Source: Christian Aid Ministries, December 20, 2021
Watch the December 20 CAM press conference and give God the glory for preserving and delivering this group of missionaries, pictured below shortly after they were reunited in Florida.
Also see Abducted Haiti Missionaries Describe Daring Escape (BBC).
Source: Article18, November 25, 2021
Iran’s Supreme Court has ruled that nine Christian converts serving five-year prison sentences for their involvement in house churches should not have been charged with “acting against national security,” in what has the potential to become a landmark ruling.
While the ruling is not enough on its own to set an official “precedent,” nevertheless it has the potential to influence all current and future cases involving Persian-speaking Christians.
The ruling, handed down on November 3 but only communicated to the Christians’ lawyers [November 24], states explicitly that their involvement in house churches and even the propagation of what is referred to as the “Evangelical Zionist sect” should not be deemed against national security.
This is significant, because in each of the cases involving the more than 20 Christians currently incarcerated in Iran for their involvement in house churches, the charges amounted to “actions against national security.”
See the full story with pictures and read other stories about persecution in Iran from Article18. They report the men were released January 1.
Another encouraging story comes from Africa, where more than 500 Muslims attended a Christmas service to promote religious tolerance in Nigeria (International Christian Concern).
Source: Back to Jerusalem, December 2021
Musfar (not his real name), was recently arrested after the police conducted a surprise raid on his home. Musfar has been handing out Bibles throughout his nation to secret believers and the police have been waiting to arrest him for months.
When the police raided his home, they searched everywhere for his secret stash of Bibles. Musfar’s apartment is small and he had over a thousand Bibles stacked in one of the most obvious locations. Surprisingly, the police found the location of the Bibles, looked directly at them, but never made any motion to touch them, pick them up, or examine them. It was almost as if the Bibles were invisible to the eyes of the police.
Is it possible that the police never saw the Bibles? Could their eyes have been blinded?
Musfar was taken to jail and accused of distributing Bibles, but the police could not provide any evidence, because they were unable to find the Bibles.
Our BTJ partners living in this closed country were able to get access to the apartment in the middle of the night after Musfar’s arrest and retrieve the Bibles. We now have several hundred Bibles to hand out in this country that desperately needs the Word of God.
As the Bibles are delivered, the people are being told about the amazing miracle of the invisible Bibles.
Source: Mission Network News, December 13, 2021
Last year, believers worldwide stayed connected with their home groups and church fellowships by going online, even though COVID-19 restrictions kept them physically apart.
The online church provides more than convenience in the Middle East and North Africa. Sometimes, it saves lives. “I think about the moms who’ve come to faith, and they’re married to someone who is a non-Christian,” MENA Leadership Center CEO Jennifer Murff says. “It’s very dangerous for them and their children to just step into a local church.”
“In many countries in MENA, it’s illegal to change your religion. The digital church provides an outlet [where] they (new believers) can continue to grow in their faith and get discipled until they can step into a physical location,” Murff says.
Also related to technology and the church, read how Brazilian Christians are ministering to Afghan refugees or consider The Changing Face of Missions in the Digital Age (Phil Cooke/Outreach Magazine).
Read or share the email edition or scroll down for individual items.
Dear readers,
Greetings from Oregon, where I’ve landed after a major cross-country move. Hope you had a great Christmas! As 2021 comes to a close, I’m encouraged by how we have seen light shine in the darkness this year.
Whatever comes your way in the new year, we at Missions Catalyst wish you God’s peace and guidance.
Source: Pioneers USA
Fire & Ice: Missionary Adventures of the 1800s, by John C. Lambert. Pioneers, 2021. 134 pages.
This book traces common threads in tales of missionary adventure from the 19th century. Glimpse the lives of pioneer missionaries and local Christians from the Arctic Circle to just beyond the southern tip of Patagonia and from the coral islands of Fiji to the Himalayan plateau of Tibet.
The diversity of those God called and equipped to carry out his worldwide mission in the 19th century is as staggering as the variety of places he sent them.
Kapi’olani, a Hawaiian chief, climbed a volcano to prove the power of her God. George Mackay, a Canadian, pulled teeth in Taiwan to prove the exact same thing. Coley Patteson and Allen Gardiner died on two beaches 7,500 miles apart for exactly the same reason. They believed the gospel of Jesus Christ is for every person on earth.
Fire & Ice condenses and updates for modern readers John C. Lambert’s much longer 1907 text, The Romance of Missionary Heroism (now in the public domain).
Pioneers-USA President Steve Richardson wrote a foreword for this edition. Fire & Ice also includes an epilogue based on C.S. Lewis’s thoughtful response to the question, “Why read old books?”
Get the paperback from Amazon for US$9.99. Or get the ebook from Pioneers for free. I helped edit this book. It was such a fun project. I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Source: The Upstream Collective
Listen: How to Make the Most of Your Short-Term Mission Trip, by Larry McCrary, Melissa Fu, Caleb Crider, Debbie Stephens, and Nathan Sloan. The Upstream Collective, 2021. 131 pages.
