(Photo by Gabriel Gurrola on Unsplash)

“Worship has never been relegated to music alone for worship comes through prayer. Worship comes through outreach. [It] comes through the preaching of God’s Word. All activities of the church, are those things that bring glory to God.”

Mock says one of the most exciting things about the churches SGA serves is how these churches serve God with fervor. Every day there are believers busy in the churches, working on Bible studies and other activities. There is a passion for God ablaze, even in restricted areas. And their work to glorify God manifests itself beyond the Sunday morning hymns.

In fact, Mock has worshipped through music alongside believers in restricted areas. For these believers, worship is far from an obligation; it’s a privilege.

Worship in Restricted Areas

Hidden away in a restricted area of Central Asia, windows closed despite the 110-degree temperature indoors, Mock witnessed believers singing together and sharing their testimonies.

“The pastor was preaching the Word, what an amazing opportunity for worship. No sound systems, no smoke machine…it was just God’s people bringing glory to Him,” Mock describes.

And worship like this, well, it is a witness.

(Photo by Cherry Laithang on Unsplash)

“For an unbeliever to see our worship coming from a heart of a transformed life, to see that it was a life changed, to see that it was more than just singing, it was that the word of God implanted in the heart transforms a person’s life. So, the witness for an unbeliever is not necessarily the style of worship on Sunday morning, but the witness for an unbeliever is this life that has been wholly transformed by the Gospel,” Mock says.

Ask yourself, is my worship inspired by a heart transformed by God?

Let’s pray for eyes that never stop seeing God’s goodness and hearts that praises Him in each situation. Pray also for the strength and encouragement of the churches in Central Asia as they serve Christ. And ask God for a heart that manifests itself as a witness, too.

To learn more about SGA’s work and how to support local pastors and churches, click here.

Header photo by Grant Ritchie on Unsplash.

“It’s really left a gap in the programming for the people there to have access to biblical programming in their heart language,” TWR’s Brandon Neal says.

Broadcasts were taken from three hours a day down to only two. However, TWR says God has given the organization the vision to install an even larger transmitter in the region. Enter: the 200,000-watt AM signal called the Silk Road Transmitter.

The installation of this transmitter would increase overall coverage area and provide the opportunity to air more programs to reach around 60 million people throughout Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and even Northwest China.

Transmitter: an Urgent Need

TWR feels an urgency to install the Silk Road Transmitter because it would impact an area known for the persecution of Christians.

(Header photo and photo courtesy of Trans World Radio)

“There are so many people [whom] maybe missionaries on the ground are reaching…now. But with political climates,…there may come a time in the near future where those missionaries have to pull out of those countries. At that point, if the indigenous Church, if the local Church is not strong enough to grow on its own, it would be extremely beneficial to them to have God’s Word available over the radio,” Neal explains.

While some of these countries may have tight legislation regarding anti-conversion and religious restrictions, radio is strategic since it can be listened to during a car ride with friends or at home with family. It can be a private or group experience.

Neal has heard stories through TWR of Christians in Central Asia purposefully getting together to listen to biblical broadcasts on the radio during a car ride. It is a “workaround” which almost resembles a mobile house church.

“It’s basically an opportunity for people to hear God’s Word in their heart language and then discuss, ‘How do I obey this? How do I apply this to my life today? What does this mean?’ It gives that opportunity for people to grow in their faith — not in isolation, but even in concert with other believers who are like-minded,” Neal says.

Partnership to Reach Millions

TWR works with hundreds of ministries around the world to provide content in the local heart languages of the people hearing their broadcasts. Together, TWR and other ministries “create and implement a media strategy to use their content in that language or work together with someone in the country to create content to reach the people.” Sometimes it’s as easy as using material already indigenously produced.

Some of the programs are specific to men, women, children, teens, pastoral training, and even provide basic Bible teaching. TWR strives to meet the needs of their listeners, regardless of age or spiritual maturity.

Will you be a part of TWR’s work in Central Asia?

TWR is working to raise $593,000 by the end of 2018. These funds will cover the cost to install and commission this new transmitter. It will also provide for the cost of airtime during the first year. Will you support TWR’s vision by giving to the Silk Road Transmitter?

To give, click here!

Also, pray. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open the hearts and minds of people listening to TWR’s broadcasts. Ask God to open the eyes and ears of all those who hear His word through TWR. Finally, pray for God’s hand in raising funds to inaugurate and run the Silk Road Transmitter.

