First, some context. Ministry in China requires perseverance, as Kurt Rovenstine with Bibles for China (BFC) implies.

“COVID obviously put everybody back a few paces,” he says. “Then policy changes, and the difficulties that everybody that works in China is facing in terms of what they can and can’t do…. At times, you begin to wonder if the work is necessary or even possible because of some of those changes.”

Bible study (Image courtesy of Bibles for China)

The BFC team has navigated many challenges and now they considering a new need they could help meet in China. For more than a decade they have focused on legally distributing God’s Word to people in China. But there’s been new feedback reaching them.

“[Before taking action] we’ll discuss it as a ministry with staff and [our] board and analyze the the data, but we’re continuing to get requests not as much for the Bibles for individuals, but [from seminaries],” says Rovenstine.

“Every seminary, every training center that we have the opportunity to visit — or at least talk to their leaders — are really concerned about their students who are graduating and going out into the field not having the resources that they need.”

It seems to be an open door to serve a vital need among future church leaders, partnering with local believers to do so. 

That’s why BFC’s trip to China this fall was so important. (This is where the Chinese Communist Party comes back in.) 

“It’s all about relationships, even when there’s difficulty and challenges. We were very honored [during] this trip to lay a [continued] foundation not just with CCC leaders, but some of the Communist Party leaders that oversee those areas. We were able to meet with [them] and have a little bit of dialog,” Rovenstine says.

“We were there with a larger group of people from the West that were there trying to learn what ministry in China looks like moving forward, and just get to know each other a little bit better.”

These continued connections between China’s Communist leaders and ministries like Bibles for China pave the way for future ministry. Praise God and join in prayer for the gospel to spread further!

“Pray that God opens doors for us to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, to be able to make a difference and keep supporting those ministries that are doing work in China, because there’s still a great need, there’s still a great opportunity, in spite of the challenges,” says Rovenstine. 

Header photo courtesy of Bibles for China.

Iran’s role on the world stage today has had ominous overtones. Lana Silk with Transform Iran acknowledges, “Iran has made it very clear their agenda is to wipe out Israel.”

But a closer look shows a growing rift between the government of Iran and the people of Iran. Young people have called for the end to the regime which their parents and grandparents once welcomed into power. 

Baptizing an Iranian believer.
(Photo courtesy of Transform Iran)

“It will take something much bigger than what we’re seeing now to dethrone that regime,” Silk says.

But Silk believes that Iran will one day be a free country, and that it will happen within our lifetimes. The Church must be ready. 

“That (one-day freedom of Iran) is what drives us every day as a ministry,” she says. “In an environment in which people are silenced and controlled, they are fighting and looking for water in a desert, if you will. We know that Jesus is the source of that life that they’re looking for — and they’re finding Him. 

“But come a day when Iran is open and every version of untruth will be available to them freely, then we have a different fight on our hands.”

It will be the spiritual battle of the West, where Silk says there is “a buffet of life’s choices and options, and people can pick and choose and pick it up and drop it as they want.”

There are 88 million people in Iran, and Transform Iran’s mission is to spread the gospel to each one of them — literate, illiterate, Persian Farsi speaking, ethnic minorities in their own languages, everyone. 

Your prayers matter in this massive opportunity. Ask God to lead Iranians to Jesus when they look for answers. Pray for wisdom, effectiveness, equipping, resources and protection for ministries like Transform Iran and others who are spreading the gospel in the nation. 

“Let’s pray that God’s will happens,” Silk says. “We don’t know how things are going to play out. But God is sovereign. The Word tells us that He steers the hearts of kings like the course of water, like rivers.”

Learn more about the ministries of Transform Iran here.

Header photo is a representative stock image taken in Tehran, Iran, courtesy of Omid Mozzafari/Unsplash.

But Burklin says that although Christmas is a commercial event for many people in China, it’s an opportunity for local Christians. “The beautiful thing that that we have noticed, since we partner with many, many churches, pastors, and Christian leaders in China, they use that opportunity to explain to their friends. People that come to their churches use that month as a way of witnessing to their neighbors, to their friends, to their family members, and so forth.”

