Month: January 2020

DOCUMENTARY FILM: Free Burma Rangers

Source: Lifeway Films and Deidox Films

In 1997 David Eubank, his family, and local partners in Burma (Myanmar) started a unique organization inspired in part by Eubank’s experience in US Special Forces. The Free Burma Rangers come alongside internally displaced people on relief and rescue missions. They minister to the oppressed, document atrocities, and tell their stories. Though they began serving on the front lines of the Burmese civil war, they have also conducted missions in Iraq, Syria, and Sudan. This documentary includes footage from missions in Burma and Iraq as well as interviews with the Eubank family and others.

Viewer discretion is advised due to violent and intense scenes. This is not a Sunday school missionary story and it has some ambiguous elements. It was not easy to watch. I went into it wondering what Jean Johnson, author of We Are Not the Hero, would say.

But the longer we watched it, the more we came to like Dave Eubank and respect how he and his family live out their faith in a war zone. They won us over. They may carry guns (sometimes), but their hearts are for peace and reconciliation. They wrestle with fear and forgiveness. They pray and do what God says. They love, honor, and serve their local partners. And, with humility and sincerity, they inspire viewers to do the same.

The film will be in theaters across the US for two days only on February 24-25. Bring your friends but not young children. If you take a group, I’d recommend you allow some time for discussion and debriefing.

» Learn more or purchase tickets. See also Who Are the Free Burma Rangers? (Missions Pulse).

» Interested in theater showings of Christian films with global themes? I know, those are rare! Good news: A docudrama about St. Patrick will be in theaters a few nights in March. A film about mission aviation will come out in August.

VIDEO SERIES: Off-Road Encounters

Source: Jeannie Marie

In this eight-episode video series, viewers join the (American) Richardson family on an adventure to four countries around the world to discover the truth about Muslims: how they live, what they believe, what they hope for, and what values we share.

Each episode is fun, fast-paced, and 8-10 minutes in length. Jeannie has written new discussion questions and activities to go with them. Subscribers get the material by email once a week. Looks like this is aimed for families with elementary-school aged children. You could also use it in a classroom setting. And the whole thing is free.

Sound a bit familiar? This curriculum was developed in 2014 by Frontiers in collaboration with Sonlight Curriculum before being relaunched here. Jeannie Marie, author of Across the Street and Around the World, has also collected and created many more educational resources now available on her website. Take a look.

» Learn more about Off-Road Encounters or watch the first episode.

WORLD: Status of Global Christianity

**UPDATE: though the IMBR article mentioned below was once free, that seems to be no longer the case. It’ll set you back $37.50. For $44 you can get a subscription. Follow the other links to free items, pay the cash, or find a friend who has a subscription, e.g., a through a Christian university with a missions department. So sorry! ~MW

Source: Center for the Study of Global Christianity, January 2020

Every year the International Bulletin of Missions Research (IMBR) publishes a snapshot of global Christianity in collaboration with the leaders of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (led by Todd Johnson and Gina Zurlo). This year’s article can be downloaded for free without a subscription and reports some of the major findings of the new 1000-page World Christian Encyclopedia, Third Edition. That is due out March 1; we’ll share more about it later.

This article briefly documents and describes the rise of global Christianity, continuing shifts to the South, the exodus of Christians from the Middle East, the current makeup of the global mission force, and three unexpected trends relating to world religion (that the world is becoming more religious and more religiously diverse although religious liberty is on the decline).

» Read the IMBR article or download the one-page statistical overview. Both include much helpful data and analysis for anyone who teaches or writes about global religion and missions. You can engage with the researchers and the research more deeply by participating in The Future of Religion and Mission conference, March 30 to April 1 event at Gordon-Conwell,

» See also David Joannes’ recent interview with researcher Todd Johnson, which brings the data to life (Mission Pulse podcast).

BOOKS: Recent Titles

Source: Various

I wavered too long on which book to read and review for you in this edition. But here are some to consider.

