DAWN Fridayfax 2002 #12

USA

"Shock Rocker" Alice Cooper follows Christ

For the last 30 years, Alice Cooper has been shocking and enraging parents with his stage appearances. Today, he says "I want to follow Christ," according to US news service Charisma News. He became a Christian in the 80s, but kept it secret. In an interview with the music magazine HM "The Hard Music Magazine", he spoke about his faith openly for the first time. His hard rock image started to topple when alcoholism threatened to destroy his marriage with Sheryl. At the time, they attended a Christian church with a 'hellfire pastor', who preached hell without batting an eyelid. "I did not make first step towards Christianity out of love for God - I just did not want to go to hell, so opened myself for God," he says. He previously kept his faith out of public view "because it would have been so easy to focus on Alice Cooper, not Christ. I am just a rock singer, nothing more. I have since spoken with many friends who have opened to Christ, and with terrifying figures and big stars. You'd be surprised - sometimes, the ones furthest away from the Gospel are the most open to listen." When asked about the wild scenes in his earlier stage shows, he says "I used to be like that; today, I am someone new, a new creation. Do not condemn Alice for that which he once was - praise God for that which I am today."
Source: Charisma News, from an interview with HM

USA

Eye healed during Bible group

Lindsay Myers had suffered from "micro eye" since birth, and had worn glasses since age 3. "People told me that there was medically nothing which could be done," she says. "My eyesight would simply deteriorate with age." During a women's small group meeting at the Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, two women prayed for her. "I had seen a friend healed of cancer, but had never prayed for healing for myself." Since receiving prayer in the Bible group, her left eye has steadily improved, and she can now see.
Source: Lindsay Myers, in AoG News, http://ag.org/top/news

Chile

The despised and outcast stand up

"South America's young generation is part of the global youth culture," writes Dawn Ministries' Wolfgang Fernandez. South American culture has predominantly conservative values and behaviours, and many evangelical churches reflect this, often adding their own dos and donts. The result is that the Gospel often appears old-fashioned and irrelevant for young people looking to the future. God, though, loves the young generation, and is apparently creating a new form of church which clearly expresses his love to this 'emerging generation'. Fernando Gallegos is one example; he founded the "Movimento Despreciado y Desechado" (Movement of the Despised and Outcast). Gallegos: "We look for youths from broken families, in deserted buildings and dark streets. We offer them love, food and shelter. Without personal care and a living example, the Gospel makes no sense to them. They pay no attention to words until you love them." The church which Gallagos planted less than two years ago now has 200 members and has already planted two other churches. Their aim is to plant new churches until Chile's youth culture has been reached for God. The media have picked up on the new form of church, and TV crews accompanied the young Christians on their way into the darkest parts of the city, on the way to help youths for which the rest of society has lost hope.
Source: Wolfgang Fernandez and Fernando Gallegos, fgallegos@chile.com

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