Yemen: An Urgent Request for Prayer

Source: Christian Aid Mission, February 12, 2026

At least 50 believers have been arrested in Yemen in recent months as persecution against Christians here increases, particularly against those from a Muslim background. The recent wave of arrests is something not seen here in years, and an indigenous ministry that supports Yemeni believers through online channels has received reports of not only increasing imprisonments, but also intense pressure on those who are arrested to provide information on other believers. Now, this ministry requests your prayers.

“Because of harsh punishment, information is being forced out of them,” the ministry leader said. “As a result, the arrests keep spreading. Families are carrying heavy fear and grief, and many are living under intense surveillance and threats.”

Read the full story and consider the experience of Khaled, who became a Christian after being disillusioned with Islam. Yet more Yemenis continue turning to Jesus.

See also Detainments among Yemen’s Christian community, report says (Mission Network News). And, for more context, read A Surprising Piece of History: The Jewish and Christian History of Yemen (Back to Jerusalem).

Recently, the European Parliament recognized and condemned the persecution of Christians worldwide (Christian Today).

Netherlands: Children Help Share the Message, “You’re Never Too Small”

Source: Arab Vision, February 17, 2026

In the spring of 2026, children from Zwolle and Groningen [two cities in the Netherlands] will take action. They will raise money to produce animations featuring stories about Jesus for children in the Arab world. “Never Too Small!” [is designed] to teach Arab children about Jesus and what life with him is like. You’re never too small to be a friend, to make a difference, to get to know Jesus.

A toolkit for primary school, Sunday school, or children’s church teach[es] Dutch children that everyone matters in the kingdom of God and that they can help share this news with children in the Arab world who don’t (yet) know Jesus.

Read the full story and watch a video. The captions are in Dutch, but you can adjust the YouTube settings to translate into English. The video is really cute.

For another story of children doing God’s work, read about new life in a Chinese village after local missionaries equip children for loving service to another vulnerable population (Christian Aid Mission).

We love stories that help us identify with other people despite cultural differences. You might enjoy Shane Bennett’s recent article about what it’s like to be a Muslim mom during Ramadan (Muslim Connect).

Ghana: God’s Word for the Komba People

Source: United Bible Society, February 15, 2026

After 16 years of faithful work, the Bible Society of Ghana (BSG) was able to present the Komba people of Northeast Ghana with the complete Bible in their own language [in collaboration with several groups].

The launch, celebrated with great joy by more than 1,000 people gathered at Gbintiri School Park, marked not only the completion of a translation project but also an affirmation of hope for future generations.

Acts 2:6 provided the theme for the event:

“…They were all excited, because all of them heard the believers talking in their own languages.”

The BSG General Secretary described the Komba Bible as both a spiritual gift and a cultural safeguard. He said that this Bible will not only deepen faith but also serve as a “major repository” to preserve the Komba language and culture from extinction. For a people whose language and traditions face the risk of erosion, the Bible now stands as a living repository of the Komba language, preserving it for generations to come.

See the full story with pictures of the celebration.

For more on the lasting impact and ongoing need for Bible translation, read how Greenland got the Bible and how digital technology is bringing the Welsh Bible to more people (Christian Today).

India: High Court Affirms Right to Pray in Homes

Source: Mission Network News, March 2, 2026

Against a backdrop of anti-conversion laws and growing persecution, Christians in India are celebrating a recent win for religious freedom within the country.

In a ruling publicly released February 2, the high court over Utter Pradesh, India’s most populous state, stated that permission is not required for religious prayer gatherings held on private premises. The ruling came after petitions were filed by two Christian organizations, in response to frequent police disruptions of prayer meetings on private property.

“There was an act by a couple of states to try to even illegalize, basically, prayer in the home. They’re trying to attack the house churches and small groups or fellowships that are meeting in homes,” says John Pudaite of Bibles for the World. “It’s a tough situation there for the body of Christ when they can be dragged out of a church or a worship.”

The court ruling was based on the Indian Constitution, which states individuals have the freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion. This decision offers hope to Christians in India in the face of anti-conversion laws, which have been used to unjustly arrest religious leaders and have fueled persecution against Christ.

Read the full story.

Canada: Inside a First Nations Church

Source: To Every Tribe, January 26, 2026

Jesus told Peter that he would build his church, and Satan would not be able to stop him. To Every Tribe missionaries are working to strengthen existing churches and plant new ones where needed, so that those who become believers have a local gathering of their new brothers and sisters in Christ to grow with.