In other words, it’s an unmissable opportunity for outreach. Churches host Christmas celebrations featuring baptisms, choirs singing carols, and the Christmas story. “It’s a phenomenal month for new believers coming into the faith […] they’re very intentional in trying to reach their people for Jesus Christ during December.”

There are some official restrictions on these celebrations. Most notably, Christian Christmas events must be held within church facilities, meaning church buildings or auditoriums. Even under those rules, however, registered house churches are allowed to host their Christmas parties at home without interference.

“I think the government also respects the fact that this is one of the largest Christian celebrations that Christians do every year – the birth of Christ – so they allow them to celebrate that,” Burklin says. “Again, you can’t do this in the open area. You can’t go to downtown Beijing or Tiananmen Square and do this. But as long as you have these events inside the church building, then it’s possible.”

Christians seizing these opportunities are seeing God move in the hearts of people curious about Christmas. Burklin recalls the story of a Christian woman who acts as a church leader in her local church. Her husband, however, was a member of the Communist party and worked with the local government.

“So I asked her, ‘Well, how do you manage being married to a husband who is working for the government?’ And then she smiled. I asked her, ‘Does he also believe?’ and she smiled and said ‘Yes, in his heart.’ So these people who get exposed to the Gospel, many of them who do choose to follow Jesus, they will do that very privately.”

Remember that God is not limited by borders, laws, or people. “His spirit is everywhere,” Burklin says. “That is a good reminder for us as Christians who live in freedom, who have a privilege of going to a church service and not have to worry about whether or not to police is going to check me out or not.”

How can you pray for China’s Christians around Christmas?

Pray “that the Holy Spirit would draw people to himself during Christmas time. Pray for faithfulness for the pastors, especially those pastors who are working in unregistered situations […] Rejoice that Jesus is not limited and that his message gets communicated and gets declared no matter where we are.”

Support China Partner directly from their website.

Header photo courtesy of Unsplash.

FARMS was founded in 1961 and soon began offering interest-free micro-loans to believer entrepreneurs. Recipients use loans to build small businesses in their communities. Eventually, they’ll repay the loan, which is then recycled back into the community towards a new opportunity. Locally run and approved, FARMS loan uses are as unique as the people using them to change lives. Read more here.

“It’s this really organic movement of creating churches and creating disciples where we don’t always necessarily associate micro finance with those pursuits,” says FARMS Executive Director Scott Clifton.

The key is relationships.

Business as Ministry

The positive relationships that are formed through business are fertile ground for the Gospel message.

“Businesses exist to meet some sort of need in a community or a village…When Christian entrepreneurs fill that space, they’re able to represent Christ through what they do,” Clifton says.

One pastor in the Philippines used his baking business to minister to his customers. The resulting Bible study eventually grew into a church.

(Photo courtesy of FARMS International)

Two church members in India are doing the same through their rice mills, changing their own futures and those of their neighbors.

Another believer in Thailand was able to purchase a truck with of his profits. He now uses that truck to travel to neighboring villages and share the gospel.

“It really goes beyond just the individual… It helps the individual, it helps the church that they’re part of, it also helps the community that they’re a part of,” Clifton says.

Additionally, when believers in the community have more disposable income, they can support church ministry and community outreach efforts.

Looking Back and Moving Forward

In 2019 FARMS started three new programs in Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Cuba. It also marked Clifton’s first year as Executive Director of FARMS, the third in the organization’s history.

Additionally, an 18-year old program in Northern Thailand is about to start a third program of their own in Cambodia.

“They want to see something that’s blessed them be available to bless others and they’re willing to put in time and energy and effort to try to make that happen,” Clifton says.

Moving forward into 2020 with a new grant writer and programs in progress FARMS is excited to expand the kingdom by helping believers in poverty, Clifton says.

How can I Contribute?

The initial starting cost for a program can be $10,000 to $20,000, enough to support several initial loans, site visits, and build a foundation for future programs. The goal is to lay the groundwork for success and eventual expansion at the start and doing so requires funding from other believers.

