Each year Granny’s House serves thousands of after-school meals to youth

Gredia Bell, 21, sat in her dark apartment praying for God to help her.

Lonely and pregnant in Columbia, Mo., Bell had no relatives to call. She was in a new city and had lived most of her life in foster homes after her mom gave her up. “I never had a mother or a father, and I prayed for grandparents for [my daughter] Mahogany,” Bell told Charisma.

Her answer came in the form of a doctor’s wife, who was going door to door through Bell’s apartment complex with a friend, praying for the residents.

“Pam [Ingram] asked me if she could pray for me and my unborn baby,” Bell recalled. After the prayer, Ingram left and returned with gifts for the baby.

The gesture sparked a relationship between the women that has since morphed into a ministry known as Granny’s House, through which Ingram and her husband, Dr. Ellis Ingram, feed and mentor inner-city children.

The ministry was officially born in 2001 in the Douglass Park Public Housing complex, where Ingram met Bell. “I wanted to call it Granny’s House because we provide a home-like atmosphere that’s bright and colorful,” said Ingram, 52. “We share life principles with the kids and do things with them that you would with your own children.”

Granny’s House serves more than 7,000 free meals each year out of two adjoining apartments that the Columbia Housing Authority (CHA) provided at a reduced rate. “They [Granny’s House] are a safe refuge for the children,” said CHA Director Doris Chiles. “Not only do they get food, but a sense of trustworthiness. I’ve never seen anything like this in the seven years I’ve been the [CHA] director.”

The ministry feeds 35 to 50 children from ages 4 to 12 every day after school. “They come running off the bus with their backpacks still on into Granny’s House,” she told Charisma. “They all call me ‘Granny Pam,’ and we love them and pray for them.”

Six of those children belong to Sheryl Carter. “My children have been going to Granny’s House for two years,” Carter said. “They do crafts, play activities, eat an evening meal and snack, and learn Bible verses.”

Carter said she has seen a difference in her five sons–Michael, 12; Robert, 10; Antonio, 8; Anthony, 7; and James, 6–since they started attending Granny’s House. “My boys are more gentleman-like,” she said. “They are respectful. She [Ingram] teaches them kindness and how to handle situations rather than fight and be rude.”

Raised in the inner city themselves, the Ingrams said they felt God “sending us back where we started” in 1994. The couple had been mentoring youth for years–25 to date–but their ministry officially began with their door-to-door Free-Prayer outreach at Douglass Park.

Today Pamela Ingram estimates that Granny’s House has an annual budget of $28,000 because she doesn’t take a salary. But the couple say they see the fruit of their investment in the children’s lives.

Known affectionately as “Poppi,” Dr. Ingram, 53, works quietly behind the scenes. He takes the boys to sports activities and arranges special trips to places such as the University of Missouri Medical Center and the Career Center Laser Technology Lab.

Though unassuming, the ministry has not gone unnoticed. In 2001 Missouri state Rep. Vicky Riback-Wilson hailed Granny’s House as a model faith-based organization, prompting a visit from Gov. Bob Holden the same year.

With plans to expand into another community across town, Granny’s House has a faithful staff of volunteers from churches around the city. Martha Lee, 14, serves food and plays with the children every Friday. “It’s put in me a servant’s heart and gives me a chance to give back,” Martha said. “I take a couple hours to make someone else’s life better.”

Volunteer JoAnn Wilson, 65, is a retired businesswoman. “We’ve just started a Bible study with one of the mothers,” she told Charisma. “We pray every Thursday for Granny’s House. Usually two to three little ones will knock on the door, and we’ll pray over them. They are always ready for prayer.”

Prayer, Pamela Ingram said, is still the foundation of the ministry. It is what led her to Bell, now 25, and her daughter, now 4, who have become an integral part of the Ingrams’ lives. “I helped take care of Mimi [Mahogany] after she was born,” Ingram said, “and I can’t imagine life without her.”
Leilani Haywood

After an Ontario court ruled that same-sex unions are legal, evangelicals vowed to fight the implications
Same-sex marriage is now legal in Canada’s largest province, Ontario, and will become legal across the nation as early as this month following an uncontested declaration by Ontario’s Court of Appeal that said forbidding gays to marry is unconstitutional. Canada is now the third country in the world–following Holland and Belgium–to legitimize same-sex unions.

But in a surprisingly swift move, Canada’s outgoing Prime Minister Jean Chretien and his Cabinet, who did not contest the

Ontario decision, proposed legislation to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. The bill included language that would protect the right of churches to refuse to marry gays and lesbians.

The definition of marriage in Canada’s Constitution will be changed to that of a union between two consenting adults. The move follows a long fight by gay activists who argued that the old definition of marriage as between one man and one woman was unconstitutional because it violated the constitution’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“We were totally shocked that the federal government wasted all the work of its Justice Committee and the taxpayer’s dollars to rush this through,” said Bruce Clemenger, president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), a large national association of evangelical Christians that has been present at every stage of the same-sex marriage debate.

“If you redefine marriage as the union of two consenting adults, how do you draw the line at just two people being involved? Further down the road, we could see the legalization of polygamy or incestuous relationships.”

Clemenger said homosexual and lesbian couples who have lived together longer than one year already receive the same rights as heterosexual couples in matters of health care, social assistance, ability to adopt children or use artificial reproduction methods, and inheritance rights. “Basically, these couples are taken care of … but what they really want is the golden ring,” he added. “They want to be seen in the eyes of the public as completely acceptable.”

Dan Cere, an ethics professor at McGill University and founder of the Institute for the Study of Marriage, Law and Culture, said the decision in favor of same-sex unions is part of the general deterioration of marriage in Canada.

“We can wash the law of gender differences, but it doesn’t change the basis of how relationships and families are designed,” said Cere, a staunch Catholic. “We’re developing a kind of culture which is immune to marriage, when the truth is that marriage is a cultural institution you shouldn’t mess around with.”

Wendy Gritter, executive director of New Direction for Life Ministries, a Canadian ministry to Christians who struggle with same-sex attraction, believes the gay marriage issue can present an opportunity for evangelism. “The same-sex marriage issue is a great opportunity to reach the gay community with the gospel by showing them the love of Christ coupled with discipleship for their struggle,” she told Charisma.

