IRAN: Christians Summoned to Explain Conversion from Islam

Source: Christian Today, May 7, 2019

Iran’s intelligence minister, Mahmoud Mahmoud Alavi, openly expressed concern about the spread of Christianity in the Islamic republic and said that some converts to Christianity were summoned to explain why they have converted.

According to the International Shia News Association, Alavi blamed evangelical propaganda for the increase in Iranian Muslims converting to Christianity in certain areas of the country.

Despite Christianity being criminalized in a country where the government is entangled with hardline Islam, the nation is experiencing one of the fastest evolving underground church movements in the world.

The intelligence minister reportedly said that although the agency is not responsible for finding the root cause of the mass religious conversion to Christianity in Iran, it is “happening right before our eyes.”

Underground house churches continue to spring up across Iran, although they must do so in secrecy because they risk torture and imprisonment in the Islamic republic.

Believers can be arrested for preaching the gospel or having a copy of the Bible translated into Farsi.

Although it’s hard to get an accurate read on how many Christians are in Iran, estimates have ranged from 800,000 to over 1 million.

» Read full story.

» See also Worth A Thousand Years of Waiting: The Staggering Rise of the Church in Iran (Desiring God), which suggests four reasons for the growth and three ways to pray.

» In other religious liberty news, Iran’s neighbor Turkmenistan continues to tightly control the practice of Islam. Muslims are afraid to fast during Ramadan, attend mosques, or grow beards, lest they be labelled extremists (Forum 18 News Service). Forum 18 also reports that in Russia, at least 56 organizations and 103 individuals faced prosecution in 2018 under new anti-missionary legislation.

EAST AFRICA: Proverbs 31 in Afar

Source: Mobile Ministry Forum, May 15, 2019

Five years ago, I grew impassioned for the idea that a media strategy could be used to reach nomads in East Africa. Time and again, I ran into people [who] pushed back, saying: “Oh, they don’t use media,” “They are in the bush,” and “There is no wifi.” Then they were willing to say, “You can try it, but it needs to be high quality.” Their request would have meant thousands of dollars and long production delays.

Finally, they allowed me to just use my phone for creating a simple video showing local women at work with a recording of Proverbs 31. Then we advertised the video only in areas where these nomads were predominant. 10,000 people have watched the video so far, and 200 have asked us for more videos from God’s Word.

When I took these results to locals and my leadership, they said, “We could never have believed that 10,000 Afar would hear God’s truth all for US$20 and a little time investment.” Now I have the blessing of leaders to move forward on using mobile engagement in digital ministry as broadly as possible.

Mobile ministry can be effective as we are released to try it.

» Read full story. Check out the Mobile Ministry Forum website for more stories, training, and other resources.

» Also read about Sanusi and his tribe of desert nomads who have nobody bringing them the gospel. Includes ways to pray for the nomads of the Muslim world (Frontiers USA).

INDIA: Why Modi’s Second Term Means Trouble for Christians

Source: Mission Network News, May 27, 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist group, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), won [last month’s national election] by a landslide—guaranteeing five more years of power.

“My friends in the business community [find] it to be a good thing because they see it as a political stability… they don’t expect any major changes. But, I’ll tell you from the Christian community, it is really not a good thing,” [says Bible for the World’s John Pudaite].

“We have seen the escalation of persecution… during the last five years that this current party has led the government. Christians across the country are bracing themselves for another five years of the same, and many are expecting it to get worse.”

Last fall, Hindu nationalists rallied around the goal of making India a “Hindu Rashtra” (Hindu nation) by 2024. Modi and the BJP support the concept, making no secret of their “Hindu first” agenda.

» Full story explores what Hindu nationalism means for Christians and suggests ways to pray for India.

» Another article from MNN reports that Indonesia’s national election has exposed a rift.

SAUDI ARABIA: Mohammed’s Search for Jesus

Source: Open Doors USA, June 3, 2019

After having increasing doubts about Islam—the religion he had known all his life in Saudi Arabia—Mohammed began looking for truth online. What he found changed his heart and life as he knew it forever.

“For many years, I had doubts when reading the Quran,” Mohammed shares. “For example, the fact that Allah and Mohammed are considered to be equal. How could Mohammed, a sinful man, be equal to God?”

