Hands Headlines

  This is my first ever (and possibly last) interview for an internet audio podcast.

  I just dug this up and had sort of forgotten about it.  A year ago (has it been that long?) when Shannon and I served at a training conference for staff in Australia, I made my debut on an podcast focused on field ministry. 

Staff member Ian Finnan in Australia has a weekly “show” where he interviews people of interest who are helping to expand the Kingdom of God through a variety of occupational means.  He hopes to inspire students with a vision of how the Lord might use them through their talents and abilities.  Ian asked me to talk about my role with technology and how this helps grow the Kingdom of God.

    The podcast is called “LifeLine.”  Turn on your speakers and click here to listen.  I always get a grin when i hear the “Aussies” talk.  It is about a 5 minute interview.

Tags: australia, ministry, podcast, ccc, lifeline

“The soul never thinks without a mental picture” - Aristotle

MySoularium.com  Check out this very creative approach to dialogue with spiritual seekers via a set of photos. Campus Crusade developed this new outreach about a year and a half ago.

Many students are responding and asking to “see” more of the gospel. Check out what my friend and fellow staff member Jerry blogged about it here on the Eministry Notes site:  Soularium - A Great Way to Connect.

So we all have been watching the Olympics. If you’re like me, you try to follow a few updates on the internet rather than having to sit through the many hours of commercials (some of which are very creative yet very highly repetitive!) on NBC.

Ever wonder what the average Chinese person views on the internet? It’s a fact that China has more internet users than any other country in the world. Actually, China has more internet users than America has people! Whoa.

But I point your attention to these two articles by the BBC. It is a well known fact that China and many other countries have elaborate filtering systems to censor and block what their people view and can not view on the internet. For example, if you go now to the New York Times on the web, you will see certain content that someone in China will not see. Sometimes entire sites are blocked.

This creates challenges for believers both in the country and out. Yet, as history has shown, these articles describe how motivated Chinese web users are learning to circumvent parts of the system. Viral and peer to peer sharing of information has allowed web content to multiply and morph almost instantly. This is good news for the Message we try to communicate via the net.

BBC Article: Great Firewall of China
BBC Article: Policing the Web

A few months ago I got an email from a 5th grader - 10 year old boy - asking me some details about my work as a missionary. As it turns out, he was completing an assignment for a Bible school project. I thought it might be interesting for you non-fifth graders as well. Below is how I responded.

==================

Hi Billy,

It’s great to hear from you. Thanks a lot for remembering to pray for our family and for the Lord to work through us. We want to depend on Him always.

Here’s my best shot at answering your questions:

Where do you work?

Orlando, Florida. It is about halfway down Florida, in the middle. Home of Disney World, SeaWorld, Universal Studios, etc. Also home of the International Headquarters of Campus Crusade for Christ. That is where I work along with about 800 other missionaries. See more about Campus Crusade for Christ at: http://ccci.org/

What is your job?

My job is to help accelerate the spread of the Good News of Jesus through technology systems. I frequently communicate with missionaries in many countries. In Orlando, my team – the Global Technology Office – is made up of about 25 people including programmers, technical writers, system specialists, communications experts and technical trainers. See more about our group at: http://technology.ccci.org/

What exactly do we do? Research and development in Internet Ministry; build operational capacity for hundreds of missionaries to serve in multiple dispersed teams; and conduct technology training sessions for Christian workers around the world; . . . just to name a few tasks. J

Do you have any pets?

At this time, we only have a small fish named Bubbles. You can see him here: http://handsheadlines.com/2007/06/09/meet-bubbles-the-fish/

What is your favorite Bible verse?

I have several. One is Psalm 127:1

“Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.”

>>>> Replied to:
original message <<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<
Dear David and Shannon,

My name is Billy. I attend . . . . In my book, it tells me to write to a missionary and ask a few questions. I hope you can email me back with answers. Thank you very much.

Where do you work? (I know you are Florida, but what area?)


What is your job?


Do you have any pets?


What is your favorite Bible verse?


Thanks for taking the time to answer me. I’ll remember to pray for you.

Sincerely,
Billy (age 10)

Tags: missionary, ministry, “school project, answer, job

Magdalena - Released from Shame . . . is a new rendering of the Jesus Film from the perspective of Mary Magdalene.

- How to order a copy of Magdalena?

Order any quantity of DVDs from the Jesus Film Store. The best deal is to order a 2-pack DVD set for $19.98. The 2-pack actually includes a Magdalena Resource CD-ROM with materials to help advertise, promote and follow-up from presenting the film. Also here is the direct link to the single DVD ($12.95) in the Jesus Film Store. Or call to order at 1-800-432-1997.

- Which languages are available?

Currently 8 languages: English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Korean, Arabic, Portuguese and Russian. Many other languages are currently in process. Call the Jesus Film at the number above to learn when new languages will be released.

- Watch movie trailers

You can watch some of the best scenes from the movie - in multiple languages no less - at www.MagdalenaMovie.com

- Discussion Questions

Let a friend or family member watch Magdalena. Afterwards, these non-confrontational questions will help your friend articulate his or her response to the film. You could help guide your friend to receive Christ, following the same conversational steps Mary Magdalene used with her friend Rivka! Download and print the Magdalena Discussion Questions.

See More Magdalena Resources and Testimonies at www.MagdalenaToday.com

Coming soon…
Cool stories about how the Lord is using Magdalena in some amazing locations, including right here at home. Check back to Hands Headlines soon!!

Just last month, the JESUS Film was translated into its 1,000th language! In fact, according to the Jesus Film Translation Progress Report Web Page, as of August 23, 2007, they have officially translated 1,009 versions of the film. This is a huge milestone, as the film is now available for people groups in their native language covering 90% the world.