David Hazzard, head of ministerial services for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC), says PAOC supports the EFC’s stance on same-sex marriage.

“In Canada, we live in the midst of the tension of speaking both God’s punishment and God’s mercy,” Hazzard said. “I preached a sermon on Gay Pride Day in Toronto two years ago which told of Jesus offering His grace to the woman caught in adultery, but I also told of Christ’s commission to change her lifestyle. The implication was He views homosexuality in the same way.”

The United Church in Canada ordains ministers who are practicing homosexuals and says it will marry same-sex couples, while certain dioceses of the Anglican Church of Canada recently adopted a service to bless same-sex live-in relationships.

Since June when same-sex marriage became legal in Ontario, approximately 10 percent of all marriage-license applications have come from gay and lesbian couples, including several from gays in the United States, where same-sex marriage is not legal except by civil ceremony in Vermont.

Also in June, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Texas law banning sodomy. Gay rights groups praised the decision, likening it to the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision that ended segregation in public schools. Christian organizations, however, decried the ruling, saying it could clear the way for gay marriage in the United States.

“This case gives advocates of same-sex marriage a weapon with which to force state officials and private employers to give same-sex unions exactly the same status as traditional marriage,” said Vincent McCarthy, executive director of the Center for Marriage Law. “The court has now imposed the sexual revolution into the Constitution.”

The ruling may serve as a wake-up call to “the majority of Americans who believe in traditional marriage and oppose same-sex unions,” said Mathew Staver, president of Liberty Counsel, one of more than a dozen mostly Christian groups that filed a brief in February opposing the legal challenge to Texas’ sodomy law.

“[The] decision has awakened a sleeping giant,” Staver said, “and will galvanize and reinvigorate the majority of Americans who believe in traditional marriage but have ignored the radical agenda of the same-sex marriage movement.”
Josie Newman in Toronto

Groups such as One Hundred Hours lead worship among non-Christians in bars across the U.K.
A Christian praise track has been an unlikely feature in one of the summer’s most popular films and a hit TV show.

Andy Hunter’s “The Wonders of You,” on the British DJ’s debut album, Exodus, was part of the backdrop for The Matrix: Reloaded trailer and included in an episode of ABC’s spy thriller Alias–though the lyrics on the techno tour de force are clearly vertical: “Who is like You? Who is like the wonders … the wonders of You?”

Hunter is part of a new breed of worship leaders, singers and musicians who’ve been taking their praise music beyond church–and into film scores, popular TV shows, London theaters and student bars.

Beneath the giant neon displays of London’s Piccadilly district, a small West End audience has been warming to a different light. They’ve been listening to classic tunes by the likes of Paul Simon and Fats Waller–alongside worship songs.

Presenting this unusual program of folk-rock anthems is established worship leader Dave Bilbrough. He’s been singing popular tunes and sharing stories in epic singer-songwriter style at a little theater in fashionable Jermyn Street.

Some punters have probably gone along expecting a conventional worship set. Others have brought their unchurched friends. Regular theatergoers have come out of curiosity. But whether they’ve realized it or not, they’ve all found themselves in a worship environment–“unplugged.”

Other Christian singers have made an impact by working in the wider music scene. When heavenly sounds filled the corridor at a secular rock festival, musicians walking past the open door couldn’t resist. Curious to check it out, they discovered a group praying with spiritual passion–and just joined in.

Those musicians had been getting ready to go on stage, but suddenly found themselves having devotions with the London Community Gospel Choir (LCGC), Britain’s best-known gospel act, who was on the same bill.

“It presented an opportunity to witness to these guys about our faith,” said LCGC leader the Rev. Bazil Meade. This 65-strong choir navigates the murky waters of pop music–not to preach, but to be itself at worship.

Meade believes there’s power in just doing what they do–and doing it well. “People will recognize you for what you are and realize there’s something special about what you do,” he said.

This choir was “crossover” material before the term was widely used. It has moved outside church circles and received recognition in the wider showbiz world. It has appeared at rock, blues, classical and jazz festivals, singing in theaters and arts centers.

Propelled into a place it never dreamed of occupying, the choir evolved from a bunch of bright young singers from various black churches to a national institution. Eventually it became a familiar face on British television–working with a host of household names including Stevie Wonder, Tom Jones and Elton John.

LCGC recently marked its 21st anniversary with a “live” recording of its funky, feel-good sound at London’s Abbey Road studios, where The Beatles created some of their greatest work.

Hurriedly assembled for a youth event, another group–this time a humble four-piece worship band called One Hundred Hours–didn’t have such a great future in mind.

But when they’d play their guitar-driven rock at youth groups–mixing secular
“Brit-pop” songs with compositions by British worship pioneers Delirious and Matt Redman–they felt “something was happening” during the worship.

After praying about it, they realized there was a deeper purpose for them. At a Youth With A Mission conference in Scotland, group members said the praise became very intense, and a powerful prayer time took place. Since then, intercessory worship has been their calling card.

But their bookings haven’t been confined to “nice” Christian venues. They’ve played amid the drink and smoke of college bars, where unsuspecting students have sung along to praise songs. “People are designed to worship,” said lead singer-guitarist Tré Sheppard, whose wife, Tori, adds dramatic background vocals to the band’s chunky sound.

“Christianity is not this alien thing we’re trying to force on them. We just missed what we’re designed for,” he added. “I want to appeal to that rather than thinking, ‘You bad people need saving.’ People know they need saving. They know they’re screwed up. We want to say there is hope–and hope rocks.”

As worship winds its way from behind church walls to the wider world, Christian singers and musicians are beginning to live out what the band Delirious–who blazed a trail in reaching mainstream audiences with worship music–sings about in their popular anthem “Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?”–“open up the doors and let the music play, let the streets resound with singing.”
Clive Price in London

Observers say the content encourages religious conflict and could lead to attacks against Christians in the mostly Orthodox region
Three countries in the former Soviet Union have introduced new school textbooks that, to varying degrees, portray evangelical Christianity as suspicious at best and at worst a breeding ground for religious fanaticism.

“People are really upset, not just the Pentecostals but the Baptists, too,” said Dina Shavtsova, a Pentecostal lawyer in the Belarus capital of Minsk who specializes in religious freedom issues. “The kind of information in that textbook really encourages religious conflict. Maybe something won’t happen right away, but when you put this together with the negative television broadcasts, it adds up.”

