Persecution Restricts Gospel Work

In China, the government has shut down FEBC’s apps, live-streams, and podcast. The organization still has its content on short-wave radio, but only because this outlet is difficult to control.

(Photo and header photo courtesy of IDU via Facebook.

“We’re concerned about our people because many of our people that are working in China, even in Hong Kong, are under the watchful eye of the Chinese government. Some pastors are being put in jail as people go to church. There’s face recognition. Police are standing in the back; they’re monitoring very closely. So, it’s very critical, right now,” Pederson says.

At the same time, social media and other technology have proved to be bridges for discipleship and reaching the unreached with the Gospel. Pederson says local Christians are downloading “thousands of hours of content” from FEBC.

Rather than crying foul over increasing challenges, the ministry is utilizing available tools like computers and mobile devices to penetrate physical (and some digital) barriers.

“What we’re seeing in some of the most persecuted countries of the world, where’s the least access [to the Gospel], percentage-wise the Church is growing faster than any other part of the world. So, go figure; in God’s economy, what is humanly seems impossible, God is finding possible,” Pederson says.

Challenges in the West

One of the challenges groups like FEBC face is actually the North American and Western Churches. Christians in these two regions are relatively unaware or unengaged with realities of persecution facing parts of the global Church. Alliance for the Unreached offers resources to change this, along with a day for unity within the Church.

This day is called the International Day for the Unreached, which is held each year on Pentecost Sunday. In 2020, that date falls on May 31. It’s a day set aside for the global Church to pray for the Gospel to enter unreached communities and fulfill the Great Commission.

Get Involved

(Graphic courtesy of IDU)

But don’t wait until May 2020 to get involved. Visit the website for the International Day for the Unreached’s to learn more about unreached people groups and what you can do today for the Great Commission.

Take time to pray today, too. Pray for the persecuted church to remain resilient, to persevere in Christ, and to boldly and respectfully proclaim the Gospel message. Pray for believers to build relationships with unreached people in their country. Ask God to bless these relationships and to make them a pathway for His love and truth.

To learn more about the International Day for the Unreached, CLICK HERE.

Header graphic courtesy of IDU.

Wycliffe’s Annual World Day of Prayer

Each year, Wycliffe’s annual World Day of Prayer falls on November 11. On this day in 1933, Wycliffe’s founder, William Cameron Townsend, entered Mexico by the grace of a letter after previously being denied entry. That letter was written by a prominent educator from Mexico who was passionate about Townsend’s vision for Bible translation.

William Cameron Townsend (Photo courtesy of Wycliffe USA)

Now, as this work continues, Wycliffe remembers its beginning and God’s faithfulness in Bible transition.

“We believe that Bible translation always begins with prayer. And so, this is our annual event to really just remind us of why we’re doing what we’re doing and that God’s in it. And we pray for a lot of the languages around the world,” Wycliffe’s Matt Petersen says.

“It is just as important, if not more so, than giving or serving. And so, this is one opportunity annually for us to remind people of that and to ask them to join us in praying.”

Ways to Resource Your Prayers

Wycliffe is encouraging people to use Twitter to stay updated throughout the day. On its website, the ministry is also providing resources and articles to assist believers with intentional prayer.

(Photo courtesy of Wycliffe Global Alliance via Facebook)

Some of these resources include ways to pray through the news, for Bible translation, for missionaries, and for Bibleless people.

“There’s a number of resources there that people can use to pray. And also, there’s an opportunity to sign up for emails that will come out that will give you information about different languages and need. And you can also sign up for the Bibleless Peoples Prayer Project,” Petersen says.

Now, Let’s Pray

(Photo by Michael Heuss on Unsplash)

If you would, take a moment now to pray. Ask God to protect the work of sensitive Bible translation projects. Pray He would enable Bible translation to go forth in closed countries. Pray for protection over those who are risking much to get His Word in every language. Finally, pray for God’s Word to not return void.

