Patriots for the divisional playoffs.
For some, the Broncos quarterback is a polarizing figure, making some question their own faith and what role spiritual matters have in secular life. Not to mention the way he plays the game.
But some ministry groups see Tebow as a rallying cry, an opportunity and illustration for their cause.
For example, Steve Karges, founder and president of Children's Ministries International Inc. says Tebow’s testimony – his story on how and when he became an Christian, which is in his book "Through My Eyes" – supports the emphasis of his ministry: lead children to faith in Christ at an early age.
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