The war in Iran produced some changes in leadership. However, Denise Godwin with IMM says that many are anxious about the current regime. Killings remain commonplace and people feel unsafe.

“There’s just a very overwhelming desire among the expat Iranian community for this regime to fall. There seem to be discussions also that there are people inside who desire that fall that they have to guard themselves for the right moment, so that they’re not killed before a new regime can be put in place.”

Openings for the Gospel

Godwin says people are exhausted with the conflict. The need for rest is one reason there are fewer uprisings and protests at the moment. People struggle with the pain of seeing loved ones killed and the homes they love in turmoil. However, Godwin sees God at work.

“What I think is interesting is these kinds of disruptions to normal services also cause people to look beyond their circumstances for hope. This gives an incredible opportunity to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That includes the people on the ground. That includes media partners who are using online platforms or Zoom platforms [or] satellites. While connections are erratic and interspersed, people are working on connecting with the outside world. They want to know what’s happening.”

A Story of Hope from Ancient Persia

In this time of unrest, IMM is working on post-production for the story of Esther. This project, Esther: Queen of Hope will be a six-part series that focuses on God’s work in His people and in the Persian Empire. This project has the potential to speak hope clearly to the Iranian people as they see God at work in the kingdom of their ancestors.

(Image courtesy of IMM)

“As we continue to edit the story of Esther: Queen of Hope, I am surprised and amazed at how God puts stories in the Bible that are actually reflected again and again through history,” Godwin says.

“What we see is Haman in the story of Esther as an outsider who’s been in the empire of Persia for a long time. He chooses to influence the situation in a way that is against their principles. They were not a society that did genocide. Well, you fast forward to today, and the people you speak to – especially who are outside the country, who have the freedom to share what they feel and think – say they feel like Persia (the original place that is now Iran) has been hijacked by a radical Islamic regime that is not reflecting the norms of Persians, of the people. That’s a pretty incredible, if you want to call it, coincidence from the Bible to today.”

IMM plans to release the first episode this summer and then have the final five episodes completed in the fall. They pray that this historic story not only will inspire hope for Iranian Christians today, but that it will open doors for believers to share that God has worked in Iran before. He cares about Iranian people.

Sharing the Gospel with the Unreached

(Image courtesy of IMM)

Godwin shares that one of IMM’s goals is being able to serve unreached people with Bible stories that occurred in their cultures. “To serve people who are unreached people groups that have so little content in their language – that we could serve them in a way that maybe bigger media organizations can’t. That’s just the beauty of being a media missionary group. We want to invite people to join us in praying and giving and connecting people, so we can do more and get to the ends of the Earth with the word of God sooner.”

If you’d like to join the work of IMM, click here.

Header image courtesy of International Media Ministries.

Godwin knows this from past experience serving in missions. But more recently, dozens of short-term mission workers joined her team at IMM. They raised personal support to help complete a 90-day filming project of the biblical story of Esther, created for an Iranian audience.

That experience reminded Godwin of both the challenges of missions and the urgent need for more workers. With IMM, Godwin sees the growing need for media content that can reach closed parts of the world. But one essential resource is often overlooked.

“It requires not just funding and not just bodies in chairs,” she says. “It requires dedication.” 

Internships and one-year mission trips can be awesome ways to explore God’s calling. But Godwin says, “I still would insist that you feel like God has prompted you to do that year, that two years, because you will learn so much and you will grow so much. It’s a good way to find out if you have enough passion and enough dedication to continue to be on the mission field.”

(Photo courtesy of Jon Tyson via Unsplash)

Yet for many missionaries confident of their calling, family voices can be a challenge at every step. 

“It’s hard when someone back home, who you love very much, just wants you to come home and have a normal life,” says Godwin. 

There’s a lot to navigate in family relationships and pressures like that. But we have to remember that in the Lord’s economy, every Christian has a role in sharing the gospel with the world. More than simply asking whether we are givers, pray-ers, or goers (or all of the above), Godwin encourages believers to consider one critical factor: how dedicated are we to the roles God has given to us? 

“It’s only going to work for all of us in every role that we play with the inspiration and aid of the Holy Spirit,” she says.

Dedication is the antidote to any contrary voices that deter gospel ministry. If you know a missionary or ministry worker, take time to ask about their calling. Listen to their passion — and ask God to show you your place in their mission. And then dive in with total commitment. 