“Bible translation is really that foundation of missions work. It’s how people are able to connect with God, to know Him better, and His word is critical for that. By praying for Him to bring those scriptures to people in their own language, it’s opening the door to God’s mission to reach all people,” Petersen says.

Connect to Wycliffe’s prayers resources here.

Header photo obtained via Pixabay

What About Christians in Syria?

“ISIS was certainly no friend to Christians. Tens of thousands of Christians were displaced by ISIS as they moved forward. When they would take over a city or a village, they would typically announce, ‘Christians get out or risk your lives,’” Nettleton says.

Syria (Photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs, USA via Facebook)

“As long as ISIS controlled territory, they were a risk; they were a danger to Christians. The reality is that the ideology that drives ISIS is not dead, even though the leader of the group is dead. Christians in the Middle East are still going to face persecution.”

The good news is that ISIS is not controlling as much territory as it did four years ago. The persecution Christians experience from the extremist group has eased. But Christians in Syria still need our prayers.

Neighboring countries continue to fight for control of the nation. Turkey recently rolled into the country and brought Russian forces along with it. The two nations sealed their power in northern Syria earlier this week. It is the same area where U.S. forces withdrew.

International Day of Prayer

This Sunday, the global Church community will unite in prayer for the Persecuted Church. The day, International Day of Prayer (IDOP), is an encouragement to both those who pray and those who are the focus of countless prayers. It is also a chance to use the news to pray specifically for brothers and sisters in Christ. Nettleton says VOM’s hope is for every church and every Christian to get involved this Sunday.

“There are churches who give the whole day to the International Day of Prayer. We’ve even heard from churches that do some kind of an underground church service, or they have a secret knock to get into their Sunday school class on that particular Sunday,” Nettleton says.

Still not sure how to observe the International Day of Prayer? Go out of your way to focus prayers on Christians suffering from persecution. VOM has resources that can help, including a video, bulletins, PowerPoint slides, and specific prayer requests from around the world.

To find more ideas and resources to mark the International Day of Prayer, CLICK HERE.

During the International Day of Prayer, VOM will post a new prayer request every hour on its social media platforms. These specific prayer requests come from Christians connected with VOM. But do not wait until Sunday to start praying; take time to pray today, too.

Next Steps

(Photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs, USA via Facebook)

Pray for persecuted Christians to not lose hope. Pray for their encouragement and joy despite their circumstances. Ask God to strengthen them through His Word. And pray for them to withstand persecution.

“Pray for protection and safety. Pray that they’ll have enough to eat today. Pray that their kids will be able to get an education. Those are very practical prayer requests. But those things aren’t necessarily a given right now in northern Syria, as well as in more than 70 other countries where Christians are persecuted for their faith,” Nettleton says.

Get involved with the International Day of Prayer here!

Header photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs, USA via Facebook.

Women of Far East Russia

Mock describes Far East Russia as an area as large as the contiguous 48 states of the United States, but with 5 percent of the U.S. population. The region presents many challenges for ministry and daily life.

“I was just in Far East Russia, and over and over again, I saw the unsung heroes of many of these ministries. In fact, I told many of the men [that] they married up,” Mock says.

“They have incredible wives who not only cared for family… but also were striving side-by-side. They’re the Sunday school teachers. They’re the Bible study leaders. They are the evangelists. They are the ones that are ministering to the countless widows.”

Mock says these women are an amazing gift to the Church. As a pastor in northwest Illinois, Mock knows firsthand how important his wife is to his ministry, and he knows other pastors would say the same.

“By God’s design, we see this beautiful, complete package where He designed men and women in the covenant of marriage to complete each other…The image of our triune God is most visible when a man and a woman are living life on mission, for the sake of the Gospel, displaying Christ among the nations,” Mock says.

Gulmyra, whose husband pastors four churches, moved with her husband to an area in Far East Russia where shamanism is prevalent. Every week she helps her husband prepare for ministering to various villages. While he is away, the mother of two maintains their home and cares for the day-to-day operations of the church. She also conducts ministry with local women and children.