For the last five years, I’ve worked as a missionary in a small town in Northwest Ontario, Canada, called Sioux Lookout. My goal as a missionary in Canada is to see First Nations people believe the gospel and become members of a biblical, First Nations-led local church.

Before becoming a missionary and joining a First Nations-led church, I had mostly been part of churches with a more structured order of service, where a few predetermined individuals, such as pastors and worship leaders, would lead in speaking or singing.

But being part of this First Nations-led church has helped me see how Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 14:26 can also play out in a different way. Each person in the church is there with various abilities and gifts to use during the service. Seeing this lived out in Sioux Lookout has helped me understand Paul’s words in a new light.

Read the full story.

See also The Fields Are White for Harvest which describes ministry efforts among Arctic Canada’s Inuit people (Ethnos360). While you’re there, you might want to peruse other articles in the recent Arctic-focused edition of the Ethnos360 magazine.

New Book for Mobilizing Workers: Silver & Bold

Silver & Bold: Age As an Asset in Global Missions, by Steve Richardson with Maxine McDonald. Pioneers, 2026, 158 pages.

Serving in global missions isn’t only for the young. It’s for people like Betty Wilson, who began serving in Central Asia when she was 66 and is still at it than 20 years later, and Mike and Rosemary Harris, who joined their kids and grandkids in a multi-generational ministry in West Africa.

Silver & Bold explores the opportunities and concerns of those who begin new cross-cultural careers in their 60s, 70s, and beyond and provides case studies and insights from those who have done it.

All the quotes and stories in this book are from people serving with Pioneers, but I think you could use it for general mobilization efforts as well. Recently Pioneers launched Encore, a new program tailored to sending older workers, but other agencies send the silver-haired, too, and many have been doing it for years. May God use this book to inspire more to recognize the opportunity and join them.

Learn more or buy the book, or read an excerpt, Rethinking Retirement Dreams. Note that Pioneers will also let you read the whole book online for free (registration required), but they’re selling the Kindle edition for $2.99 so that may be the most convenient option for many.

Read about and learn about other books from Pioneers.

I was happy to hear that Steve Richardson’s other recent book, Perfect Peace Child, made it through multiple couriers to a Sawi teacher in Southeast Asia near where the events it describes took place. She’s thrilled. And 150 copies of a Ukrainian edition of Is the Commission Still Great? were given to participants at a recent mission conference in Kyiv.

More interested in mobilizing young adults? Great! Be sure to check out Tithe Your Career, by Paul Van Der Werf and Katy White—a great book challenging new college grads to start their careers with a season of cross-cultural service (GoCorps). We wrote a review of it last July.

Articles: Helpful for Church Mission Leaders

Sources: Various

Praying for Missionaries

Many people are willing to pray for missionaries but unsure how to begin. Here’s a simple challenge to pray for missionaries you don’t know the same way you’d pray for people you do know (Reimagine Network).

Read Praying With Jesus for an Unknown Missionary. See also 7 Ways to Pray for Missionaries (Wycliffe) and the 2018 book, Praying for Your Missionary.

Setting Mission Goals

How can we proactively set goals to engage the entire congregation more missionally and measure our progress in doing so? See how four churches set goals and measure their progress (Catalyst Services).

Read Raise Your Church’s Missions Temperature. You might also appreciate the books Mapping Church Missions and On Mission Together.

Pastoral Influence in Global Missions 

Pastors juggle many priorities, so let’s not be too critical if promoting missions is not on top of the list. Still, you or a mission-minded pastor you know might get some good ideas from a mission professor’s reflections on opportunities he missed (J.D. Payne).

Read Pastor and Missions: Nine Things I Should have Done. You might also appreciate the message, Moving Beyond the Missions Slot.

Research: The State of Mission Mobilization 

Source: Missio Nexus

Missio Nexus has put together a collection of mission mobilization resources including data about the state of mobilization, best practices for mission mobilizers, what we need to know about Gen Z, and more. Some of it requires a member login but there’s plenty that doesn’t. Much to read, of course, but they have visual media too. See a helpful explainer video, below.

Graphic: A Framework for Measuring Gospel Progress and Sustainability

Note: Looks like this item was published prematurely. My apologies!

I can’t take back the email but am removing the item from our website. It reflects a model that hasn’t been released yet, illustrated by an AI-generated image that’s quite different from what they’re working on.

The good news, though, is that the working group is finalizing designs now and plans to release it publicly in March or April. We’ll share it then.

Marti