In this issue:
Read or share the email edition or scroll down or more.
Source: Zwemer Center for Muslim Studies
Tens of thousands of Afghan refugees are arriving in the United States. Here are ten things to consider as you assist them in the resettlement process. And wouldn’t the same points apply for serving refugees outside the US?
Read Ten Ways to Help Afghan Refugees, by Dr. Trevor Castor. See also Afghan Refugees and the American Dream, from the same author.
You might also be interested in online courses from Zwemer Center exploring topics like understanding the Qur’an, approaches to evangelism, and the world of Muslim women.
Missio Nexus is offering a March 3 webinar about helping Afghan refugees.
Source: Missio Nexus
OnMission is a free, virtual conference designed for those serving or interested in global missions. Whether you are a church missions leader, professor, student, or missionary, this content will be applicable and helpful.
The 2022 event is focused on the topic of risk in missions. More than a dozen speakers will bring a global perspective as they address the topic of risk from their global and contextual perspectives.
The premiere broadcast will take place April 6, 12-3 pm Eastern time. The broadcast will be about three hours in length and can be streamed to your phone, tablet, or computer. If you prefer listening at your own pace, you can get the material on demand. All the content should be posted so you can revisit it or browse it by April 12.
Source: Ministry Watch
Christians have long been on the frontlines of relief and development efforts. So it’s no surprise that among the largest [US-based] relief and development agencies are Christian ministries. Two of them, World Vision and Compassion International, top $1 billion in revenue.
This list should not be interpreted as a list of recommended ministries. They are ranked by total revenue, and not by ministry effectiveness, financial efficiency, or any other measure. A comparison of this year’s list to last year’s list reveals a few differences. Here are a few of them.
See the list. It includes links to profiles Ministry Watch has created to evaluate each ministry on a number of fronts, including transparency and efficiency and resulting in a donor confidence score.
Ministry Watch articles do not hesitate to delve into controversy or ask hard questions. You might appreciate a recent conversation with Ed Stetzer about foreign mission strategy and support raising. It made me squirm but also reminded me of some common pitfalls and unintended consequences.
Source: SEND International
This simple guide can help as you pray for other brothers and sisters in Ukraine during this time of uncertainty.
Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar
March 2 to April 10, Seek God for the City (global). An annual prayer campaign coordinated by WayMakers.
March 3, Afghan Arrivals, Big Picture and Great Commission Opportunities (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.
March 3-5, Ralph D. Winter Lectureship (La Mirada, CA, USA and online). Provided by Frontier Ventures. Topic: Homogeneity and Hybridity, Revisiting the Homogenous Unit Principle.
March 4-25, Theology of Disability Workshop (online). Set aside a few hours each Friday in March for this free workshop from Accessible Hope International.
March 7-11, ABIDE re-entry debriefing for global workers (Joplin, MO, USA). Provided regularly by TRAIN International. They also offer pre-field training.
March 7 to July 10, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). New online classes begin regularly.
March 8-9, Support Raising Bootcamp (Charlotte, NC, USA). Similar events are held throughout the year in various locations by Support Raising Solutions. Note that SRS is offering one of these workshops online April 4-6.
March 9-11, Standards Introductory Workshop (online). Learn about the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission. Workshops will be offered virtually as well as in person several times in 2022.
March 10, Groups: They Are Everywhere (online). Part of a series of Nugget trainings from Beyond.
March 10, Love Thy [Refugee] Neighbor (online). Part of a training series from AllNations.
March 15 to April 10, Equipping for Cross-Cultural Life and Ministry (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided by the Center for Intercultural Training.
March 16-18, IMPACT Conference (online). The annual event from Indo-Malay Partners in Action.
March 17, Simplifying Muslim Outreach (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.
March 19, Telling Stories Like Jesus, Part 2 (Lee’s Summit, MO, USA or online). Training event from AllNations.
March 23, The End and Future of the Church-Parachurch Relationship (online). CEO Thought Briefing from Missio Nexus.
March 24, Vision Casting: Looking for Other Disciplemakers (online). Part of a series of Nugget trainings from Beyond.
March 27 to April 1, Sharpening Your Interpersonal Skills (Orlando, FL, USA). Workshops are provided regularly in different locations by International Training Partners.