There were more inconsistencies. Gradually, Mohammed decided to put his Muslim faith to the test. All his life, he had been taught that missing even one of the five daily prayers would cause a Muslim immediate misfortune. Something bad would most definitely happen if you ceased praying.

“So, I decided to stop praying for just one day and see what happened,” Mohammed says. “Nothing bad happened. On the contrary, I had an amazingly successful business day.”

Mohammed’s doubt continued to mount. He began to look on the internet to learn about other religions. Soon, he learned that the message of the Bible is easy to translate and understand in every culture.

The love of God that he saw in the scriptures he read stuck with him. He continued his search online, even downloading an app on his smartphone. Through it, he learned about the basic foundations of Christianity. Mohammed felt more and more eager to meet Christians, visit a church, and own a Bible.

He traveled to two different countries in the Middle East where Christians are openly allowed to visit a church and obtain a Bible. However, these “open” churches are usually not allowed to minister to Muslims, only to Christians from families that have been believers for centuries. Mohammed wasn’t allowed to step foot in either church. He walked away, dejected and empty-handed.

» Keep reading.

»  Also read Salek’s story, The Narrow Escape (Frontiers USA).

BOOKS: Global Lit for Kids

give your child the worldGive Your Child the World—Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book at a Time, by Jamie C. Martin. Zondervan, 2016. 224 pages.

Where I live, school’s almost out. I wonder how many moms and dads are starting to panic about inspiring their kids toward wholesome summer pursuits?

If that’s you—or if your kids just love good books— consider picking up Give Your Child the World. This reference guide to more than 600 books includes reading lists organized by region, country, and age range (4-12) along with helpful indexes. The author, a former missionary, home schools her multicultural family, and has written several books and blogs.

  • Each listing includes a brief description of the book, its themes, and content Christian parents might want to know about.
  • Most of the books are fiction but some nonfiction is included as well.
  • Few of these volumes are actually written by authors from the country or culture they describe; you will have to dig deeper for that. On the other hand, American readers may be able to get many of these with just a library card. In fact, I found this book itself through my local library.
  • Introductory material and sidebars throughout include other tips on raising globally minded kids.

» Learn more or purchase from Amazon (or elsewhere) at US$10.98 for the paperback edition and US$6.99 for Kindle. Looks like used copies are also readily available.

» You might also be interested in Becoming a World-Changing Family by Donna Thomas or The Mission-Minded Family and The Mission-Minded Child by Ann Dunagan.

MAGAZINE: Lausanne Global Analysis

Source: Lausanne Movement, May 2019

This month’s edition of the Lausanne Global Analysis includes articles you can sink your teeth into. Each is written by a subject-matter expert.

  • The Rise of Hindu Fundamentalism: Implications for India and Global Mission
  • The New Normal for Christianity in China: Adapting to a Tighter Political Environment
  • Do We Care about Corruption? How Integrity Can Tame the Beast of Bribes and Extortion
  • Creating and Sharing Wealth: Embracing our Mission of Holistic Transformation.

» Read the articles or subscribe. Prefer to listen? Check out the audio versions and follow Lausanne on Soundcloud.

» For thoughtful article on the mobilization side, see Life Stages and Missions (Catalyst Services). It walks us through challenges and opportunities of involving people in their twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, and sixties in mission efforts.

FILM: The Kingdom

Source: GemStone Media

Friends have produced a high-quality 82-minute “prodigal son” dramatic film set in the vineyards of Kosovo and beaches of Montenegro. In the aftermath of the human rights tragedies that Kosovo endured between 1998 and 2001, this family story offers a shining example of steadfast love that restores trust and instills hope for a better life.

The Kingdom is now available in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch, Greek, Farsi, and Bulgarian, along with the original Albanian. More languages in the works include Russian and Romanian.

» Visit the film’s website to learn more and stream or download the film, trailer, promotional material, and a discussion guide from the movie website. All of this is free for you to use as a ministry resource. You might also be interested in The Traveler, another film from the same group and set in Central Asia. Watch the trailer.

» In January we wrote about a film telling the story of murdered Australian missionary Graham Staines. The Least of These is now available on DVD and digital download, and might be a good choice to watch and discuss with your church or small group.

