Displaying items by tag: house churches

‘Those who believed Peter were baptised and added to the church - about 3,000 in all’ (Acts 2:41). This passage reminds us that the early Church grew rapidly during a time of persecution. It is happening again in Laos. Small house churches are scattered throughout the country, and believers in Laos face continual persecution. Converts to Christianity are considered betrayers to their community’s Buddhist-Animist traditions. Unregistered house churches are illegal. Communist authorities intensely monitor Christians. Yet, there is reason for hope. While only 2.5% of the 7.4 million population are evangelical, the yearly growth rate of the Church is 6.8%. Most of the house churches in Laos are led by faithful but untrained leaders, but this is not a limitation for a sovereign God. Pray protection over house church leaders who are targets of persecution; pray for believers to safely proclaim the Gospel to their neighbours and persevere with grace.

Ahmad Quraisy (not his real name) was a commander of the feared Islamic State of Indonesia, a militant terror group. He has come a long way since he nearly blew up a Protestant church in Jakarta. Now, the 48-year-old former terrorist leads an underground movement in Indonesia converting Muslims to personal faith in Christ. His movement has grown into some 7,000 members, all of them former Muslims. They meet in house churches across the country, he revealed in an extensive interview. Leaving Islam remains a high-risk undertaking in the world’s largest Muslim nation. But, he says, ‘it was worth all the hardships we endured’. For his story, click the ‘More’ button.

A prayer letter from a family and team laboring in Iraq in such a time as this. 

We are honored to reap what we and others have sown in this field.  In recent weeks Muslims who have recently come to faith have joined our church community.  Our team is actively spending time with these new believers to disciple them not only with the word but with our lives as well. 

House Church Meetings and Teaching Seminars

In our house church gatherings we have increased our time of teaching the Word, praying, worshiping and waiting on the Lord together.  We are currently studying the book of Acts.  Every month we are also hosting all day seminars teaching the Scriptures to our church community who are believers saved from Islam.  In these seminars we are using the three main aspects of what Paul unveiled in his letter to the church in Rome how he brought the Gentiles over to God.

‘Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them.  They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit…’  Romans 15:18-19 (NLT). 

From the three main aspects that Paul showed us, we are focusing our classes of teaching on

1. the Message of the Gospel of the Kingdom; 
2. Character; 
3. Faith and the Miraculous.

Sharing the Gospel on the Streets with Muslim Background Believers (MBBs)

There are many challenges discipling new believers saved out of Islam in Iraq.  Persecution from family, relatives, their tribe and at their work places is a normal occurring thing in Iraq. 

However with the challenges comes joy, lasting fruit and Christ receives much glory.  One of the joys of discipling “MBBs” is evangelizing Muslims on the streets of Iraq together with them.  These new disciples become spiritually stronger when they share their testimony and the gospel to other Muslims.  One of the ways fear is overcome, is by courageously sharing the gospel with the lost.

Cold Winter - Distribution of Kerosene to Syrian Refugees

Winters in Iraq are cold.  The temperatures can dip down into the 20s. With the financial gifts that you gave we were able to distribute cans of kerosene, which they use to fuel their heaters, to 100 poor Syrian refugee families.

Prayer Gatherings in Iraq this year

The dates for the 50 Hours of Worship and Prayer are April 23-25 and the dates for the 100 hours of worship and prayer are October 27-31.  

Quote of the month:

“Persecution does not take us away from our home.  Persecution helps send us along the way to our true home.”  Pastor JC

Praise Report

• In recent weeks more Muslims have come to faith and joined our church community.
  
• Disciples are being made, taught the Scriptures and going out on the streets to evangelize other Muslims.
  
• Prayer gatherings are planned for this year.

Prayer Requests 

• The Holy Spirit’s power to find the men and women of peace and build the church in Iraq.
  
• Pray for the new believers saved out of Islam that Christ may be formed in them.

Thank you for your love for us and your prayers

Christian workers report several encouraging developments in the demanding Afghanistan mission field. Seven new believers recently formed a house church after being baptised, translators are working on three new Bible projects for minority languages, and followers of Christ are now present in every one of the country’s 34 provinces. As we celebrate God at work in Afghanistan, we are also asked to pray for the future success of various media projects such as films, radio, satellite TV, and social media outreach, so that every one of the currently unreached people groups is touched by the Holy Spirit.

In Beijing, police have detained dozens of churchgoers and leaders of Early Rain Church in Chengdu, one of China's most prominent Protestant ‘house’ churches, in the latest government action against unregistered religious groups. Members of the church have been unable to contact pastor Wang Yi, the church's founder, or his wife, and church groups on the instant messaging platform WeChat have also been blocked. China's constitution guarantees religious freedom, but since President Xi Jinping took office six years ago, the government has tightened restrictions on religions seen as a challenge to the authority of the ruling Communist Party. The law requires that all places of worship register and submit to government oversight, but some churches have declined to register, for various reasons.