News Archives

Egypt (MNN) -- Since Egypt’s recent release of an Egyptian American charity worker, it’s not a far stretch to wonder if political tensions are thawing in the country. And if they are, how will it affect minorities, like Christians? Not much, according to Terry Ascott from SAT-7, a Christian satellite ministry to the Middle East and North Africa. However, a lack of change doesn’t mean that God isn’t at work in Egypt. Ascott, who spent 44 years in the Middle East, shares, “It’s a very important country for the future of the Christian faith. Half of all the Christians in the whole Middle East and North Africa live in Egypt. In that respect, it’s a great resource port, it’s a missionary sending center. It’s a ministry sending center. And if you look across the churches in the Gulf and other places where there are small numbers of Christians, many of the pastors and Christian leaders are Egyptians who’ve gone there to witness for their faith and to support local communities.” Christians in Egypt do face possible targeting for extremist attacks. Ascott says this isn’t driving Christians away; instead, it’s driving them to prayer. Will you pray, too? Pray for Egypt’s church to be encouraged. Pray for the leadership in the churches, for strength, for the Holy Spirit’s work, and for these Christians to be a witness to others. Find more ways to get involved in the FULL STORY!

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USA (MNN) -- The needs within the Church can vary from congregation to congregation. But Tom Lothamer of Life Matters Worldwide says there’s one need that will continue to exist for all churches -- loving care for the sick and elderly. Because of this, Life Matters is constantly looking for more and better ways to resource the local church through their LIFT Program, which stands for Living in Faith Together. Along with training and consultation, Life Matters offers a variety of online resources. Most recently, they’ve added videos that touch upon topics like bereavement, dementia, and more. “It’s a great resource for anyone, even young people if they want to understand the whole aging process and how do you minister to those who have been there a long time, but yet now they’re in the latter days of their life. How do we minister to them and care for them?” In meeting someone in their hour of greatest need with love and compassion, doors open to share the Gospel -- and the value of life is lifted up. “We want to provide opportunities for the local church to have a meaningful impact, not only within their body but even outside of their local church, so they can really address the sanctity issues in their communities." If you think your church may be interested, learn how to get started in the FULL STORY.

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Nepal (MNN) -- Nepal had their first local elections in 20 years this past Sunday, marking renewed efforts to establish themselves in the modern world. The vote tallying for phase one in the elections is currently ongoing. Getting to this point hasn’t been easy for Nepal, since the last few months have been marked by riots and an import blockade from India on the southern border. Greg Kelley with World Mission says change in Nepal is slow-going as generations and ethnic groups clash -- and the Church hasn’t been unscathed. "Nepal is really trying to move into that place of religious freedom, but there’s a lot of challenges to that. For generations, it’s been a Hindu nation. So the persecution, interestingly, comes very much from a localized standpoint." World Mission strategically distributes their audio Bible called the Treasure in Nepal. "An issue like water becomes an enormous inroad into a community. World Mission has a division called Zoe Waters, and we just did a very large water filtration installation. These water filtration units that we put in these communities have literally become a lifeline, and we combine that with our Treasure distributions and that’s a place where the Church is really thriving." Pray for the Gospel’s spread in Nepal.

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