Germany: Jazzed-up Psalms Reaching Berlin’s Heart

Source: Eternity News, March 13, 2024

When we arrived in Berlin nine years ago, we knew that being musicians would unlock the doors of this city to us, as a city that is a hub for artists and musicians from across the world. We have met many people through jam sessions, meeting at performances, and busking on the streets. It made sense, through the support of European Christian Mission, to do a jazz recording, bringing God’s Word though original jazz music.

The Berlin Psalm Project was born out of the desire to write creative music for an established church in the north of Berlin. As often happens, the project grew bigger and bigger. We gathered together a group of local musicians to play the music, going from a group of five to a group of seven, including a three-piece horn section.

Despite the very clear Christian lyrics straight from the Psalms, [local musicians] were very keen to be a part of the project. In Germany, despite the pervasive secular atheism that is normalized here, there is a strong biblical and church music heritage, so we believe it’s a ripe time and place to be performing the Psalms.

Read the whole story.

Praise God for new life coming from many directions. Also from Europe, read Harnessing the Power of Europe’s Migrant Churches, in which a seminary professor from Sierra Leone shares how African migrants are changing the church in Belgium and beyond (Christianity Today).

Eritrea: Giving Voice to a Forgotten Nation

Source: International Christian Concern, March 6, 2024

After seeing the rise of oppressive governments, ICC’s Africa Regional Team created a comprehensive report on a repressive regime that mainstream media often forgets.

Eritrea is north of Ethiopia and Somalia on the Horn of Africa. Eritrea is often not covered in the news due to its lack of natural resources or strategic location. Despite the lack of interest from many international politicians, Eritrea holds value because of its rich history of Christianity. Tracing back to Semitic tribes living in Eritrea in 1000 BCE, Eritrea was home to some of the world’s first Christians. Through years of conflict and devastation, Eritrea has found itself governed by a dictator who commits egregious crimes against the people of his nation. Under his rule, thousands of people have died during a 30-year war, been imprisoned because of their religious beliefs, and fled the country to escape the oppressive regime.

Conditions in the “North Korea of Africa” have deteriorated with no acceptance of blame from [Ethiopian President Isaias] Afwerki. The report provides a concise yet robust historical and current overview of Christian persecution, two case studies of Christians in Eritrea, and policy recommendations. Through this report, ICC intends to raise awareness of the plight of Christians in Eritrea and recommend ways government leaders can alleviate their suffering.

Read the whole story.

In another religious liberty news story from East Africa, Christian Solidarity International reports that they helped free 1,500 Christian Sudanese slaves in the last year (Christian Broadcasting Network).

Guatemala: Public Schools Fight Gang Culture With Bible Study

Source: Religion News Service, March 4, 2024

Terra Nueva is a tough area. Potholed roads make journeys difficult. Shops on the main thoroughfares are rundown. Many families have endured poverty and disruption since the time of the nation’s civil war, which lasted nearly four decades and led many rural families to move to the metropolitan area’s relative safety. But the cities have a high level of crime, much of it linked to gangs.

Many children in the Guatemala City metropolitan area leave school at 14. In rural areas it can be as young as eight. For those who do attend, there’s often a shortage of teaching materials, including textbooks and modern reading devices. In Mixco, 650 pupils share just 12 computers.

In response to these challenges, Mixco school administrators have introduced a program created by the Bible Society in the United Kingdom called Open the Book that dramatizes Bible stories, with students singing and dancing along as a way of learning both reading and the Bible.

Read or listen to the whole story. to see how the community is changing.

You might also be interested in another RNS story about iBible, a new animated Bible series aims to reach post-reading generation. Looks like it will launch on Easter.

Tips for Your Team: Frugal, Resourceful Innovation

Source: Jon Hirst, Innovation in Missions

Article: When Tennis Balls Will Do

Innovation doesn’t have to cost a lot to deliver significant learning and change. Sometimes the resourceful, frugal solution is the one we should be aiming for. But in a world full of venture capital and big dreams, we can forget that spending $100 dollars strategically can lead to more innovation than $10,000 without discipline.

Read When Tennis Balls Will Do. Love it!

