February 2014 – Missions Catalyst

Missions Catalyst Resource Reviews

In This Issue: Seek God for the city, the not-for-parents travel book, and more

OPPORTUNITY: Seek God for the City

Seek God for the City is an annual prayer event that takes place during the the 40 days leading up to Palm Sunday (March 5 to April 13 this year). You can join followers of Jesus from around the world in seeking God’s face and his kingdom for your city and for the world by participating in this hope-filled prayer campaign.

It’s not too late to get copies of the 60-page booklet (also available in Spanish), download free materials for children, or install the app on your phone or other mobile device.

The prayers in this prayer guide are biblically grounded and easy to pray; it’s clear and well-designed. Also included are ideas for prayerwalking, nations to pray for each day, and additional resources. This could be a great way to help your family, church, ministry, or small group prepare for Easter.

» Visit WayMakers for materials and more information.

» Readers might also want to start thinking about making plans for this year’s Global Day of Prayer (June 8), and 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World, (June 28 to July 27).

BOOK: The Not-for-parents Travel Book – Cool Stuff to Know about Every Country in the World

Source: Lonely Planet

The Not-for-parents Travel Book: Cool Stuff to Know about Every Country in the World, by Michael Dubois, Jane Price, and Katri Hilden. Lonely Planet: 2011. 208 pages.

“Everyone knows which is the world’s highest mountain, but do you know which country banned chewing gum? Or what’s the world’s stinkiest fruit? Or who invented roller skates? Or which building leans more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Or where can you eat fried spiders as a snack?

“In this book are the epic events, amazing animals, hideous histories, funky foods, and crazy facts that make the world’s 200 countries so fascinating. Each country has a page to itself-so tiny Tuvalu gets as much space as superpower USA.”

We heard about this (secular) book in a recent blogpost from our friends at the family ministry, Weave. They recommend it as a resource for redeeming the time you and your kids spend in the car. Good plan! Reader reviews suggest some contents might not be appropriate for your youngest ones, though.

» Learn more or get a copy for US$15.02 from Amazon (or elsewhere). And check out the wide range of resources recommended by Weave.

WEBINAR: Reaching Muslims through Mobilized Christians

Source: MissioNexus

Here’s an opportunity to learn more about mobilizing Christians to overcome fears and reach out in love to Muslims. In a March 6 MissioNexus webinar, UK-based Tim Green and Gordon Hickson, founders of Mahabba Networks will share about resources and strategies being used to equip ordinary believers with vision, confidence, and skills to reach their Muslim friends, neighbors, and colleagues. These networks have spread rapidly throughout the UK and are beginning to multiply internationally. You can register your interest in Mahabba through their website, currently being revamped.

» Learn more or sign up for the webinar. It will also be recorded and available through the MissioNexus store.

RESEARCH REPORT: Ministry Decision Making in India

Source: Global Mapping International

Working in India, or partnering with Indian ministry leaders? Check out the latest research from Global Mapping on how decisions are made in an Indian context, as well as the challenges faced by Indian leaders and those with whom they collaborate.

» Learn more or purchase the report. See also a monograph for Western leaders on engaging with Indian decision-makers.

EVENTS: March Calendar

Source: Missions Catalyst Calendar

March 1, Bridges Seminar (Long Island, NY, USA). Building bridges to reach Muslims. Provided by Crescent Project.

March 1, Bridges Seminar (Bloomington, IN, USA). Building bridges to reach Muslims. Provided by Crescent Project.

March 3 to May 25, Encountering the World of Islam (online). Twelve-week class will help you discover God’s heart for Muslims.

March 5 to April 13, Seek God for the City (global). Annual 40-day prayer campaign. Materials available from WayMakers.

March 6, Mahabba Networks: Reaching Muslim People Through Mobilized Christians (online). Webinar from MissioNexus.

March 7-8, MissionNext Forum (Mesa, AZ, USA). Find insights into options in missions that are surprisingly suited to your skills and passions.

March 7-8, Next Steps (Salem, OR, USA). Learn more about God’s heart for the world and your role in making disciples of all nations. Provided by Crossworld.

March 7-8, Muslim ConneXion (Portland, OR). Learn how to engage your Muslim neighbor. A Mission ConneXion event.

March 10-21, Engaging Islam (Louisville, KY, USA). Training in evangelism and discipleship from Horizons International.

March 12, Business as Mission (online). Free webinar provided by Sixteen:Fifteen.

March 14-16, The Journey Deepens (Canby, OR, USA). Retreat for those considering missions. Sponsored by MissionNext and Mission ConneXion.

March 15, Frontiers Connect (Portland, OR, USA). Explore work among Muslims.