“She really became a 24-hour a day missionary, not only to her family but to the church that was there,” Mock says.

Reach Russia Now

(Photo courtesy of Slavic Gospel Association via Facebook)

Today, we want to recognize women like Gulmyra and their hard work while offering a chance to support them through the Reach Russia Now initiative.

Through Reach Russia Now, Christians can help support ministry happening in Far East Russia. A financial gift helps fund missionary pastors and church plants. It also helps support the ministries many women help run, such as Orphans Reborn or Immanuel’s Child.

“This is a great opportunity to build a relationship with these missionary pastors, to send notes to the wives and encourage them,” Mock says.

Learn more about supporting these women, and ministry work in Far East Russia, at our website here!

Want to send an encouraging note to the incredible women in Far East Russia? Call 1-800-BIBLE-50 or visit www.sga.org.

If you would, pray for the encouragement of these women. Pray for their steadfastness, patience, and courage. Ask God to bless their ministries and their marriages and pray for joy in their circumstances.

Header photo courtesy of Slavic Gospel Association.

Teachers of Refugees in Jordan

(Photo courtesy of Tent Schools International via Facebook)

Rawan Haddad, Development Director for Tent Schools International, told us about Dawlat, a passionate principal educating Iraqi refugee children in Jordan. Most of the kids at Dawlat’s school, Good Shepherd Center, were traumatized when fleeing their home country. These kids carry deep scars, making their time in the classroom look different from average students. But Dawlat and her teachers are doing everything they can to help these kids heal.

Dawlat and her teachers take training classes to prepare them for working with kids who have experienced trauma. These classes teach them how to handle various situations with the kids as well as assist in the healing process.

Occasionally a student who does not speak will enter the classroom. It’s not that the child is mute; his or her language simply differs from the Arabic spoken in Jordan. But sometimes, it’s not even that simple. Sometimes, these kids are trying to escape their world by isolating themselves.

The teachers’ work does not end with the school day.

“They visit [the kids’] families at home, just like hear from them about their life. What’s happened to them at home, and even in Iraq, about their behaviors at home. They just work together as a team with their family to just make these kids be better and better. So, they are amazing,” Haddad explains.

Help Tent Schools support teachers

Many of the teachers working with Tent Schools partners have chosen underpaid positions because they care so deeply about the displaced children they educate. Still, these teachers need to afford to live. As their families grow, so do their expenses. Emily Klooster, Executive Director for Tent Schools, says that’s why Tent Schools helps fund teachers’ salaries through its fundraising campaigns.

(Photo courtesy of Tent Schools International via Facebook)

Tent Schools also provides teachers with PTSD resources specially developed through a pediatric therapist. Tent Schools also sells these same resources on Amazon for the general public. They are also available as a free download on their website. Find the resources here.

Will you help Tent Schools continue its work of supporting teachers? A tangible way to get involved is through monthly giving. Klooster invites you to join Tent Schools’ monthly giving program, called Circle of Friends.

Join Circle of Friends here!

However, both Haddad and Klooster ask for you to pray for these teachers by name, beginning with Dawlat.

“She has the perfect skill set for the work that she does, and years of dedication to the Good Shepherd Center. And doing her work with very little pay, which she signed up for, she’s all about it. But just prayers for her for financial security, for her own mental health because as you point out the second-hand trauma thing can happen. And for the educators under her care,” Klooster says.

To learn more about Tent Schools, click here.

Header photo courtesy of Tent Schools International.

But what is it in the first place? According to Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs USA, “it’s a day to honor the example and honor the sacrifice of those who gave their lives for Christ, as well as, hopefully, sort of spend some time in self-reflection.”

Nettleton hopes the day will drive people to engage in deep reflection and prayer. He wants Christians to ask questions like “What would I give up? What would I sacrifice to see God’s kingdom advanced, to see the gospel preached?”

