China Aid today released its annual persecution report to an anticipatory audience. According to the report, 2007 saw an increase in overall persecution since last year.

In 2007, the known religious cases in which house churches were persecuted by the government covered 18 provinces and one municipality directly under the jurisdiction of the Central Government and there were 60 cases of persecution, up 30.4% from that of 2006. The total number of people persecuted was 788, up 18.5% from that of the year before. The total number of people arrested and detained is 693, up 6.6% from that of the year before. 16 people were sentenced to imprisonment, down 5.9% from that of the year before.

Imagine what it’s like to be a wheelchair-bound child. Now, meet Josiah, who will enlighten you and teach you about empathy, dignity and the power of a positive attitude.

By Mark Creech

The results of Super Tuesday are in — and despite last Saturday’s primary results, it appears Arizona Senator John McCain is most likely to capture the Republican Party’s nomination for president. Many conservatives, however, find this prospect exceedingly difficult to stomach.

Oswald J. Smith once proclaimed, “The mission of the church is missions.” How true! The mission of the church truly is missions, and the church is filled with individuals who each have unique God-given abilities to fulfill their role in the mission. But first, Christians must be educated about their world and how to reach it. For this reason, providing a platform for mission education has become a vital role of local churches.

By Chad Bonham

On February 3, more than 90 million people watched Super Bowl XLII. Some watched because they were legitimate fans of either New England or New York. But truthfully, most likely watched to see history made one way or another—either the Patriots were going to finish out a perfect season at 19-0 or the NFC’s fifth-seeded Wild Card Giants were going to shock the world and play the ultimate role of spoiler.

Names and places have been changed due to the extreme need for security.

I have returned from the exciting work of the Lord. He opened many doors, allowing us to impact thousands of people.

Lee University chose the Hogar Agape orphanage in Nicaragua as their Missions Week project. In December 2007, several students had the opportunity to visit Nicaragua. The following is one student’s account of the trip:

Calendar Updates provides religious holy day schedules for Microsoft Outlook. Available denominations include mainline Protestant Christian, Catholic, and Jewish. Complete 2008 schedules are available on the company’s website at www.calendar-updates.com.

To be a missionary is one of the most important callings in the ministry. It usually means the forsaking of family, friends and, sometimes, the necessities of life. It has meant, to some, even their lives. The question must be asked: Do you have what it takes to be a missionary?