March 28-31, European Member Care Consultation (Budapest, Hungary). Sponsored by Member Care Europe; usually held on an annual basis.
March 29-30, The Mobilized Church: Keys to Unlock Missions Potential (online/various locations). Provided by Sixteen:Fifteen.
March 31, Caring Preventively for Third-Culture Kids (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.
March 31 to April 1, Strategic Storytelling for Movements (online). Mentored course by Mission Media U on applying elements of story to your outreach.
View the complete calendar. Corrections and submissions are welcome.
Read or share the email edition or scroll down to read stories.
Source: Mission Network News, February 10, 2022
In Pakistan, a 17-year-old boy led his entire tribe to follow Jesus. Rehan worked as a waiter at a roadside restaurant. He often worked 12-hour days, trying to scrape together enough money to feed his family.
One day, a truck driver began visiting the restaurant. Over time, Rehan noticed how well the man, Safdar, treated him and asked him why. Nehemiah with Forgotten Missionaries International (FMI) tells the story.
“Rehan said, ‘How is your attitude towards a waiter so gentle? Have you joined some other sect than Islam?’ Safdar gave him an audio Bible. Rehan took it home and began listening. Then Safdar suggested Rehan take off from his work and spend time together to answer his queries and questions at the FMI Discipleship center.”
Rehan realized how much Jesus loves him and he was baptized a couple of months ago. He didn’t stop there though; he gathered his family together and told them as well. His parents were moved by the message but still feared backlash from the tribal leaders. Nehemiah says when someone in Pakistan starts following Jesus they often face persecution from their tribe and family.
Nehemiah says he invited three FMI partners to help him share the gospel with the tribe. “One evening, he gathered all the tribe’s members under one big tent. First, Rehan showed a movie about Jesus. Then an FMI partner shared a 15-minute devotion about new hope in Christ. That day, a 17-year-old-boy led his whole tribe to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Praise God for this tribe of about 60 people, and ask him to strengthen them. Pray the story of Rehan and his tribe would not be an isolated one.
Read the original story or listen to the audio broadcast.
You might also be interested in Looking Back on 30 Years, in which the UK Director for Frontiers considers factors that have led to the movements toward Christ we see today in the Muslim world.
Source: Morning Star News, February 2, 2022
Islamic extremists stopped an evangelist on his way to participate in a debate about Christianity and Islam in Kampala, Uganda, and beat him unconscious, he said.
Charles Kamya, 43, said he was about 300 meters from the open-air debate site in the Bwaise area of Kampala [on January 29] when two men stopped his car.
“I stopped my car only to be ambushed by six other Muslims in Islamic attire who resurfaced from the bush at around midday,” Kamya told Morning Star News from his hospital bed.
He said one of the assailants told him, “You have been terrorizing our religion. Today Allah has called you, and you are going to meet him.”
“Some beat me badly while others cut me with some objects, and I lost a lot of blood as they pulled me out of my car and threw me out,” he said.
A blow to the head with an iron bar left him unconscious for about two hours, he said. A passerby found him in a pool of blood and called police.
“They arrived immediately and saved my life,” Kamya said. “The attackers did not damage my car or take anything inside the car. They only wanted to destroy my life.”
The full story points out this is just the latest in a series of instances of religious persecution in Uganda. Another story from the same source: Former Mosque Leader in Uganda Beaten for Faith in Christ.
Interested in Uganda? The New Humanitarian recently ran an article about conflicts in the Karamoja region.
Source: International Christian Concern, February 4, 2022
Ten Iranian Christian converts previously cleared of all accusations are being forced by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to participate in re-education classes led by Islamic clerics. The ten Christians, eight of whom were cleared in a Dezful court in November of any crime, appeared after being summoned via phone.
The IRGC led the arrest, charges, confiscation of property, and threats against the Christian converts in Dezful. These mandatory Islamic re-education classes directly conflict with the rulings of the Civil and Revolutionary Court of Dezful that said the group “merely converted to a different religion.” The court noted that this apostasy could be punished under Islamic Sharia law but was “not criminalized in the laws of Iran.” The courts also ruled they “didn’t carry out any propaganda against other groups.” The IRGC-mandated classes were presented to the group to “guide them back onto the right path.”
Also from Iran, read Heart4Iran Delivers Hope to Iran’s Next Generation (Heart4Iran and Mission Network News).
