The City of Medina, Minnesota is trying to stop a 1,000-plus-member church from moving ahead with its building expansion plans—on its own property.

Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) attorneys filed a lawsuit Thursday on behalf of Woodridge Church against the city of Medina for allegedly manufacturing a new zoning ordinance to prevent the church from building a new 42,000-square foot facility.

Shortly after Woodridge Church submitted its application for the expansion, city officials placed a moratorium on church construction citywide for one year. During that time, the city created a new zoning district. The new district prohibits construction of any building over 40,000 square feet. The church’s planned expansion is 42,000 square feet.

“Churches should not be singled out for discrimination by a city’s zoning restrictions,” says ADF Senior Legal Counsel Joel Oster. “Customizing ordinances and setting moratoriums with the specific purpose to curtail church growth is unconstitutional and specifically prohibited by federal law.”

Woodridge Church owns nearly 28 acres of property and has recently expanded to more than 1,000 members. To accommodate its various growing ministries, the church began working with city officials in April 2008 to develop plans in compliance with the city code before submitting its building application.

During the moratorium, the city devised a new “Rural Public/Semi-Public” zoning district, which includes three parcels of land: Woodridge Church, city hall, and another church.  The city hall building already complies with the square-footage limitation, and the city has no current plans to expand.

In the spring of 2009, the City Council rejected the City Planning Commission’s recommendation to limit buildings in the zone to 45,000 square feet and instead set the limit to 40,000 square feet, which kept the church’s 42,000-square-foot plans from meeting compliance. After the city adopted the ordinance restricting construction in the RPS zone, it lifted the moratorium.

ADF attorneys contend that the city’s restrictive zoning ordinance is in direct violation of the U.S. Constitution, the Minnesota Constitution, and federal law–specifically, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which prevents zoning officials from singling out churches for discriminatory treatment.

Charles Shreffer is serving as local counsel in the lawsuit, Woodridge Church v. City of Medina, which was filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.

In the past, youth in the Democratic Republic of Congo have not been altogether very responsive to the Gospel. Sam Vinton with Grace Ministries International (GMI) says, “In the past years, working with the young people, you really saw very little result. There was no enthusiasm, no excitement.”

In recent months, however, that has begun to change. Nothing has happened politically or economically to make the country more hopeful. But for whatever reason, God has opened windows, as Vinton puts it, for the Gospel to shine through.

Through GMI’s work in local schools, over 100,000 have viewed the film “Godman,” rendering about 18,000 professions of faith. These numbers already far surpass the expectations GMI had going in, but further reactions from students have been the real eye-opener.

“The thing that really impresses me right now–as I’ve read over the report sent in from what happened last year–is the additional number of students that have been brought to faith in Christ in the actual religion classes, chapels, services of the school: about 2,700 last fall semester.”

More exciting is the way God is really transforming these students. Excited not only to receive but to give out the Gospel message, 66 students from four churches pulled together to raise enough money to reach a nearby island. It took 500 hours of work, but the students finally earned the $240 they needed to go on the mission field.

The students spent four days on the island, doing house-to-house evangelism as well as conducting an outdoor meeting, which resulted in 32 more lives entering the Kingdom. By the end of it, the kids were not only overjoyed at what God had done, but confident in what He could do with them in the future.

“The important thing was to see the young people willing to go out there, spend four days out there on this island, share the Gospel, and come back and say, ‘God can use us, even though we don’t have very much,'” explains Vinton.

GMI is overjoyed with the transformation taking place in Bukavu, DRC, but there are still many challenges. So many people are coming to faith, that discipleship can get difficult. “I think the obstacle is: how do we get enough literature and pastors or chaplains who follow up?”

Vinton says this immediate follow-up is vital to harvesting true, new faith.

Tea Party-backed Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is calling for an end to “welfare” for Israel—and it’s caused an outcry among pro-Israel supporters in the Body of Christ.

With the continued unrest in Egypt, along with concerns that the Muslim Brotherhood is working behind the scenes toward the destruction of Israel through this unrest, the notion of ending aid to Israel in this hour is stirring Zionists to action.