Since the birth of the Church, Christians have undergone persecution, and this new day hopes to shed light on their plight by recognizing both ancient and modern martyrs. After all, June 29 is the anniversary of the apostle Paul’s execution, while the day was used to recognize a more recent tragedy.

Remembering the Groenewalds

“One of the things we did was add some names to the Martyrs Memorial at our headquarters,” Nettleton explains. “We added the names of the Groenewald family that was martyred in Afghanistan in 2014, and it was really a good day of honoring their memory.”

Photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs USA

The Groenewalds were serving in Afghanistan when Taliban insurgents launched an assault on their compound. Werner Groenewald and his children, Jean-Pierre (17) and Rode (15), were shot and killed by the insurgents. Only mother and wife Dr. Hannelie Groenewald, who was working at a nearby medical clinic at the time of the attack, survived.

“They knew it was dangerous, they knew they could be killed, and yet when God called they said, ‘Ok, we’ll go,’ and they went, they served there for more than 10 years, had really an amazing ministry there to the Afghan people, and ultimately, three members of the family did give their lives,” Nettleton says. “We think that’s worth having a day on the calendar to think about that, to reflect on that, and to honor their sacrifice.

Stories like theirs are what drove Nettleton and others to institute this day of recognition in the first place.

“We hope it will become a day that is on the church calendar and doesn’t get buried. We hope it will rise to the top as people really understand the power of the example of the martyrs.”

Day of the Christian Martyr might only be celebrated one day every year, but the gravity of giving everything for ministry is painfully and daily on the minds of some survivors.

“In the case of the Groenewald family, Hannelie, the wife and the mom of the husband and two teenage children that were killed, she’s still alive, she’s still going on in ministry, she’s still serving the Lord, but I’m certain that she still misses her family, so we can pray for those left behind as the martyrs made that ultimate sacrifice that God will sustain them and comfort them and open doors for ministry for them.”

You can watch the ceremonies of the first Day of the Christian Martyrs right here.

Header photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs USA

(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Why is Lebanon pushing back so intensely against the Syrian refugees? The answer is the current economy, security, violence, and crime rates. The Lebanese people are tired and tense, and hostility is brewing.

Still, Nuna with Triumphant Mercy says the country’s reactions have made the Syrian refugees feel unsafe.

“[Lebanon] had a demonstration. People went on the streets and just demanded that Syrians go back home. We had banners saying ‘Syria is safe, go back home’, ‘we don’t want you here’…The situation is escalating in Lebanon.”

Returning Home Complications

But for refugees, returning home to Syria is not simple. Prematurely sending Syrian refugees home could cause more problems. If Syrians return home today, the men will probably either be imprisoned or forced into the army. Their sons could expect a similar future. Even if this threat did not exist, rebuilding takes finances, and money is something most refugee families lack.

“We are just trying to work in between but nobody really knows what the situation would be like and how long it will take. [It might be] three months, maybe six months, maybe a year. I don’t know,” Nuna says.

(Photo courtesy of Triumphant Mercy)

Triumphant Mercy balances obeying Lebanon’s laws with offering help in the Bekaa Valley and in Beirut. For them, that means providing informal education for refugee children.

Now, Nuna is searching for a way to legitimize this education through certificates or testing.

“We have contacted people inside Syria that could arrange for kids to come and do official exams inside Syria. That’s a new thing that we’re trying to do because that would help them when they go back home, to continue their studies…We do what we can for at least securing a future for some of the kids, securing a future for some of the families,” Nuna explains.

Triumphant Mercy is also connecting Syrian refugees with possible church contacts in Syria. These contacts can help welcome the refugees home and offer support when the time comes to rebuild their lives.

Refugees Find Hope

However, one of the greatest gifts Triumphant Mercy provides is an opportunity to know Christ’s love. Along with informal education, Triumphant Mercy also offers Bibles camps and Bibles studies for the kids and adults in the refugee camps.