Crossing Cultures: Preparing Strangers for Ministry in Strange Places, by Stephen M. Davis (Wipf and Stock), makes a case that we need to do a better job screening and equipping missionaries, at least the kind of missionaries that do cross-cultural church planting. Can’t disagree with that. This book summarizes what he wishes he’d known before serving as a missionary. Davis also has a new book on the challenges and complexities of urban church planting (in North America).

Don’t Lose Heart: Gospel Hope for the Discouraged Soul, by Jason Meyer (Baker Books), is a “short, giftable” book on scriptural reasons to take heart. It sounds like the sort of thing you might want to put in the hands of an overwhelmed missionary or mission candidate—or read to lift your own spirits.

The Church on Mission: A Biblical Vision for Transformation Among All People, by Craig Ott (Baker Academic), “unpacks the mission statement of the church: to glorify God by multiplying transformational churches among all people.” It’s academic and likely not an easy read but could be helpful and significant for strengthening your missiological foundation.

» Got book suggestions? Respond to this email. They should be (1) related to missions, (2) published within the last year, and (3) likely to interest other Missions Catalyst readers.

EVENTS: February Conferences and Training

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

February 2-7, ABIDE re-entry debriefing for global workers (Joplin, MO, USA). Offered regularly by TRAIN International.

February 3-4, Support Raising Bootcamp (Brea, CA, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions.

February 3-5, Field Security Seminar (Yaounde, Cameroon). Provided by Crisis Consulting International; followed by a Crisis Management Seminar February 5-7.

February 6, The Willingness of the Disciple: Counting the Cost (online). Nugget training from Beyond.

February 7-9, Missionfest Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages.

February 9-21, Second Language Acquisition Course (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.

February 10-12, Field Security Seminar (Dakar, Senegal). Provided by Crisis Consulting International. Followed by a Crisis Management Seminar February 12-15.

February 10-11, A Consultation on Mission Agency Church Engagement (online). Hosted by Missio Nexus and Wycliffe Bible Translators.

February 13, Proactive Prayer Training: Persevering in Praise (online). Provided by Beyond.

February 13 to March 13, Foundations of Media to Movements (online). Training course from Mission Media U.

February 19 to March 18, Story in Ministry (online). Mentored course by Mission Media U on applying elements of story to your outreach.

February 20-21, Standards Introductory Workshop (Clackamas, OR, USA). Training in the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission; connected to the Mission ConneXion short-term mission event in the same location.

February 20, Frontier People Groups (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

February 21-22, Short-term ConneXion (Clackamas, OR, USA).

February 21-22, Midwest Conference on Missionary Care (Roseville, MN, USA). An annual event.

February 21-23, Missions Fest Alberta (Edmonton, AB, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages.

February 23-28, Debriefing Retreat (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided regularly by the Center for Intercultural Training.

February 23-29, Business as Mission Course (Amsterdam, The Netherlands). Intensive training from YWAM’s BAM Resource Team.

February 24-27, Thrive Retreat (Dubrovnik, Croatia). For North American women serving cross-culturally.

February 24 to March 4, Parenting Third Culture Kids (online). Provided by the Center for Intercultural Training.

February 24 to March 21, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided regularly by Missionary Training International.

February 26 to April 5, Seek God for the City (global). Annual prayer campaign coordinated by Seek God for the City.

» View complete calendar. Suggestions and submissions welcome.

China: When one is arrested, another will pick up the work | World News Briefs

Missions-Catalyst-no-tagline_largeOpen Doors China imageRecently, Open Doors met with Chinese church leaders so they could listen to each other’s stories and encourage one another during this season of escalating persecution. See story below.

In this issue:

CHINA: When One Is Arrested, Another Will Pick up the Work

Source: Open Doors, January 18, 2020

A sister from Central China shared how the police had shut down all the house churches in the region, warning pastors not to hold any more meetings.

“We are constantly on edge,” she said, “but our faith has grown and we are more determined than ever to see Christians in the area stand strong and not compromise their faith in Jesus. We have started many smaller meetings now, and more and more brothers and sisters are putting their hands up to act as mini house church leaders.