“If they’re excited about helping the poverty in this way but also seeing the benefit to local churches and ministry movements. If that’s something that they’re excited about, then we’d love to have them participate,” Clifton says.

For those unable to contribute financially, Clifton asks for prayer for guidance for the ministry as they seek new partnerships. Pray for wisdom among loan recipients and their communities.

Header photo courtesy of FARMS International.

God’s Work Through Radio

In areas hostile to the Gospel, God’s Word can reach Christians and unbelievers alike through radio programs. TWR, or Trans World Radio, preaches the Good News to people around the World through a variety of Christian programs. It broadcasts Biblical truth in over 230 languages in 190 countries around the globe.

(Photo and header photo courtesy of TWR)

The testimonies are precious. People turn from darkness because of a perfectly timed broadcast. Isolated Christians tune into a program to feel connection with the global Church.

However, to continue broadcasting, TWR needs help.

A Pressing Need

Many ministries and churches send their people to their own programs to serve, but Rick Weston, Chief Personnel Officer for TWR, encourages people to remember established missions.

TWR has had the privilege of working with talented individuals and couples for years, but now they need to renew their workforce.

Weston explains, “We need people who have an overwhelming calling from the LORD to serve in this kind of ministry. And we have sought those types of people and over the years we have found those people. The Lord has brought them to us. And many of those people are getting toward retirement age, either to take care of very elderly parents or they are getting up there themselves and they need to look to their own needs.”

Workers Ready for the Harvest

Weston and his team pray weekly for the right people to join their team. The critical needs list is hitting over 20 open positions at the moment. To keep operating at full capacity, they need those jobs to be filled.

Weston says, “I can’t emphasize enough the need we have for people to serve.”

(Photo courtesy of TWR)

Has God gifted you with technical maintenance, financial, graphic design, or administrative skills? Are you willing to learn on the job? Perhaps God is calling you to a career you weren’t aware was available.

Please pray to ask God if He is leading you to join TWR as they broadcast God’s Word around the world, then visit this link to see what critical needs exist.

Perhaps you have a different set of skills and are feeling the Lord’s tug. Visit here to see all open missionary staff positions.

Join from Your Current Career

You might not feel called to a full-time missions career, but Weston says that you can still help. Pray that God would direct the right hearts to respond to His call for missions. Pray that those who have responded but are not fully funded would be able to raise the support they need.

Lastly, get involved financially. TWR missionary staff rely on support from Christian brothers and sisters around the world. Go here and look for appointees to see which missions workers still need funds.

God has called everyone to join His mission. Weston asks that you pray and seek out if TWR is where God is calling you.

Technology is everywhere, but sometimes that means the Church forgets that tech can be a missions opportunity. Nick Skytland wants to change that.

Skytland wears several hats. He was the co-director of the Hackathon event at InterVarsity’s Urbana ‘18 conference, runs a technology consulting firm called Quite Uncommon, and works as a data analyst at NASA. In other words, he has one foot in the world of technology and innovation and another in the world of missions.

And he thinks the Church is missing a major opportunity.

“The biggest mission field that exists today is online, and the fewest missionaries are being sent online,” Skytland says.

Photo courtesy of InterVarsity

So what’s the solution? Skytland thinks believers need to start thinking creatively about tech use so that the next generation of innovators has the Church in mind.

“This generation of students is growing up as one of the first truly digital-native generations,” he says. “They’re growing up using technology, developing technology, creating technology, and using technology to share the Gospel with their friends, their family, and their neighbors.”

How To Use Tech

So how do we encourage a tech-savvy Church? Skytland says this could look like creating tech that assists missions, using tech to access people directly, or working with tech-based organizations and providing Christian perspectives. He wants Alexa’s answer to “Who is Jesus Christ?” to be written by Christians who care.

Missions organizations often have practical challenges that require technological solutions, so connecting with a group that already does mission work might be a good place to start.

“All missions organizations have a need for technologists to come alongside them to help them with their work,” Skytland says. “That might look like a full-time job for them, but that might mean simply volunteering some of your time.”

