Month: March 2026
Article: Where Should I Plant a Church in the USA?
Source: J.D. Payne, March 10, 2026
The US is the third largest country in the world in population. It is home to 357,000 churches. This country is also home to the third largest number of unreached people groups in the world.
A great deal of US church planting is not guided by these realities. We must ask questions related to gospel need.
- Where are the least-reached states, cities, and counties?
- How many evangelical churches exist per population?
- Where are the least-reached areas that include unreached people groups?
Read more and see also a post with links to current data on least-reached US areas, including an interactive map where you can pull up info about each state and certain counties and cities. Also note four dangers of research. I didn’t see anything about the distribution of unreached people in the US, but the author will be posting more in coming weeks.
Podcasts: 5 Recent Episodes You Might Want to Listen to
Sources: Various
Spiritual Warfare Explained: What Every Christian Needs to Know
Source: Everyday Radical
In this episode, David Platt and Austin Huang explore what the Bible says about unseen spiritual warfare and the return of Christ.
For Such a Time as This: An Iranian Pastor on War, Hope and Revival
Source: The Reflexio Podcast
This conversation will help you better understand the spiritual, political, and human dynamics of what God is doing in Iran today—and how to stand with Iranian Christians in informed hope-filled prayer.
Why I Can’t Look Away: Iran, the Persian People & Fighting for Peace
Source: The Global Goer Podcast
Hear Jeannie Marie’s raw, personal take on why this war matters to every Global Goer—and why the Persian people need our voice right now.
Developing Resilience in Future Mission Workers
Source: The Global Missions Podcast
Drawing from his new book Godly Grit, Kyle Farran shares why perseverance matters to God, what causes many to leave prematurely (like unmet expectations), and how both individuals and churches can better prepare the next generation.
Why Mental Health Matters for the Church and Global Mission
Source: The Lausanne Movement Podcast
Drawing from over three decades of ministry and counseling experience, Dr. Gladys Mwiti explains why mental health care is essential to God’s mission of restoring the whole person.
What are you listening to lately? Let me know.
An Open Letter to Relatives of Workers in Conflict Zones
Source: A Life Overseas
Dear parent or sibling of a loved one living in a conflict zone,
I see you. Oh how I see you. I see you grabbing your phone before you are even out of bed to see what happened overnight in the Middle East and find reassurances that your family there is okay. I see you wondering why they haven’t gotten on an airplane and come back “home” to safety. I see you texting them, asking them several times a week (several times a day maybe?) “How are you? How are the kids? What do you need?”
Read more. Not related to such a worker, but know one? Check on them. Let them know they are not forgotten.
Data: World Christianity in Context, 2026 and Beyond
Source: International Bulletin of Missionary Research
Each year, the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary provides statistics about the world’s 2.6 billion Christians. This year’s IBMR article highlights new future projections to the year 2075 (while previous data went only to 2050). Major findings of the 2075 data include:
- The continuation of Christianity’s shift to the Global South
- The increased importance of Christian-Muslim relations in light of the latter’s increasing share of the world’s population
- The Demographic Republic of the Congo eventually replacing the United States as the country with the most Christians in the world
The full article is available to subscribers or can be purchased.
The one-page statistical snapshot, though, is free and well worth perusing and using if you write or teach about missions and the state of the world.
Article: Four Ways to See the Nations at Our Doorstep
Source: Everywhere to Everywhere
More than 300 million people today live outside the country of their birth, a population that, if gathered in one place, would rank among the largest nations on earth, representing nearly 4% of the world. Most have moved because the world is broken: war, economic collapse, famine, environmental disaster, violence. Christians rightly pray for justice and peace and work toward wise and compassionate policy. Nations have the responsibility to order their borders and laws.
But Christians must also ask a deeper question: What if God is at work in this movement?
Events: Conferences, Classes, Training and More in April
Source: Missions Catalyst Calendar
April 6 to August 9, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). New online classes begin regularly. A Perspectives class in Spanish is being offered these same dates.
April 7-8, Support Raising Bootcamp (Dallas, TX, USA). Provided by Via in various locations throughout the year.
April 9, Mobilization DNA—What Greg Livingstone Taught Me (and What Churches & Mobilizers Still Need Today (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus
April 13-17, Abide Debriefing (Joplin, MO, USA). Check the website for dates of upcoming debriefing retreats. Provided by TRAIN International.
April 14-16, Debriefer’s Toolbox Training (Marietta, GA, USA). Get equipped to debrief global workers or refresh your skills. Provided by TRAIN International.
April 15, Mobilizers—Join the Conversation! (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus and Gospel Mobilization.