Many of you know about the JESUS Film. Created in 1979 by Campus Crusade for Christ, it’s a full length docu-drama used by missionaries and evangelistic teams around the world. Years ago I used the film in Eastern Europe to introduce several people to Christ.

For people who can not read the Scriptures or who just are more attuned to responding to visual media, the film is an excellent tool. Many other mission organizations use it. In fact, it is the most translated film in the history of the world.

Even more amazing is the story behind the translation of the 1,000th language - a language called Ho. Ho is spoken by about 1 million people in Central Asia and India.

Jesus Film translation work for the Ho language began 10 or more years ago in India. Involved in the effort was Australian missionary Graham Staines. One night in 1999 Staines and his two young boys traveled to a small village to meet with believers. Only a small percentage of villagers had come to faith at the time, and it was considerably dangerous to be in opposition to the prevailing religion. During the trip, he and his boys spent the night in their Jeep. While they slept, radical Hindu leaders surrounded the Jeep and set fire to it. Graham and his sons were burned to death.

After receiving news of the murders, Mrs. Staines said, “I’m terribly upset but not angry. My husband loved Jesus Christ, who taught us to forgive our enemies.” She continued to serve as a missionary in India with her daughter. Last month, for the first time through the Jesus Film, people from the Ho language were able to see and hear the complete story of our perfect Forgiver and Redeemer Who lives today.

P.S. Sadly, but for the glory of God, many other Jesus Film workers have been put to death around the world. See more in our post about these amazing men and women here. The photo above is from the memorial plaque honoring Staines at the Jesus Film Master Studio in Orlando. If you’d like to learn more about the Jesus Film and its translation work around the world, come visit us in Orlando and take the Jesus Film Master Studio Tour.

The video only takes 3 minutes to watch in entirety. It was created by CommonCraft. You can view the original on the CommonCraft site or read a transcript of the video.

This is the BEST NON-TECHNICAL EXPLANATION of how to stay updated on your favorite web sites. If you have ever wished, “Boy, I wish there were a simple way that my favorite web site would notify me whenever they post new stuff,” then this video is for you!

It explains how to use RSS (Really Simple Syndication) to stay updated. Almost all new web sites are offering free RSS Feeds (or syndications).

RSS Subscription Feed for HandsHeadlines.com is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/HandsHeadlines

Why not use what you learn in the video above to stay updated on HandsHeadlines.com? It’s one of your favorite sites, I’m sure!

Again, the video is super simple. It’s called “RSS in Plain English.” This is not for geeks. Normal people will like it.

If you are thinking, “I just want to stay updated by email, that’s all.” Then there is a different free service you may want to check out offered by a web site called FeedBlitz.com See our post about it here.

Are You??

About a year and a half ago, Facebook.com opened up their registration system to allow anyone to create an account. (It was previously limited only to full time university students)

Well, I tried it out and since then I’ve been amazed at how easy it is to find friends - past and new. Many people now use it as their online “homepage” and as a place to keep updated. It is becoming a very convenient place for many people to collate their online presence.

Are the benefits of the site merely social? Technically, the jury may still be out, but if you ask me, the answer is “no.” Facebook is structured to leverage personal communication in a very powerful way. The results enable ministry and capacity for ministry on a whole new level. Read more about what Campus Crusade is learning about Facebook and its uses in our previous post.

In the meantime, look me up on Facebook! Anyone can join.

Chances are that if you know a high school or college aged young person, he or she has an online Facebook account.

www.Facebook.com was recently measured as the 7th most frequently visited web site in the United States. They have over 17 million members.

Of note to Campus Crusade is the fact that Facebook.com is the most popular and pervasive site for American college students. Recently the Global Technology Office conducted a day long Focus Group with some Christian students involved in the local chapter of Campus Crusade at the University of Central Florida. Our purpose was simply to learn from the “experts” - the most knowledgeable users of the site. To say the least, it was an informative time! Here’s a fraction of what we learned:

For many students actively involved in events on campus, Facebook is much more than just a playground for social networking. Christian groups and students in general are using Facebook.com for ministry, including . . .

• Communication access to a vast majority of the entire campus population
• Publicity for outreach events
• Organizing and managing Bible Studies
• Instant communication amongst various sets of friends and acquaintances
• Sharing prayer requests
• Voicing opinions with a Christian world view
• Displaying favorite Scriptures (see example on my profile)

All of that said, I’m on Facebook, how about you?.

A while back, my friend Keith Seabourn commented on a research report prepared by the Barna Research Group. The report and Keith’s comments are very insightful to the future of the church and ministry in America. Here is the link to the article and an abridged version of Keith’s comments:

I found this report interesting as it explores how people share their faith:

http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=181

Near the end of the report, is a paragraph (red emphasis is mine):

“Young adults are much more likely to share their faith through ongoing discussions with friends and through e-mail and instant message conversations than are middle-aged and older adults,” Barna explained. “They are less likely to engage in means that their generation finds offensive, such as street preaching or moral confrontation. The early signs suggest that the emerging generation – the Mosaics, who presently are in their early twenties down through early childhood – will continue along this vein. Ministries seeking to prepare people to effectively share their faith in today’s society would advance the process by enabling young adults to carry on knowledgeable conversations about the substance of the Christian faith and how it affects all dimensions of a person’s life. The ability to relate biblical principles to current issues and personal struggles – that is, to interact beyond the level of simply ‘getting saved’ – will be crucial for the future of effective outreach efforts.”

I find both of these very interesting — an increasing likelihood of young people sharing their faith, but also a growing need for a good grounding in biblical worldview for those engaging in evangelistic activities.

Keith