LAKE FOREST, Calif. – Seven months after Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, about 50 members of a church that was located just a few miles from the destroyed Fukushima 1 Nuclear Power Plant are still looking for a place to call home.

Still leading his dwindled congregation housed in a campsite outside Tokyo, Pastor Akira Sato has authored a book about the story of Fukushima First Bible Baptist Church. Prior to the disasters, Sato’s followers were part of a rural four-campus, multisite church having about 200 members.

Rurou no Kyokai (Exodus Church) is currently the best-selling Christian book in Japan. Written in Japanese, Sato and his publishers are in the process of having it translated into several languages, including English. more >>

Fulfilling the theme to "Be Present," about 13,000 leaders within the Christian community attended this year’s three-day Catalyst Atlanta at Gwinnett Arena, which ended Friday.

Catalyst organizers of the annual event made it clear before the gathering that speakers would try and present leaders with a battle plan for attacking the distractions everyone faces in today’s world.

“Distraction has become the new norm. We get caught up with what happened yesterday and are preoccupied with what may happen tomorrow. Our attention is too often focused on what is happening ‘out there.’ more >>

A global church-planting group portrays the challenge of sharing the Gospel in predominantly Muslim Indonesia in its first video of a series called “Multiply,” released this week.

Pioneers, an evangelical missions movement with 2,400 members, is producing the online video series with the hopes of telling the story of how native and missionary Christians in Muslim countries are able to help increase the number of churches in a primarily hostile environment.

”Multiply Indonesia” is available for free viewing on the group's website. Pioneers begins production of its next video about church planting in the African country of Chad while on location next week. more >>

LAHORE, Pakistan – Dr. Tahira Saleem gave up her flourishing medical practice after she realized Pakistan needed a Bible college more than a stethoscope.

Saleem was a leading obstetrician and gynecologist who had a flourishing practice and also worked as a consultant for several private hospitals. She’d grown up with wealthy, talented medical professionals for parents, who were nominal Christians completely absorbed in their careers up until their premature deaths.

She had two brothers, but one day before her lay one dead brother – claimed by a massive heart attack at age 36. Six year later, her only surviving brother, just 30, lay dying before her eyes, gasping for breath after suffering a heart attack. He too breathed his last. more >>

The Iranian government’s tracking of Christians in Iran has intensified over the last several months, according to Open Doors USA, an organization that provides help to persecuted believers in Jesus worldwide.

In Iran, Christians gather in house churches, which are being increasingly discovered. Members are then subjected to various forms of harassment, including imprisonment, job termination and separation from family.

Open Doors estimates that there are 350,000 Christians from a Muslim background living in Iran. The country’s current regime lost credibility following the turmoil of the 2009 elections, and in an effort to distract attention from continuing protests, it is increasingly lashing out against Christians, Open Doors USA leaders say. more >>

The pastor of a 6,000-member church that meets in a former K-Mart building is asking other churches to help with the $1 million needed to stay on the property he considers the “promised land.”

Living Hope Church Pastor John Bishop, who wrote the book Dangerous Church, which is primarily about the risk-taking culture of his congregation, said he has 40 days to come up with the money needed to supplement the $4 million already collected to buy the building.

Bishop’s campaign includes specifically seeking 1,000 churches to each donate $1,000. more >>