Shavtsova pointed to an early June attack on the charismatic Living Faith Church in the city of Gomel as an example. In the overnight incident, vandals broke windows and painted Antichrist on the church’s sign.

Besides Belarus, the former Soviet republic of Georgia uses a high school textbook that paints “foreign sects” with a wide brush. However, the situation there seems to be the least severe.

In Russia, human rights activists are fighting to halt the planned nationwide introduction of a textbook that they claim promotes Orthodox Christianity above other faiths. All three nations are dominated by Orthodox Christians and have tiny Protestant minorities.

Yevgeny Ikhlov of the nongovernmental for Human Rights organization is leading a court and public relations campaign to stop the further spread of the Foundations of Orthodox Culture textbook in Russia. Although Ikhlov is mostly concerned about the book’s anti-Semitic aspects, he said he has no doubt it will be used to denigrate other faiths.

The situation in Belarus, a country of 10 million between Russia and Poland, is the most serious both because of the textbook’s 147,000 press run and because every student is obligated to take the course “Man, Society, Government” before graduating high school.

One section of the book reads, “Although every religion claims to hold the absolute truth, all the same fanaticism is especially likely to appear among sects.” It goes on to state, “In our republic, some of the most widespread sects include the evangelical Baptists, the Evangelicals, the Pentecostals, the Seventh Day Adventists, the Jehovah’s Witnesses and others.”

So far, despite written pleas to the Belarus ministry of education to recall the textbook, no action has been taken. The only two groups to formally file complaints are a Pentecostal umbrella group and a tiny Hare Krishna organization that objected to the textbook’s associating it with Japan’s Aum Shinrikyo, a doomsday cult that attacked a Tokyo subway system with nerve gas in 1995. Shavtsova said some Baptist families in western Belarus had taken their children out of government schools.

Ikhlov said it is no coincidence that Belarus, Georgia and Russia are all grappling with similar textbook issues.

“These post-Communist states are all pursuing a nationalist, conservative line of thinking,” he said. “They try to portray themselves as close to the local Orthodox people, who need to be protected against the barbarians.”
Frank Brown in Moscow

Many of the following reports were released during the last month by Charisma News Service. Go to our Web site at to subscribe to the free weekday service or to access full-length versions of each day’s stories. The site also includes a search engine so you can access archived news.

CHRISTIAN FINANCIAL COUNSELOR LARRY BURKETT DIES
Well-known Christian radio personality Larry Burkett died July 4 from a heart-related illness. He was 64. The co-founder of Gainesville, Christian Financial Concepts, which merged with Crown Financial Ministries in 2000, had battled kidney cancer and heart disease since 1995, the Associated Press reported. A week before his death, Burkett had been declared cancer-free, but he had suffered a heart attack a month before. Burkett spent the last 27 years sharing his Bible-based financial advice with readers and listeners nationwide and abroad. He is survived by his wife, Judy, four children and nine grandchildren.

‘TEN COMMANDMENTS JUDGE’ LOSES APPEAL
A federal appeals court ruled July 1 that Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, known as the “Ten Commandments Judge,” must remove his God’s Laws monument from the lobby of the state judicial building. A three-judge panel unanimously upheld a lower court order that said the display violates the Constitution’s prohibition on government promotion of religion, the Associated Press reported. Tom Parker, a spokesman for Moore, said the chief justice would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

HANK HANEGRAAFF INVESTIGATED BY FINANCIAL COUNCIL
In June the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) declared Hank Hanegraaff’s Christian Research Institute (CRI) compliant with ECFA standards. In March CRI had been found in violation of three of the group’s seven codes–board governance, financial controls and policies, and use of ministry resources–prompting a compliance review. Among the ECFA’s concerns were payments totaling $3,141 to Hanegraaff’s wife for personal expenses and $3,100 in dues to the country club in the Hanegraaffs’ gated community, Christianity Today reported. ECFA President Paul Nelson said CRI had been fully cooperative, though the review remains open.

CHRISTIAN LEADERS ENDORSE MEL GIBSON’S FILM
Some prominent Christian leaders have enthusiastically endorsed actor Mel Gibson’s new film depicting the last 12 hours of Jesus’ life. In June, Gibson showed The Passion to leaders at Focus on the Family and to hundreds of pastors and lay leaders, including Ted Haggard, president of the National Evangelical Association, The Colorado Springs Gazette reported. Haggard said the film “conveys, more accurately than any other film, who Jesus was.” Focus on the Family President Don Hodel described the movie as “historically and theologically accurate” and said it was “certainly the most powerful portrayal of the Passion I’ve ever seen or heard about.” Gibson co-wrote the script, and directed and produced the $25-million film, which stars James Caviezel, a devout Catholic, as Christ. Gibson also screened the film to several Christian leaders at the annual Christian Booksellers Convention in Orlando, Fla., in July.

Navy Chaplain Appointed Senate Chaplain

Rear Adm. Barry Black was appointed Senate chaplain June 17, becoming the first African American, the first military chaplain and the first Seventh-day Adventist ever to hold the post. His predecessor, Presbyterian minister Lloyd Ogilvie, retired in March. Black, 54, was among three African Americans to be considered, one of whom was Pentecostal pastor George McKinney of St. Stephen Church of God in Christ in San Diego. Assemblies of God minister Richard Foth, a longtime “missionary” on Capitol Hill, reportedly was considered for the post.

Roberts Liardon Back to Regular Preaching

After stepping aside from ministry due to an admitted moral failure, pastor and writer Roberts Liardon has returned to regular pulpit preaching. Liardon, who founded Embassy Christian Center in Irvine, Calif., 10 years ago, resumed Sunday-morning preaching in June. Liardon confessed to a short-term homosexual relationship with the church’s youth pastor. Since his admission in 2001, several Embassy members have left, and Sunday church attendance has dropped from 700 to about 100.

Evangelist Achieves Historic Military First

Col. Sheila R. Baxter, a licensed evangelist in the Church of God in Christ, became the first woman in the Army Medical Service Corps to be appointed a brigadier general. A native of Virginia, Baxter, 48, has relocated to San Antonio to work for the surgeon general of the Army.

