Human trafficking Labor and sex trafficking is taking place in the Twin Cities Part one of a two-part series on human trafficking It can start innocently. A young girl typically between the ages of 12 and 14 walks into a mall. Oftentimes she lives in poverty and comes from a racial minority—but she may not. She also might come from a home where she has suffered abuse and where drugs are present. FULL STORY Photo:Between 2006 and 2007 there were more than 1,800 trafficking-related charges in Minnesota.
Tiananmen Square hero honored Twenty years after his legs were crushed by a tank in Tiananmen Square, Fang Zheng had the delight of dancing with his wife at a Capitol Hill ceremony that honored his heroism during the 1989 massacre in Beijing. (Watch video) FULL STORY
Churches urged to prepare facilities, people for pending H1N1 virus
For centuries, Christian pastors have pondered myriad ways to deal with communities that have become increasingly sick of church. This fall they may need to turn their attention inward. FULL STORY
• Suggestions on avoiding contraction Dr. Dobson leaving radio ministry in February Focus on the Family founder and chairman emeritus James Dobson, 73, will be leaving Focus’ radio ministry at the end of February 2010. FULL STORY Church helps Haitian children with special needs How do you help teens discover that the world is more than Ridgedale Mall? For Steve Hanson, Church of the Open Door’s youth pastor in 1986, the answer was to bring a group of students to Haiti. FULL STORY George Beverly Shea gives prison his 100th birthday gift The familiar voice of George Beverly Shea, still rich at 100 years of age, filled the prison chapel with the old redemption story that radically changes lives. FULL STORY Christian Community Fair offers chance to connect This month’s Christian Community Fair offers a chance for thousands of people—ministry leaders, families, business owners, job seekers, would-be authors, etc.—to connect in one place. FULL STORY Download pdf for fair map, schedule & more pgs. 11-14. Minnesota man prayer walks across Europe After completing a prayer walk across America in 1998, John Halvorsen, of Duluth, didn’t think he would ever do another one. “To [prayer] walk again was out of the question,” he said. FULL STORY Israel — Walking in the steps of Jesus Journey through Israel by following the day-by-day account, and photos describing the unique land which is the crossroads of ancient and modern civilizations. FULL STORY
Music Notes Natalie Grant, Melinda Doolittle join The Katinas for benefit concert to aid Samoa tsunami victims Natalie Grant and American Idol’s Melinda Doolittle are just two of the artists who joined The Katinas for a benefit concert last month to help the tsunami-ravaged islands of Samoa and American Samoa. The Katinas are natives of American Samoa and lost extended family in the disaster. MORE MUSIC NEWS
PERSECUTION WATCH
Chinese church attacked; pastor, members held A Chinese pastor, his wife and eight house church members have been in custody since Sept. 25 when they were traveling to Beijing to petition for justice after local authorities attacked their church-owned facilities. FULL STORY Pastor in India lured into violent trap A group of Hindu extremists in Madhya Pradesh earlier this month beat a pastor unconscious and chewed off part of his ear, pelting him with stones after he fainted from the pain. FULL STORY
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COMMENTARY
Obama, Fox News and democracy Recently, White House Communications Director Anita Dunn, in an interview with The New York Times, had this to say about Fox News: “We’re going to treat them [Fox News] the way we would treat an opponent. FULL COMMENTARY
Scott
Noble
Overcoming slavery The historic and contemporary reality of slavery is never far away from how we think about the Bible. Instead of a frontal attack on the culturally pervasive institution of slavery in his day, Paul took another approach, for example, in his letter to Philemon. FULL COMMENTARY
John
Piper
Back on earth, astronaut reflects on trip, faith Patrick Forrester, the space shuttle astronaut who carried a piece of missions aviation history into space with him on a recent Discovery flight, encourages people to get personally involved in sharing the Gospel outside their comfort zones. FULL STORY
Supreme Court gets technical in arguments on Mojave cross Although the case of a lonely cross on federal land in California’s Mojave Desert ultimately could have wide-ranging implications for the separation of church and state, justices on the Supreme Court spent much of the Oct. 7 oral arguments asking attorneys about highly technical and procedural issues. FULL STORY Clinton opposes Islamic 'defamation of religions' push Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke forcefully against international efforts to adopt policies outlawing the defamation of religions while presenting the Obama administration's first report on global religious freedom. FULL STORY
