“Gratitude reorients us from self-sufficiency to God-dependence,” Dr. Murff says. “We go through really hard things, but gratitude reorients us towards the things of God.”

Photo courtesy of Navid Sohrabi via Unsplash

Yet for people carrying heavy responsibilities, it can be tempting to rush past gratitude.

“One of the things that we struggle with as leaders is becoming results-driven. We have this mindset of always thinking about what’s next, and we’re not pausing to acknowledge what God has done,” says Dr. Murff. “It’s kind of ironic, if I can be honest. We know that God is the God who gives and takes away. He is the God who gives us the desire to follow His mission, yet we kind of want control of everything. I think it’s a pitfall.” 

Giving thanks is a spiritual discipline, she says. Not taking the time to practice it will blind us to God’s provision.

(Photo courtesy of MENA Leadership Center)

“When I think about what we’ve accomplished at the MENA Leadership Center, where we started and where we’re going, I’m completely blown away, because God is a God of multiplication,” says Dr. Murff. “We have completed 19 courses this year. We have reached 2,247 leaders across 41 nations over the past few years. This gratitude comes so deep that even if I was told that God was going to do these things, I wouldn’t believe it. Truly, I would not believe it.”

In 2025, the ministry built new partnerships and is now positioned to train leaders in a new country — Pakistan.

“I believe that the Lord is going to do great things. Their history is complex. The challenges that they face are so complex, and the needs that they have are completely different than in the Middle East,” says Dr. Murff of Pakistan. 

Join the MENA Leadership Center in thanking God for what He has done. Pray with them for continued open doors, provision, and stamina for ministry in 2026. Learn more about the MENA Leadership Center’s mission here.

Then, remember to thank God for what He has done in your own life and ministry this year. 

“Our prayer is that [people who hear this story] would draw close to God, that as they step into this new year, they would know God and make Him known, whether it’s in their local community or how they’re impacting the world,” says Dr. Murff. 

Header photo of field in Pakistan courtesy of Abdul Rehman via Unsplash.

November is Native American Heritage Month, and you may not realize that Native Americans were the first mission field in North America. However, “as far as missions are concerned, we’re doing better all over the world than right here with the First People of our land,” Ron Hutchcraft of Hutchcraft Ministries says.

“After 400 years of missions, only four percent are estimated to have a relationship with Christ.”

(Photo courtesy of On Eagles’ Wings)

Native communities don’t connect with Jesus

Many Native people see Jesus as “the white man’s God,” especially when so much loss – land, language, culture, and lives – was carried out in the name of Christianity. Yet Jesus is deeply relevant to the Native experience. “Jesus was not a blonde-haired, blue-eyed guy like we see in some paintings. He was a tribal man,” Hutchcraft says.

“If you asked Him, He’d say, ‘I’m from the tribe of Judah.’ Our Native Americans would say, ‘I’m Apache, I’m Sioux, I’m Cherokee, I’m Choctaw,’ or ‘I’m Seneca.”

Along with tribal heritage, “He lived on land occupied by others – the Romans. He was from a place that people thought, ‘Nothing good comes from there.’ Some people may say that about Native communities,” Hutchcraft says.

“Jesus was also a victim of gross injustice, as many Native Americans have been.”

A rising movement

These connections are transforming Native young people through Hutchcraft Ministries’ On Eagles’ Wings outreach. More about that here.

Summer of Hope 2025
(Photo courtesy of On Eagles’ Wings)

“I have had the privilege of watching Native young people who are not only survivors, but more than conquerors, as they have told their hope story on that reservation basketball court. They have shown a boldness that would shame many of us,” Hutchcraft says.

“With a deep spirituality that the Creator has built into them, an understanding of suffering and injustice and abuse, and with the warrior spirit – when all of that comes under the Lordship of Christ, fasten your seat belt. They are a force,” he adds.

“They are hope with skin on.”

Hutchcraft Ministries’ Warrior Leadership Summit and On Eagles’ Wings Leadership Center focus on discipling Native young people to become pastors, missionaries, and youth leaders for their own communities. Here’s how you can help.