“We have so many new brothers in the faith just around us. It’s amazing and we’re trying to even intensify this,” Nuna says.

(Photo courtesy of Triumphant Mercy Lebanon)

Still, hopelessness is penetrating the camps. People tell Nuna they feel abandoned by God because of their circumstances. A lot of refugees struggle to think about life beyond the surviving today. (Read about the effects of trauma here.)

But, Nuna counters this with, “this is where we come [in] and just install hope…we’re here for you. We [were] sent by God for you.”

Pray for opportunity and hope for the Syrian refugees’ futures. Ask God to strengthen Triumphant Mercy as it works on shifting ground. Pray the ministry clearly presents the Gospel and meets the need of those it serves. Pray for Lebanon’s economy, for the Lebanese anger to dissipate, and for peace between the Lebanese and Syrian refugees.

Learn more about Triumphant Mercy’s ministry here.

Header photo courtesy of EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
via Flickr.

Alliance for the Unreached is a movement meant to unite the Church through the work of churches, organizations, and individuals for the purpose of reaching every unreached people group (UPGs) with the Gospel. Promptly put, it is a collaborative to fulfill the Great Commission.

An Urgency and Hunger

Matt Knisely with the Seed Company says the organization joined the Alliance to alleviate the painful reality that there are people who do not yet have the opportunity to know Jesus or His love and truth.

“I started thinking about what it says in Ecclesiastes 4:12, about the three-fold cord, and thinking this is what is going to change the trajectory of the world, and the Kingdom of a body, a group, an alliance coming together, working in unity, to see God’s kingdom grow, and see the unreachable with word and with God,” Knisely says.

(Photo courtesy of Alliance for the Unreached)

The Alliance echoes a call felt throughout the global body of Christ—unity. In 2018 the themes for Missio Nexus and the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) conferences revolved around the idea of partnership within the Church. It resembles the threads of a tapestry woven together for the purpose of God. But in this interwoven unity is a sense of urgency.

“When I have gone to countries, such as Kenya or Zambia this past year, there is just a hunger that is there. And in a strong urgency, I feel that not only within the organizations, but in the countries that I visited, that desperately, desperately want to be reached,” Knisely says.

How to Get Involved

Knisely says it is time for Christians to deeply invest through prayer and even financial support in efforts to make the Gospel known among all nations of the world. Curious about the how? Invest in a translation project with the Seed Company.

The Seed Company is in the work of accelerating Bible translation. Their goal—to have God’s word in every heart language that needs it by 2025. Learn how to get involved here.

(Photo courtesy of Alliance for the Unreached)

“We have the Bible, we take it for granted that I can just open my mobile phone, and read the Bible right there when halfway around the world that little girl doesn’t know that Jesus loves her. And when you see somebody, for the first time, get God’s word. And you see the tears streaming down their face, it totally changes your perception,” Knisely says.

In the days leading up to Pentecost Sunday and the International Day for the Unreached, spend time invested in prayer. Ask God to provide the resources and forge the paths of making the Gospel available in every language so that those who do not know Him would have the opportunity to build a relationship with Jesus.

Learn more about the International Day for the Unreached here!

To get involved with the Seed Company, click here.

Header photo courtesy of Alliance for the Unreached.

Malaria Facts

The recent WHO’s world malaria report says that between 2015 to 2017 there were “no significant gains in reducing malaria cases”. In fact, in 2017 alone there were an estimated 219 million malaria-related cases. The cases spanned 87 countries with an estimated 435,000 malaria-related deaths. Children under the age of five made up 61 percent of these deaths (266,000) worldwide.

Kakinada, India (Photo courtesy of India Partners)

India was home to four percent of all malaria cases in 2017. However, India did report progress from 2016 to 2017 in reducing malaria-related cases. Out of the top 11 countries where about 70 percent of malaria cases and deaths occur globally, India was the only country to reduce its malaria cases in this specific time frame.