April 15-17, Gather (online). Thrive’s three-day virtual event for women serving cross-culturally.
April 16-19, Haven Retreat (Santa Clara, Panama). For kingdom-minded women serving overseas from various nations; different locations each year. Provided by Azmera.
April 20-24, Storytelling Training (online). Offered regularly by StoryRunners, a ministry of Cru.
April 23, Recruitment or Mobilization? What’s the Difference and Why it Matters (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.
April 23, Ignite Online Training: Intro to Discovery Bible Study (online). Provided by All Nations.
April 23-26, Haven Retreat (Cape Town, South Africa). For kingdom-minded women serving overseas from various nations; different locations each year. Provided by Azmera.
April 23-26, The Christian Medical and Dental Association National Conference (Loveland, CO, USA). An annual event; the largest of its kind.
April 24, The Nexus: Blue Ridge (Roanoke, VA, USA). A one-day regional event for church mission leaders; provided by Missio Nexus.
April 24-25, The Mobilized Church Workshop (Calgary, AB, Canada). Unlock your church’s potential to reach the nations. Hosted by the Global Missions Toolbox with Pioneers Canada, The Sending Collective Canada, 16:15, and The Damascus Road Foundation.
April 27 to May 23, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided by Missionary Training International.
See the complete calendar. Submissions welcome.
Ministry in the Middle East, Europe, and the Amazon
- Iran: The Rise of the Underground Church
- Lebanon: Baptist Seminary Takes in the Displaced
- UK: Bible Sales Rise to Highest Level in Decades
- Ecuador: Following Jesus in the Jungle
- Sweden: Parents Lose Appeal to Reunite with Daughters After Accusations of Religious Extremism
Read or share the email edition, or scroll down for specific stories. Thanks!
Iran: The Rise of the Underground Church
Source: Theology in Five, January 11, 2026
The theology of the Iranian underground church is shaped less by academic debate or denominational identity and more by lived experience under pressure. Scripture is read through the lens of endurance, faithfulness, and allegiance, and passages addressing suffering, persecution, and perseverance carry immediate relevance. Christianity is not presented as a path to comfort, success, or cultural influence, but as loyalty to Christ regardless of consequence.
This theological posture closely resembles that of the early church under Roman persecution, where faith was understood primarily as allegiance rather than lifestyle enhancement. The absence of cultural Christianity ensures that belief is tested quickly and repeatedly. What emerges is a theology grounded in trust, obedience, and hope, forged in circumstances where faith must be chosen and re-chosen in the face of real cost.
The full story is worth reading. It covers how the underground church came about, how persecution has been a catalyst rather than a deterrent, why Christianity is spreading in Iran, and the role of dreams and visions.
See also maps and charts of the Iran crisis (Reuters, via Flowing Data), an article from Morning Star News, Iran Adds Blame for Political Woes to Persecution of Christians, and a commentary from Mission Network News: In Middle East war, remember that numbers have faces.
Lebanon: Baptist Seminary Takes in the Displaced
Source: Evangelical Focus, March 13, 2026
Once again, the people of Lebanon find themselves caught up in a war they did not choose. The spillover of the conflict in Iran has brought further destruction to a population already exhausted by violence.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, more than 680 people are reported to have died in the armed clash between the Hezbollah militia and the Israeli government, which resumed on March 2.
Around 800,000 people have already fled, mainly from southern Lebanon towards Sidon and Beirut, the capital. Among those responding to the need for shelter is the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS), a respected institution that trains Christians throughout the Middle East.
Located on the eastern outskirts of Beirut, the seminary is hosting about 180 people on its premises, a quarter of whom are children. “Despite the sounds of drones intensifying in our skies and smoke from the bombings rising over Beirut, we continue to witness glimpses of Christ’s love at work: a love that shapes, softens, and unifies,” they explain in an update on their website on the impact of the war.
The displaced persons welcomed by the Christian organization come from the suburbs of Beirut, the Bekaa area, and the south of Lebanon.
“In the midst of uncertainty, we see them gathering hand in hand to assist the kitchen staff in preparing meals … Join us in prayer that during this season of hardship, just as these meals nourish their bodies, the word of God may also nourish their spirits.”
See also Christians in Southern Lebanon Debate Staying or Leaving (Christianity Today).
For more from the Middle East, listen to an interview about God’s amazing work in an Alawite family, Slaying Goliath in the Middle East (Movements Podcast) and a previous episode with a different guest talking about Multiplying Disciples and Churches in a War. The episodes are 30 minutes each, but well worth your time.