More Requirements

“As I understand this, these new restrictions target a couple of areas that are closely related. So, it might be hard to tell the difference between the two. Basically one of them is requiring any religious community there that is seeking religious status to provide a notarized copy of the country’s official recognition of religious education that’s been completed by the head of whatever the religious community is,” Slavic Gospel Association’s Joel Griffith explains.

And that’s only one of the new requirements.

(Photo courtesy of SGA via Facebook)

“Whoever the head of the religious educational institution is—they also have to provide some notarized copy of the state’s official recognition of the religious education that the head of the institution completed,” Griffith shares.

Currently, little information is available as to what type of education is considered acceptable under the requirement. Griffith says there appears to be no official agency which currently recognizes foreign religious education in Uzbekistan. Forum 18 notes that fulfilling these new restrictions is presently impossible.

Persevering in Faith

Yet, Griffith says these kinds of restrictions are nothing new for churches in Central Asia.

“During the Soviet communist years…oppression was really severe. The churches are going to, of course, carry on their ministries as Christ commands them to do, regardless of what difficulties man puts in front of them. They may have to get more creative about the way that they do it,” Griffith says.

Churches across Central Asia have faced raids where Bibles and other religious materials have been confiscated. Summer camps in the region have also been raided and in some situations shut down. Griffith says this is hard on the churches SGA serves, but unless God intervenes, it’s unlikely the situation will change.

Be Prayerful, Be Active

Pray for believers in Uzbekistan as they try to obey these new laws while sharing the Gospel. Ask God to give them perseverance, encouragement, and strength to continue His work. Pray God would continue to use SGA to resource and train the church in the former Soviet Union.

“We need to be mindful just about how blessed we are here in Western nations to be able to worship freely, proclaim the Gospel freely, [and] evangelize freely,” Griffith shares.

Find ways to come alongside the Church in Central Asia here!

Summer Camps

Summer camps have always been a part of the Soviet culture. After the fall of the Soviet Union, this cultural norm persevered. Countries which were once within the lands of the former Soviet Union continue hold summer camps as a part of regular life. It’s something both kids and parents look forward to.

(Header/Photo Courtesy Slavic Gospel Association via Facebook)

“These summer camps have been pretty profound because again, unbelievers are invited. It’s [a] tradition to go to summer camps. And a lot of times these Christian-based or church-based summer camps are run so much better and so much more exciting than the secular camps that might be available to unbelieving kids,” Mock explains.

Summer camps vary from location. Camps help in a city may take place at a park and act more as a day camp. While camps in rural areas may include an overnight stay and camping activities. Camps usually have themes for a week, all of which center around sharing the Gospel with these kids.

Overcoming the Past

Furthermore, anti-religious propaganda from the late 20th century has left a bitter taste in the lands of the former Soviet Union. For this reason, the camps are one of the few situations where non-Christian parents trust their kids with Christians or the Church. On top of this, these Christian camps are more accessible.

Christian summer camps are often of a higher quality and cheaper to attend than others held in the former Soviet Union. This is because of individuals who have given to support SGA’s summer camp ministry. Through those financial gifts, SGA and SGA supported churches can supplement the costs of attending a camp. This has helped create new opportunities to share about Christ’s love and sacrifice with kids who don’t know Him.

(Photo courtesy Slavic Gospel Association)

“Often, the costs for these camps, at a Christian camp, is significantly lower because both SGA and the local churches are contributing so that it’s very easy for these kids to go to camp,” shares.

In Belarus, summer camps take things a step further. At Camp Pearl, kids receive medical checks. This is vital because many kids attending this camp suffer from radiation. In fact, most people in this region are still suffering from the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

However, churches within Central Asian countries face the more challenges. In these areas, it’s more difficult to hold summer camps because of the pushback against religion. Out of fear and an attempt to curb radicalization and extremism, governments in this region often prohibit most of religious activity. This provides challenges to churches trying to hold community summer camps.

Be Prayerful, Be Active

So please, pray for these camps and the kids who attend. Ask God to open the hearts of kids at these camps and for them to experience Christ’s deep, transformative love.

Will you give a financial gift and provide an opportunity for a child to hear the Gospel?

“For every gift to summer camps…you’re providing a scholarship for these kids to go. You’re providing evangelistic literature for them and you’re providing the resources for these camps to be conducted,” Mock says.

Learn more about SGA’s summer camps and find ways to give here!

Or call 1-800-BIBLE-50 for more info and ways to give.

History of Unrest

Chechnya, which lays between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea in the Caucasus region of Russia, has been known as a hotbed for Muslim communities and unrest. During the 1990s, wars broke out between Russia and the separatists. The separatist movement fought with the hopes of seeing Chechnya become an independent Islamic republic.