The debate comes in the wake of a newly released House GOP budget. Paul insists the budget falls short of the measures needed to deal with a federal deficit. Paul continues to defend stance on ending all foreign aid—including the $3 billion the U.S. gives Israel every year—in the name of balancing the budget.

“I’m not singling out Israel. I support Israel. I want to be known as a friend of Israel,” Paul told ABC News, “but not with money you don’t have. We can’t just borrow from our kids’ future and give it to countries even if they are our friends.”

Paul told ABC that Israel is “probably” 10 years ahead of any neighboring country and that its defense is significant and “probably” well in advance of its enemies. “Should we be giving free money or welfare to a wealthy nation?” Paul asked. “I don’t think so.”

In response, more than 22,500 members of Christians United for Israel (CUFI), including several hundred members from Paul’s state, have e-mailed the senator asking him to abandon his call to end aid to Israel.

E-mails sent to the senator state in part “…eliminating aid to Israel would abandon a key ally in a dangerous region at a turbulent time. Such a cut would betray our highest principles, endanger our nation, and, in the long run, end up costing us far more.”
 
“I do not believe that the Senator’s comments are representative of the Tea Party or the wider American public,” says John Hagee, CUFI founder and chairman. “CUFI members and leaders have met on several occasions with Tea Party leaders and elected officials. Throughout our meetings, Tea Party leaders consistently expressed their commitment to supporting Israel’s qualitative military edge in the Middle East.”

David Brog, CUFI’s executive director, says CUFI membership is concerned with both the strategic and moral implications of Paul’s stance.

“Christians across the country, including a large number in the Senator’s home state of Kentucky, recognize that foreign aid to Israel is vital to American interests in the Middle East,” Brog says. “I anticipate that the number of CUFI members emailing the Senator will continue to grow as we keep the action alert open through the week.”

Global Jewish Advocacy group AJC, meanwhile, authored a letter to leading House Republicans stressing the critical importance of continued aid to Israel. The letter, addressed to Rep. Hal Rogers, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, and Rep. Paul Ryan, Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget, urged them to reject Paul’s call.

“We are thankful to the Senators for their initiative and we are confident of a positive reception on the Republican side of the House, where the unique friendship between the United States and Israel is equally understood and valued,” says AJC Executive Director David Harris. “Ending aid to Israel would deliver a massive blow to the strategic interests of our country. If the current political upheaval in the Arab world demonstrates anything, it is that Israel is the only country in the Middle East guaranteed to remain a staunch ally of America, regardless of who is in power.”

President Obama prayed for Egypt and shared his heart about his Christian faith at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday.

Obama revealed that his mother, whose parents were Baptist and Methodist, grew up with skepticism about organized religion. That translated to few and far between church visits for the future president of the United States. Still, he credits his mother with “nagging” him constantly about values like honesty, hard work, kindness and fair play.

Obama’s earliest inspirations for a life of service? Faith leaders of the civil rights movement, including Martin Luther King and the Baptist leaders, Catholic leaders like Father Theodore Heshburg, Jewish leaders like Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, as well as Muslim and Hindu leaders.

“Their call to fix what was broken in our world, a call rooted in faith, is what led me just a few years out of college to sign up as a community organizer for a group of churches on the Southside of Chicago,” Obama said. “And it was through that experience working with pastors and laypeople trying to heal the wounds of hurting neighborhoods that I came to know Jesus Christ for myself and embrace Him as my lord and savior.”

Christian Faith Sustains Obama
That was over 20 years ago. Obama said his faith journey has had its twists and turns—and that it hasn’t always been a straight line. He admitted that in the wake of failures and disappointments he has questioned what God had in store for him and was reminded that God’s plans for us may not always match our own shortsighted desires. Obama said the past two years as president has deepened his faith and driven him to his knees.

“My Christian faith then has been a sustaining force for me over these last few years,” Obama said. “All the more so, when Michelle and I hear our faith questioned from time to time, we are reminded that ultimately what matters is not what other people say about us but whether we’re being true to our conscience and true to our God. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” 

 Inside Obama’s Prayer Life
What does Obama pray about? He said many of his prayers are general: “Lord, give me the strength to meet the challenges of my office.” But as he petitions God, he said, there are a few common themes that do recur. Obama’s first category of prayer comes out of the urgency of the Old Testament prophets and the Gospel itself.

