Missions Catalyst – Page 97 – World Missions News, Ideas, and Resources

EVENT: On Mission Online Mission Conference

On Mission 2020 Source: Missio Nexus

The Church today has such great sending potential—yet current attrition statistics show an ongoing need for sending workers to unreached people groups. How can churches and agencies get people mobilized for the work of Christ?

On Mission, the annual online mission conference from Missio Nexus, will explore these questions and more. The three-hour live-streamed event will feature 15-20 short (ten-minute) video presentations from presenters from around the world.

Participate live on March 11 (12-3pm Eastern) or watch the videos on your own or with a group at your own pace. Videos from the last three years are also available online. You might want to browse through them for content to stimulate discussion with others.

» Learn more or register for the event.

CURRICULUM: Dinner Party Devotions

Source: Wycliffe Women

God chose unlikely people throughout the Bible and hand-picked them to declare his glory. Discover stories that highlight God’s astonishing way of working paired with fun international recipes in the free PDF dinner party devotional, “Lessons from Lesser Knowns.” It’s about 30 pages long and includes material for six sessions with Bible references, devotional articles, discussion questions, and recipes for each session.

You’ll also be invited to sign-up for emails and resources geared specifically toward women.

» Learn more or download this material and find other resources at Wycliffe.org/women. Wycliffe also offers a free kids cookbook as part of Wycliffe.org/kids.

» See also You Are Always Welcome, a family activity to help you and your kids cultivate a habit of welcoming those from other cultures into your home (Weave).

ARTICLE: Every Missionary Needs Friends

Source: Catalyst Services

Jesus delivered his Acts 1:8 commission as a priority for all of his followers. In the 21st century, his Church has more ways than ever before to strategically engage every believer in fulfilling this Jerusalem-to-the-ends-of-the-earth command. A list of Great Commission roles includes goer, sender, welcomer, intercessor, and mobilizer. But there is at least one other overlooked and undervalued role to include—we’re calling it missionary “Friend” with a capital “F.”

» Read the article (PDF download) and share it with others. Missionaries will thank you!

» You may also want to check out Why, When, and How to Visit Your Missionary (Global Missions Podcast).

EVENTS: March Conferences and Training

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

March 2 to July 5, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online).

March 4-5, Support Raising Bootcamp (Charlotte, NC, USA). Provided by Support Raising Solutions. Additional bootcamps this month will be held in Malaysia (March 16-18) and Guatemala (March 19-20).

March 5, Finding God-Prepared People (online). Nugget training from Beyond.

March 5, Networking Practitioners Ministering Among the Muslim Diaspora in North America (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

March 5-7, IMPACT Gathering (Atlanta, GA, USA). Annual event for those desiring CPM among UPGs of SE Asia; pre-conference training events also scheduled March 2-4.

March 6-7, Treasure Valley Missions Conference (Boise, ID, USA). Free, community-wide missions conference.

March 6-7, Standards Introductory Workshop (Boise, ID, USA). Training in the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission. Part of the Treasure Valley Missions Conference.

March 7, Short-Term Missions Trip Leaders Training (Columbia, SC, USA).

March 9-11, Crisis Management Seminar (Cleveland, OH). Provided by Crisis Consulting International.

March 10, Realistic Expectations: Equipping and Empowering Team Leaders (online). From the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission.

March 11, OnMission (online). Free virtual conference from Missio Nexus; focused on mobilization.

March 12, Praying the Promises of God (online). Proactive prayer training from Beyond.

March 12-15, Multiply DMM Summit (Chicago, IL, USA). Changing ministry-as-usual to disciple-making multiplication.

March 15-20, ABIDE re-entry debriefing for global workers (Joplin, MO, USA).

March 15 to April 10, Equipping for Cross-Cultural Life and Ministry (Union Mills, NC, USA). Provided by the Center for Intercultural Training.

March 19, Challenges in the North American Church Defining Mission (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

March 20-22, Everywhere to Everywhere (Wichita, KS, USA). Missional training and outreach event.

March 26-28, B4T Expo (Detroit, MI, USA). Transforming nations through business; an annual event.

March 26-28, Christian Community Health Conference (Cincinnati, OH, USA). Provided by the Christian Community Health Fellowship.

March 27-29, Jesus to the Nations (Halifax, NS, Canada). Free, annual, community-based mission festival for all ages.