If you have a news tip for Charisma News Service, e-mail us at charisma@.

MUSIC

Secret Conversation
By Charles Billingsley
Perpetual Entertainment Group.

Charles Billingsley, long known for his silky vocal stylings of other people’s songs, now steps behind the scenes to lend songwriting credit to five of the tunes on his newest effort, Secret Conversation. Billingsley has lost none of his vocal chops and displays them in new modern worship songs such as “Your Love for Me” and the beautiful ballad “In Your Presence.”

The album is less a showcase for the artist’s talent, however, and more a foray into worship, with Billingsley’s co-written efforts “Whisper to My Heart” and “The Altar” displaying a vulnerability and earnest longing for a touch from the Savior. This is a pleasant collection of new songs aimed at the inspirational listener.
Natalie Nichols Gillespie

Just Come In
By Margaret Becker
Cross-Driven Records.

After 19 No. 1 songs, Margaret Becker left the recording business for a few years to mentor young artists. Yet Becker’s fans wouldn’t let her go. To oblige, the singer-songwriter went into the studio after three years and re-recorded some of her best songs and a few new ones.

Becker produced Just Come In and gave it a stripped-down, raw production that lends the album a coffeehouse feel–perfect for her smoky vocals and emotive delivery. She soars on praise song “You’re Worthy” and new songs “My Refuge Be” and “Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer (May This Journey).” She also packs power into previous hits “Say the Name,” “Clay and Water” and “All I Ever Wanted.”

Becker shows once again that she is a talented singer and songwriter who would be sorely missed if she left the landscape of Christian music completely. Just Come In is one of the rare “greatest hits” albums definitely worth the wait.
Natalie Nichols Gillespie

BOOKS

How to Hear From God
By Joyce Meyer, Warner Faith,
304 pages, hardcover, $.

In her latest release, Bible teacher Joyce Meyer reminds us God talks to people–every day. We can hear a supernatural word from God anytime in the Bible. Otherwise, God usually speaks to us through natural ways (for example, creation and people) and the still, small voice within us, which brings conviction, assurance and peace.

The book falls into two sections: learning to listen and learning to obey. In fact, Meyer stresses, “If you want God’s will for your life, I can tell you the recipe in its simplest form: Pray and obey.”

How to Hear From God offers an expanded version of Meyer’s tape series by the same name. It is ideal for use in small groups. Discussion questions follow each of its 14 chapters.

“Hearing the audible voice of God is rare for most people and nonexistent for many,” Meyer insists. “I have heard the audible voice of God [only] three or four times in my life.”

Learning to listen to His still, small voice becomes imperative for the Christian. Meyer teaches us how to recognize it.
Pamela Robinson

The Secret Place of Joy
By Lindell Cooley, Regal Books,
150 pages, softcover, $.

As music minister at Brownsville Assembly of God church in Pensacola, Florida, Lindell Cooley has ridden the wave of revival for almost a decade.

In his book The Secret Place of Joy, Lindell challenges readers to move from simply being a spectator of worship to being a daily worshiper. In a conversational tone, he discusses the importance of forgiveness, the role of the maturation process and the need for intimacy with God.

Cooley explains that worship is about loving God without condition or qualification. When we become the worshiper God longs for, then we will enter the secret place of joy.

The book is extremely easy to read, and Cooley’s down-to-earth approach to spiritual topics is refreshing. If you want to have a greater sense of joy, then read this book.
Margaret Feinberg

Think Like Jesus
By George Barna, Integrity Publishers,
224 pages, hardcover, $.

In George Barna’s research work, he has observed that it’s often hard to see a difference between Christians and non-Christians. In Think Like Jesus: A Revolutionary Approach to Making the Right Decision Every Time, Barna urges believers to be set apart and consciously develop a biblical worldview.

The author identifies seven core questions that Christians must be able to answer biblically in order to live transformed lives, including “What is the character and nature of God?” and “What spiritual authorities exist?” He then answers these questions from Scripture and provides practical applications.

Barna also presents fresh data revealing that less than one out of every born-again adult knows the foundational truths of the faith well enough to “think like Jesus.” His research questions, which are representative of traditional evangelical thinking, measure such diverse factors as prayer for the president, boycotting products and belief in the inerrancy of Scripture.

Barna doesn’t give a straightforward solution on how to train one’s mind to think biblically, but he does provide resources that will help in the formation of such a worldview. Most importantly, Barna acknowledges that committed Christians sometimes will differ in their opinions as to what a biblical worldview is, and in that light, he encourages a loving response.
Christine D. Johnson

FILMS

The Fighting Temptations
Paramount Pictures, PG-13.

Mix Sister Act and My Big Fat Greek Wedding with a large helping of gospel music and Southern charm and you get The Fighting Temptations. Several Christian musicians make cameo appearances including the Rev. Shirley Caesar, Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams. Also featured are pop singer Beyoncé Knowles, R&B legends The O’Jays, Melba Moore and others. The film opens in theatres across the nation September 19.

Darrin Fox (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is a New York City advertising executive, compulsive liar, big spender and has creditors trying to chase him down. He returns to his small Georgia hometown to claim his inheritance. But there’s a catch. His great Aunt Sally stipulated in her will that he gets the money only if he leads the church choir to a national contest.

Challenged by a legalistic church sister, Fox tries to rebuild the choir, making promises he never intends to keep. He finds his new talent in a variety of places, from the barbershop to the county prison. But before long, the foundation on which Fox has built his seemingly successful life crumbles. He finally realizes what his lies have cost him and decides that truth is what really matters.

The best thing this movie has to offer is by far the music. Caesar has a cameo role and also gives a roaring vocal performance. Knowles’ stellar voice only adds to the quality of the film. Rapper T-bone is simply amazing and adds an entirely new dimension to the music. Many times throughout the film, moviegoers are going to want to tap their toes and clap their hands. The variety of characters from all backgrounds exemplify God’s love and desire to use anybody.

Several conversations and situations give this movie its PG-13 rating. However, Hollywood got a lot of things right and made a really fun film!
Leigh DeVore

NEWS

Frank Peretti Thriller Goes to the Movies
A film version of the suspense novelist’s Hangman’s Curse opens this month

Hangman’s Curse, a youth thriller by Frank Peretti, made an unprecedented move when it jumped to the top of the best-selling adult fiction charts shortly after its release. The harrowing tale is now slated to appear on the big screen in a handful of cities September 12.

