'ChristiaNet'
Monthly Global News and Information for members and friends of the
Christian - Churches of Christ - Disciples of Christ family of churches around the world from 'World Convention’
Number 40 – August 2006
To contact us, or discontinue, write only to worldconv@aol.com ChristiaNet uses a send-only address. Clint Holloway, Editor
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World Convention has a new, state of the art website! Visit us at www.worldconvention.org and tell us what you think!
US Christians Meet with Chinese Leaders
In July the Christian Standard reported that a group of Christian Church and Church of Christ leaders met with the Chinese ambassador to the U.S., enjoyed breakfast at the White House, and heard a briefing at the State Department by the head of the China desk. This group, which included Rick Atchley (Richland Hills Church of Christ, North Richland Hills, TX), Max Lucado (Oak Hills Church, San Antonio, TX), Bob Russell (Southeast Christian Church, Louisville, KY), Royce Money (Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX), and John Bethany (Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO) traveled to China the first week of August to meet with government leaders there and discuss opportunities for Christianity in the country.
Unity A Popular Theme in 2006
In July the North American Christian Convention met in Louisville, Kentucky bringing together thousands from the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ from around the United States and beyond under the banner Together in Christ. For special coverage of that event including interviews and dialogues discussing both the pros and cons of the issue see the Christian Chronicle http://christianchronicle.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=397
The Christian Standard will carry full coverage of the event in their September 17 issue. Until then a brief review from Standard’s Editor, Mark Taylor, can be found at http://christianstandard.com/fromtheeditor.asp
At the North American Christian Convention offerings were collected to help establish an HIV/AIDS counseling and testing center in Kitale, Kenya as a joint venture between Christian Churches and Churches of Christ in conjunction with a school, children’s home and several churches already sponsored by the two groups (see Kenya profile on World Convention webpage).
In other Unity news Christian Churches and Churches of Christ missionaries in Western Africa held their first joint retreat on April 4-7, 2006 with nearly 70 missionaries in attendance representing work in Ivory Coast, Benin, Burkina Faso, Togo, Ghana and the USA (see profiles on the highlighted countries) .
Books Sought for Foreign Language Library in Hunchun, China
C.Y. and Patricia Kim of Christ Reaching Asia Mission Worldwide, Inc. (CRAM) is seeking books for the Library of Hope Foreign Language School to be used in both the school and as an outreach to a community of 170,000 without a library. Books of any topic in Chinese, Korean, English, Russian and Japanese are sought as a way to engage people in a culture where education is much esteemed. Books may be sent to CRAM for re-shipment to China at: CRAM Worldwide, Inc., 2611 West 16th Street, Bedford, IN. 47421 (USA) or you may telephone the offices at 800-455-6476.
The $1,000,000.00 Sunday
August 27, 2006 is being called $1,000,000.00 Sunday by the Eastern European Mission, overseen by the Bammel Church of Christ of Houston, Texas. EEM is seeking to raise the $1 million dollars to meet a request by Russian public schools to provide Bibles for nearly 7,000 institutions. For more information see www.milliondollarsunday.org
Deaths of Three Centenarians
The three streams of the Stone-Campbell Movement have all recently reported in the passing of members whose lives have spanned half of the history of the Movement. The Disciples of Christ reported on the passing of 107 year-old Effie Ritchie of Milton-Freewater, Oregon. Mrs. Ritchie has the distinguished record of being the last living person who contributed to the building of the Steamship Oregon, a boat dedicated at the 1909 Centennial Convention in Pittsburgh and used in the Congo for more than fifty years. The Christian Churches marked the passing of 100 year-old Charles Buckner Green, of Cincinnati, Ohio, a former physicist turned preacher who helped establish Lincoln Christian College-East in Bel Air, Maryland and helped lay the groundwork for retirement homes. Churches of Christ reported the death of 101-year old Burton Coffman of Texas, minister and author of a 37 volume commentary of the entire Bible. Coffman baptized an estimated 3,000 people during his ministry.
News Briefs:
Dr. Leonard W. Thompson recently spoke at the Centenary Celebrations at the Union Church in Kotagiri, South India –a four-day program of preaching, teaching and celebration. Prior to the event Dr. Thompson conducted an evangelistic meeting with the congregation in which he was the keynote speaker. He also gave Seminars on Preaching and Hinduism in U.P. and Kerala. Dr. Thompson directs Strategic World Evangelism, edits Christ India journal and divides his time between India and the US, where he also teaches. Contact Dr. Thompson at swems@vsnl.com or Strategic World Evangelism, P.O. Box 1023, Kilpauk P.O., Chennai 600 010. India.
Mikhail “Misha” Medvedev, recently graduated from Emmanuel School of Religion in Johnson City, Tennessee and was ordained to the Christian ministry at the Cherry Lane Christian Church in Meridian, Idaho on May 28, 2006. Misha and his wife, Olga, have returned to Krasnodar, Russia where Misha will teach at Kuban Evangelical Christian University.
The Churches of Christ in New Zealand announces a new newsletter that replaces the New Zealand Christian that ceased publication at the end of 2005. To subscribe to the newsletter contact Debby.Hoffman@annesbrook.co.nz
The Alumni and Friends of Phillips University have announced plans for a series of events over the next three years to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the former institution. The School lives on through the Phillips University Legacy Foundation that awards scholarships to students attending Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) affiliated colleges. To learn more about the celebrations visit www.puafa.org
Prayer Focus:
Stone-Campbell Movement colleges and schools in the “Northern Hemisphere” are resuming classes after “holidays” and “summer breaks.” Be in prayer for students, teachers and administrators that the Word of God might be faithfully taught and learned in the coming school terms and that abundant financial resources would be available.
Coming Events:
European Christian Workshop, August 31-September 2, 2006 at Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster, United Kingdom. This year’s theme is “And the Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us.” Contact www.christianworkshop.net or paulhalliday@yahoo.com
The 89th Abilene Christian University Lectureship will be September 17-20, 2006 under the theme “The Truth Shall Make You Free.” For a list of speakers and the schedule see www.acu.edu/events/lectureship If attending be sure to visit the World Convention booth.
83rd Annual Harding University Lectureship, with the theme “Engaging the World,” will be held in Searcy, Arkansas, September 24-27, 2006. For more information go to www.harding.edu/lectureship
44th Pan American Lectureship in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, November 6-11, 2006. This is a change in location! For further information see www.lectureship.org or call 1-800-533-7660.
The Eastern Christian Convention will convene at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, November 10-12, 2006 under the theme of “Make Known the Mystery.” Contact information: Wayne Long, 2410 Creswell Rd, 103, Bel Air, MD 21015 or telephone 410-836-6102.
The National Missionary Convention will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana November 16-19, 2006 under the theme of “Neighbors and Nations - Every One, Every Place, Every Moment.” Information and registration can be found online at www.nmc-windows.org
February 6-10, 2007 will mark the Centenary Symposium of the Churches of Christ Theological College, Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia. The celebration will mark 100 years of ministry, formation, training and theological discovery. Speakers will include Merrill Kitchen, William Tabbernee and David A. Vargas of the United States. To register, contact registrar@cctc.vic.edu.au.
The latest edition of World Christian is in the mail. In this issue ask the difficult question – “Is it time to close our ministry?”
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