March 30 to April 1, The Future of Religion and Mission (Hamilton, MA, USA). Celebrating the launch of the World Christian Encyclopedia, 3rd edition.

» View complete calendar. Suggestions and submissions welcome.

Desert Locusts | Coronavirus | Arab World

Desert locusts are once again causing catastrophic crop loss, this time in East Africa and Pakistan. See below. Image via Mission Network News.

In this issue:

ARAB WORLD: Global Update Tomorrow

Source: Beyond, February 2020

When: Thursday, February 20, 2020, 7:00 to 8:00 PM (CST)

God is on the move in the Arab world. We invite you to hear Beyond’s Vice President of Global Strategies, provide some key insights into how the gospel continues to spread in this highly persecuted and restricted part of the world.

Missionaries today have a great opportunity to be a part of God’s story in this area of the world, but they may be surprised to discover that instead of being called to serve in the role of an Apostle Paul, it may be time for a new wave of Barnabas-like missionaries to rise up and encourage the local Paul’s as we link arms across the global Church in order to reach this region.

» Sign up for this free, online-only event.

LAOS: Pray for the Unengaged

Source: Brigada Today, February 16, 2020

Check out this four-minute video requesting prayer for ministry among the remaining (“Final 58”) unengaged people groups of Laos. Doug Lucas is the president of Team Expansion. This is his first effort at using a drone to raise prayer!

» Watch video and pray for this outreach effort.

» See also the 34-minute, 1932 silent film Siam: Land of the White Elephant (Presbyterian Historical Society). While we’re in the region, download Praying Down the Mekong River (OMF).

EAST AFRICA: Farmers Battle Desert Locusts

Source: Barnabas Fund, February 18, 2020

The UN [has] confirmed that the desert locust plague, which can migrate up to 150km a day, has now invaded southeast Sudan, entering from northern Uganda.

Many thousands are facing acute food shortages as vast swarms of desert locusts, considered the most destructive migratory pest on earth, have caused catastrophic loss to spring crops in East Africa and Pakistan.

The locust swarms were initially reported to have spread from Yemen across the Red Sea in November 2019, before spreading south to East Africa, resulting in the worst outbreak seen in 70 years. Millions of locusts also entered into Pakistan’s agricultural belt, via Iran, in late 2019.

East Africa is now on the verge of a food crisis due to the locusts devouring crops, according to the UN, with Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Somalia the worst-hit countries at this time.

» Full story includes more about locusts devastating Pakistan. Let’s pray for those in these regions.

» Also read Christians Respond as Desert Locusts Devour and Destroy (Mission Network News).

CHINA: Wuhan’s Christians Risk Their Lives to Share the Gospel

Source: Asia Harvest, February 2020

Thank you for praying for the Church in China at this time, especially for the believers at the epicenter of the virus in Hubei Province. God’s people have risen up during this crisis. Please pray for them, and ask God to glorify his name in this disaster by granting eternal life to millions of desperate people in Hubei.

Unfortunately, even at a time such as this, the Chinese Communist Party cannot put aside their anti-Christian ideology, and we have been informed that some of the teams of believers who were preaching on the streets have been arrested and their supplies confiscated.

We are now in a position to help Chinese believers living in the area through a trustworthy local contact. He wrote that their greatest need is for “medical equipment, masks, goggles, gloves, and protective coverings.”

» Read full story includes a video of Christian street preachers.

» See Justin Long’s list of articles about the impact of the coronavirus. And you may appreciate this from Israel: Hundreds Gather at Western Wall to Pray for China, End to Coronavirus (Christian Headlines).

BURKINA FASO: Pastor Abducted, 20 Killed

Source: Open Doors, February 17, 2020

On Sunday, attackers broke into a village in the northeast region of the country while Christians gathered for worship. According to the French radio outlet RFI, the attackers killed 20 people and injured 15 more. The extremists also abducted the pastor and set the church on fire. Several people are still missing.

Please pray for God’s grace on those who lost loved ones. Ask God for a safe release of the pastor. And pray for the Lord’s protection and comfort for those injured in the attack.

These attacks are horrendous, but the Christian community in Burkina Faso is persevering through Christ during extreme persecution. But they need the prayers of the global Church to be strengthened—and to know they’re not alone.

» Read full story.