March 18-20, Church Partner Forum (Orlando, FL, USA). A Pioneers event for sending and supporting churches.

March 20-21, Personal Support Raising Boot Camp (Cary, NC, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions.

March 22, Bridges Seminar (Yorktown, VA, USA). Building bridges to reach Muslims. Provided by Crescent Project.

March 26-30, GO Equipped Tentmaking Course (Fort Myers, FL, USA). Provided by Global Opportunities.

March 27, An Unusual Approach to Fundraising (online). Webinar from MissioNexus.

March 28-29, Next Steps (Dallas, TX, USA). Learn more about God’s heart for the world and your role in making disciples of all nations. Provided by Crossworld.

March 28-30, Jesus to the Nations (Halifax, NS, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages.

» View the complete calendar and/or submit an item.

Missions Catalyst World News Briefs

In This Issue: Mission news from Greece, Russia, Benin, and beyond

For additional news stories throughout the month, follow us on Twitter.

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!

About Us

Pat Noble has been the “news sleuth” for 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. You can connect with her at www.whatsoeverthings.com.

GREECE: Prayer Spaces in Schools

Source: 24-7 Prayer International, February 11, 2014

Prayer spaces can have a deep impact. [In early February] a Christian teacher at a private school in Thessaloniki hosted the first prayer space that we know of in Greece.

“It’s developing really fast,” he said. “The students from the high school helped to build and create a room just how they want it. When other students came to visit, at first they said that it was weird, but it didn’t take long for them to join in… many said that they wanted to find some space for themselves and God.

“Other teachers responded to the prayer space like happy little children, and some said that they would like a corner of the room all to themselves, where they could read the Bible.

“In general, the Greek people are in difficulties. The financial crisis affected us very early and very deeply, and a lot of people are stuck in poverty. However, some of the parents were so excited by the impact of the prayer space on one student’s character that they decided to help out by raising some money to develop the prayer space. A small office room is changing into an area where students can find a refuge.”

“These prayer spaces can have a deep impact; they can cause an awakening here.”

» Read full story.

» Watch the five-minute video on Prayer Spaces in Schools.

BENIN: Broadcasts Break Voodoo’s Hold

Source: SIM-USA, February 12, 2014

Proclaiming the gospel through Christian radio programs remains an essential way to get the message of salvation to those in bondage to voodoo.

Benin, West Africa is known as the birthplace of voodoo, and signs of this ancient practice are entangled in the culture, especially in the southern parts of the country.

At a recent Fulani women’s conference, one participant described how she was set free from the bondage of demons and idols after she had listened to the “Programs of Life” radio broadcasts. For years Fulani herdsmen have heard the gospel in their mother tongue on eight local radio stations. Many of the women listen faithfully and have now started to support the radio work financially to mark their commitment.

Gospel broadcasts in the Adja language recently touched the hearts of a respected Voodoo deity and his assistant, as well as the leader’s three wives and many children. All came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Radio goes where people cannot easily go, and it is perceived as official, true, and important. Prominence is given to the gospel message as radio continues to open new areas for church planting.

» Read full story. Readers might be interested in another recent story from SIM-USA, this one from South Sudan. See A Ministry to the Whole Family.

RUSSIA: Sochi and the North Caucasus

Source: Pioneers-USA, February 2014

With the Winter Olympics being held in Sochi just a short distance from the troubled Caucasus region, it’s a great season to remember God’s heart for unreached people groups there.

A narrow 300-plus mile sector lying between the Black and the Caspian Seas, the Caucasus region is home to some 50-60 minority people groups, most of whom are of non-Slavic ethnicity and Muslim.

Operation World identifies the Caucasus region as Europe’s least-evangelized region, with little in the way of Scripture translations or churches. The Caucasus region is not only one of geographic Russia’s least stable regions, but also the poorest, with the highest unemployment and the highest birthrates as well.

People groups of the region are isolated from one another by the rugged terrain and by the violence of their historical conflict with one another – violence that has even reached parts of the world unaware of the religious and political realities of that region.

From the point of view of 12 disparate militant Islamist factions functioning in the region, the Sochi Games are a perfect time to raise awareness of their plight and worldview – perhaps with violence. The security at the Olympics and of the rest of the region is a critical component in the coming weeks.

“Many people know little of the geography or existence of these unreached peoples,” [says a cross-cultural worker]. “Our prayer is that believers everywhere will learn about and awaken to the spiritual need of every single tribe and tongue represented in the North Caucasus.”

» Read full story.

» If the unique location of the Olympics doesn’t make you want to watch and pray, read Why Christians Must Watch Winter Olympics (The Christian Post). See also Russians Return to Religion, But Not to Church (Pew Research Center).