Displaying items by tag: USA

Ralph was shot twice after he knocked on the door of the wrong home to collect his younger brothers. Doctors expressed shock that he survived. He has speech problems and has a long road to recovery. A six-year-old was shot after a basketball rolled into a man's yard. When she went to retrieve it, the man aggressively shouted at her. A father went to him complaining, ‘It was an accident’. The man got his gun and fired at neighbours. The girl had bullet fragments in her cheek. Her parents were also shot. Payton tried to enter the wrong vehicle in a car park and was shot. Kaylin was killed after driving down the wrong driveway. Every day about 50 people die and about 100 are injured from shootings. 12,719 people have died so far this year in gun violence. Since 13 April, when Ralph visited the wrong house, there have been 845 shooting incidents.

The Senate in Florida has passed a bill to ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The ‘Heartbeat Protection Act’ would prohibit physicians from knowingly performing or inducing a pregnancy termination after the gestational age of the foetus is over six weeks, as opposed to 15 weeks at present. Last year the state’s governor signed a law which bans abortion after 15 weeks, with no exception for rape or incest. It is being challenged in Florida’s supreme court. A decision is not expected until May. The Heartbeat Protection Act provides ‘an exception if the woman obtaining the abortion is a victim of rape, incest or human trafficking, subject to certain conditions’. Two Republicans joined all Democrats in voting against the legislation. The bill is expected to have the legislation signed, and Republicans are expected to pass their own version of the bill in the coming days.

Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records to hide damaging information ahead of the 2016 election. He was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records relating to hush money paid to a porn star who says they had an affair. He said the ‘fake case’ was a Democratic conspiracy to interfere with next year's presidential election, in which he is running. There's nothing in America’s constitution preventing him from running for election: even if imprisoned he could still campaign, but will white conservative Christians still accept  him? They previously stood by his side despite sexual assault accusations, fascination with authoritarian leaders, and his fondness for racists. Now that he has been formally charged in a sordid saga, will they finally turn away from their man? A prolonged legal fight and a trial will be a major diversion from a presidential campaign - in time and energy, and the scheduling of election rallies. See

Residents across a wide swath of the USA experienced destruction from fierce storms which spawned 52 tornadoes in 11 states, killing at least 32 people, between 2 and 3 April. Storms tore a path through the Arkansas capital, and the roof of a packed Illinois concert venue collapsed. People throughout the region were stunned by the extent of the damage. Pray for families mourning the loss of loved ones, desperately waiting for news of others fighting for their lives, and sorting through the rubble of their homes and businesses. President Biden declared broad areas as major disaster areas. Arkansas declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard for destroyed neighbourhoods. Then on 5 April, a tornado with 130 mph winds tore through Bollinger County, Missouri. It will take days to confirm the number of all the recent tornadoes and deaths.

Mississippi has declared a state of emergency. Rolling Fork has been almost entirely wiped out. Dozens are dead. One man survived after sheltering in his bathtub. The lush farmland surrounding Western Sharkey County is completely untouched, but when you reach Rolling Fork, a rural town with a fifth of the 2,000 families living in poverty, nearly all homes are flattened, and the rest are damaged by  the furious tornado. Trucks were lifted onto houses, trees uprooted, and power lines brought down. The next day dazed survivors could be seen walking around in shock. But soon it was a hive of activity, with clean-up operations and volunteers opening stations to distribute sandwiches and water. Pray for the communities grappling with destroyed homes and possessions, for those in damaged buildings without electricity. Pray for those mourning the dead. Pray for adequate government support to provide homes for the homeless and rebuild the infrastructure.

From France to Zimbabwe and America to Chile, water shortages drive social and political conflicts. Rich countries can’t ignore it as a poor country's problem. So, between March 22 -24 the UN held its first water conference in 50 years. 6,500 policymakers, NGOs, water experts, and private sector groups attended the wake-up call to action. Water supply and demand is expected to reach 40% in eight years, making life as we know it virtually impossible for millions, possibly billions, of people. Governments and companies were asked to make ambitious commitments to form a ‘Water Action Agenda’. Progress on pledges and targets will be monitored over time, with the hope of significantly reducing the supply-demand gap by 2030. Pray for governments to upgrade ageing infrastructures, effectively fix system leaks, and improve tracking and billing capacities. Pray for the provision of incentives to ramp up research on water stress, and wastewater treatment solutions and develop new technologies.

A research study found church growth requires active small groups, focused evangelism, and the integration of new believers. After the COVID-19 pandemic churches are finding it increasingly difficult to grow their small groups. The authority of scripture is foundational to churches’ discipleship strategies. 9 out of 10 U.S. pastors say scripture is the authority for their church and their lives. Even though pastors hold on to the authority of scripture, it is still increasingly difficult for them to move worship attendees into small groups where they’ll study Scripture. On average only 44% of churches current weekend worship attendees are involved in a small group, Sunday School, or a similar group that provides the relational glue that enables a local congregation to be a place where people love one another.

Noah was a Christian student at Morehead University who heard about the Asbury revival. On 11 February, when his roommate suggested they go to Asbury, he declined. ‘No, I’m going to use today to rest, fast, and pray.’ But later, God reminded him that Jesus' disciples didn’t fast and pray while he was alive, but told them that when he was no longer there, then they would fast and pray (Luke 5:33-35). He sensed that God said, ‘You can always fast for me, but you will not always have this experience of what I’m doing at this campus’. Noah called out to his roommate, ‘I changed my mind. I’m going.’ When they entered the packed auditorium the worship leader was saying, ‘We’re not playing worship music to fit people’s needs, we’re playing worship music that honours God - that is for Jesus.’ The experience changed Noah. ‘God is more real, there is a deeper revelation, and the fear of the Lord increased over my life.’

President Biden has announced a new pilot programme that empowers individuals to privately sponsor refugees coming to America. Through the programme, Welcome Corps, groups of five individuals or more can raise funds to sponsor a refugee. Once the refugee arrives, these people will help them secure housing, employment, and education as they integrate into American life. Christians are called to care for the persecuted and vulnerable. The narrative of Scripture reveals God’s heart for the immigrant and the refugee, who are valuable people made in His image (Matt. 25:35-40).

Finance ministers of the world's largest economies failed to agree on a closing statement after China refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine or accept parts of G20’s statement deploring Russia's aggression ‘in the strongest terms’. Moscow said ‘anti-Russian’ countries had ‘destabilised’ the G20 after China’s plan was viewed as pro-Russian. President Zelenskiy will meet China’s president to discuss China’s cease-fire proposal, saying a meeting would be ‘important for world security.’ China's 12-point ‘political settlement’ plan does not require Russia to leave Ukraine and was met with scepticism from Ukraine’s allies. Emmanuel Macron called on Beijing to ‘help us pressure Russia’ to end the war as peace was only possible if ‘Russian aggression stopped, troops withdraw and territorial sovereignty of Ukraine and its people is respected’. Joe Biden said, ‘China as a peacemaker in Ukraine is not rational. Putin's applauding it, so how could it be any good? I've seen nothing in the plan that would benefit anyone other than Russia, if China's plan were followed.’ See also