Telugu Vacation Bible School Video

Women's Conference Oct 5th

Syrian Christians Caught in the Middle

Syria’s 2 million Christians face an intolerable dilemma. The bad option is for Bashar al-Assad to retain his brutal grip on power. The worse option — for Chistians, at least — is for Assad’s dictatorship to fall.

As some have predicted, persecution of the country’s Christian minority is escalating as the civil war spreads. Islamists, who now dominate the opposition, have embarked on a bloody campaign of genocide against Christians, who constitute about 10 percent of the population.

“As for the larger conflict, the Christians are caught in the middle,”says Nina Shea of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom. “The churches have not allied with the Assad regime. They have no armed protector, inside or outside the country, and they have no militias of their own. But they are not simply suffering collateral damage. They are being deliberately targeted in a religious purification campaign — one that the United States government finds convenient to overlook as it supports Syria’s rebels and praises Saudi Arabia as one of our ‘closest partners.’”

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Cross Violates Dangerous Weapons Law?!

(For many years I have handed out Bibles at public events in Rahway. I too have been harassed by the event organizers, so this story is not as strange as it might appear)

A Christian evangelist witnessing at a public festival in North Carolina this past weekend was forced to put away a wooden cross that he was holding as police asserted that it could be considered a “dangerous weapon.”

Brothers Jesse and Matthew Boyd, along with friend Kent Blalock, attended the 32nd annual Historic Morganton Festival on Saturday to open-air preach, distribute Gospel literature and hold Scripture-based signs as a witness to attendees. Matthew carried a small 3-pound wooden cross that bears the question “Are You Ready?” and folds away when not in use.

The men state that even before they attended the event, they became aware that there could be problems in light of the festival rules, which barred free speech activity on the streets. In turn, Jesse contacted City Attorney Louis Vinay to express concern, sending him a compilation of relevant case law that protected free speech activity at public events.

Most notably, the evangelists–and anyone else who wished to engage in free speech–would have been required to stand in a “free speech zone,” which was located two blocks outside of the event and away from the crowds.

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Christian City in Syria Changes Hands Three Times

One of the few places in the world where the language of Jesus is still spoken has become the latest focal point of Syria's ongoing civil war.

The historic pilgrimage destination of Maaloula, a Christian mountain village and UNESCO site located about 40 miles north of Damascus, has exchanged hands three times in six days as Syrian forces and rebels battle to control a key road leading to Homs.

Despite assurances that Christian targets would be spared damage, rebels destroyed crosses on one of Maaloula's famous monasteries, causing a local priest to label the attack as a "declaration of war against the Christian community." Some residents claim rebels have threatened Christians with death if they do not convert to Islam,reports the Associated Press.

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The Women of Duck Dynasty

Who could have ever predicted that the highest rated show on television would be a reality series about a family who makes duck calls?

For over a year now, Duck Dynasty has forsaken all the reality show formulas, instead focusing on a Christian family living in the middle of Louisiana. There are no cat fights, no hot tub makeout scenes, no eliminations, no barely dressed women.

While you might expect a show about a Southern family of self-avowed "rednecks" to be an unfriendly environment for women, it is quite the opposite. The women of Duck Dynasty are respected, and they are strong.

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Happy Eighth Anniversary Telugu Service

Our Telugu Service celebrated its Eighth Anniversary this weekend.

Above is a video of the children singing on Sunday.