Day: December 10, 2025

1. Website: Christmas Around the World
2. Infographics: Christmas Is Not a Pagan Holiday
3. Roundup: 16 of the Best Missions Books of 2025
4. Article: Three Reasons Why Missions Gets Ghosted
5. Events: January Events from the Mission Events Calendar

Dear Friends,

Just one more edition of News Briefs and then Missions Catalyst is going into hibernation for a few weeks. This edition has a few things you might find fun for Christmas and some more serious topics and trainings you can consider for the coming year. Merry Christmas!

Marti Wade

P.S.: Is your inbox is flooded with funding appeals, like mine? You may wonder if Missions Catalyst set to cover its bills. We are! Because of your generosity this time last year, we will end 2025 with about $700 left in our Pioneers account. It takes $1,000 to cover our direct costs each year.

Source: WhyChristmas.com

Wonder how Christmas is celebrated in Guatemala? Guyana? Nimibia? The Netherlands? Here’s a site that has collected Christmas traditions from 90 countries and may include a tidbit you want to fold into a family discussion or Christmas sermon. See Christmas Around the World.

You’ll find lots more on the site, including stories, activities, and other resources you might be able to use in a holiday outreach. Take a look.

WhyChristmas.com, founded in 2000, is celebrating 25 years of being online and spreading Christmas information and joy.

See also 10 Christmas Conversation Starters: Simple Questions for Deeper Connection (The Navigators).

Source: Wesley Huff, Apologetics Canada

You might find these infographics helpful in conversations. (Scroll down to holidays). But don’t use them as weapons.

Source: Catalyst Services

Our friends at Catalyst Services asked readers to recommend their must-read books of 2025. I pitched my own picks for the list but am happy to see some I hadn’t heard of.

See what made the list. Share it with a church mission leader. Maybe you want to choose a title to read with your team or tribe.

You might also want to peruse The Gospel Coalition’s 2025 Book Awards.

Source: Ted Esler

“A few weeks ago, I was in a conversation about preaching in churches regarding missions. I was struck by one comment. ‘If a church has a “missions Sunday” (and most do not) that will be the one Sunday of the year that the pastor will invite somebody outside of their church to preach. Most preachers ghost missions.’”

Read Ghosting Missions for three reasons why contemporary approaches to preaching might be behind the lack of sermons—and what preaching missions might look like in practice.

What do you think? Do you agree?

Here’s another article you may find provoking. Er, thought-provoking. According to a survey by InterVarsity, Members of Gen Z are committed to missions but insist on changes to old models before they sign on (Baptist News Global).

Source: Missions Catalyst Calendar

January 1-3 or 5-7, CROSS Conference (Louisville, KY, USA). Calling a new generation to make their lives count by making the name of Jesus known.

January 4 to March 24, Frontier Filmmaking Seminar (online). Learn to make cross-cultural evangelistic films with Create International. Want to learn animation? A course in that starts February 2 and goes through March 27.

January 5 to May 10, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). An additional class launches on January 12 monthly thereafter. Many in-person classes will also start this month.

January 12 to April 12, Encountering Muslims (online). Classes start several times a year. You can also take the class as a group and form your own cohort.

January 15, Freeing Up Time for Innovation (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus, the first of three on this topic.

January 16-17, MissionConnexion Northwest (Portland, OR, USA). A free, regional missions conference. Come early for Leadership Connexion or a MissionExcellence workshop on best practices for short-term missions.

January 20, Contend: Monthly Day of Prayer for Mission Mobilization (global). Coordinated by GMMI for the third Tuesday of each month.

January 19 to February 14, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided by Missionary Training International.

January 23-24, Help! We’re Going on a Short-Term Trip (Marietta, GA, USA). Seminar for team leaders from CultureLink.

January 26 to February 17, 21 Days of Prayer for the Buddhist World (global).

January 27-28, Support Raising Bootcamp (Orlando, FL, USA). Provided by Via in various locations throughout the year.

January 29, Alumni to Advocates: How to Use Alumni to Personalize Your Marketing on a Budget (online). Webinar for communications and marketing professionals from Missio Nexus.

January 30 to February 1, Go Equipped (La Grange, GA, USA). Three-day training for tentmakers from Global Intent and Tent International. Similar events are held around the world.

View the complete calendar, updated throughout the year. Your submissions are always welcome.