Afghanistan: Earthquakes Shake Herat

Source: 30 Days of Prayer, October 10, 2023

[Beginning] on October 7, a series of devastating earthquakes rocked Herat, Afghanistan. So far, the city of Herat, with its concrete structures, has seen little structural damage. However, villages in nearby areas have been devastated. Composed mostly of mud homes, many have seen significant damage, with whole areas being flattened to the ground and many lives lost.

The Body of Christ has always been called to respond and come together to meet needs. In 2 Corinthians 8:1-24, we read about the practice of taking up a “collection” in response to natural disasters. The Apostle Paul invited churches to rally together in support of their sisters and brothers of faith in another place, as a practical expression of unity. Let’s consider how we can do likewise today.

Pray where their friends and family continue to face significant challenges and hardship. Please join us in prayer and action as we continue to journey alongside and recognize the strength and resiliency of people who have been forcibly displaced.

Read the full story and watch an interview with someone on the ground. (4.5 minutes).

See also Christian Missionaries Find a Back Door into Afghanistan! (Back to Jerusalem) and read about thousands of Afghan refugees fleeing Pakistan as deportation deadline looms (Al Jazeera). Pakistan ordered the 1.7 million undocumented Afghan immigrants to leave or face deportation; the deadline is today (November 1).

UK: Pastor Lost 20 Relatives in Terrorist Attack, Now Speaks of Forgiveness

Source: Christian Today, September 25, 2023

[On September 22, 2013] at least 122 people were killed when two explosions ripped through All Saints Church in Peshawar and over 250 were injured. Rev. Aftab Gohar’s mother, Iqbal Gohar, was killed in the attack, as were his nieces, nephews, cousins, uncles, aunts, and friends.

He admits it was not easy to forgive their killers but he took inspiration from Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch woman who survived the Ravensbrück concentration camp after being caught helping Jews to escape the Nazis.

“On the cross, Jesus prayed for those who were crucifying him: ‘Forgive them Father, they don’t know what they are doing.’ Jesus [also] said, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’—a lesson that some people find impossible to follow.”

He blames the attack on Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws, which Christians say are often abused to target them.

Rev. Gohar, who grew up in Peshawar and has been a full-time minister in the Church of Scotland since 2008, joined other campaigners in handing in a petition to the Pakistan Consulate in Glasgow [in September].

The petition calls on the Pakistani government to improve safety for religious minorities and use the blasphemy law to punish those who attack Christians.

Read the full story. I like to hear that the teachings of a Middle Eastern Messiah and Dutch holocaust survivor can inspire a British Pakistani man to forgive his family’s enemies in South Asia while advocating for change. We are all connected.

Earth: Aliens and Church Planters

Editor’s Note: And now for something different. Aliens are in the news lately. Have you noticed? I haven’t found any articles that fit our Missions Catalyst content strategy, but the following comes close.

Source: Ethnos360, October 15, 2023

Ian Thomas begins his book The Indwelling Life of Christ with a fictitious story of aliens who know they were fashioned by God, who created everything but do not know what God is like. Through their advanced technology, they have discovered the Bible, in which God describes the people of Earth. They read, “In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God… In the image of God He made man” (Genesis 5:1).

Thomas says, “Such a revelation is absolutely the most thrilling news these alien beings have ever heard. By getting a close-up view of humanity, they will be getting their first-ever glimpse of God.”

So, they build a spaceship and select an elite crew and send them on a journey of discovery. Unfortunately, as they arrive on Earth and begin to look around, what they encounter are not image bearers of God, but rather drunks, inner city gangs, bars, TVs displaying world news showing terrorist and murderers, corruption in business and government, and the childish and foolish behavior by celebrities in the realms of entertainment and sports.

“The aliens stare in shock at the screen, until one of them turns to the others and says, “Let’s get off this planet. This place stinks.”

Thomas said, “Of course, you and I know that what they actually learned was not what God is like, but what sin is like.”

Read the full story to see how the authors relate this scenario to church planters. And ask yourself what others see when they observe us.

If you are wondering about using stories about aliens to communicate biblical truths, C.S. Lewis may come to mind. Read Smuggling Theology Into “Out of the Silent Planet” (Probe Ministries).

New Books and Videos, Pithy Articles, Classes & Events

  1. New Book: Essentials for People Care and Development
  2. Videos: Whiteboard “Explainers” in Four More Languages
  3. Roundup: Short List of Brief Articles to Ponder and Share
  4. Classes: How About Taking Perspectives Online?
  5. Events: Conferences, Training, and More Coming up in October

Read or share the email edition or scroll down for more.

New Book: Essentials for People Care and Development

Source: Missio Nexus

Essentials for People Care and Development, edited by Heather Pubols and Geoff Whiteman, Missio Nexus, 2023. 222 pages.

Whether you serve in a sending agency, lead a ministry, or are a concerned pastor or care provider, you’ll find something in this book to help you care for global workers.

It’s a slim book but includes 14 articles from 15 authors serving in a variety of contexts, though most are in professional member-care roles. Each provides reflections and recommendations rooted in scripture and research. Footnotes and resource recommendations will help you go deeper if you like.

Learn more, get the ebook edition for US $14.95, or find the paperback on Amazon.

You might also appreciate an interview with a member care provider on the latest episode of the Relentless Pursuit Podcast (Pioneers-USA). After sharing her own somewhat painful story, she talks about what she’s learned about the interplay of suffering and spiritual growth.