Produced by Ralph Winter and Namesake Entertainment in association with Total Living Network and North By Northwest, the film marks Peretti’s first book to become a movie. For years fans have been asking the author when one of his titles, including This Present Darkness and The Visitation, would become a film. Peretti said Hangman’s Curse was chosen because it’s a smaller project.

“The Darkness books are further out because they’re so expensive to do,” he said. During the negotiating process, Namesake Entertainment picked up the film rights to Hangman’s Curse, Nightmare Academy (the second title in the The Veritas Project youth series ) and The Oath. Twentieth Century Fox still maintains rights to This Present Darkness and, according to Peretti, the script has no immediate production plans.

“[Namesake] wants to establish an ongoing relationship and put their best foot forward,” Peretti said. “[Hangman’s] is a good film to start with.”

The film follows the story of a family of investigators sent to unravel a mysterious curse plaguing a small-town high school. Directed by Rafael Zielinski, the film stars David Keith (Behind Enemy Lines), Mel Harris (Thirtysomething, K-9), Edwin Hodge (Die Hard With a Vengeance, The Long Kiss Goodnight), Jake Richardson (The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys) and Daniel Farber (Orange County).

Peretti has been heavily involved in the filming, which took place in Spokane, Washington, last summer. He has helped write and rewrite the script, has participated in auditions with actors, and he even played a supporting role as the investigator’s eccentric lab expert, Professor Algernon Wheeling.

“We adapted [the book] to the film, and it’s a good story,” Peretti said. “It moves fast. It’s suspenseful, but it’s a little different, and I was in the middle of that. That’s something about Namesake that’s very distinctive; they didn’t take my work and run off with it.”

He also noted that it is exciting to be part of a film that is not about the end times. “It’s like watching Jurassic Park I, II and III,” he said. “Why see the same movie again? There are other topics in the world [besides] future eschatology.”

The film has recieved a PG-13 rating , Peretti said, “but it’s not for any of the usual unsavory reasons. The only pivotal factor is the scariness; there’s no swearing or violence or sexual innuendoes or blood. But we didn’t want to make it hokey. It’s a fine line.”

The film opens in six markets September 12, according to Bobby Neutz, co-owner of Namesake Entertainment. The response to the theatrical release will determine the video-release date. If the response is strong, the company plans to roll it out into additional markets.
Margaret Feinberg

Sandtown, the inner-city children’s choir of third-through- eighth graders who live in the Sandtown community in Baltimore, Maryland, was birthed out of New Song Urban Ministries, who wanted to give a dying community the chance to revive itself. Now it is giving participants a chance to develop self-esteem, hone their talents and see the world.

“The choir is one compartment of a community-development program of comprehensive rebuilding of the Sandtown community,” says Steve Smallman, the choir’s executive director.

“Most kids are in the choir to spread the name of Jesus and to inspire people to go on and push to achieve their goals,” says 14-year-old choir member Anthony Gaither. “Most people are not used to hearing kids singing about God and just worshiping the Lord.”

Smallman lives in the neighborhood of Sandtown, where drugs are commonplace, and stealing was once such a way of life that you could watch thieves roll refrigerators down the community streets in shopping carts.

The Sandtown choir gives these kids something to strive for, a goal to achieve, and the knowledge that they can do anything they put their minds, spirits and energy to.

“You hear about young people getting killed every day; that’s a reality in our neighborhood,” Smallman says. “When the kids perform, you are getting a lot of genuine expression of hope and faith that they need.”

“They pretty much get on stage and demand that you love what they do,” says choir director Alvin Richardson. “‘Cute’ is the last thing you think once you hear them. They’ll just about blow the hair off your face.”

“We don’t back down from anybody,” agrees 12-year-old Sharandall Moses. “We just love to sing for the Lord.”
Natalie Nichols Gillespie

CHARISMATIC TOP SELLERS

1. Matters of the Heart
Juanita Bynum (Charisma House)

2. Total Forgiveness
R.T. Kendall (Charisma House)

3. Pigs in the Parlor
Frank and Ida Mae Hammond
(Impact Christian Books)

4. A Divine Revelation of Hell
Mary K. Baxter (Whitaker House)

5. The Three Battlegrounds
Francis Frangipane (Arrow Publications)

6. No More Sheets
Juanita Bynum (Pneuma Life Publishing)

7. A Divine Revelation of Heaven
Mary K. Baxter (Whitaker House)

8. Prison to Praise
Merlin R. Carothers (Merlin R. Carothers)

9. The Believer’s Authority
Kenneth E. Hagin (Faith Library Publications)

10. Good Morning, Holy Spirit
Benny Hinn (Nelson)

MUSIC

To the Ends of the Earth
By United, Integrity Music.

If you haven’t heard of them, United is Australia’s best-selling modern worship team. They are the house worship band for Hillsong Church’s (Darlene Zschech) weekly Friday night youth service, which attracts more than 2,000 teens and young adults.

To the Ends of the Earth was recorded live at “Encounterfest” in Sydney last September and features the vocals of Marty Sampson, Reuben Morgan and a young cast of songwriters sporting some major talent. Standouts include the pop worshipful “All About You,” the tempered prayerful “All” and the hopeful “Glory.”

Although the cover of the album describes the work as “high-octane” modern worship, the recording rides in a comfortable, accessible fourth gear rather than an all-out fifth, making it highly enjoyable. If you enjoy Passion worship CDs, the bands Delirious or Sonicflood, then you’ll love this modern worship recording.
Margaret Feinberg

Again
By Donnie McClurkin, Verity.

Platinum-selling recording artist Donnie McClurkin found success in mainstream circles with his megahit “We Fall Down.” But songs such as “Speak to My Heart” and “Stand” have long made him a favorite with gospel fans. No doubt he’ll gain more with his new release titled Again.

The title tune, a smoothed out, relaxing cut, is a reminder to us that no matter the problem, we can go to God repeatedly. “The Prayer,” originally recorded by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, is redone beautifully with full orchestration by McClurkin and gospel’s sweetheart, Yolanda Adams. “All I Ever Really Wanted,” penned by McClurkin himself, is another pretty tune.