After the failure of these wars on the Chechen’s part, that ambition was washed away. Since those wars, Russia has poured money into the region in efforts to rebuild. And while the area is no longer at war, there are still occasional flashes of violence, much like the ISIS attack on the Russian Orthodox church. Add into the mix some known Chechen rebels have returned home after fighting for ISIS, the governments in this area now have restrictions in place aimed at curbing religious activity.

“Although they are majority Muslim countries [in the Caucasus], they still maintain very tight control, and [are] very wary of anything that would seem to open a door for the potential for violence such as this,” Slavic Gospel Association‘s Joel Griffith explains.

SGA in Chechnya

In recent years, there’s been an effort to rebuild an Evangelical church in Grozny. However, because of a lack of resources, the project was sidelined.

(Photo Courtesy of SGA via Facebook)

“They’re not encountering any difficulties from the government necessarily there, but being where they are they still have to function very, very discretely. We tend not to publicize efforts that go on there to not only evangelize, but to plant churches. The churches are certainly continuing to meet and worship discretely. They’re continuing to proclaim the Gospel discretely,” Griffith shares.

The pressures on churches come from their communities. These pressures are also intensifying as the Chechen ISIS fighters return home, bringing their radicalization and violent actions with them. And since ISIS lost its stronghold in Iraq and Syria, there’s concern it may be looking elsewhere to set up camp.

“If ISIS does get established in an area, we’ve seen by the news reports and the video reports that come out, even those released by the group itself, just how brutal they can be to people and certainly Christian believers,” Griffith says.

Be Prayerful, Be Active

This means the concern for future terror attacks by ISIS is real. However, it’s not for a lack of the Russian and local governments’ attempts to stomp out radicalism in the region.

Rather than looking at this situation with fear, pray for the advancement of the Gospel. Nothing can change a situation for the better the way the transformation of a relationship with Christ does. Pray for wisdom, protection, and guidance of the Christians in this region who are sharing the Gospel.

Also, pray for these Christians to be good examples of Christ and for opportunities for them to share the Gospel. Ask God to guide leaders and give them wisdom and vigilance as they tackle radicalism in the area.

Please pray these same prayers over the churches in Central Asia, too. And finally, ask God to provide these believers with the resources they need to live out Christ in their communities.

Find more ways to support SGA partner churches here!

Take a Trip, Share Christ

During a recent e3 Partners trip to Nicaragua, a volunteer met a 63-year-old man named Miguel. Miguel, who lives alone, only has half of his left leg and his right leg is constantly swollen. To complicate life further, Miguel uses a barely functioning wheelchair he made himself. With that said, both legs were in constant pain and Miguel spent most days alone and feeling like there was nothing to have hope in.

(Photo Courtesy of Guillaume Baviere via Flickr) https://flic.kr/p/TwBZLj

That was until Miguel met a man named George. George was a volunteer with e3 on the church planting trip in Nicaragua. One afternoon during the trip, George knocked on Miguel’s door with the intent to share his testimony and the hope of Christ. But while Miguel was intrigued by what George had to say, he was still skeptical.

“George asked Miguel, ‘Is there anything that I can be praying for you about?’ And Miguel explained to him the pain that he had in his legs and how it was just this constant, almost unbearable pain, and asked if he could be praying for that,” e3’s Jeff Johnston shares.

“[George] did right then and there. So, George prayed to God, asking for God to relieve some of the pain in Miguel’s legs. And Miguel told him that immediately after that, immediately after he ended that prayer, he could feel some of that pain go away.”

Hope Found in Nicaragua

George continued to visit Miguel every day after the answered prayer. Upon his first visit, Miguel was moving around his home nearly pain-free. During the visit, the two men dug into the scriptures and George shared more stories about God.

“And so it was on that third day, that George came back, that Miguel accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He accepted Jesus into his life. He said that he finally had hope again and he was just filled with joy,” Jeff explains.

“He told George that he was grateful for all that he was teaching him, but he also told him he was sad that [George] was leaving because he was still so hungry to learn more about God, about Jesus, about the Bible. And he wanted someone to be able to teach him.”

Living Out Acts 2:42

(Photo courtesy of e3 Partners)

What Miguel soon learned, though, was that e3 wouldn’t leave Nicaragua without securing someone who’d help disciple Miguel. In fact, at his neighbor’s house, the e3 team was teaching a woman named Adrianna how to share her testimony, the Gospel, and how to lead a Bible study.

