Missions Catalyst

Source: Global Christian Relief, November 14, 2025

The sun beats down on the small village as Moussa Abdel welcomes visitors into his modest compound with the warmth that defines Chadian hospitality. At first glance, his home tells the story of countless families across rural Chad—makeshift tarps covering damaged roofs, water containers requiring daily trips to distant pumps, and sleeping quarters that offer little respite from the relentless heat. Yet beneath the surface challenges lies something far more precious: a faith that has endured eleven years of struggle without wavering.

This father of nine has learned to find joy in the midst of hardship, a lesson that began nearly four decades ago when he first trusted Christ.

For Christian families in predominantly Muslim regions, the challenges multiply. Social pressure and economic discrimination create an environment where faith requires extraordinary courage. Yet it’s precisely in these circumstances that some of the most remarkable testimonies emerge—stories of believers who choose hope over despair, community over isolation, and trust over fear.

Read this man’s story.

Elsewhere in Africa, five Christians in Uganda are dead and more injured after a Muslim leader incited violence against Christians over pork sales near a mosque (Morning Star News).

Source: United Bible Society, November 4, 2025

The idea of a Tokelauan Bible originated in the late 1960s, as Tokelauans began migrating to New Zealand. While the Samoan Bible served earlier generations, the Tokelauan community born in New Zealand faced a new reality; many were no longer fluent in Samoan. The need for Scripture in their native language became urgent.

For generations, Tokelauans have relied on the Samoan Bible for Old Testament readings and the portions available to them in Tokelauan. In 1999, the Gospel of Mark was published, and four years later, the four Gospels were released. In 2009, the New Testament was launched with a celebration at Pahina Church. Now in 2025, God’s Word in full can be read, heard, and cherished in Tokelauan for the first time.

Read the full story.

Source: INcontext International, November 6, 2025

From persecution and poverty to conflict and displacement, our world is crying out for hope. Yet as followers of Christ, we are called not to despair—but to PRAY. Prayer is not passive—it’s powerful. It unites us with God’s heart for justice, mercy, and redemption in every nation.

Let every headline become a prayer. Let every crisis become a cry for his Kingdom to come.

Read the full story and watch video (just under three minutes long).

1. Niger: Armed Men Abduct American Missionary Pilot
2. Lebanon: Muslims Welcome the Hope Ministry Center
3. World: How YouVersion Reached Its One Billionth Download
4. Pakistan: Christian Wins Legal Battle Over National ID Card
5. India: What Happened After a Miracle Transformed Javeria’s Family

Read or share the email edition.

Source: God Reports, October 24, 2025

In the sweltering heart of Niamey, Niger’s capital, an American missionary’s routine evening walk to the airport turned into a harrowing abduction.

Kevin Rideout, a 50-year-old pilot with Serving in Mission (SIM), was seized by three armed men on Tuesday night, October 21, in the Plateau neighborhood, a few blocks from the presidential palace where deposed leader Mohamed Bazoum remains under house arrest since last year’s coup, according to Reuters.

Rideout, who has faithfully served in Niger since 2010 flying aid workers and medical supplies across the Sahel’s vast expanses, was shoved into a Toyota Corolla and driven toward the volatile Tillabéri region near the Mali border, a jihadist stronghold where Islamic State in the Greater Sahara and other al-Qaeda affiliates have control, a diplomat told AFP.

Read the full story with pictures.

See also US Missionary Pilot Kidnapped in Niger (Christianity Today) and Kidnapping of missionary underscores insurgency in the Sahel region (Mission Network News), both of which include helpful context and analysis. Note that while no Americans have been kidnapped there since 2020, incidents like this have been on the rise in this volatile country. Please pray.

Persecution in neighboring Nigeria is in the headlines. For one take on what is happening, read 10 things you should know about violence in Nigeria (Evangelical Focus). 

In another part of the world, the High Court of Malaysia has ruled that the government was behind the kidnapping of pastor Raymond Koh eight years ago and ordered payments to his wife Susannah of more than US$8 million, as well as additional daily payments until her husband is found (Mission Network News). Read more or watch Susannah make a statement following the verdict.

Source: Mission Network News, October 29, 2025

A holistic, loving, and strategic approach is helping Heart for Lebanon navigate the aftermath of war and bring lasting change to the people.

Near the biblical city of Sidon, Christians are building a new ministry center to serve local Lebanese in a predominantly Muslim area.

Camille Melki of Heart for Lebanon says, “For the first time in modern Lebanese history, a Christian community is buying property from Muslims to build a church on it!”