Resource: 10 Activities to Generate Better Ideas

We all want better brainstorming sessions, but the challenge is how to design creative spaces where your team can think in new ways. This is harder than it seems and so its always good to be on the lookout for new tools. Here is a list of 10 ideas that may give you some new places to start.

Read 10 Activities to Generate Better Ideas. I think you’ll find more than one your ministry team can use.

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Resource Roundup: Celebrating St. Patrick and the Great Commission

Source: Various

Did you know Patrick was one of the earliest Christian leaders to think deeply and write clearly about completing the Great Commission? You might read the chapter about Patrick in the book Missionary Monks, watch the docudrama I Am Patrick, or follow links from a resource list by missiologist J.D. Payne.

Via Family (formerly Weave) has suggestions you can use to help your kids learn more about the real St. Patrick. Read Beyond Shamrocks and Leprechauns. It includes an activity you can do with your family.

See also The Real Story of St. Patrick (Voice of the Martyrs). Looks like it’s from their series of books for kids highlighting courageous Christians from Scripture (Paul, Stephen, Thomas) and early church history (Saints Patrick, Valentine, and Nicholas). Praise God that many more have come after them. May we, too, be faithful in lifting up Jesus and introducing others to him, despite the obstacles and challenges.

Article: Why Easter Matters for Missions

Source: Radical, April 6, 2023

The needs of the world can quickly overwhelm us. The Lord will send his church to countries ravaged by war, camps filled with refugees, villages living in abject poverty, and trauma-laden communities right next door. As they go, members of his church will meet the physical needs around them, just like their Lord. And this is but the beginning.

Jesus came to give his people abundant life, but he didn’t stop there. Jesus came to bring us back to God. The resurrection ensures that the message that missionaries bring to the lost offers them a path to eternal joy, not just relief from temporal suffering.

Read Why Easter Matters for Missions. And thanks to OSCAR for highlighting this article.

For more to help you refocus on things that matter most, read Why Spiritual Formation Is Central in God’s Mission (Bradley Bell).

Missions Podcasts: Find Your New Favorite

Sources: Various

Looking for a missions-oriented audio soundtrack for your workout or road trip? Missio Nexus has got your covered. Thanks to Brigada for reminding us of this resource.

Browse the Missions Podcast Directory. You may find a new favorite.

See also He Who Has Earbuds, Let Him Hear: Audio Bibles on the Rise, which reports that Gen Z is the first cohort to prefer digital over print, according to American Bible Society research (Christianity Today).

News from Gaza, Tanzania, Algeria, Tajikistan and More

  1. World: Churches Accelerate Progress Toward the Bible in Every Language
  2. Middle East: Regional Leaders Worry as Ramadan Approaches
  3. Tanzania: 11 YWAM Missionaries Killed in a Road Accident
  4. Algeria: Ministry Leader Charged for Holding an Unauthorized Assembly
  5. Tajikistan: Demand for Exorcisms on the Rise, Despite Crackdown

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World: Churches Accelerate Progress Towards the Bible in Every Language

Source: Mission Network News, February 16, 2024

Approximately 1,300 languages still lack God’s Word, but that number is shrinking at a faster rate with every passing year. In 1999, new translation projects were begun every two weeks on average. Now, the pace has accelerated to every 17 hours, according to Wycliffe USA.

John Chesnut, President and CEO of Wycliffe USA, recently visited a church translating Scripture in Madagascar. “They drafted four full Bibles in four years. And then they said, ‘Hey, we want to get the quality better. Can you come help us?’”

“They will dedicate four completed New Testament translations this summer. The translations are part of a goal Wycliffe USA set 25 years ago and hopes to complete next year. They called it Vision 2025 and started praying for Bible translation to begin in every remaining language.

“It was really a God-sized prayer saying, ‘Lord, what would we need to do in order to see all these languages started by 2025?’” says Chesnut.

Praise God that churches like those in Madagascar are stepping up to the challenge. Wycliffe USA reports more and more churches are engaging in Bible translation for their local languages.

Read the full story.

See also From Flicker to Flame, a short documentary from Ethnos360 about the dedication of the Simbari Bible (Papua New Guinea) and read an OMF report about the dedication of the new Tampuan Bible Dedication (Cambodia).

See also Wycliffe Bible Translators to Sell Florida Headquarters (Ministry Watch).