Missions Catalyst – Page 22 – World missions news, ideas, and resources

Devotional: 31 Days of Daring Faith

Source: Within Reach Global

The Mind of a Missionary 31-Day Devotional: 31 Days of Daring Faith, by David Joannes. Within Reach Global, 2024. 150 pages.

David Joannes, mission leader and author of the book The Mind of a Missionary, has produced a companion devotional that chronicles and reflects on the experiences of Christian pioneers like Amy Carmichael, Hudson Taylor, Jim Elliot, and other history-shaping kingdom workers.

Step into the lives of lionhearted missionaries who risked everything to advance the gospel.

Walk the jungle paths of New Guinea with Don Richardson as he carries the gospel to headhunters.
Follow Jackie Pullinger through the crime-ridden alleys of Hong Kong’s infamous Walled City.
Witness a pregnant Maria Taylor jump from a second-story building as bandits set fire to her home in China.
Watch in shock as David Eubank runs toward ISIS gunfire to rescue a five-year-old girl in Iraq.
Join Henry Martyn in Iran while he translates the Persian Bible for millions of Muslims.

Could you fold these inspiring stories and more than two dozen others into your own teaching and mobilization efforts? It’s not footnoted, but resources for further reader are listed at the end. This book might also make a good gift.

Learn more or purchase Kindle or paperback editions from Amazon or elsewhere, or read the entries online. The author has two more books coming out this year, also 31-day devotionals inspired by the lives of great missionaries: C.T. Studd and Amy Carmichael.

If you dig mission history, you may appreciate a podcast Chris Howles mentioned in his May edition of Mission Hits (check that out, too!) It’s called Martyrs & Missionaries. The latest episode is a two-part telling of the story of William Carey.

Speaking of companion volumes, if you loved Liturgies and Laments for the Sojourner or follow Liturgies for a Life Abroad on social, you’ll want to check out Crafting Liturgies for Life Abroad: A Guide to Processing Cross-Cultural Life Through Written Prayer, by Heather Fallis. Looks very helpful. It comes out on July 1, but you can pre-order it now.

Play & Pray: Unreached People Playing Cards

Source: Chasm Gaming

Could you bring a missional twist to your next game night with a new set of playing cards featuring the unreached? Maybe help your family get to know UPGs in a fun way? Or what about dealing them out to your next mission class for prayer or using them as a supporter gift?

The deck features 48 unreached people groups, including the group name, home country, population size, major religion, percentage of Jesus followers, and status of Bible translation as well as additional material to provide definitions and context.

Learn more or pre-order card decks. They will be shipped in August.

You might also want to read a recent, thoughtful article on Why Some People Groups Should Be Prioritized Over Others (Joshua Project).

Course: Self-Debriefing for Cross-Cultural Workers

Source: Global Trellis

This time of year, our Missions Catalyst calendar is full of retreats and debriefing opportunities for missionaries—see below. They can super helpful, but may also be expensive and are not always convenient. Do you (or someone you know) need one but can’t make it work?

Global Trellis has developed a seven-day self-debriefing course cross-cultural workers can use anywhere anytime. Designed to be completed during two hours a day for seven days, it can also be used as a weekend intensive.

Either way, the idea is to help missionaries feel lighter and less overwhelmed as they process the good and the bad and make a record of what they’ve experienced over the last 12 months.

Learn more or sign up.

Know someone coming back for good? Melissa Chaplin’s book Returning Well is a helpful resource.

Don’t forget that short-termers need debriefing, too. You could start with this list of debriefing questions (SEND International).

Links & Lists: 15 Verses, 24 Pictures, and 10 Ways to Be a Great Commission Christian

Sources: Various

15 Bible Verses to Help You Rest

Focusing on verses about rest can offer you relief, whether from physical exhaustion, emotional strain, or spiritual turmoil (The Navigators).

Meditate on these life-giving words.

24 Pictures of The World’s Largest City

Go ahead, make a virtual trip to Chongqing in southwestern China—the world’s largest city by some measures (The Guardian).

See these striking pictures.

10 Ways to Be a Great Commission Christian

Consider these concrete ways you and your church can think globally and grow in your passion for the nations (Chuck Lawless).

Peruse this practical list.

Up for a challenge? Consider what Lawless has to say in 7 Reasons We Older People in Church Need to Be Willing to Change.

Events: Training, Conferences, Retreats and More in July

Source: Missions Catalyst Calendar

July 9-12, International Conference on Computing and Missions (Hannibal, MO, USA). An annual event. Looks like ICCM Latin America will be online July 13. ICCM West Africa is planned for August in Nigeria.

July 9-15, TCK Young Adult Re-entry Retreat (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided by the Center for Intercultural Training and Interaction International.

July 11-13, Rethinking Forum (Dallas, TX, USA and online). Hosted by the MARG Network for people who share both a love for Jesus and a love for Hindu people.

July 14-16, Crisis Management Seminar (Auburn, AL, USA). Followed by a one-day Security Orientation Workshop. Provided by Crisis Consulting International.

July 14-18, Abide Debriefing Retreat (Joplin, MO, USA). Help for moving forward with hope and momentum. Provided regularly by TRAIN International.

July 17, Decoding the Missionary Pipeline (online). Explore data-driven strategies for mobilizing and onboarding new missionaries. Webinar from Missio Nexus.

July 18-23, New Wilmington Mission Conference (New Wilmington, PA, USA). Annual, week-long multi-generational mission conference; now in its 120th year!

July 20-25, Debrief Retreat (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided by the Center for Intercultural Training.

July 20-27, Wake (Boundary Waters Canoe Area, MN, USA). A deepening adventure for men working in missions. Offered by Barnabas International.

July 21 to August 16, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided by Missionary Training International (MTI).