Urbana 18’s Hackathon provided that opportunity. “For four days, we get these organizations to sit down and work with the students and partner with them around collaboratively building technology to address a problem that the students care about and the organizations care about. Collectively, they can do what they could never do individually.”

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

What’s more, tapping into missions organizations might be easier than it seems at first glance. After all, they have access to resources and information that can be invaluable in tech solution development.

“Missions organizations have a lot of data, and they don’t even know what the true potential of that is, so a lot of the work that we’re doing these days is about how to uncover that data, how to make it more accessible, and how to build visualizations that inform decisions by the leaders of those organizations.”

Your Role

But this issue isn’t limited to NASA data analysts and young technologists. Skytland thinks everyone who can access technology can make a difference. If you can read this story online, that probably means you too.

“If you’re a Christian and you have access to technology, the question you should be asking is ‘what could I be doing with this technology to reach the world and share the Gospel?’ You might just use technology creatively to share a meme, to write a story, to make a Facebook post, or to just be bold in your faith.”

Connect with InterVarsity to help equip young people here.

Find out what Skytland does with Quite Uncommon here.

Header photo courtesy of Unsplash.

Political and Cultural Division

First of all, Sudan is split geographically and politically.

“Sudan you kind of have to think of as a North and a South,” Smith says. “The North is run by, think of it as Arabic. They fit more into an Egypt to the north kind of mindset. The South? Black African. The government are Arabic in the North, and they’re very oppressive.”

Rising conflict means distrust and division throughout the region. Furthermore, Sudan’s tribal nature means it has more people groups than any other country according to some charts.

“The government now of Sudan has declared that Sudanese Arabic is the national language, and so if you speak a tribal language, and there are dozens and dozens of them there, you’re not supposed to do that. People are surviving by not communicating.”

Religious Persecution

But when it comes to the Church, the heart of the issue is the distrust caused by rising persecution, especially in the northern part of Sudan.

(Photo courtesy of Frontiers USA)

“Because the government has put spies in many of the churches to find out what’s going on, there’s a lot of mistrust amongst churches, and because of the political situation, a lot of the underground churches don’t share with anybody what’s going on.”

There’s little to no communication within the Sudanese Church, let alone with outsiders. Smith says there are few believers in Sudan, and the few that do live there don’t associate or communicate with one another.

Smith even knows three believers who live in the same small village and have intentionally never met one another.

“They’re unreached for a reason,” he says. “It’s just hard to do work there. Even the people you go into a room with, if you don’t already know each other, people are not going to share.”

Creative Access

As if it wasn’t bad enough within Sudan, Smith says it’s incredibly difficult for Christians to access the country. Believers can’t get into the country as Christian workers, and even if they could, they can’t go tribe to tribe. Local believers say you can’t trust anyone unless you already know them, and a misstep could mean losing your life.

“They assume if I go there today, either ‘Oh, he’s a missionary’ or ‘He’s CIA.’ That’s the way the government will see it until proven differently,” Smith says.

Bringing the Harvest to the Harvesters

The upside of the Sudanese struggle is how much easier it is to reach refugees where they are with the Gospel.

There are two major times in someone’s life when they’re most open to the Gospel,” Smith says. “One’s in trouble, and one’s in transition. If you’re a refugee from Sudan, you’ve got both going on.”

(Photo courtesy of Frontiers USA)

That means believers can reach people in the places they’ve been forced to go to rather than the hostility of the Sudanese situation.

Want to help? You don’t have to go to Sudan because Sudanese refugees are likely coming to your area. Your work could multiply to touch countless people with the Gospel message.

“This is a dangerous prayer, to say ‘God, who will you connect me with? I’m ready. I don’t know what that means, but please open that door to find a felt need of somebody who I haven’t connected with yet.’”

That kind of prayer might put you in places that make you uncomfortable, but Smith thinks that’s what makes it so potent.

“How do we not only help them through the crisis of landing in a new place, but now beyond the relief is the development part of it. How do we help them live here?”

Find out how you can help right here.

