Displaying items by tag: Christian mission

The Lighthouse Medical Mission landed in Venezuela in March to provide medical attention and distribute 3,000 meals daily. Johnny took pictures and translated. He was appalled by stories of dead family members and the squalor people lived in. Johnny said, ‘While the doctors saw patients, the pastors and lay leaders were praying for people, many of whom got healed even before they received medical attention. Because witchcraft is widely practised in the region, several people were delivered from demonic spirits. They practise witchcraft and spiritism because of their circumstances. They are reaching out for help. But when we came to them with the gospel, they were open.’ He added, ‘We were swarmed by people. They were grabbing us crying, “Pray for me. Pray for me.”’ Johnny was staggered by what he saw.

Philip saw members of his isolated tribal community in Bangladesh dying from simple diseases (malaria, diarrhoea, childbirth complications) because there was no medical care. ‘I asked God to open a door for our community because I could do nothing. I never thought that God would open the door through me!’ With help from Open Doors, Philip trained as a rural doctor and returned to his village to serve as a pastor and a doctor, providing medical help and supporting Christian families who were mocked and insulted in a traditionally Buddhist tribal community. ‘But now they have started respecting the Christians. They buy medicine from me and say good things about my service. I am building good relationships with them and telling them about Jesus Christ.’

Of the 12 disaster-prone cities in the world, ten are in the Philippines. It is not a matter of ‘if,’ but ‘when’ that typhoon or earthquake will come, as happened recently. The devastation and the intensity of these are what are so unique. Hundreds have died and over 1,000 are displaced and lost. Then came Tropical Storm Nakri, which developed into a typhoon. The epicentre of the deadly quakes was near Mindanao, where World Mission minister. There is a great humanitarian effort going on right now, with local churches responding with food, shelter, and clothing - all in the love of Jesus. Previously there had been hostility to the Gospel in this region, with some areas hosting IS training camps. However when these disasters strike,it definitely creates a wide-open door for the Gospel, as the churches’ help is well-received. The Philippines get about two thousand earthquakes a year.

If written words meant nothing to you, how would you hear and understand the gospel? 1,961 unengaged and unreached people groups, totalling 5.7 billion people, are oral learners who do not know a single verse of Scripture in their native language. Pray for the mission agencies developing strategies to reach these unreached people with God's word. Pray for churches overseas to engage with these people groups in their area through methods specific to their worldview and culture. Pray for organisations like Wycliffe Bible Translators, who are impacting unreached people groups globally with oral Bible storytelling and audio recordings of Scripture. It is time that all nations, tribes and languages not only hear about Jesus, but also experience him through God’s transforming Word.

In March Parliament made it possible for judges, prosecutors and others to be fired by the National Security Council. Since then the head of the Supreme Court, the director and deputy director of the anti-corruption agency, and the chief prosecutor and his deputy have all been sacked. Last week, 17 judges were removed from their posts. However there are still more corruption allegations swirling around dozens of members of Parliament. Eventhe president is implicated in a scandal from his time as head of the Transport Ministry. Mongolia as a Christian mission field is full of promise. From the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, the gospel is gaining momentum and reaching across rural areas. Churches welcome missionaries wanting to evangelise while meeting practical needs. Mongolian officials have expressed their desire for ‘foreign experts’ to help with pressing social problems, provide training for information technology and giving young people a safe environment. See

Farmers are no strangers to challenge, but today’s pressures are many and varied. Added to concerns over Brexit are increased rural crime (animals worth over £2.5 million were stolen last year), prospects of drought, and questions about the food we eat and how it is produced - all against a backdrop of planned fundamental change in government support to the agricultural industry. Pray for farmers as they feel the stress of meeting these pressures day by day, and for those who offer support when a helping hand is needed. Village halls are the heart of many rural communities. They can provide alternative venues for church services and outreach. The Government recently announced a £3 million scheme to regenerate village halls. Give thanks for this and pray that Christian groups and churches will find ways to share in taking up this opportunity to strengthen community life and advance God’s kingdom in rural areas.

A Jewish refugee couple from Russia were not interested in hearing about Christ, but they did participate in a marriage seminar based in Israel. L and Y had benefited from previous marriage guidance, but still felt a residue of bitterness beneath the surface. The teaching made big differences in their married life, but it was coming to faith in Christ that made all things new. ‘It has made me see that, despite the past, I can start building a better present. I have drawn so much nearer to God, I realised that in prayer I can ask for wisdom and understanding in different situations I might be in.’ Jewish refugees from former Soviet bloc countries as well as Israeli nationals come to faith in Christ through the native ministry’s varied outreaches - feeding the hungry, biblical tours of the Holy Land, celebration of Jewish festivals like Passover, and evangelistic courses and events.

Evangelicals believe the ‘evangel’ or Good News brings salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Nearly 10% of the world’s population are now evangelical believers. About 33% of the world’s population identify themselves as Christian. Out of all the regions in the world, India has the fewest Evangelicals or Christians. Unreached peoples and non-believers need missionaries either in their own people group or from abroad to ‘reach them with the message of God’s salvation for them through His Son Jesus Christ’. India is second only to China in having the most isolated peoples, with virtually no Christians of any kind in their own people group. Today almost half of the non-believers are culturally near to significant numbers of believers. The remaining missionary task of reaching these non-believers is smaller than ever before. However, the vast majority of missionaries are still going to the ‘Christian’ areas of the world.

Largely semi-desert, Chad is one of the poorest and least-developed countries in the world with 150 different ethnic groups. Most have not heard of Jesus. Drought, civil conflict, distance from the sea and poor infrastructure cause health and social problems. Life expectancy averages 47 years and infant mortality remains high. The nation is plagued by waterborne diseases such as malaria and meningitis. Pray for Mission Africa, the Evangelical Church of Chad, and Korean NGOs, who responded to these needs in the areas of evangelism and medical care. Pray also for Mission Chad who care for 83 orphans, teach 470 students, and help people to cultivate farm land for future harvests. Also, the Global Alliance of Church Missionaries works with young churches running Christian radio stations for the 120 languages spoken among communities who have never heard the gospel. See https://team.org/regions/africa/chad

Most of us in the UK recognise that we live in a big, complex world with lots going on in the global church that we are not aware of or we do not quite understand. We also know that God desires His people to pray for His will to be done, and His kingdom to come, on earth as it is in heaven. Often we don’t quite know how to put these two together. That conundrum is why Lausanne and Operation World have put together a step in the right direction. Prayer Alert is delighted to announce that their project, long in the making,is now live. They have produced a free weekly church bulletin insert that is aimed at exposing church members to how God is at work around the world, and encouraging them to pray for the needs of the nations. A sample and more information about the resource here.