What would it look like to approach every aspect of a short-term mission experience as a listener? This workbook is designed to help mission trip participants focus their listening on what the scriptures and the Holy Spirit have to say to them about the mission trip and what God desires for it.
It is also designed to help readers learn to listen to teammates, church leadership, and on-the-ground ministry partners. The authors propose ways to engage in listening before, during, and after a mission trip. Included are tips for learning language and culture, understanding worldview, asking questions, telling stories, debriefing, reporting back, and more, with lots of space for writing your own notes along the way.
While listening may seem simple enough, it may be challenging for those of us accustomed to a more task-oriented approach. Making this shift, though, can make a huge difference for a mission team as well as those who send and host them.
Get the paperback from Amazon or elsewhere for US$9.99. If you find this book helpful, you will probably want one for each member of your team.
See also Tradecraft: For the Church on Mission and First 30 Daze: Practical Encouragement for Living Abroad Intentionally. These books and others are also available through the Upstream store.
Source: International Covered Ministries
Hear about disciple-making movements in other countries and wonder if something like that could ever happen in your backyard? This film will encourage you. Watch a handful of individuals strive to live out the commandments of Jesus: to love God, love others, and make disciples as a church.
Barry, the preacher, needs to see how this works for himself. Alex and Morgan learn how to live out disciple-making principles themselves as they connect and support other practitioners around the world. Amanda shares her powerful transformational story and shows that God still moves in miraculous ways. And Becky and others in Tampa, Florida share what they’ve learned—and how they’ll never be the same.
Watch the trailer below, then go to the Love One Another website to watch the film (92 minutes). They can also set you up with training and support to put what you learn into practice.
Source: Global Frontier Missions
There can be a tension in missions between the call to make disciples of all nations and the mandate to love others. Christians must holistically embrace the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. But if we’re going to holistically bring social action with the gospel, we have to do it the right way.
This five-minute whiteboard video was inspired by principles in When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. It’s the latest in a series of short training videos GFM has produced over a number of years.
Check out Global Frontier Missions to learn more about their missionary training school and other resources.
Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar
January 7-8, The Journey Deepens (Glendale, AZ, USA). Retreat provided by MissionNext to help you deepen your walk with God and discern next steps.
January 10 to April 10, Encountering the World of Islam (online). New online classes start several times a year. Also available in other formats and languages.
January 12-13, Support Raising Bootcamp (Fayetteville, AR, USA). Similar events are held in various locations by Support Raising Solutions.
January 12 to February 7, Equipping for Cross-Cultural Life and Ministry (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided by the Center for Intercultural Training. CIT plans to offer the course four more times in 2022.
January 13, 40 Years of Mega-Change in Missions (online). Webinar provided by Missio Nexus and featuring Marv Newell.
January 13, Focus on the Word: Where Do You See That in Scripture? (online). Nugget Training from Beyond.
January 13, Partnering: Choosing Church and Agency Partners (online). Greenhouse workshop for church mission leaders from Pioneers-USA.
January 17 to March 11, Trauma and Crisis Care Course (online). How children respond to trauma and how you can help. Provided by Crisis Care Training International. During the same period, CCTI is offering courses on restoring hope to children with disabilities, [working with] street children, and counseling children.
January 17 to May 22, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). New online classes begin regularly. Many in-person classes also begin in January.
January 20, Love Thy Millenial Neighbor (online). Part of an online training series from All Nations. Future sessions will focus on loving your Muslim neighbor and your refugee neighbor. All Nations also offers a variety of other online and in-person ministry training programs.
January 21-22, Mission ConneXion Northwest (Beaverton, OR, USA). Free, community-based mission conference held annually in the Portland area. Back in-person this year, with four dynamic speakers, more than 100 workshops, and 80+ exhibitors.
January 26, Essentials for Fundraising and Development (online). Webinar provided by Missio Nexus, featuring a panel of fundraising veterans.
January 26, The Lausanne Update: State of the Great Commission (online). CEO Thought Leader Briefing provided by Missio Nexus, this one featuring Michael Oh.
January 26, Best Practices for Mobilizing GenZ (online). From the Center for Mission Mobilization and Retention at Trinity Bible College and Graduate School. Online events held monthly.
January 27, Discovering the Effective Writer Within You (online). Webinar provided by Missio Nexus.
January 27, Extraordinary Prayer: The Spiritual Posture of Disciplemakers (online). Nugget training from Beyond.
January 28-29, Missions Fest Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA, USA). An annual community-based event.
January 28-30, Mission Central Conference: Serve (online). Formerly Missions Fest Vancouver.
January 31 to February 1, Support Raising Bootcamp (For Worth, TX, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions.
View the complete calendar. Corrections and submissions are welcome.
