News Archives

Christian education in southern Africa is getting a much-needed shot in the arm. Doctor Phillip Renicks is with the Association of Christian Schools International and was there recently hosting an All Africa Conference. “The thing that it did was, really united the Christian school movement across sub Sahara Africa. There was just a sense of God’s presence there. There was a sense of feeling that we have a goal, a task that needs to be completed and we want to work toward that.” Renicks says as governments in Africa struggle to fund and staff schools, they’re providing need educational opportunities with one thing in mind. “The Christian school is the greatest tool for evangelism and discipleship that the church has today. Evangelism is a very key part of what we would consider to be important in Christian education in southern Africa.”

Elsewhere, children around the world are becoming missionaries to their families with the help of the Book of Hope. The group’s mission is to affect destiny around the world by providing God’s eternal Word to all the children and youth of the world. More than 30 million young people in 90 countries will receive a copy of the four Gospels this year, and most bring it home to show their families. The group is on the verge of a milestone in their ministry this week when the 100 millionth child receives a copy of The Book of Hope.

Olympic athletes and spectators will be on the receiving end of an evangelistic outreach in Australia. The International Bible Society is distributing scripture and other material to point people to Christ. Suz Hyde is a part of IBS’ World Outreach Team. She says giving away the More than Gold Interactive Guide will be a part of their outreach. “It includes things like some of the sports records and a spot for people to enter who wins the current medals as well as giving short quotes being an athlete as well as being a Christian. In the end, it also presents very clearly a short presentation of the Gospel.” Hyde says this distribution will be international in scope. “We’ve got it in two version of Chinese, French, Spanish, Romanian, Polish, Greek and Albanian. I believe we’ve also prepared it in the Czech language.” Multiple English versions are also available. Some 500-thousand copies of the booklet will be distributed.

Meanwhile, we turn to Russia, where a recent mission involving JAARS and Wycliffe Bible Translators helped set a course for the church there. JAARS’ Jim Akovenko explains the point of his visit. “Our purpose was to go to St. Petersburg, Russia to encourage the newly formed Wycliffe organization. In the ‘New Russia’, as they call it, they have formed this organization to mobilize Russians to go out from Russia to the remaining parts of the world where translation is needed.” Akovenko adds that the future for the spread of the Gospel is a hopeful one, because: “We found it very encouraging to see that they were above ground, public and they had a sense that they were a privileged group now to be involved in the church worldwide. That seemed to give them a whole sense of ‘This is working out.’ It was a different sense of how is this new organization going to engage the church in Russia.”

Missionaries are gearing up for an incredible opportunity to share the Gospel with people from all over the world. Athletes in Action is sending150 staff members to the 2000 Olympic games in Australia. In cooperation with the Jesus Film Project, they’ll be distributing more than 10-thousand copies of the Jesus Video to Olympic Athletes during the games. Staff members are praying people from countries closed to the Gospel will receive them. AIA will also be conducting clinics for Australian youth.

Elsewhere, last week’s evangelism conference in Ecuador has motivated church leaders from across Latin America. Latin America Mission’s Ken MacHarg filed this report. “While much of the fourth Latin American Congress on Evangelism focussed on new ways to reach people across the continent, such as the poor, children at risk, and indigenous groups, delegates were reminded to feed their spiritual life and reflect theologically about what they are doing. Speakers challenged the congress to reach out to the lost, seeking to meet people in society where they are, in their context, rather than inviting them to come to a crusade, or expecting them to be saved in church. Peruvian theologian, Tito Paredes said that this event was a milestone, in that it purposely brought together Evangelicals and Pentecostals for prayer, fellowship and ministry. For Mission Network News, I’m Ken MacHarg in Quito, Ecuador.”