THE BIBLE IN SIGN LANGUAGE
Christianity Today reports that after 39 years’ work, a sign language (American) translation of The Bible Is Now Complete. Work on translating the Bible into American Sign Language started in 1981 with Duane King, a minister in the Independent Christian Church. Pastor King had learned to sign after meeting a deaf Christian couple who told him they avoided going to church because they did not understand what was going on. Pastor King and his wife, Peggy, then started a church for the deaf and started work on the sign language Bible.

CHRISTIANS IN EGYPT
According to The Christian Post, the situation for Christians in Egypt is ‘better now than it has been for a long time.’ Darrell Bock, a Christian professor recently visited the nation where he met with a group of 70 Protestant Egyptian leaders who told him that improvement in conditions for the Christian minority was ‘huge’. However, he says there are still areas in the country, where there is violence against the Christian Church About 10% of Egypt is Christian. Barely 1% are evangelical Protestant. Since 2017 more than 1,600 churches have been given legal recognition.

A HILLSONG BOOK
Grammy Award-winning group Hillsong Worship has released a children’s book named after their popular song What A Beautiful Name. The book, written by Hillsong’s Brooke Ligertwood and Ben Fielding and their spouses, presents the themes mentioned in the worship song to young readers in a fun enjoyable way.

WALL OF ANSWERED PRAYER
The UK’s Eternal Wall Of Answered Prayer has been granted permission for construction. It will take the form of a giant arch constructed out of a million bricks, each representing a prayer that has been answered by God. It is the brainchild of Richard Gamble, former chaplain of Leicester City Football Club. He says the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, standing more than 51 metres tall would ‘make hope visible to the UK’. Mr Gamble told Christian Today that it’s been 16 years since the idea was floated. It is expected to attract 300,000 visitors a year and contribute £9.3 million to the local economy. Due to open in 2022, the site will include a visitor centre, café, bookstore and 24-hour onsite chaplaincy support service.

SOLAR-POWERED BIBLES
New Life reports that people who can’t read can hear God’s Word with MegaVoice as solar-powered audio Bibles are reaching Kimberley Aboriginal people with the Gospel. Thanks to donations and grants, Rev Chris Webb at Broome People’s Church is able to sell MegaVoice Bibles at a subsidised price that is affordable for locals. He’s had so many requests that he’s run out of supplies.

BIBLE APP FOR KIDS
According to Premier News, The Bible App for Kids has been downloaded to more than 14 million devices this year, a 193% increase compared to the same time last year. The recent surge in growth has helped the app reach a new milestone of 50 million installs since its launch in 2013.

INNOVATIVE CHURCH SERVICES
Religion News Service reports that American churches that have continued to meet in person in their buildings have done so with smaller gatherings, social distancing, mask wearing and other measures meant to protect worshippers from COVID-19. Others have hosted drive-in services. At least one held a kayak service. And, with many sports cancelled for the season, some churches — like South Bend City Church — have filled the stands at the empty stadiums and ballparks in their neighbourhoods. First Baptist Church in McKinney, Texas, encouraged members to wear their favourite jerseys to its “Stadium Service” at the local school district’s football stadium.

MR ETERNITY ON STAGE
In 1932 when Arthur Stace heard evangelist John G. Ridley preach about Eternity, he was inspired to write the word ‘Eternity’ in chalk on the streets of Sydney and Melbourne over 500,000 times. According to Eternity News, the theatre company Clock and Spiel Productions are planning to develop Mr Eternity—The Story of Arthur Stace for the stage.

SEQUEL TO “THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST”
Eternity News reports that Jim Caviezel, the actor who played the part of Jesus in the film The Passion of the Christ, has confirmed that a sequel is underway. Caviezel told Breitbart News Daily that director Mel Gibson had recently sent him the third draft of the sequel’s script. The actor stated: “It’s coming. It’s called The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection. It’s going to be the biggest film in world history.”

CHURCH IS CHANGING
As the effects of COVID‐19 continue to change the landscape of church ministry, some churches are considering permanent changes. One Baptist Church has seen online participation now three times larger than prepandemic in-person church attendance. Church pastor, Robby Gallaty, says they have begun the process of creating a permanent online church ministry. Pastor Gallaty says that churches predominantly dependent upon a building are going to have a hard time transitioning into the future. ‘Change is constant’, he says, but as the Body of Christ, there must be a willingness to reach as many people as possible even if it’s uncomfortable and different. If the Church doesn’t have a robust online presence it is going to miss where the people are.

MESSAGE OF HOPE FOR TASMANIA
In May 2021, Will Graham will be bringing a message of hope to Tasmania. New Life reports that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has been preparing for the upcoming Celebration, which will be hosted in the cities of Hobart and Launceston and streamed online.

FOCUS OF A MAN OF FAITH
Heart Of The Nation, a feature in The Australian newspaper’s Weekend Magazine written by Ross Bilton, tells of an up-and-coming young medical researcher, Dr Caleb Dawson, who works at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne. Apparently, he is ‘probing the mysteries of cancer and the immune system using the esoteric techniques of “3D confocal fluorescence microscopy” in which special dyes and lasers are brought to bear on tissue samples, revealing ever-deeper layers of reality. Dawson’s curious gaze isn’t just detached and scientific. He sees beauty in there too; he sees art. And he sees something even deeper: the hand of God. For as well as being a scientist, Dawson, 28, is also a man of faith, a guitar-strumming Christian who declares his belief in the resurrection of Jesus.

CHURCHES OFFER ASSISTANCE
In southern Oregon, which has been adversely affected by devastating fires, some churches are coordinating relief efforts. Pastor Lee Gregory of Medford Neighborhood Church said in an interview with ABC News affiliate KDRV that his congregation is restarting a previous campaign called “I C.A.R.E” to assist displaced residents. Gregory said he’s working with local churches and asked that they open their parking lots to people who’ve escaped the fires and are now living in RVs and trailers and need a place to stay.

MURALS ILLUSTRATE RACIAL JUSTICE
A church in Washington, D.C. that was vandalized by rioters has made a powerful statement on racial unity. St. John’s church, which, according to The Christian Post, was almost burned down and was graffitied by rioters, has painted a series of murals in the spirit of racial justice. One of the murals has Amos 5:24 written on it, which states, “Let justice roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.” Another mural prominently features South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who teaches that “our lives are inexplicably bound together.”

“THERE WAS JESUS” AT NUMBER ONE
Country Music star Dolly Parton has partnered with popular Christian music artist Zach Williams to make a new hit song titled “There Was Jesus,” a song about hope in troubled times and how Jesus is always there, especially when things seem darkest. According to The Christian Post, the song topped 10.5 million impressions on the Christian airwaves in the US, which put it in the number 1 spot on Billboard’s Christian Adult Contemporary chart for the week starting 6 September.