Missions Catalyst 02.02.11 – World News Briefs

In This Issue: Conversations in Istanbul, a Census in Nepal, and Fresh Expressions in the UK

  • EGYPT: A Look at the Past
  • TURKEY: Conversations in Istanbul
  • NEPAL: Christians to Conduct Census
  • CHINA: Young Professionals the “Third Church”
  • UK: In Every Community, a Church that Fits
  • EVENTS: Two Webinars and a Workshop from CrossGlobal Link

Missions Catalyst is a free, weekly electronic digest of mission news and resources designed to inspire and equip Christians worldwide for global ministry. Use it to fuel your prayers, find tips and opportunities, and stay in touch with how God is building his kingdom all over the world. Please forward it freely!

EGYPT: A Look at the Past

Source: International Mission Board, January 29, 2011

Calls for a change in leadership have swelled into demonstrations and violent clashes in Egypt, two weeks after Tunisia’s government toppled amid revolution.

Followers of Christ in Egypt are waiting prayerfully to see what implications these events will have on the spread of the gospel in the region.

Egypt is the Arab world’s most populous nation, with nearly 80 million people. The Arab Republic of Egypt is transcontinental, with a land bridge between Africa and Asia.

The history of Christianity in Egypt has been one of both tribulation and blessing. Since its beginning, Christianity in Egypt has been influential in shaping doctrine and the way believers follow Christ.

>> Full story with a timeline of Christianity in Egypt; see also the IMB timeline of Christianity in Tunisia.

TURKEY: Conversations in Istanbul

Source: OM Headlines, January 18, 2011

Two outreach teams were invited into a local shop on the European side of Istanbul. The shop owner and his wife asked, “Where are you from? Korea, Japan?” The couple replied that they were from Malaysia. Taken aback, the owner replied, “You are from Malaysia and you are talking to me about Jesus!” He was surprised because the majority of Malaysia’s population practices Islam.

On the second day of the outreach, a man approached one of the ladies from Hong Kong and started speaking angrily. Worried, she quickly called over [a] Turkish brother to translate. But it turns out, the man wasn’t angry at all! He said, “I’ve been looking for a way to become a Christian for six months!” He wanted to come with the team immediately to the church, but since the church wasn’t officially open at that time, they told him to come back later. He promised he would.

Praise God for his faithfulness in making connections and providing opportunities to speak about his love. Praise God for this man who has wanted to know Jesus personally.

>> Full story.

NEPAL: Christians to Conduct Census

Source: Ecumenical News International, January 27, 2011

As Nepal prepares to conduct its once-per-decade census, the country’s growing Christian community, concerned that it is seen as a negligible minority, will count its own members this year. Nepal Christian Society (NCS), an umbrella of Protestant organizations, is spearheading the first-time initiative.

“We don’t feel the state census gives an accurate picture of the religious minorities,” said Lok Mani Dhakal, NCS general secretary. “State surveyors mark a person Hindu if he has a traditional name. Also, the fear of persecution made Christians shy away from revealing their true faith in the past.”

[At the time of the 2001 census], Nepal’s population was 23 million. Hindus were the majority (80.62%) and Buddhism (10.74%) was the second-most followed religion. Christians accounted for only 0.45%.

Dhakal estimates Christians now total almost 1.2 million of the estimated 28 million population.

>> Full story.

CHINA: Young Professionals the “Third Church”

Source: CBN News, January 7, 2011

Christianity in China began decades ago in the countryside, but today a dramatic shift is happening. Young professionals in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai are changing the face of Chinese Christianity, as faith moves from rural to more urban areas.

On a recent Wednesday evening, a group of men and women in their late 20s met in an apartment not too far from the city center to discuss how to thrive in their rapidly changing nation.

Those who attended are members of China’s new privileged class – highly educated, cosmopolitan, middle or even upper class of urban professionals. And they’re all Christians.

Peter, [who] has worked with China’s underground churches for decades, says, “They are called the ‘Third Church’ because they are very different than what used to be the only two real kinds of churches in China,” Peter said. “The registered church (registered with the government) and then the unregistered churches, usually called house churches, which thrived in the countryside in the 70s and 80s.”

“Whereas the rural church was not able to have an impact on society as a whole, the ‘Third Church’ in the cities is able to do that because they are comprised of leaders who can have an impact,” Peter explained. “[They are] businessmen, government officials, professors, leaders in engineering [and in] every aspect of life.”

>> Full story with video clip.

UK: In Every Community, a Church that Fits

Source: Joel News International 761, January 26, 2011

Church on the beach, church in the skate park, churches that bake, and churches that get messy. Goths gathering to celebrate communion, and football fans worshiping together. The Fresh Expressions initiative, a missions partnership of various denominations in the United Kingdom, has seen hundreds of these new forms of church spring up around the nation and Europe in the last five years. These new churches are supported and encouraged with the aim of seeing the gospel planted into communities to which people actually belong.

This month Fresh Expressions started a partnership with youth prayer movement 24-7 Prayer. “The young people I know resonate with the idea of connecting their faith with the real world they live in and the world around them, and that’s been an emphasis of 24-7,” says Andy Freeman, spokesperson for the new partnership. “We’re not shutting ourselves away in a prayer room. It’s prayer to go out, it’s prayer that connects.”

“For some young people it’s very difficult to find a home within church as it looks right now. Our culture is fragmenting and we can’t expect to meet all the needs with one form and style of church. So I’m very much in support of a ‘mixed economy’ or ‘mixed ecology’ of church. My vision is a church that fits. Many people have a hunger for God. We want to provide a home for them.”

>> Subscribe to Joel News International.

>> Editor’s note: Looking for a church in the UK (and don’t feel called to start your own)? Check out the list of 200 mission-minded churches across the UK compiled by OSCAR, the UK information service for world mission.

EVENTS: Two Webinars and a Workshop from CrossGlobal Link

Friends at CrossGlobal Link are preparing a series of web events that might interest you! Here are two coming up soon:

>> View the Missions Catalyst events calendar.

Pat Noble has been the “news sleuth” for the Missions Catalyst since 2004. In addition to churning out the news, she is working to create a SWARM (Serving World A Regional Mobilizers) in Northern New York using the NorthernChristian.org website. A mission leader in her local church, avid reader, and follower of world news, Pat is also a Northeast Regional rep for ACMC (Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment).

Share

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Missions Catalyst welcomes comments, especially those that provide additional insights on a topic or story as a help to other readers. We reserve the right to screen comments and may provide light editing. Note that comments including links may be delayed so we can make sure they are not spam; we hope you will include relevant links, anyway!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.