“I pray for my ability to help those who are struggling,” Obama said. “Christian tradition teaches that one day the world will be turned right side up and everything will return as it should be. But until that day, we’re called to work on behalf of a God that chose justice and mercy and compassion to the most vulnerable.”

Obama says faith that reminds him that despite being just one very imperfect man, he can still help whoever he can, however he can, wherever he can, for as long as he can, and that somehow God will buttress these efforts. 

Obama Prays for Humility
The second recurring theme in Obama’s prayers is humility. In a life of politics when debates have become so bitterly polarized, and changes in the media lead so many just to listen to those who reinforce existing biases, he said it’s useful to go back to Scripture to remind ourselves that none of has all the answers. 

 “The full breadth of human knowledge is like a grain of sand in God’s hands,” Obama said. “And there are some mysteries in this world we cannot fully comprehend. As it’s written in Job, ‘God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways. He does great things beyond our understandings’.”

Obama admitted he’s challenged with balancing humility with the need to fight for deeply held convictions, to be open to other points of view but firm in his core principles. He said he prays for this wisdom every day. 

 “I pray that God will show me and all of us the limits of our understanding, and open our ears and our hearts to our brothers and sisters with different points of view; that such reminders of our shared hopes and our shared dreams and our shared limitations as children of God will reveal the way forward that we can travel together,” Obama said. 

 Obama Wants Closer Walk with God
And the last recurring theme, he shared, is that he might walk closer with God and make that walk his first and most important task. 

 “When I wake in the morning, I wait on the Lord, and I ask Him to give me the strength to do right by our country and its people,” Obama said. “And when I go to bed at night I wait on the Lord, and I ask Him to forgive me my sins, and look after my family and the American people, and make me an instrument of His will.   

 “I say these prayers hoping they will be answered, and I say these prayers knowing that I must work and must sacrifice and must serve to see them answered. But I also say these prayers knowing that the act of prayer itself is a source of strength. It’s a reminder that our time on Earth is not just about us; that when we open ourselves to the possibility that God might have a larger purpose for our lives, there’s a chance that somehow, in ways that we may never fully know, God will use us well. May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may He bless this country that we love.”

Did understanding Obama’s prayer life inspire you?

Although the protests started out peaceful enough, violence erupted Wednesday between government and anti-government supporters.

The violence quickly spread around the city in the form of looting and arson. There were reports of gangs of thugs supporting President Hosni Mubarak. These bands attacked reporters, foreigners, and rights workers while the army rounded up foreign journalists.

The spreading lawlessness comes at a time when Global Advance is preparing for two strategic events in the Middle East in 2011. President Jonathan Shibley was in Egypt last week when the protests started.

While the spiral into chaos is unsettling, he says, “I think this is a watershed moment not only for Egypt, but for much of the Arab world. We’re going to have to take a little bit of a ‘wait and see’ approach to what continues to play out. I also believe that it’s a ripe time for the Gospel.”

Global Advance has plans to conduct a training event for pastoral leaders from many different nations in the region. The event wasn’t scheduled for February, but delays in planning could mean delays further down the line. Delays are an inevitable part of a country in the throes of a revolution.

“Within the past week, I think everybody’s plans have been put on ice, and everyone has got to wait and see what’s going to happen,” says Shibley. “People, right now, are just primarily concerned for the basics and their own safety.”

No matter what happens with the government, the vision has been cast, and the Great Commission won’t change. Shibley says, “I was so encouraged with what God is doing among some of the Egyptian nationals and their mission strategy, not only for reaching Egypt but also parts of the Arab-speaking world. It was fascinating and really gave me a sense of true, indigenous missions.”

The team hopes to launch a Marketplace Missions event for business leaders in the area. These business leaders face difficult opposition just because of their faith.  