Header photo courtesy of Frontiers USA

Joshua Harrison with Audio Scripture Ministries reflects, “We have realized and seen that there is a place for everyone in God’s Great Commission. There is one Body with many different members. We’re all on the same team, but we may have different roles on that team.”

Get Creative With Your Gifts

ASM has seen this truth carried out in profound ways. Their ministry gives people access to God’s Word in the form of audio Bibles. To do that, they have a whole force of volunteers and staff with many different giftings.

“For example,” says Harrison, “we have Don Lang who is a retired electrical engineer. He travels and shares the stories and the needs for God’s Word in audio in Mozambique and the many other places where we serve. He visits different conferences and shares that all across the US.

A faithful group of volunteers from Hamilton Reformed Church serve at the ASM office. (Photo, caption courtesy of Audio Scripture Ministries)

“[There are] others we have who have been painting and gardening and keeping our facilities in good running order here in the Holland, Michigan office. We’ve had groups from local churches who come a few times a year to stuff praise and prayer guides or help send out newsletters for mailing to our supporters.”

There is also no age limit to how God can use you! One of ASM’s volunteers named Lena is a great example of what it looks like to creatively serve the Lord.

“She is 93-years-old but she recently took the time to knit dozens of hats that we were able to bring to our compassionate care patients in Mozambique!

“Old and young alike, they fight many different kinds of illnesses and chronic diseases, so they struggle to maintain proper body temperature. But to see the joy on their faces when we brought these beautiful hats that someone cared enough to make…for them, [it was] just confirming the message of the Gospel that we’re bringing them with our weekly visits.

ASM’s Compassionate Care Team preparing hats. (Photo courtesy of Audio Scripture Ministries)

“One of our patients,…as she put the hat on, she said, ‘This is so pretty, I feel like I’m going to church now every day!’”

Harrison shares, “I hope and pray for you and me that at 93, that you and I are still diligently using whatever skills we can to connect people to God’s Word and to share His love for them.”

What about you? Are you skilled at crafting or writing or music? Maybe you excel in hospitality or encouragement. There are several opportunities to be involved in the Great Commission by getting creative with how God has gifted you.

ASM even has an opportunity right now for an accounting coordinator to join their ministry!

“We’re looking for someone right now who is good with numbers and loves Jesus and has a passion for global missions!… Maybe you are interested in joining the team here as accounting coordinator or maybe you know someone who fits that or wants to volunteer in some way. Contact us! We would love to talk with you.”

Look For Opportunities

Another aspect of involvement in the Great Commission is simply looking for opportunities.

(Photo courtesy of Crista Ballard Photography)

Harrison suggests, “Do you know a friend or a neighbor or a colleague who speaks a different language than you? Have you considered bringing them an audio Bible [and] perhaps connecting them to God’s Word in their own heart language? Or maybe, do you know someone who is sick or shut-in? Could God’s Word in audio bring comfort and hope to them?”

You can get audio Bibles from ASM to give to friends and family who you think would be encouraged by God’s Word in audio!

“Recently, we had a distribution partner report they brought an audio Bible to someone who was shut-in. He had had degenerative eye surgery just done and he was facing a long recovery time. He was so excited to receive an audio Bible and the joy it brought to his heart was so amazing!”

Earlier this month, we even shared a call for more recordists to join ASM’s team in Mexico. The recordist job is not for the faint of heart since it requires someone who can get outside their comfort zone to live in rugged conditions while recording Scripture translations.

But someone saw the opportunity to serve in ASM’s recordist position and stepped up!

Harrison shares, “We are praising God for Luis who has been involved with his father in prison ministry before and preaching the Gospel. Now, he is excited to join the team as a recordist! So, thank you so much for your prayers, and let’s keep praying for more laborers for the harvest field of our Lord.”

Ask God to show you how you can get involved in the Great Commission by creatively using your time, talents, and treasure for His glory.

To find more ways you can serve with ASM, click here!

(Header photo courtesy of Audio Scripture Ministries)

Right now, Tasos Ioannidis of AMG International says one of the biggest obstacles is the lack of clear answers.