In an area largely populated by Shia and Sunni Muslims, this development became possible only after nearly 20 years of consistent presence, practical help, and genuine love. Over time, the ministry earned the community’s trust.

The Hope Ministry Center stands in southern Lebanon, a region home to many refugees and displaced families. Despite the ceasefire, drones still buzz overhead as Hezbollah activity continues. Years of conflict with Israel, coupled with the nation’s economic collapse, have left parents unable to educate their children and businesses struggling to survive.

“A lot of the problems that this country has been experiencing are because it is spiritually poor, where the Gospel is not reaching the masses,” Melki explains.

Read the full story.

Meanwhile, in Iran, the government has named a metro station after the Virgin Mary in a gesture of goodwill toward Christians (RFE/RL).

Source: Christian Today, October 11, 2025

At the end of 2021, YouVersion marked its 500 millionth download. In a blog article dated November 2011, they wrote, “Imagine a day in the near future when 1 billion people have installed YouVersion.” Well, they have just announced the billionth download.

That is not necessarily the same as one billion people with access, because some may have downloaded it multiple times on different devices, or again when upgrading their mobile phones. Others might have downloaded it and later deleted it. Whichever way we look at it, though, a billion downloads is an incredible statistic for a Christian app—for any app, actually.

In terms of apps, applications like Google and Facebook will have more users, but YouVersion is the most downloaded and most used Christian app in the world.

Today, YouVersion hosts Bible translations in many languages. YouVersion will be holding an event at Life.Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, on Monday, November 17, to celebrate this milestone.

Read the full story to learn more about the growth of this app or another with more information about the upcoming celebration (which will be streamed).

Did you know November is Global Bible Month?

Source: Morning Star News, October 28, 2025

A 22-year-old Christian man in Pakistan has won a seven-month legal battle to have his religious designation corrected on his national identity card.

Attorney Lazar Allah Rakha said that [Rahul] Masih’s original identity card, issued in June 2022, carried his correct name and faith, but that when he applied for a duplicate card after losing the original, NADRA issued him one stating his name as Sufyan Ali and his religion as Islam.

“Masih made repeated visits to the NADRA office, but his pleas to rectify the mistake were not entertained,” Rakha told Morning Star News.

A Catholic working in an office of a private housing society, Masih had no option but to seek the court’s intervention in the issue with the support of legal advocacy organization ADF International, Rakha said.

During the court proceedings, NADRA representatives claimed that Masih had willfully converted to Islam and registered himself as a Muslim, though they failed to substantiate their claim with documentary evidence, Rakha said.

“Noting that the defendants had failed to discredit Masih’s stance, the judge ordered NADRA to issue him his national identity card as per his correct name and religion,” he said.

During the proceedings, Masih presented his baptism and school certificates and also brought his Christian parents to testify about his faith, he said.

For more on why this matters, read the full story.

Also from Morning Star News, see Oppressed Christian in Pakistan Charged with Blasphemy, which quotes the same Christian attorney—a man who could also use our prayers.

Source: Beyond, October 31, 2025

Javeria, a Muslim background woman, met Jesus through a Discovery Bible Study (DBS). Disciples from the movement visited her village, and through their witness, she encountered the life-changing truth of Christ.

At that time, her son, Abbas was gravely ill. She had taken him to countless doctors, yet no one could heal him. When she began attending the DBS group, the women gathered around her prayed fervently for Abbas. God answered and Abbas was healed—completely and miraculously.

This miracle transformed Javeria’s family. She shared the gospel with all her children, and they too are coming to faith. But her strong faith has brought opposition. Many in the village treat her harshly, and local Muslim leaders repeatedly demand she abandon Jesus. Yet Javeria stands firm, serving the Lord with unwavering courage and boldness.

Despite being uneducated, she has planted seven house churches and is mentoring three new leaders. Today, her ministry spans three generations of disciples actively walking with the Lord and multiplying His kingdom.

Join us in praying for Javeria—for her protection, for boldness, and that God will continue to use her to raise even more disciples who make disciples.

Pray that God will continue to raise strong, fearless women throughout India who will not be ashamed of the gospel and will proclaim the Good News to those around them despite possible persecution.

Read the full story, Three Women, Fierce Persecution, Unstoppable Faith.

For another encouraging tour of a series of ministries, join a ministry leader as he takes a train trip to visit and encourage everyday disciplemakers from Boston to Washington D.C. (Navigators).