Pope Benedict’s choice to publicly baptize the most prominent Muslim in Italy, Egyptian-born Magdi Allam, highlights a quiet worldwide exodus from Islam. In recent years, millions have moved on. With this high-profile action, Pope Benedict demonstratively blesses this massive conversion from the highest levels of the Church.Interviewed by al-Jazeera in 2006, Ahmad al-Qataani, leader of the Companions Lighthouse for the Science of Islamic Law in Libya, explains the decline:

As to how that happened, well there are now 1.5 million churches whose congregations account for 46 million people. In every hour, 667 Muslims convert to Christianity. Everyday, 16,000 Muslims convert to Christianity. Every year, 6 million Muslims convert to Christianity. These numbers are very large indeed.

[From Pajamas Media » Blog Archive » Muslims Leaving Islam in Droves]

1. Leadership in the Bible
2. Leadership Structures in the Bible

Can we make plans and formulate goals and still leave room for the Holy Spirit?
Should churches and other Christian organizations have formalized processes for clarifying vision and setting goals?
Can the Spirit of God speak to us in the midst of a goal-setting process? If so, how?
What can we do to let God guide our strategic planning processes?

[From Planning and Goals: Is There Room for the Holy Spirit? An Introduction | www.markdroberts.com]

Evangelicals make up the nation’s single-largest tradition, followed by Catholics. The survey also notes many Americans have changed religious affiliations or dropped ties to a specific faith.

[From U.S. is still overwhelmingly Christian, study finds - Los Angeles Times]

Over the last three years, I have witnessed thousands of such confessions at churches and at more than 30 campuses, both secular and Christian. I’ve discovered that this generation of young men and women is crying out for revival….

Technorati Tags: Students, Revival

(more…)

It’s my own “invention” using Microsoft Excel. It’s not fancy, and it’s not elegant programming, but it works! You need to know how to enter a very few, very simple data points in Excel, based on your calendar and your Bible.

We’re coming up on the first of the year, when many readers begin a Bible-in-a-year plan. This plan can start on any day of the year, though. There are 12 catch-up days in the plan, when you can make up for reading you have missed.

Following this plan, you will read in both the Old Testament and the New Testament every day, as well as in the Psalms. Some of the longer Psalms have been divided into more than one day’s reading. You have two options for the Proverbs, you can read the chapter whose number is the same as the current day of the month, or you can read them as they come in their sequence in the Old Testament.
Just download the Excel file (110 KB), and begin!

(Cross-posted at Thinking Christian)

Technorati Tags: Bible

A list of recommended websites on missions, courtesy of the editor of Evangelical Missions Quarterly, by way of twoorthree.net.

A new study finds that college students get more interested in spirituality between their freshman and junior years, but their interest seems to be the vague and hazy kind.

That was how Darrell Bock closed his article in Christianity Today on popular media challenges to Christianity. He’s right on the money. Last night I completed the second of two book discussions based on The Golden Compass. The turnout was small, but I believe there was groundwork laid for growth. The people who came–especially library directors–are people who can encourage others to come.

At any rate, it showed me how these challenges can really be opportunities. Do you desire to share your faith? Do you want others to know more about Jesus Christ? What’s the hardest part about that, usually? It’s getting started, raising the topic. They’re raising the topic for us!

Thank God for that, and take advantage of the opportunities.

Keith Plummer has further insight on this.

Technorati Tags: Books, Message, Darrell Bock, Media