Header image depicts a painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, c.1912-1915, titled The First Thanksgiving, 1621. (Wikimedia Commons)

Hutchcraft Ministries partners with Native American Christians to reach Native youth with Gospel hope. Ron Hutchcraft of Hutchcraft Ministries shares a perspective often overlooked during this holiday.

Hutchcraft says, “If I am a Native American, I may have, at very best, mixed emotions about Thanksgiving in terms of the history that it was the first chapter of.”

Following this early chapter of shared gratitude, the history between Native Americans and European settlers turned tragic. Land was seized, treaties were broken, and generations of Native people suffered displacement, injustice, and grief.

“Now, as for the holiday, for most Native Americans, it is still a great family day,” says Hutchcraft. “It’s a day with food, [and] although there’s a lot of poverty, it’s great to enjoy the meal.”

Hutchcraft also highlights how the heart of Thanksgiving and spiritual gratitude are, in a way, inherent in Native culture.

“Long before the Pilgrims came, the spirit of Thanksgiving has been really part of their spirituality. So for them to come to a Thanksgiving feast that [was] like, ‘We are thankful to the Creator,’ it’s interesting that it was not a new concept at all.”

It opens Gospel doors to discuss the God of the Bible – the true Creator – and Jesus Christ who gave His life for the sins of all people.

Hutchcraft explains, “For believing Native Americans, they would see…that we today have so much to be thankful to our Creator for, to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.”

As you give thanks today, take time to pray for Native Americans, asking God to reveal Himself and draw hearts to follow Christ.

Header photo courtesy of Element5 Digital/Unsplash.

Helen Williams of World Missionary Press says when they recently took stock of the ways that God blessed their work in 2024, they were blown away.

2024 Blessings

“We are just so grateful for all the Lord has done. We are celebrating 63 years in ministry here. And we look back at some of those early years and those who were so faithful in the beginning. And we’ve built on that,” Williams says.

(Photo courtesy of World Missionary Press)

The ministry has always been about supporting the spread of the Gospel through their free Scripture booklets. But the demand for their booklets is constant and growing. This fiscal year, the ministry shipped out 70 containers. They increased their booklet production to 11 million per month.

As demand for these materials grows across the globe, God is providing for the ministry both logistically and spiritually.

“It isn’t that he just sends in money. He just covers this place in so many ways. And our staff feels it and knows it. And as long as we can know that and trust in that—God’s purpose here—then we believe  that God can use the material that goes out and the effort that’s put into providing.”

God is also opening up new opportunities, like the shipment getting sent to Cuba. The government has approved the container, and believers on the ground are waiting for the materials to arrive. Williams says they’ve been praying for an opening in that country for seven years!

Even in difficult-to-reach countries, God continues to raise up people who want to do the work of spreading the Good News.

New Ministry President

For Williams, one of the biggest blessings of the year was the smooth transfer of leadership. When Harold Mack announced his intent to retire, the team asked God to provide a new president. In August, Darryl Ramey stepped up to the take the helm.

Darryl Ramey is the new president of World Missionary Press, taking over for Harold Mack. (Photo courtesy of World Missionary Press)

“He has some different ideas, and different ways of doing things.” Williams says, “And we believe that God kind of said ‘okay let’s just stir you up just a little bit and get you a little excited, etc.’ And I think he’s done that.”

Following God’s lead

Looking back at the year, the ministry doesn’t just have hopes for the new year. They have confidence in the One who has brought them this far.

A recent World Missionary Press newsletter said, “God has PROTECTED WMP for 63 years. Harold Mack has repeatedly said, ‘God honors His Word.’ Therefore we know He will not leave us nor forsake us. His PRESENCE watches over our shipping containers, production facilities, staff, and volunteers. We humbly say THANK YOU for God’s enabling – both in the past and for the future.”

Pray that God would continue to guide World Missionary Press, and that the team will continue to follow his lead. Ask God to begin working in the hearts of those who will receive booklets in 2025 so they will be prepared to hear the Good News.

For more information, click here.

Header photo courtesy of World Missionary Press

According to the CDC, the most dangerous times of the year for drug-and-alcohol-related deaths are December, January, and March. The Lighthouse offers hope.

