The concert will be at Mt. Hope Lutheran Church in West Allis…for directions click HERE.

• Pastor and wife killed in northern Nigeria

• Christian man dies, three injured after attack in India

• Christians arrested and detained in Iran

• Update: Family of imprisoned Cuban pastor given eviction order

• Update: Young Christian convert attacked with acid in Egypt

  Several weeks ago, militant Muslims armed with acid attacked Dina El-Gohary, a 15-year-old Egyptian convert to Christianity. Dina has faced serious harassment since her father, Maher El-Gohary (57), declared his conversion to Christianity and his desire to change the religious designation on his official documents (click here for more information). Dina and her father, who have been in hiding in Alexandria due to death threats, had ventured outside briefly to buy some bottled water when Muslims attacked her. Dina’s jacket was set ablaze by the acid, but her father was able to put out the flames before it could reach her skin. Dina has been shaken by the attack, saying, “Ever since then I am terrorized to go out in the street, with or without my father.” (Source: Assyrian International News Agency)

  Pray that Dina will be encouraged and strengthened by God’s sustaining grace. Pray for protection for her and her father. Pray that they will both grow in Christlikeness through their trials (James 1:2-4). Pray that persecutors throughout Egypt will be challenged by the consistent testimony of Christ’s followers and be drawn to Him.

You can contact Christina on Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday at her office in the Burlington High School: 262-763-0200 Ext. 1052

PS.. Everyone is invited to attend the next Partners2 informational meeting on Thursday, February 12th at BHS Library/6:30-8 PM.

What are the BIG NEEDS we are facing in our community?

• People from different generations need to get to know each other: Many teens acknowledge feeling disconnected from adults. This sense of alienation is also associated with the belief that the only time kids get noticed is when they doing something bad.
• More drug and alcohol education for parents: Alcohol and drug use is rampant in the Burlington and Waterford areas, and many parents continue to enable young people to make poor choices by providing alcohol to unrelated minors and allowing high school students to have drinking parties on their property. Many Teens are also reporting that one or more of their parents are abusing alcohol at home.
• More realistic and practical drug and alcohol education for young people entering adulthood: Many young people complain that they were simply not prepared for the intensity of the  culture of binge drinking/drug use, and sexual behavior (hooking up) at our Wisconsin colleges and universities. School staff/Partner2 have attempted to address this by getting smaller groups of students to meet with speakers who have to been through the transition to college life and can answer practical questions, but more must be done.
• Funding: The down turn in the economy means that funding to support educational programs and leadership development is much harder to come by.
  

What are the GOOD THINGS that happening here that we should know
about… and who is doing them?

• Friday Night Live: Regularly scheduled social events at BHS where parents and grandparents can mingle with teenagers
• Programs like Partners2 and DRIVEN: These are programs that identify young people with leadership potential and equip them to take meaningful roles in on our schools and local community organizations (e.g. the Veteran’s Board, the Chamber of Commerce, etc)
• School/Community cooperation in limiting access to alcohol: Law enforcement, city officials, and school personal have done an excellent job in enforcing  of existing laws and amending local statues to more effectively stop minors from obtaining alcohol.
• The Starfish program offered through Love, Inc: This is a Big Brothers/Big Sister kind of program that matches up kids with adult mentors in the community.

What could the local churches do to help strengthen, encourage, and/or
equip you and/or other leaders in our community to make a difference?

• Communication and Networking: The churches in the community could help by making sure that they had members who actively participated in the various coalitions currently at work in the area. Hopefully these members would act as liaisons with congregations ensuring that information was disseminated to the people in the pews, and that more feedback could be given to groups as they make plans and develop programs. The need for publicity is particularly urgent as the Burlington area is becoming more of a bedroom community where social problems are more likely to be ignored by the average person.

If you look to the right side of the page you can see that I have also placed a version of the survey on the site (or you can click HERE) for those you prefer to do do things online.

1. What do you see happening  in your town or community that is breaking, God’s heart? In other words, what are the BIG ISSUES facing people in your community that we should be tackling together?

2. What do you see happening in your congregation that is breaking God’s heart? In other words, what are the BIG ISSUES facing your congregation that we should be tackling together?

3. What do you see happening in your town or community that is making God smile? In other words, what are the GOOD THINGS happening where you live and who is doing them?

4. What do you see happening in your congregation that is making God smile? In other words, what are the GOOD THINGS happening in your congregation and who is doing them?

5. Make a list of the greatest gifts God has given to your congregation. In other words, what assets, passions, and resources does your congregation have that could be put to work in order to make a difference in your community?