“Yes, You Can,” an infectious inspirational tune and the calypso-sounding “I’m Walking” are two lively cuts. A classic from Walter Hawkins, “Special Gift,” has been tastefully covered as well on Again. “Holy” and “Create in Me a Clean Heart,” both worshipful songs, allow the listener to bask in the presence of God. Other favorites include the Kevin Bond-penned track “Heart to Soul” and “So in Love With God.” “He’s Calling You” clearly summons the unbeliever to Christ.

Throughout this breathtaking collection of songs, this anointed man of God sings with passion and conviction. This is another solid project, lyrically and musically, from one of gospel’s finest.
Andrea R. Williams

She Must and Shall Go Free
By Derek Webb, Ino Records.

If you’re unfamiliar with Derek Webb, he was the bassist for the folk-rock band Caedmon’s Call for almost a decade. Now he’s gone solo with his debut record-ing, She Must and Shall Go Free. But don’t think for a moment the singer-songwriter has left his rootsy rock background. Songs such as the title cut and “Nobody Loves Me” carry a guitar-strummin’ smoothness that has made Caedmon’s a staple for college students for years.

The “she” Webb refers to in the album’s title is the church, and his subtley edgy lyrics address themes of idolatry, faithfulness and purity. Yet unlike other songwriters and artists, Web isn’t harsh in his criticism of the church, but rather humbly encourages and challenges her to become all she can for Christ’s sake. Standouts include the swinging swank of “Nothing (Without You)” and the thoughtfulness of “Wedding Dress.”

If you enjoy Caedmon’s Call, Rich Mullins or Keith Green, you’ll love this album.
Margaret Feinberg

BOOKS

The Beloved Disciple
By Beth Moore, Broadman & Holman,
352 pages, hardcover, $.

In her latest Bible study, The Beloved Disciple, Beth Moore looks at familiar Scripture from the perspective of John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” as John’s Gospel states his identity.

Moore traces John’s steps with the Savior through the synoptic Gospels and through all of John’s writings–his Gospel, his epistles in 1, 2 and 3 John, and Revelation. She states outright the one-liner we should take away from the study: “Affection counts for more than ambition.”

Indeed, Moore wants her readers, like John, to learn that Christ “calls His beloved disciples to forsake ambition for affection.” Moore believes only disciples who are “convinced they are beloved will in turn love beyond themselves.”

Moore’s journey is intertwined with John’s journey to receive Christ’s love and to bestow it on others. Readers learn deeply personal events from Moore’s own life in which Christ’s love abounds and she in turn became a blessing. As the book progresses and Moore continually refers to her readers as “Beloved,” the address takes on richer and richer significance. Through Moore, we feel intensely the humanity and warmth of the Savior’s love, and want to rush to share this passion with others.

As with Moore’s previous Bible studies, The Beloved Disciple is encouraged for use in group settings, and materials are available to facilitate this use. If, however, you only read the book in the quiet of your private study, you will still realize there is no greater ambition than to walk with Love.
Pamela Robinson

The Ancient Language of Eden
By Don Milam, Destiny Image
Publishers, 191 pages, softcover, $.

Don Milam takes readers on a profound literary journey to discover what he calls “the original language of Jesus” in The Ancient Language of Eden. Fresh out of Bible college, Milam was well-versed in theological jargon, but found he could not communicate in settings that were foreign to him, whether overseas or at home. With a bloated soul but a starving spirit, he tells the story of how he reached out to the Father and learned a language that was new to him–a language of love, grace and mercy.

Despite the obscure title, The Ancient Language of Eden is relevant and compelling. Milam tells of his trials working with alcoholics in the inner city, being hauled off to prison in Mozambique, watching his marriage start to slip away and giving up the ministry for a time to become a painter.

Milam writes of the spiritual hunger in God’s people to shed the chains of religious slavery and run toward His loving arms. He urges readers to journey back to the biblical Garden of Eden where the language of the Father is spoken–the ancient language of love, grace and mercy.
Debra L. Edgar

The Seven Cries of Today’s Teens
By Timothy Smith, Integrity Publishers,
241 pages, softcover, $.

Based on a Gallup survey, The Seven Cries of Today’s Teens offers a well-informed, enlighten-ing presentation of our teens’ top seven needs.

Family counselor and Gallup Institute Fellow Timothy Smith devotes one chapter to each need–the need for trust, for love, for security, for purpose, to be heard, to be valued and for support.

Each need is a “cry,” Smith insists, “a signal, a call for help or a demand for attention. It does not necessarily have to be a cry of sorrow or pain–but it will become that if no one responds.”

These are the cries of “the millenial generation.” Smith says a millenial is generally defined as a young person who was born after 1981, noting that the first millenials graduated in the high school class of 2000.

In spite of and because of the violence known in the millenial generation, Smith has discovered these young people are “neo-traditionalists” at heart. They value relationships over possessions and desire time with family and friends and to have clear “borders” set for them.

Smith concludes each chapter with discussion questions designed for parent to parent and parent to teen. A “Responding to the Cry” section follows the questions and provides “tools to use at home” and “tools to use at church.” Not only parents and church youth ministers, but also any adult with a heart for ministry will want to respond to give today’s teens the help and attention they crave.

This book is a must-read in these challenging times.
Pamela Robinson

A Call to the Secret Place
By Michal Ann Goll, Destiny Image,
191 pages, softcover, $.

Deep intimacy with God is in the “secret place” Michal Ann Goll refers to in her book titled A Call to the Secret Place. Who is welcome in the secret place, and how does one get there? Goll says God invites every Christian, and one arrives by being alone with God–focused and receptive to His love–and meditating on His Word.

In this follow-up to her book Women on the Front Lines, Goll highlights the lives of seven women, including Susanna Wesley and Fanny Crosby, who exemplify total surrender to Christ. One of Goll’s contemporary subjects is Gwen Shaw, who has preached and prophesied in many nations.

Goll’s tone is conversational. However, she relies heavily on metaphors to communicate her points throughout the book, managing to integrate them successfully in the final chapter.
Leslie Santamaria

Karen Davis must pray for protection when she goes to the bank or the grocery store. A worship leader, pastor’s wife and a Messianic Jew living in Haifa, Israel, Davis could have stayed in New York, where she and her husband, David, a Broadway director and actor, were part of the street-ministry outreach of Times Square Church.