“The situation is tense, but we know God is on the move in spite of the restrictions. We held a regional leaders meeting and agreed that when one of us is arrested, another will pick up the work. We also decided to respond to the police respectfully and in love even if they yell at us or use physical force [in attempts to] make us surrender the names of other believers.”

» Full story includes comments from other Chinese Christian leaders and a video report from Open Doors CEO David Curry.

» Open Doors recently released the 2020 World Watch List Report about the top 50 countries where being a Christian comes with the highest cost and risk. Related stories include the Ten Most Dangerous Places for Christians and an article comparing the causes and results of persecution in the top two, North Korea and Afghanistan.

JAPAN: Poised for Spiritual Awakening

Source: International Mission Board, January 7, 2020

Prayer strategy leaders in Japan long to see the nation transformed by the hope of Jesus, and they’ve committed to pray daily for the nation. There is excitement and enthusiasm for what they see God doing. Rather than yielding to the darkness, they are invigorated by the light of the gospel. Across Japan, [we] are hearing reports of God doing amazing things that offer hope of what may come:

  • A church in the heart of a bustling shopping and social hub in Tokyo has been languishing. This church’s leaders wanted to know why Tokyo Baptist Church was healthy and growing. When they approached the church for answers, God opened the door for the leaders to speak of the importance of standing on the authority of Scripture and yielding to the lordship of Christ. Through ongoing discipleship efforts and prayer, this church could soon be revitalized and play a key role in reaching the city.
  • A healthy church near Yokohama has been holding festivals with remarkable results. The festivals allow local residents to meet Japanese Christians and see the joy they have found in Jesus. This has prompted people to visit the church following the festivals to learn more about what they have seen and heard. The pastor of the church is praying for God to reach ten million Japanese people by 2024.
  • Japanese people are choosing to listen to and believe the gospel as it is proclaimed during international sporting events, at ongoing festivals, and through personal relationships. Additionally, Japanese business people are learning from Christian business leaders how faith and business can intersect.

Increasing prayer, churches working together, and more people hearing and responding to the gospel through the church’s desire to engage the lost have all been precursors to spiritual awakenings in past generations. The signs point to a growing spiritual awakening in Japan.

» Read full story. The Olympic Games will come to Tokyo this summer; visit the Prayer page of IMB’s Olympic ministry website.

» For some perspective on urban Japan, see Every Country Highlighted on This Map Has a Smaller Population Than Tokyo.

NIGERIA: Boko Haram Executes Brethren Pastor

Source: Morning Star News, January 21, 2020

The Rev. Lawan Andimi had a treasured life—a loving family, an affectionate congregation, respect from his colleagues.

The kidnapped district chairman of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN) in Michika County, in northeast Nigeria’s Adamawa state, had stated in a video that he trusted in God should he lose his life to Islamic terrorists of Boko Haram. The rebel militants executed the father of eight children on Monday [January 20], the head of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) confirmed [Tuesday, January 21].

Ahmad Salkida, a Muslim journalist who has been a primary means for Boko Haram to release information, reported in a tweet that the group beheaded Pastor Andimi on Monday afternoon.

CAN President Samson Ayokunle today confirmed in a comment to the Nigerian newspaper the Daily Post that Pastor Andimi had been executed.

Pastor Andimi had said in a Boko Haram video released by Salkida on January 5 that he hoped to be reunited with his wife, children, and colleagues.

“If the opportunity has not been granted, maybe it is the will of God,” he said. “I want all people close and far, colleagues, to be patient. Don’t cry, don’t worry, but thank God for everything.”

Pastor Andimi, who also served as chairman of CAN’s local chapter, was kidnapped on January 2 when Boko Haram attacked two Christian communities in the area.

» Read full story. Heartbreaking. We were ready to publish a report highlighting the pastor’s January 5 statements when we saw the news that he had been killed. Please be in prayer for his family and community.

» Meanwhile, in Iran, a prominent Christian rights activist has disappeared.. This is a great time to pray for Iran (Prayercast).