This year, on World Malaria Day, you can get involved and help prevent Malaria by teaming up with India Partners. India Partners’ vision is an India rich in hope, justice, and compassion. Part of accomplishing this is malaria prevention. Why? Because part of compassion means wanting others to be whole and healthy, and malaria prevention is key to that vision.

Impact in India

India Partners helps people in India prevent the transfer of Malaria by providing mosquito nets to families. These nets protect children and adults from mosquitoes while they sleep. It is an inexpensive way to prevent malaria and protect families from sickness and even death.

(Photo courtesy of India Partners)

“People may not be able to afford either the prevention or the long-lasting insecticide nets that we help to provide because it’s $10 for a net. When you’re working day-to-day and earning just a couple dollars, maybe working in the field, then you can’t afford $10 for a net,” Programs Coordinator with India Partners Donna Glass explains.

For families who do have members infected with malaria, this often means time off of work or school, provided the families can purchase anti-malaria medicine to heal. However, a net prevents this domino effect.

Glass says nets also provide a sense of relief from fear and anxiety for families just in the knowledge that their probability of getting malaria is greatly reduced. This also means families can rest well at night, knowing they’re likely not going to wake up with a mosquito bite which could drastically change their lives for the worse.

Be the Solution

“Prevention is so much more effective than curing people. If you can prevent an illness, then that’s where you need to step in before people get sick. And before people are missing work and losing money, not only from not getting wages but then there’s the cost of the care,” Glass says.

On World Malaria Day 2019, you can help people in India prevent the effects of Malaria by giving just $10 to provide a mosquito net. For the cost of a pizza, will you give someone the opportunity for a full life?

To donate a mosquito net, click here!

Header photo courtesy of India Partners.

Larry Andrews, President and CEO of Partners International, says he’s excited about the global engagement level of churches and ministries who are involved with and have adopted unreached unengaged people groups (UUPGs) through Finishing the Task.

(Photo courtesy of Partners International)

But, as the numbers drop for those who are currently UUPGs, the groups which remain have their own challenges when it comes to Bible translation work.

“Those last couple of hundred are really difficult groups. I think there’s a caution that I have about how that relational connection with these organizations is going to happen because reaching those groups will take a relational, intentional effort that, hey, it might take more than two years,” Andrews says.

Andrews, who also serves with Alliance for the Unreached has a vision for every church in the United States to be a part of fulfilling the Great Commission.

“Every Christ follower is required to fulfill Christ’s mission. This passionate call to have every church engaged, every Christ-follower engaged, is one that the Alliance for the Unreached is all about,” Andrews says.

International Day for the Unreached

One of the ways Alliance for the Unreached raises awareness is through the International Day for the Unreached (IDU), which takes place on Pentecost Sunday. The day is devoted to learning about and praying for UUPGs. However, in the past, the Alliance has focused on raising awareness. Now it is time for action and revival.

(Photo courtesy of Alliance for the Unreached)

Jesus calls His people to personally engage with the Great Commission. Therefore, Andrews says it is time for every church to take steps towards fulfilling the Great Commission. However, Barna Research reports only 49 percent of the Church in America knows about the Great Commission.

“The Church in America essentially needs to be woken up. We’re asleep at the wheel and how do we prayerfully move the 51 percent of churches out there to engage and to be part of the work that Christ is doing across the world. It’s sad from one perspective, at least how I look at it, because part of finding joy in Christ and really having an intimate relationship with Him, is doing, being about the things that He cares about the most,” Andrews says.

Get Involved

Pray for God’s guidance for ways the Church in American can engage with the Great Commission. Ask God to reveal ways to get involved.

For example, Andrews’ church began the process of collaborating with partners in North Sumatra about three years ago. Through this work, his church has become engaged with reaching the unreached in efforts to help fulfill the Great Commission. Pray God would lead His churches in how he wants them to get involved, too.

Get involved with Alliance for the Unreached here!

*Final quote omitted and paraphrased at the request of the source.