This Issue: Special Edition Focused on China
- Note to Readers
- History, Biographies, and Prayer Materials from OMF
- Videos, Kid Stuff, and Prayer Guides from Caleb Resources
- Free Stuff from the Southern Baptists’ International Mission Board
- Material for Children from Voice of the Martyrs
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!
Resource Reviews, edited by Marti Smith, are published once a month.
Dear Readers,
With the 2008 Olympics coming up soon, China is much on people’s minds. How shall we, as Jesus-followers and mission mobilizers, respond? Is there some opportunity or responsibility for us here?
With about a fifth of the world’s people, China is the most populous country on the planet. It is home (simultaneously) to many vibrant Christian communities and a huge number of the world’s least-evangelized people groups. China also ranks high on any list of states that persecute Christians.
In light of all this, why not set aside some time between now and August to focus on China with your family, church, small group, Sunday school class, book club, etc.?
News about this country is widely available in secular sources. Look for videos, newspaper and magazine articles, novels, picture books, music, recipes, etc. at your local library or on the web. Ask yourself how you might put some of them to work in your teaching or praying.
This edition of Missions Catalyst lists additional resources available from mission agencies. Our colleague Karen Hardin put this list together. Enjoy!
blessings,
Marti Smith, Managing Editor
Correction: Last week we promoted two resources about Europe now being distributed in the US and the UK by World Outreach. The World Outreach office in the US is located in Sandy, UT, sharing a building with “The Fellowship.” You can reach them at 801.572.0211 or 801.572.1749, or by email. Ask for the “Why Europe? Why Now?” video and/or “The Mirpuris of Britain” prayer guide. The Why Europe? Why Now DVD is available in German, here, and is called Europa im Umbruch.
History, Biographies, and Prayer Materials from OMF
Source: OMF Books
General Resources
1. China’s Christian Millions by Tony Lambert (288 pages, USD$14.99).
2. The Resurrection of the Chinese Church, by Tony Lambert (354 pages, USD$12.99).
3. See also a good collection of resources about Buddhism.
Prayer Guides
1. Pray for China! 30-day Prayer Guide (32 pages, USD$3.00).
2. Minority Peoples of China: A 31-day Prayer Guide (36 pages, USD$3.00).
3. Zhuang Prayer Guide (32 pages, USD$5.00).
4. The Bouyei of China Prayer Guide (36 pages, USD$2.50).
Favorite Missionary Stories
1. Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret by Geraldine Taylor, newly revised by Gwen Hanna (194 pages, USD$9.99). For at least half a dozen more Hudson Taylor titles, click here.
2. Mountain Rain, by Eileen Fraser Crossman, edited by M.E. Tewksbury. (271 pages, USD$8.99) This is the biography of J.O. Fraser, missionary to the Lisu; a “docu-drama” about his life is currently in the works, too!
3. Children of the Hills, by Isobel Kuhn (112 pages, USD$8.99). See also nine other books and two ‘gift sets’ with three titles each, all by Isobel Kuhn, listed here.
4. Sadly unavailable from OMF USA’s bookstore at present is Valerie Griffith’s excellent book about early missions efforts in China, Not Less Than Everything (link is to OMF UK’s online bookstore, but you can also find this one on Amazon.com).
Questions? Click through, send them an email, or call toll-free in the US 888.OMFBOOK (888.663.2665).
Videos, Kid Stuff, and Prayer Guides from Caleb Resources
Source: Caleb Resources
Videos about China
1. Unreached Peoples of East Asia DVD (13 videos of varying lengths, USD$24.00). Videos profile seven East Asian people groups, including four from China: Amdo Tibetans, Kham Tibetans, Dai, and Miao. Some of these videos are still available in their original VHS versions (long and short versions on each tape, USD$17.00): Amdo Tibetans, Dai, Miao.
2. To the Ends of the Earth video (VHS tape, 10- and 28-minute version, USD$17.00). English audio with Chinese subtitles. Video presents the biblical concept of unreached peoples and challenges the viewer to become strategically involved.
Kids Around the World Materials
1. Han Kids 2-disc set (41 pages of printable curriculum on CD, 12-minute video on DVD, USD$19.99). Designed to help kids (ages 5-11) learn about the world’s largest ethnic group. See also: Han Kids VHS video and curriculum (Reduced for clearance: USD$9.50). Older version of the product described above.
2. Khamba Kids 2-Disc Set (38 pages of printable curriculum on CD, 11-minute video on DVD, USD$19.99). Designed to help kids (ages 5-11) understand the land and people of Tibet.
Prayer Guides
1. Dai of China Unreached People Prayer Guide (32 pages, USD$5.00).
2. Kazaks of China Unreached People Prayer Guide (32 pages, USD$5.00).
3. Kham Tibetans Unreached People Prayer Guide (32 pages, USD$ 5.00).
4. Tibetans: How Will They Hear? Unreached People Prayer Guide (32 pages, USD$5.00).
Questions? Click through, send them an email, or call toll-free in the US 877.662.1040.
Free Stuff from the Southern Baptists’ International Mission Board
Source: IMB
Free Resources about China
1. City China Guide. Free mini-magazine describing opportunities to minister or support outreach to China’s cities.
2. Reflections from China: 30 Days of Devotions. Free booklet with 30 stories of people living, working, and witnessing in Asia.
3. A Time for China: Journals of the Lost. Free eight-page brochure with first-hand stories of people in six unreached groups in China.
4. The Way to the World: China 2008. Free brochure on Olympics opportunities.
Additional Resources about China
To see all East Asia resources, click here.
Questions? Click through or call toll-free in the US 800.999.3113.
Material from Voice of the Martyrs for Children and Young Adults
Source: Voice of the Martyrs
For Kids
1. Agent Abbey DVD (30 minutes, USD$19.00; also available at a reduced price on VHS). Abbey is a typical American teenager whose eyes are opened to the realities of life for China’s persecuted Christians as portrayed in this drama set in modern Beijing.
2. Bold Believers in China (52 pages, USD$15.00). By LINK International. Spiral-bound activity book introduces children to Chinese culture, language, and the worldviews/religions of China, as well as including stories of courageous past and present heroes of the faith in China. More than 30 other titles in the “Bold Believers” series (including Central Asia, Afghanistan, Eritrea, and more) are listed here.
3. The Eric Liddell Story DVD (30 minutes, USD$15.00). This animated video portrays Eric’s faith-filled journey to the Olympics as well as his loving, sacrificial service in war-torn China. Includes lesson plans and a 60-minute documentary on Eric Liddell; recommended for kids ages 8-12. More complete description of this resource is provided by the Christian History Institute.
And One for Adults…
4. Back to Jerusalem (147 pages, USD$9.00). By Paul Hattaway, Brother Yun, Peter Xu Yongze, and Enoch Wang. “This book details how the largest group of evangelicals in the world (over 75 million Chinese) is now targeting the Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu nations of the world. Be inspired as you learn about the ‘illegal’ Christians of China who are called by God to go into areas that are sometimes even more dangerous than their own homeland. They consider their trials simply as preparation for greater challenges!”
Questions? Click through, send an email, or call toll-free in the US 877.337.0302.
Questions? Problems? Submissions? Contact publisher/managing editor Marti Smith.