Displaying items by tag: Outreach

Last week you prayed for thousands of pastors and their congregations as they worshipped together in Singapore, heard inspiring teaching, and stepped out in faith for a bountiful harvest. We have heard from the organisers that there were 5,485 enquiries: 1,910 about salvation, 1,525 rededication, 1,006 interested to find out more. 170 wanted to join a church. The three-day celebration could not have happened without the 17,000 ushers, counsellors, security crew, production crew, intercessors, interpreters, and countless others. Praise God for their willing hearts and labour of love.

Trypraying is for the non-religious who don’t do church. Trypraying banners are appearing on buses, billboards and buildings. Some fly on a wind farm in Scotland, on the turnstiles of a railway station and one was on the route of the Tour de Yorkshire. Why? People pray when they see them, and it opens up conversations around faith. 400+ churches are currently using Trypraying across the UK and 40,000 booklets were printed and shipped to the USA, with 10,000 children's booklets and 10,000 youth booklets. A Spanish edition is coming soon. Churches are using Trypraying, as is a whole diocese in Leicestershire! Other churches are joining it with 'Thy Kingdom Come'. How does it work? Each person in a congregation thinks of and prays for a person, and then they give that person a Trypraying booklet to use and then hand on to someone else.

According to church tradition, 29 June marks the martyrdom of the Apostle Paul. This year, Christians around the world will take time on that day and throughout that weekend to honour the legacy of those who have sacrificed their lives for the advancement of the gospel. Churches are invited to register and receive links to download free digital resources to inspire congregations, small groups, classes and families to witness boldly for Christ.

In the eighteenth century mission agencies were established, recruiting missionaries and mobilising mission across continents. Later, a new generation of pioneers took the gospel into regions of unreached people. But Christians realised that many were still isolated from the gospel by cultural and language barriers. Then mother tongue evangelists appeared. Work progressed, identifying more unreached peoples and taking the gospel to them. Globally, churches became significant missionary senders. Former pioneer areas like South Korea, Nigeria, India, Brazil and the Philippines sent missionaries into the world. Today, local churches have cross-cultural opportunities on their doorstep. Translators are using modern technology to interpret the gospel into other languages in a matter of months. The same work previously took years to complete. Satellite TV broadcasts into closed countries, and the Church continues to rise to the challenge of taking the gospel to the whole world.

Roy Crowne, the Executive director of HOPE Together, writes, ‘Mission was on the Apostle Paul’s agenda when he said there is “one who plants… one who waters… but only God makes things grow… We are fellow workers in God’s service.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-9) Since 2008 HOPE Together and churches across the country have been sowing and watering seeds of the gospel, and we believe that God will produce a harvest. We are praying, preparing and trusting God for a harvest in 2020. Use the great opportunities that we have this summer to bring local people together, to sow seeds and to build community with fun days, fetes and festivals. Plan to water those seeds this autumn and winter as you help people to discover more about Jesus. Pray with us that we will reap a harvest in 2020 as churches all over the country invite people to respond to the message of hope that Jesus gives.’

Christians across Northern Ireland have the opportunity to bring relatives, friends, neighbours and colleagues to hear the good news of Jesus Christ proclaimed by evangelist J John in CS Lewis Square, Belfast. The square features seven bronze sculptures from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, including the great lion, Aslan. As J John preaches the gospel in this unique setting, organisers and supporting churches will be praying that many come to know the true and living Christ. The last evangelistic event in Belfast was in 1923. At that time 2,000 dock workers marched straight from work, still wearing their dungarees, to go and hear evangelist WP Nicholson preach. Such was the power of his preaching that a shed named the ‘Nicholson shed’ was erected in the shipyard, to house the stolen tools that newly-converted workers returned.

A thousand years ago, the Church realised how powerful drama could be in communicating gospel truths, and started a tradition of mystery plays, portraying the whole Bible story. Passion plays - focussing on Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection - evolved from these, often using many local community members and seeking to entertain and instruct audiences. This year there will be at least twelve such plays up and down the UK. There is a one-man version, in and around Southampton; at the other end of the scale are the Birmingham Passion Play, with a community cast of nearly 100, starting at the Bullring shopping centre, and the Good Friday performances in Trafalgar Square which might draw 20,000 spectators. Pray for all those taking part in these plays, and for those who are out and about - shopping, on a lunch break, tourists, business people - who might unexpectedly find themselves watching ‘the greatest story ever told’. For more information, see

Parts of Romania are hotbeds of the occult and witchcraft, as well as home to large groups of unreached Roma gypsies and Romanians. Witchcraft is a respected (and feared) profession: even the president is known to wear purple on certain days to ward off evil. The witches are known as the vrăjitoare, and their practice is government-regulated. In 2011, a new law required them to pay a 16% income tax, the same as any other self-employed Romanian citizen. The response was twofold. Some supported the tax, arguing that it established witchcraft as a verifiable profession, while others threw poisonous mandrake plants into the Danube River. Meanwhile missionaries are being sent to Romania. Greater Europe Mission (GEM) reported recently that its disciple-makers invited 130 youth from areas rife with witchcraft to a week-long camp, and between 60 and 70 people gave their lives to Christ. See

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

The indigenous Malaysian Church has tremendous potential for outreach to the Malays, but is fearful of authorities clamping down on them. Historically there is deep-seated resentment between the Chinese and Malays because of the favoured status of the Malays. However, many Chinese believers are now being trained in ministry to Muslims. Also, the kidnapping of Chinese pastor Raymond Koh two years ago has changed things. His whereabouts are unknown, but his ordeal has inspired the Church to intercede for him. While they pray for him, they also pray for the Gospel to grow in Malaysia. Now workers say that more Muslim Malays are receiving prayer for healing, and there is a cautious readiness to hear Christians talking about ‘Isa.’