When the last day of the trip came, George brought Adrianna along with him to Miguel’s house. There, the two were introduced and Adrianna agreed to lead a Bible study with Miguel. In fact, she promised to come over every day to teach him more about God’s Word.

“It really drove home what we see in Acts 2:42 where it says, ‘they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer,’” Johnston says.

Be Prayerful, Be Active

And this story gets even better. That’s because you can be a George in somebody’s life, too. Start by praying for people who have yet to encounter the Gospel and Christ’s transformative love.

Try setting a daily alarm on your phone to pray, asking God to send more people into the harvest, for Him to continue working in the hearts and lives of people who’ve been reached with the Gospel, and for hearts to be softened to God’s love. Pray also for the continued perseverance for the people who are dedicating their lives to reaching others with the hope of Christ.

Another way to get involved is by joining an e3 Partners trip and sharing the Gospel somewhere you’ve never been.

Find an e3 Partners trip here!

*Names have been changed for security reasons.

Summer Camp Season

“Those summer camps are developed by the churches we support. These are national churches in the countries we serve who are working with, not only the members of their own church, but specifically often with the youth in their church to conduct a series of summer camps throughout the summer,” SGA’s Eric Mock explains.

(Photo courtesy of Slavic Gospel Association via Facebook)

Dating back to the days of the Soviet Union, it was common for people to take a break and send their kids to summer camps. In fact, those camps provided an outlet for families to get away from the daily grind of life for a little while.

There have been many secular camps made available for this, but lately, those camps have come across problems and aren’t nearly as available as they once were.

Thanks to supply and demand, people who still want to send their kids to a summer camp have been choosing to send them to SGA’s church’s summer camps because of their quality. With that said, this has been opening doors for children who’ve never heard the Gospel, or even the concept of Christ, to be exposed to Jesus’ love and truth for the first time.

What Are These Camps?

Mock shares how these camps put on by national churches are actually similar to the ones put on in the United States, but without all the bells and whistles to accompany them. However, national churches offer a variety of camps and themes can range from tent camps to adventure camps to even tourist/travel camps.

“You will see a culmination of day camps…much like vacation Bible schools, where for an entire week kids are gathering together either at a church or I have seen in a complex of an apartment building where they meet in the square in the middle near a playground and they have an outdoor camp,” Mock explains.

“And then there are stand-alone camps where either facilities are rented or they establish a tent camp out in the forest where they will be there for an entire week and can either camp out or stay at a facility. A lot of the situations are different.”

Sometimes these differences come as a result of the security in certain regions. For example, in a predominantly Muslim area, camps need to be cautiously conducted. It’s not uncommon for such camps to be held outside of cities or for them to be occasionally raided by local authorities.

“The summer camp ministry, in all of its different forms—which changes by geography and economic situation—these have become one of the primary tools, along with mercy ministry, in reaching people that you couldn’t reach any other way,” Mock shares.

Financial Need

However, the purpose of these camps isn’t just evangelism, but also to open the door for year-round discipleship in the form of Sunday school at a local church. SGA helps these churches put on summer camps to achieve this through the form of scholarships.

(Photo courtesy of SGA)

Just $41 sends at least one child to a summer camp while covering the cost of the camp ministry supplies. But sometimes, that $41 can be stretched to send even more kids, depending on the location. Yet, even with stretching the funds, there never seems to be enough for all the kids who want to go.

“We desire to help all these kids go, but what we’ve been providing is far short of the requests that come [every year]. And it breaks my heart as a pastor and as a missionary to think that there’s a child in one of these villages who has never heard the Gospel,” Mock says.

“And there’s a way to get that child to a camp to hear the Gospel, to make them a part of outreach, and they aren’t going because of the amount of money it would take to order a couple large pizzas. And do we feel comfortable that these children aren’t hearing the Gospel? Personally I don’t, which is why I’m excited to tell [MNN] listeners about summer camps and why we’re trying to equip the Church to reach to the ends of the earth.”

Last year SGA saw and helped more kids attend partner churches’ summer camps than in any of its previous years. Will you help SGA break that recent record and send even more kids to camps this year?

If so, click here to donate!

And please, always be praying for these camps. Pray for open doors, open hearts, protection from raids and shutdowns. Ask God to guide the national churches as they make plans to bring these camps to life. Finally, pray that these kids would respond to Christ, that their parents would respond, and for the necessary resources to be provided to send all kids requesting to attend these camps.

Donate and learn more about the summer camps here!