• people_groups_90803

  Posted: 9/5/03
  

  Website explains all about
  unreached people groups

  By Ashley Haygood

  International Mission Board

  RICHMOND, Va. (BP)–Ever wondered how far the gospel has advanced among a particular people group? Ever wondered which people groups are the least evangelized? Ever wondered what a “people group” is?

  09/05/2003 - By John Rutledge

• prop3_90803

  Posted: 9/5/03
  

  Texas voters to consider church taxation measure

  By Ken Camp

  Texas Baptist Communications

  The tax exemption for church-owned property that is leased to a private school or held for future relocation could be extended if voters approve Proposition 3 on Sept. 13.

  09/05/2003 - By John Rutledge

• quanah_prayer_90803

  Posted: 9/5/03
  

  Quanah women find prayer really changes things

  By John Hall

  Texas Baptist Communications

  QUANAH–Prayer changes the way Christians view their communities, according to members at First Baptist Church of Quanah. It helped folks at this North Texas farming community see a multitude of people who need Jesus.

  09/05/2003 - By John Rutledge

• refugees_90803

  Posted: 9/5/03
  

  World harbors 35 million refugees

  WASHINGTON (RNS)–Almost 35 million displaced people were living in refugee camps or other temporary shelters last year, including a growing number who were unable to leave their countries, according to the 2003 World Refugee Survey.

  The number of those uprooted from their homes but still living in their countries rose from 17 million in 1998 to 21.8 million in 2002, while the number of those seeking protection outside their countries has steadily dropped from 16.3 million in 1994 to 13 million last year.

  The increase in the internally displaced stems from a growing inhospitality to refugees and a large number of internal conflicts, such as civil wars, said Roberta Cohen, co-director of the Brookings Institution and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Project on Internal Displacement.

  09/05/2003 - By John Rutledge

• 

  revolve_teens_90803

  Posted: 9/5/03
  

  New Testament as fashion magazine a hit with teen girls

  By Alexandra Alter

  Religion News Service

  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS)–Where are teenage girls turning for advice about fashion, dating and getting along with their parents? Would you believe, the New Testament?

  09/05/2003 - By John Rutledge

• student_club_90803

  Posted: 9/5/03
  

  Student FISH club allowable

  PHILADELPHIA (ABP)–A student Bible club was wrongly barred from meeting at a Pennsylvania high school, according to a federal appellate court.

  The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals made the decision after Melissa Donovan, a senior at Punxsutawney Area High School, claimed the school district would not let her Bible study group, FISH, meet during an activity period after school began.

  “FISH is a group that discusses current issues from a biblical perspective, and school officials denied the club equal access to meet on school premises during the activity period solely because of the club's religious nature,” Judge Ruggero Aldisert wrote.

  09/05/2003 - By John Rutledge

• teen_abuse_90803

  Posted: 9/5/03
  

  One-fourth of sexually active teens report abuse, study finds

  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Among teenagers who have had sex, one-quarter of those relationships included some form of abuse, with nearly one in 10 teens reporting physical abuse within their relationships, according to a study by Child Trends.

  The study also found that one-fourth of teens who have had sex reported having sex with their first partner only once.

  Richard Ross, founder of the abstinence program True Love Waits and professor of youth and student ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, drew a link to the entertainment business' inaccurate portrayal of sexual encounters.

  09/05/2003 - By John Rutledge

• temple_mount_90803

  Posted: 9/5/03
  

  Temple Mount open for visits by non-Muslims

  JERUSALEM (RNS)–For only the second time in three years, the Temple Mount, revered by Jews, Muslims and Christians, is open to visits by non-Muslims.

  Since Aug. 20, hundreds of Jews and Christians have visited and prayed on the Mount, which Muslims call Haram al-Sharif. Currently, non-Muslims may visit between 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, but not on Friday, the Muslim sabbath.

  Once the home of the first and second biblical temples, the Temple Mount stands above the Western Wall and contains the Holy of Holies, Judaism's most sacred site. It also is the site of the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest place in Islam.

  09/05/2003 - By John Rutledge

• 

  together_90803

  Posted: 9/5/03
  

  TOGETHER:
  Listen & respond to 'God's call'

  In the parsonage where I grew up, our family's practice was to pray before every meal. One evening, the phone rang just as we sat down to eat. My brother, Jim, picked up the receiver and answered, “Our dear Heavenly Father … .” I don't know who was more surprised, the caller or my brother.

  CHARLES WADE Executive Director BGCT Executive Board

  But what if God did call us? How would we respond? The Scriptures are full of moments in men's and women's lives when God called. From Adam to Abraham, Moses to Mary, God personally called his people.

  God has called people to share the gospel in word and deed.

  09/05/2003 - By John Rutledge

• two_parents_90803

  Posted: 9/5/03
  

  Seven in 10 U.S. children still live with two parents

  By Mark Wingfield

  Managing Editor

  WASHINGTON–Despite the public perception that single-parent homes are becoming the norm in America, seven out of 10 children under the age of 18 still live in two-parent homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

  09/05/2003 - By John Rutledge

• 

  umhb_diploma_90803

  Posted: 9/5/03
  

  FROM DESPAIR TO DIPLOMA:
  UMHB student walks a new road now

  By Miranda Bradley

  Texas Baptist Children's Home & Family Services

  BELTON–Crystal Caswell considers herself one of the least likely people ever to make it to college this fall.

  09/05/2003 - By John Rutledge

• waco_start_90803

  Posted: 9/5/03
  

  Waco church start delivers real love

  By John Hall

  Texas Baptist Communications

  WACO–The Temple of Deliverance and Development started following a vision from God, and now the temple is filled with God's people, the pastor said.

  09/05/2003 - By John Rutledge