Category: News Briefs

Source: INcontext International, December 6, 2023

In Ukraine, despite warfare continuing throughout 2023, there were reports of people being the hands and feet of Jesus by remaining in danger zones to hand out food parcels, provide shelter to those whose homes were destroyed, and preach the gospel to those without hope in times of suffering and uncertainty.

For the citizens who have chosen to stay in Ukraine, there have been reports of a thriving and multiplying Church.

• In the last three months of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, the Ukrainian Baptist churches reported 2,300 baptisms and 15,000 new visitors.
• One church, in partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, had 40 members after people began to flee, but since February 2022, this church has expanded to more than 600 in a venue that holds only 200.
• This is not an isolated incident as many churches report record numbers of baptisms and new converts.

The hope that is brought by the Ukrainian Church, through relief efforts in such a difficult season, has seen people turning to Christ where hope is difficult to find.

Note: This is an excerpt from a lengthy, year-in-review piece from INcontext exploring how 2023’s crises and challenges have helped the global church continue to grow and mature. Read and be encouraged by ways God is at work amid wars, humanitarian crises, global migration, coups, and geopolitical shifts.

See also the music video You Reign, updated annually to provide a look back on the year’s events through the lens of God’s love and sovereignty (Prayercast).

Source: International Christian Concern, December 12, 2023

An Indonesian official called for regional governments to support Christians who are having difficulty carrying out Christmas services this year.

[The Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhajir Effendy] emphasized that he wants to prevent discrimination, saying, “Everyone must receive the same service; there must be no discrimination. If you cannot carry out your worship because of difficulties, there are no facilities, the government must provide them under the Ministry of Religion offices in each region.”

Please join us in praying for a safe Christmas for Christians across Indonesia gathering to celebrate our Savior’s birth.

Read the full story.

Another recent story from ICC reports that authorities in Mauritania have arrested many Christian leaders and their families following calls for punishment by Muslims outraged over a baptism video.

Christians in other places may also have “difficulties” gathering, particularly to celebrate Christmas. In Iran, Christmas is a time of terror when believers are frequently arrested (Back to Jerusalem).

Source: Global Christian Relief, December 8, 2023

Mizoram is a Christian-majority state in northeast India [and] 90% of its 1.2 million people identify as Christian. The state shares a 300-mile border with Myanmar [formerly Burma], a country that has been under a strict military regime since 2021. Fleeing the constant violence, many from Myanmar had nowhere to turn. That is until the people of Mizoram opened their borders and welcomed them.

The civil war in Myanmar has been ruthless, with over 30,000 killed and another 2 million displaced. To make matters worse, churches have become soft targets, with 70 being destroyed in one state alone. Citizens had nowhere to escape the violence. But now Mizoram is a sanctuary for refugees.

A local Indian official says an overwhelming majority of the refugees are ethnic Chin Christians.

Read the full story.

See also a video about a revival taking place in Myanmar (Asia Harvest) and read about a Burmese church in the U.S. sending out its first missionaries (IMB).

Source: Mission Network News, December 6, 2023

Denominational splits in the global Church cover everything from minor to primary theological and Church life issues. Often groups can struggle to work hand in hand post-split. However, recent efforts in Uganda brought together members of diverse churches with the single goal of Bible translation.

Lindsay Olesberg with Wycliffe USA says, “For example, in a group of eight that would come from a particular language community, they would be from multiple villages and from multiple denominations. So you’d have an Anglican next to a Catholic, next to a Pentecostal—all working together on translating the Scripture for their community.”

This collaboration benefits translations through additional workers and also helps build the unity of the global Church as a whole. Believers have the opportunity to work with members of other churches to accomplish the Great Commission as a team.

“I think the Bible is the great unifier—that all Christians have confidence that it’s through God’s Word that we know who God is. So regardless of the denomination, people can rally together around, ‘We want the Bible in our own language, so that the pastors within our denominations and church members, they’re able to really understand it.’”

Read the full story.

Also: YouVersion reports that Bible engagement accelerated worldwide this year with record-breaking app installs and daily use. Good news.

Source: God Reports, December 14, 2023

Young-Ae and her brother-in-law’s family decided to cross the river from North Korea into China. To their consternation, it was a night with a bright full moon. To make the situation worse, she could see the guard post along the riverside. Young-Ae caught her breath in fear.

Without knowing who God is, she began to call on His mighty power in heaven, “If you exist, please Supreme Power in Heaven, save me!”

Suddenly dark clouds covered the moon, making it pitch black. It seemed like an answer to her prayer! Was heaven really listening?

