He recalls meeting two Indian leaders who joined an A3 cohort with suspicion toward each other. Handley says:

“They thought the other was stealing sheep from their church. During the process of those two years, they became friends, realized it wasn’t true, and started working together for the Kingdom.”

That shift didn’t just resolve tension — it revealed the cost of competition. When churches focus on winning, they risk losing the fellowship Jesus intended for His disciples.

“When we get into that scarcity mindset and get trapped in the fear of ‘Oh, they’re going to win, we’re going to lose,’ that doesn’t help the Kingdom,” says Handley.

People comfort each other (Photo courtesy of César O’neill via Pexels)

Instead of competing, Handley points to a different model — one that looks more like teamwork.

“The Bible itself is about us being in unity together and how beautiful it is when the church is unified,” he says.

That vision of unity is central to A3’s current work. The ministry helps leaders from different countries look beyond smaller differences and focus on a shared Kingdom goal. A key part of that process is understanding the unique context of each region and valuing local leadership.

“The world is changing, and the way the church is operating is changing,” says Handley.

The key shift is from a Western-centered approach to a more polycentric mission. Local leaders, after all, know their nations far better than any outside team. It is time, says Handley, “to empower local leaders in local contexts.”

It’s also an opportunity for mutual learning. Handley says: “We’re going to be learning from one another — across different cultures, different expressions of the Church, and from both younger and older generations.”

As this shift continues, prayer remains essential. Pray that A3 will continue to unite and strengthen Gospel work worldwide — and for unity in the Church.

Visit A3’s website to learn more about their work worldwide.

Header photo: Sheep near St Botolph’s Church (photo courtesy of Des Blenkinsopp via Wikimedia Commons).

Jeyakaran “Jakes” Emmanuel with A3 says that in the next decade, ministries in Africa will need to invest strategically, as Christians on the continent are poised to do gospel work for several reasons. 

First, Africa has the youngest median age of any continent at just 19 years old.

(Image courtesy of A3)

Second, Africa has the fastest church growth of any continent in the world. Emmanuel says that it is projected that 40% of the world’s Church will live in Africa by 2050.

Third, Africa has shifted from being a mission field to becoming a mission force, with the continent already sending out thousands of cross-cultural missionaries.

Despite these blessings, there remains a critical leadership gap in the African church.

With the African church growing so fast and with regional issues of conflict and poverty, resources for theological training are spread thin.

“One of the greatest needs in the African church is church health and for the purity of the gospel to be preserved, because we are seeing rampant growth of the prosperity gospel and a whole lot of cults emerging all across Africa,” Emmanuel says.

Due to rampant false gospel start-up churches in Rwanda, last year, the president of Rwanda shut down churches across the country, including about 9,000 churches, because of the emergence of the false gospel and scammers in start-up churches, as well as the lack of theological education for the pastors.

“The false gospels, prosperity gospel being one of them, and a whole lot of heretical teachings that are rapidly gaining ground…” Emmanuel says. “There is again, the huge need for training of pastors and leaders and theological education, leadership development, and all of them become very critical needs for the continent.”

Emmanuel says doors are opening and church denominations are coming together to welcome A3 into lead church leadership in discipleship and training.

“A3 is poised to impact all of Africa, but the needs are great, and we pray that the Lord of the harvest will provide the needs for us to take his kingdom into this continent,” Emmanuel says. 

Please pray that God will provide the financial and human resources needed to do this coming work.

(Photo courtesy of Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke/Pixabay)

Janelle Stoops with A3 says the first step is to pray and ask God for a strategy for each specific region and its needs. Then, serve the people in front of them.

“We want to go in with a strategy that looks to, ‘How can we bless the people there?’ And oftentimes that might be coming in as an NGO worker or doing some sort of humanitarian aid,” she says.

Children playing in the old tank, Kabul (photo courtesy of M.A Sarwari via Unplash)

Alongside practical help, ministries also focus on healing the deep wounds left by war. The Gospel’s message of hope is often paired with trauma counseling, as trained believers help people process the horrors they have experienced.

“They [people] are able to find healing from trauma but also, more importantly, to find spiritual healing as they find their identity and their worth in Christ.”

Another key strategy is working through diaspora communities. People who have left their countries often maintain close ties with family and friends still living there.

“One way we can be engaging is by connecting with diaspora populations, knowing they will be reaching back into their homeland,” says Stoops.

While many war-torn regions remain difficult to access, believers can still play a vital role through prayer. Pray for God’s guidance for ministries like A3 and for Christ’s work in these regions through His Spirit.

A3 also seeks to equip believers to share the Gospel in places others cannot easily reach. Stoops says:

“We want to be part of raising up and training more believers, equipping them to take the Gospel to the unengaged points.”

