Hurricane Ian, Nigeria on CPC List & Ironman Triathlons

Hurricane Ian is growing stronger as it approaches the western tip of Cuba on a track to hit the west coast of Florida as a major hurricane as early as Wednesday (Sept. 28).

Ian was forecast to hit the western tip of Cuba as a major hurricane and then become an even stronger Category 4 with top winds of 140 mph over warm Gulf of Mexico waters before striking Florida.

As of Monday, Tampa and St. Petersburg appeared to be the among the most likely targets for their first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921.

Disaster relief agencies are monitoring the storm closely…preparing to help residents as soon as possible after the storm.
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Nigeria should be restored to the list of the world’s worst violators of religious freedom, a coalition that includes a Southern Baptist Convention entity has told Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) joined more than 30 other organizations, as well as 35 individuals, in a Sept. 19 letter that asked Blinken to re-designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern.” They also asked him to name a special envoy to investigate violence that has targeted Christians in Africa’s most populous country.

Violence in general and against Christians specifically has increased since that decision, the letter signers said. More than 2,500 Christians were killed in the first six months of 2022 in attacks by Islamic terrorist groups in Nigeria, according to a report by an international civil liberties organization cited in the letter.

More than 4,300 Christians and 2,200 Muslims were killed in “jihadist-related contexts” from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021, according to the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa.
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Good News for Today is made possible through our friends at The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to inspiring believers to deepen their commitment to Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission — no matter the cost. Find out more and sign up for their free monthly magazine at vom.org/goodnews.
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Six ironman triathlons, six consecutive days in six New England states sounds impossible, but church leader Jason Hodges has been anticipating and planning for this challenge the last two years.

The goal: to glorify God by encouraging pastors and church planters by emphasizing longevity in their ministries.

Hodges serves as a church planting leader in New England for Send Network, the church planting arm of the North American Mission Board (NAMB).

His focus during this challenge is to suxpport pastors and leaders in each state where he will be completing a triathlon.