“Pray for people you know who are in missions already. Pray for ministries that are trying to recruit people to come to them, and for the fundraising. These are all aspects of the whole job of missions. We can’t do it without this community of believers around us,” says Godwin. 

“It’s so important that you find people to pray for that you’re passionate about, and things to give to that you’re passionate about, because you are included in whatever [fruit] we find out in heaven. Whatever blessings come from what we do, it is shared with everyone who gives, it’s shared with everyone who prays.”

Learn more about International Media Ministries’ limited series about Esther here.

Clip from Esther: Queen of Hope. (Photo courtesy of IMM)

Header photo is a stock image courtesy of Jason Hogan via Unsplash. 

“How do we minister to the next generation as they live through pretty intense stuff? One of the ways, I believe, is to give them the seeds of hope in Jesus Christ,” says Denise Godwin of IMM. “There’s an opportunity when people are young to shift their perspective, and there’s another opportunity to really minister to them in the area of hope.”

IMM partners with missionaries, national churches, and media outlets to produce a wide variety of media in almost 70 languages. While they have created children’s programs in the past, they are now working to develop and sustain a permanent department within their ministry that would be solely devoted to creating children’s resources.

“We really want this to be an ongoing ministry through media to children in different parts of the world, which means we need to sustain that with both people and funds,” says Godwin. “It’s a lot of work, and we are so excited to get to serve the next generation and help them know Jesus.”

IMM’s plan is to produce a 2-D and 3-D animated series of Bible-based stories, with 15-minute episodes that can be dubbed into multiple languages, helping to reach children through captivating storytelling, vibrant characters, and immersive narratives. Existing IMM children’s programs like Boulevard des Enfants and World of Jonathan Singh have had millions of views over three decades. The ministry currently has two children stories in production, one of which is Red—a story that helps teach kids they can have hope in challenging circumstances, even when they feel alone.

“So much tragedy is out there, but God redeems things,” says Godwin. “He redeems people, and he uses them.”

Pray on behalf of believers in regions of war and conflict, on behalf of IMM’s media partners, and that God would send IMM more animators and other mission-minded workers to help make this project a reality. You can learn more about the project at imm.edu/for-children.

Header photo courtesy of International Media Ministries. 

The suffering and disruption are grim. But Denise Godwin from International Media Ministries (IMM) says Iranian expatriates are celebrating the fall of the lies that were brought to their nation in 1979: “The lies about their culture, about who they are as people, about religion through the Islamic Revolution, all of that is being cast down,” Godwin says.

“I know from talking to Iranians [that] this is their desire: to have the Persia of the past that had an open door — through the King Cyrus, even going back that far — for you to keep your own religion, to choose, to explore different ways of having a career and doing society together, artistically, musically.”

Centuries ago, ancient Persia was a safe haven for the Jewish people. IMM’s upcoming film series, Esther: Queen of Hope, retells that biblical story with an Iranian cast. Godwin sees the parallels to today’s events — parallels of contrasts, where the government of modern-day Persia is bent on Israel’s destruction. 

Yet it’s essential to remember that Iran’s government today is not the same as its people. 

“One thing that’s probably very shocking to a Western audience is that Iranian expats are very pro-Israel,” says Godwin. “And they do not understand why the West is so pro-Hamas and Hezbollah and Palestine.”

As the threat of regional war rises in the Middle East, please pray for God’s blessing on His people who are sharing the gospel. Pray that people across the region discover the true hope of Christ.

“Is God going to do a great move, and there’s going to be another wave of revival and change in the world, or is this the end? We don’t know. And yet, there’s amazing opportunities,” says Godwin. “He has his people in place and His ways in place, dreams and visions, and media to reach these people.”

International Media Ministries’ Esther: Queen of Hope is set to be released later this year, pending final fundraising. Pray that Esther and projects like it will bless the Farsi-speaking world with the good news of Jesus.

(Photo courtesy of International Media Ministries via Facebook)

Header photo: Iranians rally in Tbilisi, Georgia, voicing support for the United States and Israel, March 1, 2026 (Photo courtesy of MNN).

With executions, prison sentences, and businesses forcibly closed following the protests, the regime’s grip appears tighter than ever – even as nuclear talks and regional tensions dominate international headlines.

