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Inland Empire Edition Vol. 22, No. 11
Christian Higher Education Guide www.christianexaminer.com
Music & Entertainment
Barry Corey
Chuck Colson
Living legend Andraé Crouch continues journey with 18th album
E before I: True courage begins in the sanctuary
Freedom, Schmeedom: Religious liberty on trial
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FREE
November 2011
New ‘180’ video documentary prompts turnabout on abortion Christian Examiner staff report DALLAS, Texas — The dramatic new documentary “180” is gaining national attention. The documentary uses the history of the Jewish holocaust as a backdrop to challenge pro-choice positions on abortion. “180,” produced by evangelist and Christian apologist Ray Comfort, features the filmmaker pos-
ing the question, “What would you do if...?” in a series of sidewalk interviews. Comfort begins by asking morally charged questions to a variety of people, most of them college age. He offered several different scenarios about when it was OK to kill. Eventually he leads to the topic to abortion. While several of those filmed got defensive, See ‘180’ VIDEO, page 5
59 percent of young adults disconnect from the church in their teen years. Researchers that they stopped attending church because they wanted to find common ground with their peers, not build walls in areas where they disagreed.
Exclusive faith A woman named Alysea was one of several young people interviewed in “180,” a new documentary from Christian apologist Ray Comfort.
Nearly 500 pastors challenge IRS with Pulpit Freedom sermons By Lori Arnold PHOENIX, Ariz. — More than a dozen Inland Empire churches participated in the national Pulpit Freedom Sunday campaign challenging IRS restrictions on what pastors can say from the pulpit. In all, more than 475 churches nationwide registered for the event, held Oct. 2. The showing was nearly a five-fold increase from the previous year. The pastors represented 46 states and Puerto Rico.
Jim Garlow, chairman of the national Renewing American Leadership and one of the supporters of the event, said pastors “were really pumped up” on a post-event conference call. “The response of the congregations was really encouraging,” he said. “Pastors reported being interrupted with applause and in some cases they had standing ovations. We just didn’t anticipate that.” See IRS CHALLENGE, page 3
Young adults struggle with what to believe in a post-modern world By Kate Beecken World News Service MINNEAPOLIS — Young Christians, who have grown up in a culture that denies absolute truth, struggle with the exclusive nature of their faith and the way they’ve seen their parents’ generation communicate with an unbelieving world. According to a research study recently released by the Barna Group, 59 percent of young adults disconnect from the church in their teen years. Many study participants told researchers that they stopped attending church
because they wanted to find common ground with their peers, not build walls in areas where they disagreed. Twenty-nine percent of study participants, all between 18 and 29 years old, said the church was afraid of the beliefs of other faiths. The same number said they felt like the church forced them to choose between their faith and their friends. Young adults who grow up in a pluralistic, post-modern society have a hard time claiming that Christ is the only way, said Mark Mellen, the assistant pastor at Substance Church in St. Paul, Minn.
“This post-modern generation thinks that what’s true for you is not necessarily true for me,” Mellen said. Matt Runion, the associate campus pastor at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn., said that the problem of exclusivity is complicated by hypocrisy when the church does not live up to its claims. “As a general blanket statement, the exclusive claims of Christianity, while they are true, have not always been communicated, whether by words or lifestyle, in ways that are compelling See FAITH SURVEY, page 5
Red-zone evangelism scores strategic touchdowns for God’s Kingdom By Patti Townley-Covert RANCHO CUCAMONGA — Turkey and pumpkin pie. Relatives and laughter. Television and football—lots of football. Whether at Thanksgiving or on an ordinary weekend, when a favorite team moves the ball into the red zone, fans across the country leap to their feet to cheer them on. That’s because once a team gets inside their opponents’ 20-yard line, there’s the greatest possibility of carrying the ball the rest of the way. Kent Tucker, the president and founder of “How to Share Your Faith,” sees many similarities between football and evangelism.
Recently, on his way to speak at a Filipino church in New Jersey, he found himself in a spiritual red zone when he sat beside a doctor and a scientist on the airplane. After initial introductions, the two friends asked Tucker his occupation and Christianity came up. Seeing a providential opening, Tucker described how he began moving the evangelistic ball down the field. “If you died,” he asked, “would you go to heaven?” The middle-aged men thought so and explained how they had lived good lives performing good works. After more conversation and fielding a few questions, Tucker said he took out a pen and paper
and drew a simple diagram—two cliffs, with the deep gorge of death between them; man stood on one side, God on the other. Ever since he was an athlete at the University of California, Los Angeles and became involved with Campus Crusade, Tucker said he’s shared his faith with others. “My major at UCLA was mathematics, but by the time I graduated the most exciting thing in my life was talking about Jesus Christ and seeing lives change,” he said. “I sensed God’s calling to do that full time.” Tucker said he went on to Dallas See EVANGELISM, page 17
PHOTO BY PATTI TOWNLEY-COVERT
Participants prepare to role play, a key feature of “How to Share Your Faith” trainings.
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