It’s interesting to note how the physical aspect of the uprising has provided an opportunity. “Some of the things that are happening parallel what’s going on in the Spirit, as well. There’s restlessness in that entire part of the world. I think, as believers, we need to focus our prayers on the people in the Middle East.”

Prayer is needed. Shibley says, “God has His men and women strategically positioned already on the ground. They’re in countries like Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Tunisia. They’re very few, but they’re still there. We need to pray that God gives them a holy strength and a holy boldness to continue living out their faith, reaching others in a relevant, practical way.”

Violations of Christians’ religious freedom in Indonesia jumped from 12 incidents in 2009 to 75 last year, according to a report from the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace.

Setara Institute researcher Ismail Hasani said at a press conference last week that 43 incidents involved attacks on churches and other security threats, sealing of worship venues and prohibition of activities, among other violations. Other incidents among the 75 violations included blocking churches from establishing places of worship and banning services and other religious activities.

Those involved in the violations acted primarily as members of community organizations, Hasani said.

“Most violations were committed by community groups – 70 incidents by groups such as the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), which was responsible for 17 incidents, the Islamic People’s Forum (FUI), which committed 11, and the Islamic Reform Movement (GARIS) which committed 10,” Hasani said. “Individuals were responsible for five incidents, and the Communication Forum for Religious Harmony (FKUB) committed three.”

In previous years most religious freedom violations overall have occurred in West Java Province, and that trend continued as Setara recorded 91 incidents against Christians and other groups in 2010.

“West Java, besides having a history of radicalism, is a region that also has thriving hard-line Islamist organizations that have special agendas such as enforcement of sharia [Islamic law] and eradication of immorality, besides being anti-Christianization and anti-proselytizing,” Hasani said.

After the 75 violations committed against Christian groups, the minority Muslim Ahmadiyya sect endured the next highest number of violations with 50, he said.

Theophilus Bela, secretary general of the Indonesian Committee on Religion and Peace and president of the Jakarta Christian Communication Forum, reported 46 incidents of religious freedom violations churches suffered in 2010.

The violations included destruction of church buildings.

“The Huria Kristen Batak Protestan or Batak Protestant Christian Church in Sibuhun, Tapanuli Selatan, North Sumtra Province, was burned down by fanatical Muslims on Jan. 22, 2010 after their Friday prayer in a nearby mosque,” Bela stated in a year-end report. “The house of the pastor was also burned down.”

On the same day, he reported, the Pentecostal Church in Indonesia (Gereja Pantekosta di Indonesia) in Sibuhun, Tapanuli Selatan, North Sumatra Province was also burned down by Muslim extremists.

Besides the 46 incidents, Bela said there were other violations that were not yet fully documented.

Government Failure
West Java officials have shown hardly any resolve to protect freedom of religion and belief, Setara’s Hasani said.

West Java Gov. Ahmad Herryawan of the Islamist-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has chosen to remain silent, he said.

“Besides not having a clear vision about freedom of religion and belief, Herryawan is also held hostage by his party’s policies, which tend to be intolerant,” Hasani said.

Intolerance toward religious minorities intensified last year, with hard-line Islamist organizations often resorting to vigilantism and violence, according to the Setara Institute.

“The dominant actors who committed violence are vigilante groups,” said Hasani.

The Setara report also points to high involvement of police and local government officials, as well as a failure of policemen to control Islamist groups.

“Regional leaders submitted to the pressures of the [Islamic] majority, although they [Islamists] were breaking the law and the constitution,” Hasani said. “Omissions were committed by the police by letting citizens have their religious freedom threatened, and by not taking legal action against the groups who committed violence.” He added that there were exceptions, with some violators being prosecuted.

Local governments used religious issues for political purposes, either to gather political support or to subdue opponents, he added.

“Politicization of [religious] identity happened in nearly all levels of government,” he said.

Minister of Religious Affairs Suryadharma Ali failed to protect religious freedom and belief, he said. Ali, of the Islamist party called the United Development Party (PPP), has denied that incidents of violence in 2010 were religiously motivated. At the same time, he said on Jan. 10 that the main cause of religious tensions was that some groups did not want to meet the legal requirements for establishing houses of worship.

