Missions Catalyst

In This Issue: Glory Fleeting or Enduring

BRAZIL: The Olympic Dream and the Human Race
BRAZIL: Olympics Offer Rare Ministry Opportunity
ERITREA: Moving Testimony of a Refugee
BANGLADESH/WORLD: A New Bible for Muslims
KENYA: Why Are Churches and Mosques Being Painted Yellow?

Image: Lausanne Movement. This month more than a thousand younger leaders and mentors from more than 140 countries gathered in Jakarta to meet and collaborate for global mission. About two thirds of the participants were from the Majority World, and about one third were women. Learn more or watch the summary video.

Greetings!

Three global gatherings happened recently. The first, on July 23, was the global simulcast of an electronic music festival and may be cause for great concern. The second was Lausanne Movement’s Young Leaders Gathering in Jakarta, Indonesia, and that one fuels great hope. The third, still going on, is the Olympic Games in Rio. The Olympics inspire dreams of glory!

When sleuthing for news brief material, I could not find much unrelated to the Games. Many articles told stories of sportsmanship at its best. I’m also curious to see the remake of Ben Hur, with its tales of sportsmanship at its worst. That will be in theaters in the US this weekend; read this interview with the producer.

I’ve been watching some of the Olympics by catching whatever is on when I take a break from work. I read about Lopez Lomong, a former Lost Boy of Sudan who became an Olympian. I found a piece about how Saudi women are “changing the game.”  I also came across Usain Bolt vs. 100 Years of Olympic Sprinters, in which the authors concluded that repeat performances are rare and glory is fleeting.

Looking for enduring glory? Find clues in John 17.

Blessings,
Pat

Source: GMI Missiographics, August 2016

The Olympics… an amazing opportunity to engage the entire globe in a powerful way. Few other global events have the same impact. Are you looking at the Olympics as a lens on the human race?

Dear God, as athletes compete and as citizens from every country cheer for their nation’s finest, will you show yourself to them in a powerful way? Be present in this truly global event and give us new insights into your Kingdom as we participate. May these games see many athletes come to know you and many more spectators get a glimpse of your grace.

» Read full story or view infographic.

Source: Mission Network News, August 10, 2016

And in the midst of this athletic competition that gathers people from around the globe is a unique evangelism opportunity that only comes once every other year—one that Athletes in Action is fully engaged in.

Tim Pitcher is at the Rio Olympics right now with Athletes in Action. The Athletes in Action team has around 100 diverse and multilingual staff members engaging athletes and families and being a spiritual encouragement.

“They’re here to be able to minister to the athletes from their country or their language group and really try through some initiative evangelism to be able to meet with them, resource them, so if they go back home, they’re going to have copies of God’s Word that they can get through security and customs that a normal missionary might not,” shares Pitcher.

“[When] Rio finishes and they all start going home, the gospel seeds will be spread on all the various lives as they’re going home to their final destinations. It’s a very strategic opportunity to equip and spread the gospel.”

» Read full story.

» You may also be interested in a Brigada Today article which suggests the Olympics are a great time to help others catch a global vision.

Source: Jubilee Campaign, July 31, 2016

“Very recently I had a trying time in my life,” [explained Hanna Petros Solomon in a June 22 presentation]. “No, I didn’t have to dodge bullets to cross another border, I had to write my transfer essay to university. In order to understand who you are as a person, universities ask you to describe the journey that brought you to them. I wrote what I thought was an excellent essay about why I came to America, and handed it to my professor who was helping me with the process. He told me that the essay spoke more about my country and the state of dictatorship than it did my own experiences, it had to be personal.

“In an effort to apply his advice, I changed every ‘we’ pronoun to ‘I,’ and suddenly the words on paper became too personal, painful even.”

» Read Hanna Petros Solomon’s story to learn more about the situation in Eritrea and how it has affected lives, or watch this recording of her testimony. Another version (a bit more polished) is from 2015.

Source: Compassion Radio, August 8, 2016

How do you reach Muslims for Christ? With the gospel, right? And where do we find that? In the Word of God, of course. But which Bible is the right Bible for the task? Now that’s a more complicated question, and not so easily answered

Norm’s guest knows a thing or two about reaching people for Christ in the world’s hotspots. He’s about as intrepid as they come and can hold his own in any discussion on the Great Commission. We’re glad to welcome back our old friend, Dr. Viggo Olsen.

» Listen to the 26-minute interview on the topic of contextualization and several other episodes with Dr. Olsen aired/posted in August.

See also Legendary Missionary Doctor Works on Muslim-friendly English Translation of New Testament (GodReports, 2012).

Source: Christian Today, August 16, 2016

Churches and mosques in Nairobi are being painted a vibrant shade of yellow to demonstrate a “shared humanity” and highlight that there is more that unites people of different faiths than divides them.

The Colour in Faith initiative was launched in 2015 by Colombian-American artist Yazmany Arboleda, who wanted to find a way to cross “language, religion, ethnicity, and politics,” which so often cause sectarian divides.

“The goal was to take houses of worship in Kenya and paint them yellow in the name of love,” he told The Guardian. “The idea from the beginning was to turn buildings into sculptures that speak to our shared humanity.”

So far more than 20 houses of worship have signed up, and three have already been painted—a mosque, a church, and a Hindu temple.

Arboleda says the act of painting the buildings has brought different communities together. “To see people smile and talk to each other is beautiful.”

» See full story with pictures.