Visit A3 to learn how their support Christian leaders around the world.

Header photo Young Syrian boy, Idlib, Syria (Photo courtesy Ahmed Akacha via Pexels)

Janelle Stoops with A3 says, “We believe that the foundation for godly leadership is an ever-growing, transformative relationship with Christ.”

She notes that some of the greatest threats leaders face are pride and isolation — along with outward pressure for high numbers and visible success.

“We can so often struggle with pride, and our own success can actually hinder us because we become prideful and blinded. Too often, we begin defining our ministry success by the results we’re seeing,” she says.

Photo courtesy of Hannah Busing via Unsplash

She adds that the ability to remain Christlike in character comes from spending time alone with God, where He can personally mold and guide each leader. Along with that, she says, comes accountability with other believers.

“So often, we can become isolated and feel like there’s not a safe place to share our struggles. I think it’s key for leaders to have those places where they can confess their sins to one another and be like iron sharpening iron for one another,” says Stoops.

Along with accountability to their team, Stoops adds that there is another helpful tool for leaders. She shares that one simple exercise she encourages is to pray and then ask trusted coworkers, family members, or friends, “What is it like to be on the other side of me?” She says leaders can then prayerfully reflect on what they hear.

When a leader’s character reflects Christ, others notice. Stoops recalls serving with a team in Central Asia: “We had people who would come up to us and say, ‘There’s something different about you.’” They were watching team members love and forgive one another — and it drew many closer to Christ.

A3 nurtures leaders worldwide through two-year cohorts, bringing together 12 to 15 leaders who journey together and meet for eight quarterly retreats. The organization also draws on an international faculty who teach leadership skills and share their lives with participants. Visit A3 to learn more about their approach!

Leaders who are mature and prepared for the challenges ahead help ensure that Gospel work can thrive, along with healthy church growth. Stoops says:

“Leadership isn’t about doing something for God; it’s about joining God in His work.”

Pray for your leaders, and if you are one, stay accountable through prayer and trusted teammates.

A3 invites you to join a global leadership formation series for missional and emerging leaders who want to be shaped by Jesus’ teaching on February 23. Register here.

Hosted by the Lausanne Leadership Development Network and the World Evangelical Alliance, this monthly Zoom series explores Matthew 5–7 as a foundation for Christlike leadership. Joshua Bogunjoko will introduce the first session.

Header photo courtesy of Luis Georg Müller via Unsplash.

WEF is an annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, that has been held since 1971 (with a few exceptions). Although participants come with a variety of agendas, WEF — also called Davos — aims to foster dialogue on global issues. 

Joe Handley serves with A3, a leader development group. He says that despite criticism of Davos as being elitist, “They’re meeting at a pivotal moment in history. When I look at the world, what was the post-World War II kind of global order is completely being reshaped these days.”

Conversations at Davos can have global ripple effects. Handley is watching closely for implications for the Ukraine-Russia war, tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, and ongoing religious freedom concerns worldwide. 

“The Davos meeting reminds us that the world is seeking coordination to solve global problems,” he says. “But we know that the Word of God teaches us that no system can heal the human heart or human condition. We need character-formed leaders, and this is where the church serves the world best.”

That conviction has driven A3’s work for decades, equipping Christian leaders to serve differently. 

“Our theory is that the world doesn’t necessarily need better policies — although good policies are helpful — it needs a different kind of leader. That’s why A3 does what it does, to form Christ-like leaders who can serve, not dominate, and really be the light and hope of Jesus in the world today,” says Handley. 

“The world doesn’t suffer from a shortage of smart people, but it suffers from a shortage of Christ-like character.”

Find your place in the world’s events through prayer.

“Leaders, all of us, are in a uniquely dangerous position, because power can corrupt, and we tend to get isolated from people and from the truth when we fall into those positions of authority,” says Handley.

“Scripture warns us that this can be dangerous, and leadership can be tempted to replace what should be dependence on God [with dependence] on ourselves.”

In keeping with 1 Timothy 2:1-2, pray for world leaders this week and beyond. Pray for godliness, wisdom, justice, and compassion among them, especially during the World Economic Forum, January 19-23, 2026.

Header photo: By UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – The World Economic Forum in Davos, CC BY-SA 4.0. 

In this role, Stoops will help advance the ministry’s mission of developing Christlike leaders who multiply churches and transform communities across Asia and beyond. Stoops says the need is urgent and the strategy is clear: discipleship that reproduces.

“I believe that for the Gospel to spread to every unreached and unengaged people group, it’s going to take godly, Christlike leaders who reproduce disciples — so movements can spread to the ends of the earth,” she explains.