The Joint Ministerial Decree promulgated in 1969 and revised in 2006 requires places of worship to obtain the approval of at least 60 persons from the local community, mandates that there be at least 90 church members and that the church must be approved by the the village head. These requirements are difficult for smaller churches to meet, and local governments routinely stall the paperwork of those that do apply, thus exposing them to accusations of illegality from Islamist groups.

Besides the minister of Religious Affairs, the ministers of Internal Affairs, Justice and Human Rights, and Indonesia’s president were unsupportive of freedom of religion, Hasani said. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is closing his eyes to various violations of religious freedom, he said.

Yudhoyono proudly said on Jan. 21 that during his administration no serious human rights abuses that have occurred, Hasani said.

“On the contrary, during his leadership, there has been violation of fundamental rights to freedom of religion and belief,” he said. “There have been no initiatives or meaningful breakthroughs in overcoming the various abuses faced by the Christian church.”

Bonar Tigor Naipospos, vice chairman of the Setara Institute, said that there was some progress in religious freedom in Indonesia. An administrative court in Bandung rescinded an order to revoke the building permit of the Batak Christian Protestant Church (Huria Kristen Batak Protestan, or HKBP) – a reversal that was upheld by the Supreme Court.

“The Setara Institute also appreciated steps that have been taken by police in the attack on the HKBP church in Ciketing, Bekasi,” Naipospos said, referring to a Sept. 12 assault in which an elder was seriously wounded and a pastor injured. “They are legally processing the perpetrators of stabbing.”

In the face of government denial of problems, however, the chairman of the Setara Institute, Hendardi, demanded that Indonesian leaders immediately draw up a law assuring freedom of religion. Hendardi, who goes by a single name, also said that President Yudhoyono should replace the minister of Religious Affairs and disregard political party wishes in replacing him.

Police should formulate internal policies conducive to the promotion of freedom of religion and design training for police officers on how to resolve religious conflict, he added.

An Egyptian-born Christian whose father remains in the Middle East is speaking boldly about the situation in his homeland.

Shaddy Soliman, pastor of Every Nation Church in Lake Mary, Fla. and co-author of Islam and Terrorism, is sounding the alarm about what he sees as an attempt by the Muslim Brotherhood to ultimately destroy Israel.

Hassan al-Banna, a pan-Islamist who opposed the secular tendencies in Islamic nations, formed The Muslim Brotherhood in 1928. It was he who birthed the credo, “Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Koran is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.”

Charisma magazine caught up with Soliman in this exclusive one-on-one interview to discuss his take on the crisis in Egypt, why the U.S. shouldn’t push democracy there, and what the Bible has to say about this historic event in the making.

Charisma: Is there more to what’s going on in Egypt than what we see on the surface?

Shaddy: Yes. The Western mindset says, “This is the people. They have no jobs and the economy is bad there. They have nothing to eat. They are starving. They are in a very bad economic shape. They’ve been oppressed by this dictator for 30 years. They have the right to freedom.”

This is what may appear on the surface. But this is not an organic movement of oppressed people that are ready to take their rightful place on the road to democracy. This is absolutely not the truth at all. This is well-organized and well-planned in all these countries by the Muslim Brotherhood.  This is not a new group. The group has been established since 1928.

Charisma: Why don’t you agree with democracy for Egypt?

Shaddy: History is the best reference to what’s taking place. In 1979, the same thing exactly happened with Iran. Iran was America’s greatest ally in the Middle East. [President Jimmy] Carter went over there to toast the New Year with the Shah of Iran, yet the Shah was there as a dictator for a long time, oppressing some of his people and putting some in prison. It’s the same story as Hosni Mubarak. 

Carter said, “We need to hear the voice of the people. We need democracy in this country. We have to have free and clean elections. We want to hear the people’s voice.” What happened? The Shah went in exile. Ayatollah Khomeini took over. Within one month, Khomeini slaughtered over 2,000 people who stood for democracy and the movement of democracy in their country.

Charisma: Can democracy work in an Islamic state?