After the whole family safely crossed the river, the clouds lifted, and the bright moonlight shone on the river. Young-Ae and her party quickly ran up a nearby mountain to hide.

She recounted the rest of her journey to Cornerstone Ministries International.

Read the full story from God Reports (we looked for the source video on CMI channels but didn’t find it).

See also a new documentary about a Presbyterian pastor who has smuggled 1,000 people out of North Korea. Watch the official trailer of Beyond Utopia or read about it in a story from Religion News Service. Stream it from Amazon Prime or Apple TV.

Missions Catalyst News Briefs

1. Middle East: Bethlehem Removes Christmas Decorations to Send a Message of Mourning
2. Japan: Sharing the Gospel in Virtual Reality
3. Tanzania: Celebrating the Kabwa New Testament
4. Australia: Why Kanishka Raffel Left Buddhism to Follow Jesus
5. World: Jesus Film Project Unveils New Innovative Animated Film

Read or share the email edition or scroll down for more.

Source: God Reports, November 17, 2023

City officials in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, have announced they will eliminate all decorations celebrating Christmas, according to a report by the Jerusalem Post.

“Bethlehem Municipality crews announced the dismantling of Christmas decorations installed several years ago in the city’s neighborhoods and removing all festive appearances in honor of the martyrs and in solidarity with our people in Gaza,” the municipality wrote on Facebook.

A spokesperson for the city also told the Telegraph, “The reason is the general situation in Palestine; people are not really into any celebration, they are sad, angry, and upset; our people in Gaza are being massacred and killed in cold blood.”

“Bethlehem should send out its own message of condolence and mourning.”

Prayers and religious ceremonies will still be allowed to take place, according to the Post.

The city is majority Muslim. Seventy years ago, Christians made up 80 percent of the population, but now comprise about 10 percent.

Read the full story.

The prophet Isaiah also lived in a day when the Middle East was in turmoil, as Stan Key from OneWay Ministries points out.

Lifting your eyes to the nations, also see and share Pray for the Christmas Season (INcontext International), and ponder these words from John Piper: “God is pursuing with omnipotent passion a worldwide purpose of gathering joyful worshipers for Himself from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. He has an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the supremacy of His name among the nations.” 

Source: International Mission Board, December 4, 2023

Michaela Knippers grabs the bulky virtual reality goggles off the desk and tightens them onto her head. Her husband, Justin, is already strapped in and waving his hand in the air to scroll through different maps he sees through the goggles.

As new International Mission Board missionaries to Osaka, Japan, they’ve been studying Japanese all day and their brains need a break. For these 20-somethings, that means jumping into the virtual world—a video game simulating reality that, for them, is both relaxing and their place of ministry. 

The couple finds a spot to chill in a virtual backyard that resembles countless real ones—neon tiki lights, Texas-sized mosquitos buzzing around, potted plants, and multi-colored flowers. In the back corner, Justin spies some friends around a fire pit and presses his controller forward to walk over. Within minutes, the missionary shares an insight from Scripture.

Read the full story and watch an interesting three-minute video.

Source: Wycliffe Bible Translators, November 17, 2023

[On March 14] the Kabwa language community of northern Tanzania celebrated the completion of a 14-year project to translate and publish the New Testament in their own language. As partners together with them in this long and challenging journey, SIL Tanzania also celebrates alongside the Kabwa people.

Watch a video of the Kabwa New Testament dedication produced by SIL Tanzania (5.5 minutes).

In another story from Wycliffe, a man in Mexico reports, “The most beautiful experience that I have lived is listening to the Word of God in my language.” May we, too, cherish God’s Word.

Source: Eternity News, November 20, 2023

“My family came to Australia in 1972,” [says Anglican Archbishop Kanishka Raffel]. “My parents were Sri Lankan. My mother’s family was Buddhist, and so my two sisters and I were raised as Buddhists in Australia, which was unusual then.

“In my third year at university, I thought I should devote myself a little to the study of my religion. So, I started privately reading Buddhist literature. I visited the temple. I developed my meditation practice. But in God’s kindness, I’d had Christian friends at high school and at university.

“I said to one of my friends, ‘What’s being a Christian all about?’ And he said being a Christian meant he’d ‘lost control of his life to Jesus Christ.’ Remember, I had devoted the year to serious study of Buddhism and was trying to develop, especially through meditation, control of my emotions and my ambitions and my desires, in order to be released from them. And here was my friend, who I respected, who said he’d lost control of his life to somebody who lived 2,000 years ago!”

Read what happened next in the Archbishop’s journey of faith. Another article from Eternity News reports that Raffel is the first person of non-European background to hold his position. Read his insights on sharing the gospel with South Asian migrants.