Iran protests in Eastern Europe. (Photo courtesy of MNN)

For Iranians at home and abroad, the loss is deeply personal.

Denise Godwin with International Media Ministries (IMM) says members of their Persian expatriate film crew are carrying the weight of it every day.

“The news I get directly from them and their outrage over the killings in Iran and the abuse and the persecution is just heartbreaking,” Godwin shares.

“Speaking to one of the actors and key members of our crew, she said, ‘There’s nobody who doesn’t know someone that’s been killed.'”

The Iranian expatriate community remains tightly connected to family and friends back home. Godwin says, “Many of them, of course, have fled because of either political persecution or religious persecution, and they can’t go back. They can’t check on their families other than through the media…. So it’s really an intense time for them as they hear of deaths, either of friends or family or acquaintances, or they just can’t communicate with someone back home.”

At the same time, IMM is preparing to release a Persian-language dramatization of Esther’s story from the Bible — a story about faith and courage in the face of a regime bent on destruction. The project was filmed with Iranian actors and crew last summer.

“It’s pretty parallel to the situation going on in Iran. I mean, now there’s way more than one person risking their life,” Godwin says. “They’re just done with abuse, and they need hope.”

Esther: Queen of Hope (Photo courtesy of International Media Ministries)

That hunger for hope is especially poignant as Ramadan approaches. Godwin says, “There’s always searching going on during Ramadan by people who aren’t at ease with this religion, who are seeking God and not finding Him there.”

Please pray for grieving families, for protection over underground believers, and for the Gospel to reach those disillusioned and searching. Pray also for IMM as they work to deliver the Esther Project into Iran by summer.

“For such a time as this, God has His people in place. For such a time as this, God has sent out His message of hope. Jesus died for these people to give them eternal life.”

You can learn more about International Media Ministries and the Esther Project at their website.

Header photo: Iran protests in Eastern Europe. (Photo courtesy of MNN)

As we prepare for Christmas, the headlines we see daily are anything but festive. Occupation, crisis, persecution — sound familiar? That’s the backdrop Jesus was born into.

Denise Godwin of International Media Ministries reminds us that the first Christmas didn’t happen in calm.

“What Herod did in Bethlehem was a persecution, was a terrible thing,” Godwin says. “If we saw that in the headlines today, we’d be horrified and freaked out!”

This Advent, the persecuted Church needs intercession from fellow believers (Photo courtesy of Ismael Paramo via Unsplash)

And still — this is the Advent message: joy despite the threat.

“Jesus also has seen these things and is walking this crazy world out with us,” Godwin says, “to help us be able to see the peace that surpasses all understanding — peace that will come one day in a perfect way when Jesus returns.”

Many people around the world are suffering — persecuted Christians, communities under bombardment, and families facing natural disasters. Believers have an opportunity to respond with generosity toward these needs.

“So there’s so much opportunity to extend the Branch of Jesus Christ as our one and only hope,” Godwin says.

Christians in these regions continue to stand on the good news. Those in safer parts of the world have a responsibility to pray for the persecuted Church to remain steadfast and strong in faith.

And the chaos surrounding Jesus’ birth reminds us that God is with us — and God is at work.

“What a beautiful thing if we can pause in the chaos of headlines, the chaos of Christmas plans and travels, and say, God is at work, and He is multiplying the people who are going to join the great chorus in heaven one day!” Godwin says.

May your Advent involve prayer for different nations. Visit International Media Ministries to learn how they bring Jesus to many through media!

Header photo: The Holy Family Stained Glass Artwork (Photo courtesy of Pixabay via Pexels).

When Mahsa Amini was killed in 2022 for wearing her hijab incorrectly, removing a hijab became a symbolic protest in Iran.

This September, Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, criticized Iran’s hijab laws, saying, “Human beings have a right to choose.”

Around the same time that Iranian parliament member Mohammad Reza Bahonar said that hijab laws are not enforceable.

Denise Godwin from International Media Ministries says that people in the West are not aware of the different protests because they are seen as quiet. But after the confrontation with Israel this summer, arrests seemed to rise.

In some areas, businesses are being persecuted for selling to women without hijabs. In a culture like this, families may pressure women to wear them, as it could result in repercussions for neighbors.

“I think there are a lot of cultural norms that they’re up against as well in this situation,” Godwin says. “Bravo, them that are trying to take Iran, Persia, back to what it was.”