Shaddy: In Iran, it turned out to be a disaster. George Bush committed the same mistake with the Palestinians. He wanted free elections. Who won that election? Hamas. So what are you going to do now? Support Mahmoud Abbas because he’s our ally. He’s our good guy and we’re going to support his organization, Fatah, even though they lost the election. So we split the Palestinians into two groups and they’re still fighting. 

Islam and democracy will never work. The idea of democracy is this: a government by the people, for the people, and lawmakers that make laws that agree with the people to protect the people. We vote our representative in. This is what Islam says, “People have no voice.” Islam says, “Allah gives us the law and the law is the Sharia law and we will enforce it to the world by the sword.” End of story. 

So every time we call for democracy in the Middle East or where Islam is present, this is what we’re saying, “Let me pave the highway for you to achieve leadership in this area so you could kill any resemblance of democracy and add to the West’s enemy list because that’s your agenda and until Jesus comes back that will always be the agenda.”
Charisma: So Islam is more than a religion.

Shaddy: Islam is a religion and a government.  

 Charisma: Why else do you think this crisis is organized by the Muslim Brotherhood?

Shaddy: There is one thing that Sunni and Shiite Muslims agree on: the destruction of Israel. To achieve the destruction of Israel, they’ve got to disarm all Islamic secular government in the region. Muslim secular governments agree with America and the West with the right for Israel to exist. Mubarak was America’s greatest ally. The president right now in Yemen is an American ally. The king in Jordan is an American ally.

All the secular American allies now will be removed and replaced by extremist Muslims so the squeeze on Israel will take place. That’s what’s making Israel right now very nervous. Here’s how Israel will look at it: In the north, they’ve got Hezbollah which is southern Lebanon and which, by the way, already removed secular government and are pursuing to take over the Lebanese government. In the west-north is Jordan. Right now, there is a protest in Jordan. In the West Bank, which is the Palestinians, you’ve got Hamas. So the only border that is secure for Israel is the southern border with the agreement of Camp David, the peace agreement with Egypt. Now, if this land is in the Muslim’s hands, Israel is surrounded. The only direction they could go is the Mediterranean Sea to the east.

This is not the time for our world leader to be blinded by the ideology of democracy and not see the bigger picture.

Charisma: It sounds like you are fed up.

Shaddy: I am fed up with the level of ignorance that we operate under here in the West because we keep ignoring history. We keep ignoring the fact of Islamic agenda. We want to camouflage all this and make it no big deal while the truth of it is absolute obvious.

Charisma: So what’s your prediction?

Shaddy: If you read Isaiah 19, it will explain a lot of what is taking place right now. You see the process looks very ugly in Isaiah 19 but the end result is amazing. Now, how long will that take? I don’t know. I read it this morning. I’ve meditated on it and I’m trying to hear the voice of God in it. Lord, what is this applied to today?

An attempt at the United States of Islam was made in 1967 by Egypt, Syria, Libya, Sudan, and Jordan. That was the ’76 war against Israel. This is about the fifth attempt created a United States of Islam. This time, what is making it more possible is the communication age that we live in: the Internet, Facebook, Twitter—and unity. In the past that was not possible. 

 Charisma: What should our response be? 

Shaddy: First, pray, pray, pray. The second response will be to be very diligent in what we’re doing as a nation—what we are representing. The third most important thing is to inform the people around us—our churches, our leaders—that this is not what it appears to be and let’s not be all about democracy and absolutely foolish about what’s taking place from the Word of God. Exposing the truth is the best agenda and the best way to set people free. The truth has been hiding too long. It has been camouflaged and has also been polluted by so many.

What is the Lord saying to you about the crisis in Egypt?

Bringing Muslims to Jesus is bringing a new wave of persecution in Somalia.

Members of an Islamic Somali extremist group have confiscated farm lands owned by Somali Christians and Muslims who attended Bible studies in the cities of Afgoye and Baidawa. Al-Shabaab is the name of the group behind the persecution, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

It’s not a one-time incident, either. The Islamists have confiscated eight farms since January 19. A Somali church leader confirmed to ICC that five of the farms were owned by Somali Christian converts from Islam and three were owned by Muslims who attended Bible study groups to learn about Christianity. Most of the landowners fled their homes and remain in hiding. There are also unconfirmed reports of additional Christian farm seizures in Dinsor and Burhakaba districts.

