Is the World Cup a [...]]]> COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. /Christian Newswire/ — Excited fans on both sides of the Atlantic will gather to watch the Ghana-U.S. World Cup soccer match on Saturday. Ghana, the final African team remaining in the World Cup, beat the U.S. team 2-0 in the 2006 games and hopes to repeat history.

Is the World Cup a big deal? You bet. But soccer games and mini-tournaments throughout Africa, although less-well-attended, could have a far greater and lasting impact.

Biblica is partnering with international soccer ministry Ubabalo eAfrica to bring 1,000 disadvantaged children and teens the excitement and fun of their own soccer tournaments, along with the gospel message and valuable character-building lessons. Biblica is also conducting soccer ministry with another 14,000 children and teens in Gambia, Kenya, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and South Africa.

World Cup fanaticism runs deep and wide, with children and adults alike cheering on home teams for what is arguably the world’s most popular sport. With South Africa hosting the immensely popular games, children in many African nations have been given extended school holidays. Soccer ministry gives kids exercise, a constructive way to use out-of-classroom time, and access to God’s Word and character-building lessons. Biblica provides the soccer balls, Scripture resources, and training for volunteer coaches.

In Kenya, Biblica and Ubabalo soccer ministry is bringing Muslims and Christians together for games and the gospel message. In Senegal, kids from rival youth gangs put aside longstanding hostilities and learn to cooperate and work together. In South Africa, youth in impoverished rural areas are gathering to play soccer and staying for Biblica’s Scripture-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs and discussion groups.

Lives changed, lives saved, the gospel proclaimed and received. It’s a winning combination for everyone.

About Biblica
Celebrating more than 200 years in ministry, Biblica provides God’s Word to people through translation, publishing, and Bible engagement. Biblica’s ministry extends worldwide, with outreach in 55 countries. Biblica has translated the Bible in more than 100 languages and is the translation sponsor and ministry publisher of the New International Version® (NIV®) of the Bible, the most widely read and trusted contemporary English translation. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God’s Word so lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ. For more information, visit www.Biblica.com.

Islamic courts, known as Kadhi, have existed for a long time [...]]]> Washington, D.C. – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that Muslim leaders are calling for Sharia to be enshrined in Kenya’s constitution. The move is opposed by Christian leaders who fear that it will lead to greater persecution, as it has in Sudan and Nigeria.

Islamic courts, known as Kadhi, have existed for a long time at district levels in Kenya. But they were limited to settling divorce, inheritance and marriage disputes among Muslims.

Kenya has drafted a new constitution which seeks to expand the power of the Islamic courts to include settlement of civil and commercial disputes. Kenyan Muslim leaders are also pushing to elevate the courts to the national level and give them the same privileges as the secular courts.

Christian leaders argue that recognizing Sharia courts in the constitution gives special privileges to Kenya’s Muslims. Rev. Dr. Wellington Mutiso, the general secretary of the evangelical alliance of Kenya, said in an interview with ICC, “We oppose the entrenching of Kahdi in the constitution of Kenya because religion and state should be kept separated in a secular state. Besides, the principles of Islamic laws are discriminatory to women’s right. Thus, entrenching Islamic principles in the Kenyan constitution violates constitutional principles of equality and non-discrimination.”

The majority of Kenyans are Christians with Muslims making up about ten percent of the population. But in the coastal and the northeastern provinces of Kenya, Muslims are the majority.

Jonathan Racho, ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, said, “We urge Kenyan officials not to recognize Sharia courts in the new constitution. Such a move will lead to further violence and discrimination against Christians in the Muslim dominated provinces of Kenya.”

Please contact the Kenyan embassies in your countries and express your opposition to the inclusion of Sharia courts in the new constitution.

Kenyan Embassies:

/Christian Newswire/ — Six explosive bands will be performing LIVE on GOD TV this weekend as the Angel Mission Benefit Concert is broadcast around the globe. This far-reaching initiative aims to raise support for desperately needed clean water wells in [...]]]>

Through Angel Mission wells, $5 can provide clean water for a person for 20 years

/Christian Newswire/ — Six explosive bands will be performing LIVE on GOD TV this weekend as the Angel Mission Benefit Concert is broadcast around the globe. This far-reaching initiative aims to raise support for desperately needed clean water wells in Africa – literally saving lives that would otherwise be lost to the global water crisis.

The Angel Mission Benefit Concert forms the climax of a full day’s line-up at the ‘I Love America’ Celebration in Springfield, Missouri. This grand scale event will be televised LIVE on GOD TV from 6pm (ET) on Friday July 3rd, with an edited version broadcast on Independence Day, July 4 at 1pm.
The featured artists include the cross-cultural worship style of Israel Houghton & New Breed ( www.newbreedmusic.com); Leeland, the alternative and progressive rock band from Texas ( www.leelandonline.com); and Press Play, which captivates its growing fan-base with pop/rock, rap and urban sounds ( www.thisispressplay.tv).
Also featured are: The Afters, a Dove Award winning band famous for pounding out beats that change gear from pop to ballad to alternative rock (www.theafters.com); Vicky Beeching an anointed worship leader from the UK who sings words of deep adoration ( www.vickybeeching.com); and Live Out Loud: an alternative rock duo from Zimbabwe who create inspirational rock tones with lyrics that tackle the issues facing Africa. ( www.myspace.com/liveoutloud5).
The public is invited to participate in this event. Those wanting to get involved can attend in person, watch on GOD TV, watch the webcast at www.5dollarwater.com or donate $5 by texting the word WATER to 90999.

“884 million people do not have access to safe water and 1.4 million children die each year because of this. That is 4,000 children per day,” said GOD TV / Angel Mission co-founder Rory Alec. “Africa faces a desperate need for clean water, but through Angel Mission’s drilling of community water wells as little as $5 can help provide a single person with sufficient water for 20 years. This means everyone can be part of helping revive entire communities in this vast continent.”
Net proceeds for the Angel Mission Benefit Concert will go to 25 water projects in the West Pokot region of Kenya. And, with so many top bands performing for such a worthy cause, viewers are in for some unsurpassed musical entertainment.
Angel Mission, a ministry outreach of GOD TV, is a Christian international development organization, bringing help and hope to poor communities. Partnering with the Church and other organizations, it seeks to find sustainable ways to help alleviate poverty and share God’s love with all people.

GOD TV can be accessed via channel 365 of DIRECTV or online at www.god.tv/stream. The Angel Mission Benefit Concert will also be broadcast LIVE at www.5dollarwater.com and made available for video on demand viewing at www.god.tv/god.
About GOD TV and Angel Mission:
Birthed in the UK in 1995, GOD TV is an international media network broadcasting Christian television programming to more than 155 million homes in more than 200 nations.  The network follows founders Rory and Wendy Alec’s vision to air more live programming from revival hotspots than any other broadcaster, reaching a younger demographic than Christian television traditionally reaches.   GOD TV sets aside a percentage of all donations to Angel Mission, its humanitarian relief and development ministry.  Angel Mission provides clean water and sanitation, and develops Life Centers that combat poverty in seven strategic ways.  For more information, visit www.god.tv and www.angel-mission.org.