Before the last 40 years, Iran was a more secular Islamic State. Where in the 1970s people wore western-style clothing, nowadays, not wearing socks is a violation of nudity and chastity laws.

Godwin says, beyond the freedom to choose whether to wear a hijab or not, people need freedom of religion.

“Freedom to choose whether you’re going to be Islamic, even if you were born into an Islamic family. That’s not an option in Islamic countries,” she says.

As other countries also vie for human rights Godwin says, “I think it’s an incredible time in the world as we know it, to see these things changing almost daily before our eyes, and pray for powers of darkness to be thrown down, that that truth will have an opportunity, that Jesus Christ and the salvation of God can even have a chance to get into a lot of these places in the world.”

The work of IMM is a tool for this and is sending the message of God around the world before missionaries or people can. As they supply people with education and exposure, Godwin says it’s important to get the Christian message out. If believers don’t send messages out, others will.

IMM has finished filming their series Esther: Queen of Hope in Farsi. IMM had received requests for the project before, and they see now that the timing of the message is strategic.

Esther, Queen of the Persians, once represented her nation in need, just as Iran is in need today.

IMM creates a new series about the story of Esther. Photo Provided by IMM.

In Esther’s day, women could take on roles like judges and landowners.

King Cyrus was the first of the Persian Empire to implement religious freedom. He essentially said, “We’re not going to obliterate and relocate everybody. As long as you are an obedient citizen, pay your taxes, and don’t cause trouble, you can continue with your God and your religion,” Godwin says.

“That’s what makes the Esther story so remarkable, because it wasn’t in the DNA of the Persian Empire to obliterate a bunch of people for no particular reason, [when] they were not in an uprising,” Godwin says.

Godwin says that when Haman tried to punish the Jewish people, Esther didn’t just save her own people. She saved all the Persians from this controlling law.

These stories seem to resonate more as history repeats itself.

“I’m meeting people from outside the country who have mostly escaped due to political or religious persecution,” Godwin says. “These people all say that the regime is not Iran, it is not Iranians, it doesn’t represent them, and that they do look forward to a time when there can be friendship and peace between Israel and Iran.”

IMM is also working to make children’s programs, creating opportunities to instill biblical and critical thinking.

When people leave the Islamic faith, they often turn to atheism first, but struggle with giving up on the concept of God. When they meet Jesus, it becomes a huge revelation.

Please pray for the opportunities these people have through the media. Pray for people on the ground who are evangelizing despite the risk of persecution. As tension continues between Israel and Iran, pray for the people in these countries who want peace.

Pray that people in Iran will receive human rights and an end to persecution, and that people will hear about salvation and know the truth of Jesus Christ. Pray for peace in this region and for the Middle East to change in ways that reflect Jesus Christ.

Header Image by mostafa meraji from Pixabay

In the weeks since Nepal’s turnover, Gen Z protests have occurred in the Philippines, Madagascar, Peru, and Morocco. Since 2024, Serbia and Kenya have also experienced anti-government demonstrations. The motivations have varied within each nation, but all have the theme of young adults who want to see corruption removed from their countries.

“I think the soul knows when things are wrong. You feel compassion for these people [who are] living in countries where the situation has gotten to the point that even these young people are like, ‘Hey, that’s corruption, and that’s not okay,'” says Denise Godwin with International Media Ministries. She adds that if God intervenes, “this is a generation that could hold people to account and ask for a government that takes care of their people.”

Nepalese Gen Z protesters in front of Bharatpur city corporation office (Photo courtesy of हिमाल सुवेदी via Wikimedia Commons, Own work – CC BY-SA 4.0)

Godwin sees a parallel between these recent events and the Arab Spring of the early 2010s. Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, and Syria all experienced uprisings — some leading to changes in government, others to division or civil war.

“Some of these people live in places [where] it is a danger to them to be having these protests. [This is a generation] that’s pretty fed up with corruption, that’s pretty fed up with the restrictions of governments that have chosen to subjugate people, either via religion or governance. [It] seems like they’re using different reasons for the protests, but I think the essence is the same,” says Godwin.

“I’ve spoken to Egyptians who say, ‘Oh,  the corruption is right back where it was at the Arab Spring. It’s just [under] different names.'”