But one trip to Israel changed the direction of their lives. From the moment they landed until they left two weeks later, Karen wept.

Immigrating to Israel in 1989, the Davises ministered to drug addicts and alcoholics, founding a rehabilitation center for both Jews and Arabs and a new congregation called Kehilat HaCarmel (Carmel Assembly), built on the very top of Mount Carmel, near where Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal.

“For over a decade now we have witnessed the miracle of the transforming power of God’s love as He works in the hearts of afflicted men to be reconciled to Him through the blood of Yeshua and then toward each other,” Karen says.

Now citizens of Israel, the Davises live in an atmosphere of tension. Karen’s response as a psalmist has been recorded on her new release with Galilee of the Nations, Sar Shalom (Prince of Peace).

The album contains fresh Messianic worship songs birthed out of her longing to unite Jews, Arabs and Gentiles to Yeshua, the Prince of Peace. Once news of the album gets out, Karen expects that she will hear from people all over the world who are connecting to the new heavenly sounds emerging from Israel today.
Marsha Gallardo

CHARISMATIC TOP SELLERS

1. Total Forgiveness
R.T. Kendall (Charisma House)

2. Matters of the Heart
Juanita Bynum (Charisma House)

3. A Divine Revelation of Hell
Mary K. Baxter (Whitaker House)

4. Pigs in the Parlor
Frank and Ida Mae Hammond
(Impact Christian Books)

5. A Divine Revelation of Heaven
Mary K. Baxter (Whitaker House)

6. The Three Battlegrounds
Francis Frangipane (Arrow Publications)

7. The Tongue: A Creative Force
Charles Capps (Harrison House)

8. The Final Quest
Rick Joyner (Whitaker House)

9. A Divine Revelation of the Spirit Realm
Mary K. Baxter (Whitaker House)

10. No More Sheets
Juanita Bynum (Pneuma Life Publishing)

CHARISMA RECOMMENDS

They Felt the Spirit’s Touch
By Scott Hagan, Charisma House,
256 pages, softcover, $.

Scott Hagan explores the lives of 20 obscure people mentioned in the book of Acts, including Stephen, Cornelius and Apollos. Hagan expounds on the biblical narrative with humor and thought-provoking character development. Rich in imagery, this book shows how the Spirit moved in ordinary lives to change the first-century world.

Bible Health Secrets
By Reginald Cherry, M.D.;
Siloam Press; 224 pages; hardcover; $.

Dr. Reginald Cherry believes the Bible holds the secrets to healing from
cancer and other diseases. In this new book he outlines the Bible’s food restrictions as well as preventative herbs and spices mentioned in Scripture. Readers will discover a spiritual and dietary lifestyle that they can easily apply in order to experience abundant health.

Daniel Notes
By Greg Hinnant, Creation House Press,
320 pages, softcover, $.

Author, teacher and pastor Greg Hinnant takes readers on a journey exploring the life of an amazing man. This commentary on Daniel is well-researched, thoroughly cross-referenced and scholarly. Yet, Hinnant keeps it down to earth, easy to read and practical. Readers will be inspired by Daniel’s ultimate faith, absolute loyalty,
fiery testing and amazing rewards. But most importantly Daniel experienced the fullest and richest knowledge of God–available to all believers.

Catch the Wave
By Steven Cole, Creation House Press,
96 pages, softcover, $.

Steven Cole believes we can have a real and personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. Cole teaches who the Holy Spirit is, what the gifts of the Spirit are and how the Spirit moves. The author wants believers to catch the wave and use the power of the Holy Spirit to bring glory to God and fulfill His purpose for their lives.

Secretos del corazón
(Matters of the Heart)
By Juanita Bynum, Casa Creación,
204 pages, softcover, $.

In this Spanish translation of her newest book, Bible teacher Juanita Bynum explores the close connection between the heart and mind–and she explains why this key to intimacy with God is so vital. Bynum says she was shocked when God told her she was not concerned with the condition of her heart even though she was faithfully serving Him. Readers may discover deceit in their own hearts when they read this painfully transparent account of spiritual growth and the integrity it requires.

We want to show the love of Jesus in a tangible way to the Iraqis.
After a 21-day war that cost an estimated $30 billion and the lives of several hundred coalition troops, Iraq is at a crossroads. For the first time, the citizens have the freedom to choose. But what will be the
outcome of their choice? Will the country regress into anarchy, with radical
Muslims crushing what little freedom the tiny Christian minority now has?

This is not a question of East versus West or of Christianity versus Islam. It’s a question of what direction Iraq will take at this critical juncture.

The military part of the campaign toppled a corrupt regime. Now it’s time for the church to respond. Why? Because as this month’s cover story so aptly describes (see page 40), the souls of millions hang in the balance.

That’s why Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), has called on Christians to pray.

“The body of Christ doesn’t have guns and tanks to make changes,” Haggard told me. “But we can pray–and we can give.”

Last month I reported that in May Haggard initiated “Operation Iraqi Care,” a program through which churches in America can work with the churches in Iraq. In a part of the world where some countries have no religious freedom at all, Iraq has allowed a Christian minority (about 2.5 percent of the population) to exist.

After Clive Calver, president of World Relief, visited Iraq recently, he said he had never met more sincere Christian believers. Yet, as we report, these Christians live in the worst possible conditions. There is a need for hundreds of thousands of Christians in this country to respond generously.

The strategy is for all evangelical churches in America to give as well as pray. We want to show the love of Jesus in a tangible way to the Iraqis, regardless of their ethnicity or religion.

Isn’t this what Christ commanded us to do? He told us that whatever we do for one of the least of His brothers, we do for Him (see Matt. 25:40).

I believe the strategy the NAE and World Relief have devised is brilliant. Instead of sending Western Christians into Iraq to give handouts, we can help our Christian brothers and sisters in that country, who will in turn show the love of Jesus to their fellow citizens by addressing their many needs.

Though the call to help Iraq has come from the “evangelical” community through NAE and World Relief, I am calling on the “charismatic” community to lead the way. Sadly, too many Christians–charismatic or not–tend to think giving is something others should do.

It isn’t. It is something each of us must do. If every church took up an offering, if every Christian family gave even a small amount, consider the resources that would be available to help the church in Iraq!

