{"id":4882,"date":"2014-08-06T13:05:56","date_gmt":"2014-08-06T20:05:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=4882"},"modified":"2014-08-06T13:17:16","modified_gmt":"2014-08-06T20:17:16","slug":"missions-catalyst-news-briefs-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=4882","title":{"rendered":"Missions Catalyst News Briefs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/cropped-Missions-Catalyst-no-tagline_large.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4516 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/cropped-Missions-Catalyst-no-tagline_large.png\" alt=\"cropped-Missions-Catalyst-no-tagline_large.png\" width=\"1000\" height=\"288\" srcset=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/cropped-Missions-Catalyst-no-tagline_large.png 1000w, https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/cropped-Missions-Catalyst-no-tagline_large-300x86.png 300w, https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/cropped-Missions-Catalyst-no-tagline_large-500x144.png 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>In this issue: Schisms and signs of solidarity<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=4877\">IRAQ: From Symbol of Terror to Sign of Solidarity<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=4875\">PHILIPPINES: Village Seeks Exclusion from Islamic Region<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=4873\">GAZA: Church Bells Silenced<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=4871\">INDIA: Non-Hindu Religious Activity Banned in More than 50 Villages<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=4868\">SRI LANKA: Buddhists Launch Anti-Christian Campaign<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-4883\" src=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/N-symbol-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"N symbol\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/N-symbol-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/N-symbol-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/N-symbol.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Dear Readers,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Recent headlines are filled with story after story about conflicts between cultural and religious groups; see stories below. This brings to my mind a book by one of my favorite analysts, Richard Swenson, titled <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Hurtling-Toward-Oblivion-Richard-Swenson-ebook\/dp\/B0074N7K9K\/\">Hurtling toward Oblivion: A Logical Argument for the End of the Age<\/a>. Are things getting worse?<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m also reading Steve Addison\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Movements-That-Change-World-Spreading-ebook\/dp\/B004X4IHOU\/\">Movements that Change the World<\/a>. Though I\u2019m not known to be a pessimist, I can\u2019t help but think: Is it too little too late?<\/p>\n<p>Maybe both can be true in the end. Doesn\u2019t scripture give us both narratives, that it gets better and that it gets worse? An article on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/national\/archive\/2014\/08\/the-evangelical-persecution-complex\/375506\/\">Evangelical persecution complex<\/a> asserts that among Christians, a sense of victimization may be exaggerated with results that are dangerous or at least distracting.<\/p>\n<p>Some of the conflicts seem to be rooted in the desire of more and more groups to be separated from those they consider to be \u201cother.\u201d Identity and self-determination or freedom will probably be driving forces in both movements to Christ and the race to destruction. One thing is for sure: The next generation will be key. The children of Syria and Gaza are being taught very early that death is better than being swallowed up by the \u201cother.\u201d Watch the video <a href=\"http:\/\/youtu.be\/zFG7iaDnNk0\">Syrian Children on the Frontline<\/a> (jump to the 10-minute mark to hear from the children).<\/p>\n<p>Solidarity is a beacon of hope in this tumultuous time. I was encouraged by a seven-minute video from YWAM New Zealand, <a href=\"http:\/\/incontextministries.org\/index.php\/interpret\/perspectives\">Resolutions to Impact the World<\/a> (shared by INcontext Ministries). Whether you believe we are hurtling toward oblivion or seeing movements to Christ that will change our world, please watch this video and resolve to impact the world that God \u201cso loves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Standing in solidarity with you,<br \/>\nPat<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Pat.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Pat.jpg\" alt=\"Pat\" width=\"139\" height=\"191\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Pat Noble has been the \u201cnews sleuth\u201d for Missions Catalyst since 2004. In addition to churning out the news, she is working to create a SWARM (Serving World A Regional Mobilizers) in Northern New York using the <a href=\"http:\/\/r20.rs6.net\/tn.jsp?llr=zaeaz4bab&amp;et=1105315904437&amp;s=0&amp;e=001N0EYJu9_l7U3xbyVqdh6tiClADp95RktD5NYsjeSRrkS6Z7bIXmZdAO1LtzTbPBYhGFjq7CKcjRTiPfxugcAUe7EhfR1tmt1iT2DDvJFSI1s8NQ4QeCQxQ==\" target=\"_blank\">NorthernChristian.org<\/a> website. You can connect with her at <a href=\"http:\/\/whatsoeverthings.com\" target=\"_blank\">www.whatsoeverthings.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this issue: Schisms and signs of solidarity IRAQ: From Symbol of Terror to Sign of Solidarity PHILIPPINES: Village Seeks Exclusion from Islamic Region GAZA: Church Bells Silenced INDIA: Non-Hindu Religious Activity Banned in More than 50 Villages SRI LANKA: Buddhists Launch Anti-Christian Campaign Dear Readers, Recent headlines are filled with story after story about &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/?p=4882\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Missions Catalyst News Briefs<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-briefs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4882"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4888,"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4882\/revisions\/4888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionscatalyst.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}