Videos: Whiteboard “Explainers” in Four More Languages

Source: Global Frontier Missions

Remember GFM’s short teaching videos on mission topics like the biblical basis for missions, what makes a group unreached, the state of the world, and more? You may have seen or shared them in a missions class or used them with your church or small group.

But say you wanted to share them in another, non-English-speaking context. You may be in luck. These videos have been translated into Russian, Vietnamese, Swahili, and Portuguese.

Take a look. Thanks, GFM!

See also a collection of short videos defining and exploring what the producers call difficult mission terms (Lausanne Movement). They unpack words like polycentric, missio Dei, evangelical, and ecumenical.

Roundup: Short Articles to Ponder and Share

Sources: Various

Help This Person

“Don’t take my word for it. Instead, for the rest of the day, try thinking ‘help this person’ every time you interact with another human being.”

Read Three Words That Will Transform Your Career (Bruce Kasanoff).

Have This Conversation

“When you’re thinking about serving in missions, inviting your pastor or church leader into your journey from the beginning can be an invaluable source of encouragement and wisdom. But how do you start?”

Read 7 Questions to Ask Your Pastor When You’re Thinking About Missions (Wycliffe Bible Translators).

Fear of Failure

“What if I don’t feel qualified to be a missionary? What should I do?”

Read What If I Don’t Feel Qualified to Be a Missionary? (Global Frontier Missions).

Growing Passion for the Nations

“The church members most involved in missions become those most excited about missions. Engagement in missions drives excitement about missions.”

Read 10 Ways to Develop a Missions Culture in Your Church (ABWE).

Classes: How About Taking Perspectives Online?

Source: Perspectives USA

Always meant to take a Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course—or journeying with someone you’d love to see take it?

Perspectives Online is the fully online, asynchronous version of the live class. Coursework requires 4-6 hours a week and includes videos, reading, weekly homework, and group discussions. There are no class meeting times.

A Perspectives Online class will begin November 6, and five more will launch this spring (January 8, January 22, February 5, March 4, and April 8). Registration is now open for all of them.

Learn more about the class or find and register for a class.

You might also check out the Kairos Course and MomentumYes.

Events: Helpful Conferences and Training in November and December

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

November 2, Resetting Theological Education to Serve Global Church Growth (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

November 2-4, B4T Expo (Austin, TX, USA). Transforming nations through business.

November 2-5, Haven Retreat (Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt). For kingdom-minded women serving overseas from various nations. Provided by Azmera.

November 3-4, NWA for the Nations (Fayetteville, AR, USA). Northwest Arkansas Missions Conference.

November 3-4, MissionConnexion Southwest (Tempe, AZ, USA). A free, annual, community-based mission conference. Come early for Leadership Connexion or a Standards Introductory Workshop.

November 3-4, MissionFest Seattle (Bellevue, WA, USA). A free, annual, community-based mission conference.

November 5, International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (global). Observed annually.

November 6-17, Mobilization Equipping School (Chiang Mai, Thailand). From the Global Mission Mobilization Initiative.

November 6 to March 10, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). New classes begin regularly.November 9, Branding from the Inside Out: Growth Through Authentic Brand Communication (online). Webinar for mission communication and marketing staff. Provided by Missio Nexus.

November 9-11, Global Missions Health Conference (Louisville, KY, USA and online). An annual event; the largest healthcare missions conference in the world.

November 10-11, Student Connexion (Portland, OR, USA). A mission conference just for middle school and high school students.

November 12, Virtual Prayer Gathering: Call to Prayer (online). Held monthly for members of Missio Nexus.

November 12-14, Build a Mobilization Game Plan (Cary, NC, USA). Training for mission mobilization directors from Missio Nexus.

November 13-14, Support Raising Bootcamp (Dallas, TX, USA). Provided by Via Generosity (formerly Support Raising Solutions).

November 13-17, Storytelling Training (online). Offered regularly by StoryRunners, a ministry of Cru.

November 16, Equipping Missionaries to Mobilize Others (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

November 16-18, International Conference on Missions (Oklahoma City, OK, USA). An annual event. An annual conference in the Christian/Disciples of Christ tradition.

November 17-19, Catalyze Boise (Boise, ID, USA). Discover what God is doing in the Muslim world. A three-day intensive offered by Frontiers USA.

November 17-20, Field Security Seminar (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided by Crisis Consulting International.

November 21, Contend: Monthly Day of Prayer For Mission Mobilization (global). Coordinated by GMMI and held on the third Tuesday of each month.

November 30, Informed, on the Ground Metrics for Mission: GAPP (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

December 6-7, Denominational Roundtable for Mission Leaders (Greenville, SC, USA). An annual networking event organized by Missio Nexus.

December 7, Developing Movement Catalysts: It’s Within Your Reach (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

December 10, Virtual Prayer Gathering: Call to Prayer (online). Monthly event for members of Missio Nexus.

December 19, Contend: Monthly Day of Prayer for Mission Mobilization (global). Coordinated by GMMI for the third Tuesday of each month.

December 21, The Details Matter: How a Project Manager Can Help Reduce Your Workload (online). Webinar for mission communication and marketing staff. Provided by Missio Nexus.

View the complete calendar, updated regularly. Submissions welcome.