Watch and pray that there are no arbitrary crackdowns on young demonstrators. Last month, Nepal’s demonstrations turned violent, resulting in the deaths of more than 70 people. In Madagascar, at least 22 people were killed. Danger is always present, for both protestors and law enforcement.

“It’s an important thing that they’re birthing. They’re aware of corruption, they’re aware of injustice, but can it be channeled into something besides chaos or anarchy?” says Godwin. 

Ask God for more than just lives to be spared. 

“What we’re seeing in Gen Z is a spiritual reawakening. It may not be necessarily focused on Jesus Christ, but there is a spiritual hunger in this generation,” says Godwin. “This is a really important time for Christians to be praying for God to use these disruptions of protests in people’s lives to bring them to salvation in Jesus.”

Pray that Gen Z’s actions in these nations will result in good changes. But remember that only God can truly end abuse and deception on earth.  

“We can think we’re immune in some place[s], but corruption goes back to original sin,” says Godwin. “We are surrounded by humans who are vulnerable to taking advantage of others.”

Header photo is a representative stock image courtesy of Ali Haghighi via Unsplash.

The Convention of National Cooperation to Save Iran, July 26, 2025 in Munich, Germany (Photo by Mazi for IMM)

Denise Godwin with International Media Ministries, says seven actors from their upcoming film Esther: Queen of Hope participated in the summit. 

“The Persian Empire — which [corresponds to] modern-day Iran — believed in allowing people [they conquered] to keep their own religion,” said Godwin. “Basically, the Persian people of today are saying, ‘We want to go back to what we were, where we could choose.’” 

During the filming for Esther, the June Israel-Iran conflict broke out. The IMM crew prayed with the Iranian actors throughout production. Godwin said not all of the team are believers in Christ, but they all believed in the story of Esther and in a free Iran, “because it gives people the choice of freedom of religion.”

“It was marvelous to get to know them and stand with them in this idea of freedom of religion, of sharing the freedom of God back into Iran through Esther,” said Godwin.

She felt like the team was observing world history unfold this summer. “[The summit is] not making the news, but this could completely change the face of the Middle East,” she said. 

“[The crown prince] made a point of saying, We’re not asking the West to do this for us. We’re asking them to stand with us as we see this regime fall.”

Political change is a fragile process. But with freedom comes greater opportunity for the Gospel to spread. So please pray! 

“Let’s pray with Iranians that the country [gains] freedom of choice, freedom of religion and freedom of speech,” said Godwin. “What an opportunity to stand with brothers and sisters in Christ and pray for that kind of change in the region!” 

 (Photo by Mazi for IMM)

Header photo: Reza Pahlavi at The Convention of National Cooperation to Save Iran, July 26, 2025 in Munich, Germany (Photo by Mazi for IMM)

The International Criminal Court says the Taliban’s supreme leader and chief justice implemented policies that amount to gender apartheid. Since reclaiming power in Afghanistan four years ago, the Taliban has removed girls from school and banned women from public life.

“I don’t imagine the Taliban think they’re doing anything other than adhering to their worldview,” Denise Godwin with International Media Ministries says.

“They need to have the light of Christ shown into their hearts to redeem a carnal nature that has shunted aside half of their population.”

Christians in Afghanistan face some of the harshest persecution in the world. The country remains one of the most dangerous places to be a follower of Jesus, largely because Islam is deeply interwoven with Afghan identity and society.

The situation has become even more dire with the Taliban’s resurgence, as the regime’s strict interpretation of Islam allows no room for religious freedom. Despite these dangers, a small underground Church continues to exist, clinging to hope and faith under constant threat.

(Photo courtesy of IMM)

International Media Ministries creates Gospel-centered media in over 70 languages. View current projects here. IMM’s materials help to encourage secret believers in closed countries and introduce the hope of Christ to people in despair.

“I know people working very clandestinely to help Afghanistan, and have mentioned, could we maybe do some of these Women of the Bible stories into some of the languages for Afghanistan? And I’m praying that we can,” Godwin says.

“The women can’t leave their homes, so media is a principal way to get them a message that they are precious in the eyes of God, no matter what the Taliban says.”

Ask the Lord to provide for groups like International Media Ministries that are helping people from a distance.

“Pray and call God’s power into the situation, that there could be escape and freedom for these women, for the people who are lied to by Islam,” Godwin requests.

Header image depicts a Taliban member in Kabul circa 2022. (Wikimedia Commons)