“The official death toll is at 91 right now, although divers just pulled out another body [yesterday],” he says. “There are also 25 people who are missing.”

The fact that numbers keep changing and that so many are still missing means families are waiting with bated breath for news of loved ones.

The source of the fire is questionable, too. Was the fire arson or accident? Did it start as a wildfire or wilful unlawfulness? It seems that a verdict is still going to be hard to reach, even by the government.

“The government has stated that they suspect arson, although there are additional reports that they have arrested an individual who was burning leaves.”

In other words, there are just too many unknowns to have clear answers about anything right now. What is for certain is that people will need help.

“There has been a lot of initial outpouring of help, and there’s a lot of provision right now for the individuals who have been affected,” Ioannidis says. “The government has announced a number of measures to assist those who lost a loved one or lost property in the tragedy.”

AMG partners have been in contact with friends and family in the areas to find out what people need. Some of their partners have had property destroyed, so AMG is trying to discern what the best way to move forward will be.

“We are basically providing emotional support, we are talking to people, and we are waiting to see exactly what will be needed for the long term,” he says.

Summertime is already busy for AMG. They’re involved in several missions opportunities in Greece, and summer is usually filled with camps for locals and refugees as part of an ongoing ministry to families who have fled their homes and countries. AMG will continue these projects, but it’s going to mean courage and perseverance on the part of workers in Greece.

And it’s going to mean prayer on the part of people at home.

“This tragedy, even for the people who did not suffer any loss in the event, has caused a lot of stress and has been a very emotional experience. There has been a lot of national gloom, so to speak, because of this,” Ioannidis says.

“This is an opportunity to tangibly express the love of Christ, to talk with them, to share with them the hope that only Christ can give, so pray that God will use this tragedy to spread His message.”

You can support AMG as they work with their neighbors toward recovery by clicking on the link right here.

Header photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Last week, we shared how the protests in Nicaragua have negatively impacted some Compassion operations. However, despite the challenges, Compassion workers continue to reach out to the children and their families to make sure they are provided for.

Compassion International works alongside the local churches, called Implementing Church Partners (ICPs), to run Child Development Centers. Here, children enrolled in their program receive holistic care.

(Photo courtesy of Compassion International)

Virna Segovia of Compassion International says in the area near the protests, the programs usually look a little like this:

“Depending on the number of children that an ICP has, children attend three times over a week, or daily to the church. And they will receive four hours of essential content. That includes spiritual teachings, help in their studies, it includes things like medical checkups or social activities like birthday celebrations, trips to the zoo or to different places.

“Children learn how to pray, how to do handcraft, how to read the Bible, study the Bible, learn Bibles verses. They learn how to relate with each other.”

And it’s the impact this simple program has that inspires Segovia and the other workers to keep doing what they’re doing.

“When you see a child that is new to the project and you ask them, what do you dream about? What is your dream for the future? And you look into their eyes and you see there’s nothing—there’s no dreams.

“After a few months at the project, after a year in the project, you see those children laughing, smiling, you see they have gained weight. You see their [hair] is looking really nicely combed. And you ask them again, what’s your dream for the future? And they have dreams.”

Segovia says these child development centers are a safe haven for children and that the program gives hope because it breaks the cycle of poverty. She explains that children even begin to aspire to have a career.

(Photo courtesy of Compassion International)

“For me that is what is amazing about this program. And that’s what keeps us moving. That is what keeps teachers and pastors and the people at the projects the hope and the energy to do lots of work, because there is a lot of work at Compassion projects on a daily basis. There is a lot of work at the office.

“But when you see those smiles—when you see that boy that used to be in the program is now working at Compassion as an assistant to the accountant— that for us, it’s a blessing. It’s a dream come true.”

Segovia says we can be praying that God will continue to be in control over the civil unrest taking place in Nicaragua.  Pray for the nearly 60,000 children under Compassion’s care who are depending on these projects. Ask God to give them hope for the future, and to touch their hearts so they might come to know Him as their Savior.

Segovia says thank you to all the people who are praying.

If you’re interested in sponsoring a child, click here.