STUDY GUIDES: Making the Journey to Global Missions

Sources: Various

We’ve written about full-on classes like Perspectives, Pathways, and the Kairos Course, as well Bible studies like God’s Heart for the Nations (by Jeff Lewis), Missions: God’s Heart for the World (by Paul Borthwick), and Xplore, and missionary training books like Mission Smart (David L. Frazier) and Cross-Cultural Servanthood (Duane Elmer). Each has its uses, emphases, and limitations.

Now we want to let you know about a couple of helpful and fairly new small group studies on missions that almost slipped past us.

Journey to the Nations: A Greater Vision for Your Greatest Mission, by Mark Sigmon. Credo House Publishers, 2017. 40 pages.

  • This workbook offers six 45-minute sessions you can do on your own or with a group, with ideas for several additional sessions.
  • It’s mostly a Bible study but pulls in other material as well.
  • I like that it’s designed for senders and goers alike and highlights but doesn’t exclusively focus on the priority of the unreached.
  • There’s a video element, but the lessons aren’t built around the videos (which come from a variety of sources; YouTube links provided).
  • Although a few of the suggestions feel dated, the study is solid overall. It’s enough to lay a good foundation without overwhelming and it provides next steps for those who want to learn or do more.

» You can get it on Amazon for US$11.99, or from Global Impact Services, the author’s ministry. Bulk discounts available.

The Path Series

Discovering Global Missions: Explore God’s Heart for the Nations, by Dave Guiles. Encompass World Publishing, 2017. 60 pages.

  • Four chapters can be used for four sessions to do on your own or with a small group.
  • With Matthew 28:18-20 as a starting point, the study covers the need to make disciples, the command to go to all nations, and how you can get involved.
  • This booklet is not designed as a workbook; it has discussion questions but not much white space. All the scriptures are printed in the text. This gives it a more contemporary, professional look but may be overwhelming.
  • Sessions are, in part, built around a series of videos from Global Frontier Missions. Anyone is free to use these whiteboard teaching videos; they seem to be very popular.
  • Considering using this study? You can sign up to get a free copy.

Discerning Your Calling: Discover Your Place as a Global Worker, by John Ward. Encompass World Publishing, 2018. 70 pages.

  • The booklet has six chapters plus an introduction and conclusion.
  • The content covers questions of calling, setting direction, building a relationship with your church, finding an agency, and overcoming obstacles.
  • Each chapter includes a story about someone else’s journey.
  • Each chapter also includes questions and scriptures to consider for going deeper. You could go through this with a group; it might work just as well one-on-one with a mentor.

Although these materials includes a few references to the mission agency that published them, Encompass World Partners, I didn’t pick up on anything that would keep the rest of us from being able to use them.

The series also include a volume about setting up a mobilization team in your church. I haven’t seen that one. You can request a sample chapter from the publisher.

» Learn more about or purchase materials in the Path Series.

EVENTS: Coming up in June

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

June 1-2, World Weekend of Prayer for Children at Risk (international). Coordinated by the Viva Network.

June 3-5, Enlace Global 2019 (Rockville, VA, USA). Lidera a tu iglesia para llegar a las naciones. Provided by Movilización Hispana.

June 3-29, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided by Mission Training International.

June 3 to August 11, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). Intensive version; regular course June 3 to October 6.

June 6-8, Emerge Business Summit (Colorado Springs, CO, USA). Be affirmed, confirmed, and empowered to do missional business in nations.

June 9, International Day for the Unreached (global). An annual event.

June 13-14, Support Raising Bootcamp (Wheaton, IL, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions.

June 16-28, Second Language Acquisition Course (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided by the Center for Intercultural Training.

June 19-20, Standards Introductory Workshop (Vienna, VA, USA). Training in the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission.

June 19-22, Field Security Seminar (Lake George, CO, USA). Prepare to live, work, and travel in high-risk environments.

June 19-29, Breathe Conference (Wilderswil, Switzerland). Rest and renewal retreat for cross-cultural workers.

June 20, World Refugee Day (international). Many churches observe this with prayer the Sunday before or after.

June 20-22, The National African American Mission Conference (Vienna, VA, USA). An annual event.

June 25-26, Amplify Conference (Wheaton, IL, USA). Evangelism conference from the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College.

June 26-29, International Conference on Computing and Missions (Hannibal, MO, USA).

» View the complete calendar. Contact us to suggest additions. Want to know more about a specific event? Contact the event organizers.