What can you do?

First, you can pray. That’s most important. We wrestle against principalities and powers (see Eph. 6:12), and prayer is the only weapon we have against those forces.

Then you can give. Give personally and get your church to give.

We are channeling 100 percent of what our readers contribute through Christian Life Missions, our nonprofit partner, to World Relief.

World Relief will work through the churches in Iraq. Space does not allow us to report specific plans. But we will update our Web site, , as we get new information. Or you can go to the NAE and World Relief Web sites to see their perspectives at

Our story (see page 48) lists other organizations we believe are worthy of support. We have chosen to channel our giving through World Relief. But you can give to other organizations or directly to World Relief. The point is: Give!

By working together, we can do what none of us can do alone–show Jesus’ love to and through our brothers and sisters in the church in Iraq.

Most of my staff of Strang Communications have already followed my lead in giving to Operation Iraqi Care. Won’t you join us in giving through Christian Life Missions? One hundred percent will go to World Relief for this important program. Please send your tax-deductible gift to Christian Life Missions, P.O. Box 952248, Lake Mary, FL 32795-2248, or click here to donate securely online.

The Internet-based initiative urges Christians to adopt an Iraqi city and pray for it daily
Evangelical leaders announced the launch of a global prayer initiative for Iraq and debunked criticism that post-war Christian relief efforts aimed to convert the mostly Muslim nation to Christianity.

Leaders of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE)–in partnership with the World Prayer Team, the Presidential Prayer Team, World Relief and the Christian Emergency Network–formally opened Operation Iraqi Care at a May 22 press conference in Washington, D.C. The Internet-based effort urges Christians to adopt an Iraqi city and pray for it daily.

“I am asking that the 47 million Christians in America who love to pray according to the Scriptures include in their prayer times prayer for the Iraqi people,” NAE president Ted Haggard said at the National Press Club. “The next few months might be the most important time of decision the people of Iraq have had in thousands of years.”

After 30 years of dictatorship under Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi people “have to decide whether or not they believe in individual dignity, personal responsibility, due process, the rule of law, principles of individual freedom and liberty,” he said.

Haggard said the reconstruction of Iraq is God’s idea. “We know that God desires a better future for the Iraqi people,” Haggard said. “He wants their children to have medical care and an education. He wants them well fed.

“He wants them to worship in freedom without intimidation. He wants them to be able to discuss the big issues of life, family, government, faith and a future without fear. He wants to bless them.”

Observers note that Operation Iraqi Care’s arrival is book-ended by two developments that impact Christian assistance to Iraq, an ancient biblical land.

Public opinion-makers have questioned whether evangelicals are, as New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd put it, mixing “a blend of kitchen pantry and Elmer Gantry” by sending help to the Iraqis. Critics have said evangelicals would aim to convert the mostly Muslim Iraqis to Christianity.

Interestingly, on the day Operation Iraqi Care was unveiled the United Nations lifted its sanctions on Iraq, which evangelical leaders say opened the road for the international community and humanitarian organizations to support the Iraqis in rebuilding their country.

Richard Cizik, NAE vice president for governmental affairs, called criticism of evangelical assistance to Iraq “erroneous thinking.” He said the NAE’s humanitarian-assistance arm, World Relief, which has 60 years’ experience in relief work, and NAE member Samaritan’s Purse “understand the rules of the road and are well prepared and experienced to respond to social and humanitarian needs.”

While participating in a June 4 discussion about post-war relief efforts in Iraq hosted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, World Vision Senior Vice President Bruce Wilkinson said the recent debate about joining humanitarian relief with Christian evangelism “is largely an American phenomenon brought on by the publicized comments of several high-profile conservative Christian leaders associated with humanitarian organizations.”

“It appears that this controversy is not an issue for the people of Iraq, Afghanistan or any other predominantly Muslim country … that is receiving humanitarian aid from international religious [groups],” Wilkinson said. “When confronted with humanitarian emergencies, suffering people–no matter their religion–welcome aid from all sources as long as it is appropriate and delivered in a dignified manner.”

Missionary Ken Joseph Jr., who was in Iraq before the war and was among the first to bring relief into the nation, said that though Iraq was still a dangerous place, with guns blasting at night, the war’s end presented “the opportunity of a generation” to evangelize the nation.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the church to stand up and do something quickly,” said Joseph, who directs and helps funnel relief into Iraq.

He added that though Hussein is no longer in power, many Christians in Iraq–who are believed to make up roughly 2.5 percent of the population–fear backlash from radical Shiite Muslims if they attempt to proselytize. “The Christians don’t believe the Americans are going to stay for the long haul,” he said, “and they think [extreme] Muslims will take over the country.”

After meeting with Iraqi Christians in early June, World Relief president Clive Calver quoted church leaders as saying: “We are free. We can say anything now. It’s a new era.” He urged Christians to pray for the Iraqi people, adding that “we do not know how long the window [of opportunity] will stay open.”

Ministries working inside Iraq plan to funnel assistance through local churches. Baltimore-based World Relief–poised to offer relief through partnerships with Assyrian and Chaldean churches, and Christian Arab communities in Jordan, Syria and Turkey–already has sent two assessment teams into Iraq, Executive Director Timothy Ziemer said. The teams have identified partnerships in health care, home rehabilitation, school feeding, medicines, educational supplies and food distribution.

The World Relief strategy in Iraq and the Arab world allows Arabs to help other Arabs, Ziemer said, adding that NAE’s spiritual and financial assistance embraces both Muslims and Christians.

Samaritan’s Purse, led by Franklin Graham, announced it stands “at the doorsteps of Iraq” ready to help war victims there. In addition World Vision already has distributed relief inside the Iraqi cities of Mosul and Al Rutba, and announced plans in June to deliver 3,200 packets of clothing, blankets and water in Al Rutba.

At the launch of Operation Iraqi Care Cizik said evangelicals in the United States “have come of age … We take the Bible seriously in our humanitarian response.” Those who join the Operation Iraqi Care effort can download a certificate reminding them to pray for Iraq and register to receive e-mail updates of current events. Financial donations to help World Relief’s work in Iraq will also be accepted at the Web sites () and ().
Mercedes Tira Andrei in Washington, D.C.