July 22-23, Support Raising Bootcamp (Orlando, FL, USA). Provided by Via in various locations throughout the year.

July 26 to August 2, Classic ReBoot (Calgary, AB, Canada). Eight-day re-entry retreat for MKs/TCKs (aged 17-20) re-entering Canadian society. There’s also a wilderness edition for older MKs.

July 28 to August 1, Rekonnect Kids Camp and Teen Camp (Derbyshire, England, UK). Five-day camp for TCKs who have recently returned to the UK. Two sessions, one for kids 6-12, the other for teens aged 13-18).

July 28 to August 1, Engage Spiritual Retreat (Union Mills, NC, USA). Sponsored by Mesa Global and the Center for Intercultural Engagement.

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

Digital nations, mass baptisms & answered prayers

Read or share email edition, or scroll down for stories.

World: Ministry Opportunities in 27 “Digital Nations”

Source: Bible Society, June 4, 2025

Many people who aren’t encountering the Bible in their daily lives are part of online communities which are new mission fields.

That’s the finding of our new report, Digital Nations. It finds that some 5.5 billion people globally spend more than six hours per day online, where digital mission is not always strong.

Churches and Christian organizations have a new mission opportunity, the report argues. The report identifies 27 online channels or “nations,” such as Play Store, YouTube, and WhatsApp. Each has a different constituency and needs to be communicated with in different ways.

Read the full story and download the report. Key findings:

In-person missionaries outnumber digital missionaries 25 to 1
Digital nations are Bible “deserts”
Digital missionaries often feel isolated and under-resourced

Looking for ways to engage digital nations? Crescent Project’s Embassy program is one option. They equip volunteers to connect with English-speaking Muslims in closed countries.

You can also find lots of resources for your metaverse mission at theChurch.digital.

Recently we shared another Bible Society report that has gotten attention and continues to spur conversation. See Migration and the “Quiet Revival”: What the Bible Society Didn’t Say (Acts 11 Project newsletter, Church Missionary Society).

USA: At Least 26,000 People Baptized on Pentecost Sunday

Source: Crosswalk, June 9, 2025

More than 26,000 individuals across the United States were baptized on Sunday [June 8] in what is believed to be the largest synchronized baptism event in the nation’s history. Dubbed “Baptize America,” the one-day initiative saw 26,657 individuals baptized and 6,445 salvations recorded across 1,080 baptism events hosted by 650 churches in all 50 states, according to preliminary numbers. Organizers on Sunday night said about 10 percent of churches had yet to report.

“This wasn’t just about a moment in the water; it was about launching people into a life with Jesus, surrounded by a community that can help them grow,” [said Pastor and organizer Mark Francey of Oceans Church in California]. “We witnessed countless personal transformations and families baptized together; it was a movement of hope.”

“This is just the beginning,” Francey said. “We believe Pentecost Sunday will be marked yearly by revival, renewal, and restoration across America.”

Read the full story.See also Young Evangelicals Eager for Revival in Europe (Christianity Today).

Thailand is also setting new baptism records. The Association of Free Churches in Thailand has baptized more than 30,000 Thai believers in the last six years, many in mass baptism events. At a single event on June 12, they baptized 2,016 individuals. We looked for a good news article to share or link to and didn’t find one. Learn more about the movement as a whole in a 2024 article by Dwight Martin (Global Missiology).

India: Dismissal of Christian Army Officer Upheld by High Court

Source: International Christian Concern, June 10, 2025

In a recent judgment, the Delhi High Court upheld the dismissal of a Christian army officer by the Indian Army for his refusal to participate in specific religious rituals during regimental parades.

Lieutenant Samuel Kamalesan challenged the Indian Army order dated March 3, 2021, dismissing him from the army without pension and gratuity, and sought reinstatement in service.

But the Delhi High Court upheld the dismissal by the Indian army, concluding that Kamalesan’s refusal to participate in specific religious rituals during regimental parades, citing his Christian faith, constituted insubordination and indiscipline, thereby justifying his termination.

Kamalesan stated that his regiment maintained only a mandir (Hindu temple) and a gurudwara (Sikh place of worship) for religious observances and parades, but did not have a Sarv Dharm Sthal—a place of worship accommodating all faiths—and noted that there was no Christian church on the premises.

He claimed that he regularly accompanied his troops to the mandir and gurudwara for weekly religious parades and festivals but sought exemption from entering the innermost sanctum of the temple during rituals such as puja, havan, or aarti.

Kamalesan stated that he abstained from entering the sanctum sanctorum of temples and gurudwaras during weekly regimental religious parades, aligning with his Protestant Christian beliefs that prohibit idol worship. He maintained that his participation in the outer areas of these religious sites was a sign of respect and solidarity with his troops.

However, the Army contended that participation in regimental religious activities is integral to fostering unit cohesion and morale.

Read the full story here.

Also read about an Indian Christian army officer fired for refusing to join a Sikh ceremony (Christian Today).

From another hotspot: Read about Friday’s massacre of more than 200 Christians in Nigeria (International Christian Concern).

Russia: Prosecutions for Unlawful “Missionary Activity”

Source: Forum 18, June 16, 2025

Individuals and religious organizations continue to be brought to court across Russia on administrative charges of unlawful “missionary activity.” These charges punish a wide range of activities, including ordinary worship meetings for fellow believers. Forum 18 found 124 such prosecutions between the beginning of January 2024 and the end of April 2025. The true number is believed to be higher.

More than 95 percent of defendants whose cases reached a verdict are known to have been found guilty during this period.

Read the full story and a longer article focused on the impact on foreigners working in the country.

See also What It Costs to Be a Christian Uyghur in China (Voice of the Martyrs Canada, via Mission Network News).