“Our 28-bed men’s addiction recovery biblical program is a result of our care and love for people,” Executive Director Brandon Bower says.

“We welcome men from all over the country who are struggling with life-altering addictions. We love them through the Gospel, help them get back on their feet, and put things like addiction aside.”

After assessing a person’s needs, care managers guide the individual through a holistic recovery process founded on Scripture. Learn more here.

The Lighthouse offers a holistic addiction recovery process founded on Scripture.
(Graphic courtesy of The Lighthouse)

“We have an exercise center here where the guys can get physical exercise. That helps to clear their mind of all the substances they’ve been putting in,” Bower says.

“We also have a licensed chef on staff [who] serves healthy meals. That helps to clear out all of the garbage [participants have] been ingesting.”

Life transformation is a common result.

“It’s amazing to see someone who’s so broken and sick start to smile again, reconnect with family, and have hope for the first time in a long time,” Bower says.

If someone in your life struggles with addiction, reach out to The Lighthouse. You can connect on the website or through Facebook.

“Boundaries are important, but having someone in your life helping you through this process is important as well. If someone needs help, our phone number is 260-255-6413,” Bower says.

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Kevin Dooley/Flickr.

This Giving Tuesday, what better mission to support than one sharing the Gospel with unreached kids?

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

Mission India is raising support for their 10-Day Children’s Bible Clubs in India, and there’s a unique opportunity to stretch your dollar even farther for the Great Commission in this key country.

Regan Miller with Mission India says, “We actually have friends of Mission India that have offered to match gifts toward 10-Day Bible Clubs, up to $550,000.

“One dollar normally reaches one child with the Gospel through this program, which is already incredible. But with the match, $1 is doubled to reach two children!”

India has the most unreached people groups in the world. So it’s no surprise “many of these kids that we’re reaching through this program have never heard of [Jesus] before,” says Miller. “So they’re hearing about Jesus for the first time and it is so cool to see how that changes their lives and changes their families.”

Where else can you do that much with just $1?

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

Miller says, “If you want to impact 200 kids, you give $100! If you do the math, it’s just crazy to see how far your gifts can go.”

Give to Mission India’s matching challenge here!

Your gift means Indian children like Afreen get to hear about Jesus Christ’s love in a 10-Day Bible Club — maybe for the first time in their lives.

Miller says, “She got to go through a gift of $1 from somebody, just like the dollar that you can give now during our matching challenge. She loved it…and at the end of the 10-Day Bible Club, she responded to the Gospel and received salvation!

“She still lives in this community where it’s not accepted to be a Christian in many homes, so she actually has not yet told her parents that she believes in Jesus. Even though her parents don’t know, and even though she thinks they might not agree with her decision to follow Him, she is choosing Jesus and that’s really exciting.

“We are just praying with Afreen that she can witness to her parents and that she can boldly proclaim her faith and that her parents will come to know Him too.”

Please pray also for Mission India’s leaders to have wisdom and guidance as they launch Bible Clubs across India.

Header photo courtesy of Mission India.

In 1621, more than 400 years ago, European pilgrims shared a harvest feast with some Wampanoag Native Americans.

“The initial relationship between the pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans was relatively workable,” Ron Hutchcraft of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries says.

“They had a peace treaty that lasted 50 years; there was mutual respect between the primary chief [of the Wampanoag] and the primary chief of the pilgrims, Governor Bradford. [Those men] died, and it started to seriously go downhill after that.”

(Photo courtesy of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries)

Today, after centuries of loss, some Native communities approach Thanksgiving with mixed emotions.

“If you think about history [from a Native perspective,] Thanksgiving Day is the first chapter of what became a tragic story that costs you your land, culture, language; in many cases, your lives,” Hutchcraft says.

“Some Native Americans call Thanksgiving the Day of Mourning.”

Native American Christians offer a slightly different perspective.

“I have some Native American brothers and sisters who put it this way: ‘I am always sad about what the coming of the Europeans meant, ultimately, that our people lost. But I am forever grateful that, with them, came the Good News of God’s Son,’” Hutchcraft says.