Raised in a Christian household, Stoops had the opportunity to commit her life to Christ and sensed His calling early on. Her calling to global ministry began with a trip to Central Asia. After sensing God’s leading to return, Stoops eventually went back — first as a single woman, then later with her husband and their daughters — living and serving in the region for ten years.

Representative photo of a mosque  (Image by LoggaWiggler from Pixabay)

Serving in predominantly Muslim communities also brought unique challenges. The family was often singled out for having only daughters.

Stoops says people sometimes asked, “Aren’t you sad you don’t have boys?” and “Is your husband angry — will he make you get an abortion?” Stoops replied, “No, because my husband loves the Lord, and the Lord loves girls — and He loves women.”

They used those moments as opportunities to reflect Christ’s love — love that transcends cultural norms and expectations.

“We also got to show the people we were living with and around that God values men and women,” she adds.

During that time, she witnessed Gospel breakthrough firsthand. “I had the privilege of seeing the very first church in that part of the country,” Stoops says.

Having returned to the U.S., Stoops brings nearly three decades of global missions leadership — experience that has prepared her to lead A3’s U.S. team into its next season. She shares A3’s vision for empowering local leaders, saying:

“What’s it going to take to see the Gospel reach the ends of the earth? I believe it’s going to take the very work A3 is doing — developing the very people needed to carry it forward.”

Pray that A3 advances Christ’s work through the leaders it trains, and pray for A3’s plans as the ministry enters this new season.

Header photo: Janelle Stoops (courtesy of A3).

Georgia (or Sakartvelo in the local language) is a Caucasus nation with an ancient Christian story — one tradition traces the Gospel’s arrival to the Apostle Andrew’s missionary journey.

Jeyakaran Emmanuel, Vice President for A3 Global Ministry, says his predecessor in the ministry, Noel Becchetti, had an encounter with a Georgian pastor who had learned about A3’s work and projects and said:

“It will be wonderful to have this program in Georgia. I think this will meet many specific needs in our country, particularly in uniting pastors.”

After prayer and research, A3 answered the call. They are now praying for the right strategy and timing to launch their pastoral leadership development program, which they hope will serve as a catalyst to unite Georgian churches under one mission.

Emmanuel says that kind of unity is needed almost everywhere — but building it can be difficult.

One obstacle is the tendency for ministries to operate independently instead of together. “There has been that trend for ministries to work in silos, not so much coming together in unity,” he explains.

Georgian men in national costumes (photo courtesy of Paata Vardanashvili via Wikimedia Commons)

Another challenge is when believers hold tightly to non-essential doctrines in ways that prevent partnership.

“Many denominations hold on to their doctrines so rigidly that they would not want to see beyond that to relate to anyone who has a different doctrine,” Emmanuel explains, adding that this does not mean compromising on fundamental doctrines that must be honored.

And in some places, competition between churches can breed suspicion — concerns that another congregation is “taking people” or using unfair tactics.

Still, Emmanuel points to the truth that can bring pastors back to common ground:

“The church is not ours. The church belongs to our Lord, Jesus Christ, whom he has purchased with His own blood, and we are merely stewards and shepherds,” he says.

Pray for A3 as they connect with Georgian pastors and plan next steps. Their long-term goal is unity with a purpose: reaching the lost. Emmanuel puts it this way:

“Our prayer is that everybody, in some way, will start getting connected to one another, and that A3 will be God’s agent or instrument to catalyze unity in Georgia.”

Header photo: Tbilisi, Georgia (courtesy of Hongbin via Unsplash).

Fighting increased along the Cambodia-Thailand border earlier this month, and clashes continue today, making it the deadliest bout in years. “Many people die. Many children run for their lives,” A3’s Country Director for Cambodia, Pastor Meng Aun Hour, says.

“Many, many people need to leave their homes and run for a safe place.”

More than half a million people have been displaced by the skirmish, which stems from long-standing territorial disputes. “Cambodia had a lot of temples along the border, and right now, Thailand claims that they belong to them. That’s why they want to fight,” Aun Hour explains.

“Cambodia had a lot of temples along the border, and right now, Thailand claims that they belong to them. That’s why they want to fight.”
(Photo courtesy of Neat chanmanith/Pexels)

Civilians flee as airstrikes intensify

Few Cambodians are unaffected by the clashes, especially those who live near the border with Thailand. “Everyone is having a hard time right now. Those living along the border just run for their life,” Aun Hour says.

“Children cannot go to school; normal people cannot go to the rice field. For example, right now is the time for harvesting rice from the field, but they cannot go to the field and harvest their crop because of the bombing,” he continues.

“F16s are bombing the school, hospital, and houses, especially the temple, the Buddhist temple.”

Cambodians are united in their support for their soldiers. “They try to do fundraising, collecting food, collecting donations, whatever they can give, they give to those who are at the front line,” Aun Hour says.