 Al-Shabaab handed over the confiscated lands to businessmen who regularly donate to the group. The Islamic group has vowed to cleanse Somalia of any Christian influence. Since January 2009, Al-Shabaab has killed 23 Christians, most of whom were church leaders. Al-Shabaab has also desecrated three Christian cemeteries in Mogadishu and destroyed a Christian library in the Luuq district.

“Christians in Somalia have endured unspeakable persecution for choosing to leave Islam and follow Jesus Christ,” says Jonathan Racho, ICC’s regional manager for Africa. “Members of Al-Shabaab, like many Islamic radicals, don’t respect religious freedom. We urge Christians around the world to pray for Somali Christians to persevere, and for members of Al-Shabaab to repent of their wicked ways and embrace the love of Jesus Christ.”

The Somali church has demonstrated remarkable growth despite intense persecution from Muslim radicals.

In an open letter to Baroness Catherine Ashton, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European Coalition for Israel (ECI) is calling on the EU to prevent a further radicalization of the Middle East by engaging in dialogue with all the democratic forces in Egypt.

Here is the part of the text of the open letter penned by ECI Director Tomas Sandell:

“Despite its stated goals to promote democracy and human rights in the Middle East, the EU has not given sufficient support to a democratic opposition. For many years the European Commission has been accused of letting

organizations with links to known terrorist groups in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories use EU funds for their humanitarian activities, thus strengthening the fundamentalist forces in the region while at the same time making it more difficult for a true democratic opposition to evolve.

“These are decisive moments for the future of the whole region. The EU now needs to stick to its core values and fundamental principles by only supporting groups which abide by democratic norms and accept universal values as enshrined in the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

“It is of vital importance for the whole region that those groups which promote terror and war are not supported by the international community. Only by promoting human rights and democracy can we safeguard stability, peace and prosperity in the region and a future co-existence between Israel and its Arab neighbors.”

The letter also states that the EU now needs to make it crystal clear that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Hizbollah in Lebanon can never become partners for peace so long as they refuse to recognize the existential right of a Jewish state in the region.

Is the EU doing enough to protect Israel?

We read a lot about persecution against Christians through arrests and beatings. But church facilities themselves are also under attack, as highlighted in the New Year’s Eve church bombing in Egypt.

But the problem goes well beyond Egypt—for the past two years, arsonists have attacked an average of 100 churches—and well beyond facility and personal attacks. For example, Internal theft has cost congregations an average of more than $250,000 per incident, and almost every area of crime against Christians and their places of worship is rising.

So says a report from the Christian Security Network (CSN). “Crimes against Christian Organizations in the United States—2010” contains findings that Jeffrey Hawkins, CSN executive director, describes as “the tip of the iceberg.”

“By all indications, crime is far higher against Christian organizations than is being reported,” says Hawkins, a church security expert with almost 30 years of experience in police and security work.

In the two years that CSN has compiled statistics, only three categories—robberies, violence and bomb threats—have fallen from 2009 to 2010, and those only marginally. Burglary, thefts, arson, vandalism, internal theft, sex offenses and miscellaneous crime all increased, the report reveals.

Hawkins explains that hate crimes are reported by local police to the FBI and are inconsistent with what Christian churches have experienced, compared with other religions: “If people just look at the FBI Hate Crime reports, which average 100 crimes a year against Christian institutions, they are missing the thousands of others we are documenting.”

Aside from hate crimes, incidents like internal thefts are devastating to churches in the U.S., costing more than $15 million a year and forcing some to close their doors. Only a small percentage is ever discovered, and sometimes not until years later, the report concludes.

The good news is many of these crimes could be prevented.

“There are relatively simple checks and balances churches can implement to reduce or prevent many of these crimes, potentially averting financial disaster for a congregation,” Hawkins says. “Becoming security-savvy is wise stewardship of God’s resources.”

Has your church ever been robbed, vandalized or otherwise attacked? Have you been robbed from during a church service?