“[A Native pastor says,] ‘Were it not for the coming of those people, that message (the Gospel) might never have reached us.’”

Like the cross, Thanksgiving is a powerful symbol.

“It brought death on the one hand, but on the other hand, it brought life – an interesting mixture that Thanksgiving represents to a Native American who loves Jesus,” Hutchcraft says.

Want to know more? “There is a blog available [on our website] that would be a wonderful next step for you,” Hutchcraft says.”

Or, “If you’d like to hear young Native Americans tell the story of what God’s doing these days among their people, then you want to go to [OnEagesWings.com]”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Pro Church Media/Unsplash.

Plus, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the cost of all food is up five percent from last year, with turkey prices skyrocketing nearly 70-percent since 2019.

“We have new issues, [including] hoping the food gets there for our celebrations. What will we be eating for Thanksgiving? It might be peanut butter and jelly if we can’t find the turkey!” Ron Hutchcraft of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries jokes.

Even if Thanksgiving looks a little different this year, the idea of spending an entire day with family is exciting for some. Others anticipate the holidays with dread. U.S. society is divided on so many issues, Hutchcraft says.

“Things are so polarized and so sensitive; even saying the wrong word can add to the controversy.”

As a believer, you are Christ’s ambassador in every situation – including Thanksgiving dinner. Nonbelievers might assume your personal opinions on an issue reflect the teachings of Jesus. So, how do you navigate potentially-divisive conversations? Hutchcraft gives three tips below.

(Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash)

Thanksgiving tips: pray, release, relax

Prayer is the perfect way to approach any issue. Hutchcraft suggests using Paul’s request in Colossians 4:3 and 4: “‘Pray for us that God may open a door for us, that we may declare the mystery of Christ and declare it clearly as we should,’” he quotes.

Next, release your control over the situation. “Sometimes we get so tense about family gatherings and family conversations, and we begin to take it into our own hands,” Hutchcraft says. Let God determine the outcome instead of trying to achieve your objectives, and remember His priorities.

“My real mission, my real assignment, is not to win an argument but to win a heart for Jesus Christ,” Hutchcraft notes.

“Only one issue is going to decide their eternity. And that’s your Jesus.”

Finally, “relax in the sovereignty of God over everything you’ve just released to Him,” Hutchcraft says.

“If you can release the entire conversation and the relationship to His leadership, I think you’re in a much better place.”

Download this free ebook for more tips and real-life examples.

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Preslie Hirsch/Unsplash.

As long as you avoid a few simple pitfalls, you can share your faith without worrying about creating too much stress and anxiety. Here are five mistakes you should steer clear of when witnessing to your family.

1. Allowing them to push your buttons

For better or worse, no one knows you better than your family—and no one knows how to get a rise out of you as easily. Sometimes families have a playful dynamic where people push each other’s buttons intentionally. And sometimes, certain people will try to get under your skin intentionally just to test you or antagonize you.

It can be difficult for the gospel message to land if it dissolves into bickering or hurt feelings. So it’s essential to keep a close watch on your temper. If you find yourself getting defensive or angry, pull back. Take a break and cool off.

When you can demonstrate a peaceful, reserved demeanor in these discussions, it will have a significant impact.

2. Believing they won’t change

Nobody knows you better than your family, and vice versa. That’s one of the great things about our family relationships, and one of the most difficult. It’s easy to develop a profile for each member and then lock it down. And no matter what they do, you forever see them the same way.

A lot of adults talk about experiencing this with their parents. They might be in their late thirties, but their mother or father still sees them as the person they were when they were 16 years old.

We’re all changing, growing, and adapting. Resist the urge to assume that your loved ones will respond a certain way based on experience, especially based on experience from years ago.

3. Speaking too much

When the opportunity presents itself, there’s always a temptation to charge in and dump all the information you have. Sometimes with family members, it’s much more fruitful to guide them to the truth than to lay it all out there and expect an immediate response. In this case, it’s often better to leave them with something to chew on than it is to try and definitively answer all their questions.

We spend a lot of time worrying about what we’re going to say. But the truth is that sometimes it’s just as important to know when to stop talking.