Even society’s most vulnerable are contributing. “Street children collect the garbage, and they sell it. They can get around 50 cents,” Aun Hour says.

“Normally, they use that money to buy their food, but this time, I saw them give that money away to support soldiers.”

(Photo courtesy of Engin_Akyurt/Pixabay)

Church leaders call for prayer, provide relief

Meanwhile, churches strive to meet the needs of newly displaced families. “We are encouraging A3 alumni to take a special offering in their churches, and we are collecting that,” Aun Hour says.

“We use it to buy [supplies], and we give it to 1,000 refugee families. We go and give them some rice, noodles, dry fish; things like that.”

Now that you know, how will you respond? “Pray for peace. That is number one. We really need it,” Aun Hour requests.

“We went through many difficulties in the past, like we went through the killing fields and the Civil War. We don’t want war anymore, we want peace.”

Secondly, “pray that needs will be met, especially for the refugee. We want to support them with food so that they can survive for a while.”

Pray that Cambodians who do not know Jesus will meet the Prince of Peace through this outreach.

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Gökhan Tahincioğlu/Pexels.

“The capsulation of Matthew 5-7 is a powerful tool to really rest in Christ so that we can become more like Him and display those Beatitudes, those character traits that help us emulate the glory of Jesus,” says Handley.

A3 exists to build and sustain Christ’s leaders around the world. They’re currently equipping and unifying leaders in over 20 countries through intentional learning communities.

“You look at this world and you think there’s no hope, right? How are we going to solve these problems? And the reality is that you and I cannot solve these problems, but we know one who can, and he is called the Prince of Peace, and he is the hope of the world,” Handley continues. “You think of Ukraine. You think of the dynamic in Korea’s North and South. You think of the crisis in Israel with Gaza and you know, conflict going on there. War’s everywhere. If there’s one thing we need, it’s the Prince of Peace. And the Prince of Peace says blessed are the peacemakers.

“Right in that same passage, he says, we are the light of the world, and a city set on a hill cannot be hidden. As you look at the Sermon on the Mount, it’s a reminder that you and me, believers across the planet, no matter if we’re from the Ukraine or Korea or America or wherever, we are that light that shines the light of Christ.”

Handley acknowledges that simply hearing and believing these words of Jesus is not enough to be that light—it requires action.

“When we talk about how my colleagues and friends have reached out to the people of Ukraine in the midst of this crisis, have interacted with their friends that are believers in Russia and tried to build, unity—to me, that’s people embodying the gospel,” he says. “When you see supplies going from the Polish people? They’re displaying the hope of the world. And so in the midst of all this chaos and polarization, there are people like the people of Poland. There are people like that going into North Korea today. There are people that are taking hope and supplies into Gaza. And so those are points of light. When you hear about them, how can you not be inspired?”

However, Handley reminds Christians that before action, it all begins with prayer.

“Jesus said he saw the scattered peoples lost like sheep without a shepherd, and his first response was to pray. His first response wasn’t go help. His first response wasn’t go evangelize. His first response was pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers, and so please pray that more people would go into the Ukraine, that more people would go into North Korea, that more people would go to Gaza, that we could shed light in the darkest corners of this planet, and that through that, we would be the light of the world, embodying the character of Jesus through the Sermon on the Mount. So pray to the Lord of the harvest and then see how he might be calling you to get out of the box, get into the game, serve, and be a light to this world.”

Header photo is a representative stock image courtesy of Martin Bammer via Unsplash.

A3 works around the world, “changing the few who change the many.” By developing church leaders, A3 aims to change the lives of local pastors and other leaders who can make a significant Kingdom impact.

The A3 process aims to equip and unify local body leaders through retreats where leaders can learn to implement ministry concepts. The real transformation of spiritual leaders has proven to impact communities and cause Christ-centered movements, like Pastor Artur Sargsyan is seeing in Armenia.

Pastor Artur Sargsyan with A3 says that 95% of people in Armenia are traditional Orthodox Christians, but says there needs to be a revival of born-again believers. 

A3 is working to equip pastors in godliness to lead people. Photo provided by A3.

Pastor Sargsyan says, “Just now in Armenia, we have really a revival, because everyone’s churches, every Sunday service, we have new people receive Jesus.”

Sargsyan says that we have a moving God and that people are open and hungry for Jesus, spirituality, and the gospel.

Please pray with the Armenian churches as they ask God for continued revival. 

Sargsyan says that the Bible prophesied to ask for rain from God. Today, we ask God to rain down spiritual revival. 

Please pray that the Armenian revival will be a witness of faith to neighboring Muslim countries. Pray that Armenians in the Diaspora will be a witness to their neighbors and that the people of Armenia will receive a historical revival.

Image by Allexxandar on Freepik.