4. Worrying about a lack of response

Fretting over a lack of response is a potential mistake that we should keep in mind when sharing with anyone. They might not really have an initial response, or it could even be negative. But that doesn’t mean a whole lot. Sometimes the Holy Spirit needs to take your words and put them to work. It might be weeks before they’re ready to ask follow-up questions.

Because we’re so close to family members, we feel more comfortable pressing them to respond. The truth is that they might need more time to work through what you’ve talked about and to get over their initial skepticism.

5. Neglecting prayer

It doesn’t matter how impossible your family situation feels or how far from God your loved ones seem; God can do amazing things when we invite Him in. Your faithful prayers can impact your family for generations to come.

Pray for God to soften the hearts of loved ones, and pray for powerful opportunities to share the gospel with them. He’s not unenthusiastic about answering your prayers. He wants your family to know Him more than you do! So develop a discipline of praying for your loved ones, and you’ll be surprised at what happens.

You don’t have to be nervous

Loving your family into the kingdom doesn’t have to be nerve-racking. If you genuinely want the best for them, they’re going to see and appreciate it. Be prayerful, strategic, and intentional, and the Lord will take care of the rest.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out How to Get Better Equipped to Share Your Faith.

Header image and article text courtesy of Jesus Film Project.

Thanksgiving Day commemorates a 1621 feast shared by early colonists and the Native Americans who helped them survive. Today, however, most people focus on family and fellowship instead of the holiday’s origin.

“This country’s original people are, as Billy Graham said in 1975, its ‘forgotten people’,” Brad Hutchcraft says. Hutchcraft serves with On Eagles Wings, a division of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries.

Most people focus on family and fellowship instead of Thanksgiving’s origin.
(Photo courtesy of Preslie Hirsch/Unsplash)

“Now’s a great time, even as you’re sitting around the Thanksgiving table diving into the turkey, to remember that Native American brothers and sisters brought hope to us in the first place, and we can help them bring hope to their people.”

The past may be painful…

Even though it’s largely commercialized, a holiday like Thanksgiving can stir painful reminders for the Native community. “We have been able to sit down to a great Thanksgiving feast with some of our Native brothers and sisters and have a great time. They celebrate the day, but there is a lot around it that still can bring hurt,” Hutchcraft says.

“People like to think it was a long time ago, but some of this is very recent. Native children were shipped across the country to boarding schools to essentially make them white, and a lot of bad things happened in those boarding schools.”

According to the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, over 350 government-funded, and often church-run, Indian Boarding schools operated across the U.S. in the 19th and 20th centuries:

Between 1869 and the 1960s, it’s likely that hundreds of thousands of Native American children were removed from their homes and families and placed in boarding schools operated by the federal government and the churches. Though we don’t know how many children were taken in total, by 1900 there were 20,000 children in Indian boarding schools, and by 1925 that number had more than tripled.

The Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School circa 1910.
(Public domain/Wikimedia Commons)

At the boarding schools, Native children “lost their land, language, [and] culture,” Hutchcraft says. Essentially, “they lost their lives.”

For Christians, social activism is not the primary purpose of learning about and acknowledging historic injustice. The main point is Jesus and the Gospel. Native history is full of pain that Christ offers to heal.

“Native Americans don’t need an army of white folks sweeping in to save them. They brought hope to us at the first Thanksgiving, and now they need us to partner with them in bringing hope to their people,” Hutchcraft says.

…but the future is full of hope

On Eagles Wings supports Native believers who bring the Gospel to their people. Details here. “On Eagles Wings is about trying to come alongside Native young people to help bring hope where it’s really needed. You have (Native) people that have lost hope in a lot of ways,” Hutchcraft says.

Through OEW, he continues, Native youth gain the training and tools they need to reach their communities for Christ.

“These Native brothers and sisters in Christ are saying, ‘I have been through the hurt; I’ve been through the heartache. I have family history in boarding schools. But I have found hope and His name is Jesus.’”

By giving online, you can help cover the costs associated with training and resource development. Your support enables Native believers to share their hope stories on reservations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Watch hope stories here.

Header image is a representative stock photo. (Photo courtesy of Priscilla Du Preez/Unsplash)