Multiplying Made Simple: Filipino Movement Reaches Out Through Microchurches (April 3, 2025, Outreach Magazine)
In literally hundreds of villages, this weekly hour of engagement is what everyone experiences in their microchurch (also known as a house church), along with worship, prayer, Communion, giving and other practices.
Southeast Asia: Traffickers pose as Christian missionaries, pilgrims to exploit victims (April 10, 2025, LiCAS News)
Human traffickers in Southeast Asia are reportedly claiming to be religious missionaries in order to lure victims and facilitate cross-border trafficking operations, according to findings by Philippine and Thai police.
Arise Bangladesh 2025: A Historic Movement of Unity and Youth for God’s Mission (April 10, 2025, World Evangelical Alliance)
Arise Bangladesh was not just an event, it marked the beginning of a new era of youth-led mission and church-wide unity in Bangladesh. The seeds planted at the gathering are already bearing fruit, as new collaborations are forming, and the younger generation is stepping out to reach the unreached.
The dangerous fake news about a ‘Christian genocide’ in Syria (March 18, 2025, Evangelical Focus)
“We must assume that everything that’s in the news, or even on social media, will be seen by governments and other armed groups. And that can have terrible repercussions on the Christian population”, says an Open Doors representative in the Middle East.
Central Asia: A shifting landscape for Christian persecution (April 1, 2025, Mission Network News)
For years, Christians in Central Asia have quietly practiced their faith, often under the radar. But lately, things have been changing – and not for the better.
Educating for the Kingdom (April 14, 2025, ChinaSource)
In recent years, Chinese Christian leaders have begun expanding their mission beyond China’s borders. Among them is a Christian educator from China (pseudonym: L), who transitioned from leading a house church in a major Chinese city to helping establish a Christian school and faith community in Southeast Asia. Unlike traditional church-planting approaches, L sees education as a powerful instrument for shaping the next generation of Christian leaders.
It Starts with “Nǐ Hǎo” (April 11, 2025, ChinaSource)
Though my Mandarin is still limited and mostly toneless, I’ve learned that effort often speaks louder than fluency. In this unexpected place of ministry, I’ve seen firsthand that trust can be built with one smile, one word, one gesture at a time. This experience reminds me that God often uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary. Sometimes it begins with a simple “Nǐ hǎo.”
Why I Went Home to China: Part 2 (April 10, 2025, China Partnership)
This is the second part of our conversation with Sister Bao En, who decided to return to China after living overseas for several years. Although many people are currently trying to leave China, she decided God was calling her to return and serve the church in her home country. While there are difficulties and challenges, she says the best place to be is the place where God has called you.
China formally bans foreign missionary activity (April 4. 2025, International Christian Concerns - Persecution.org)
Chinese state media claimed that the newly revised rules promote national security and help to protect “normal religious activities,” referring to activities run under strict government oversight as part of state-run religious institutions.
Shenzhen: Young and Highly Mobile (April 7, 2025, China Partnership)
Shenzhen is a young city with a highly mobile population. This makes pastoral care difficult, as young people often change cities or locations when they change jobs. Another challenge is the fast-paced life and work here, which creates a lot of pressure. Young people face significant material temptations and secularization. As a young city, with the popularity of the Internet and the influence of AI, there are great challenges.
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Joann Pittman
Joann Pittman is Vice President of Partnership and China Engagement and editor of ZGBriefs. Prior to joining ChinaSource, Joann spent 28 years working in China, as an English teacher, language student, program director, and cross-cultural trainer for organizations and businesses engaged in China. She has also taught Chinese at the University …View Full Bio
Blessing Asia
In October-2022 more than 500 Christian leaders from across Asia gathered in Thailand for the Asia 2022 Congress, sponsored by the Lausanne Movement and various partnering organizations. I had the opportunity to participate in the Congress virtually and was mightily blessed. From Bible exposition to K-pop worship, and through seminars and workshops, the participants were encouraged by the stories of what God is doing in countries all over Asia. Clearly, God is on the move.
A beautiful vision was portrayed in a video of the popular worship song The Blessing, featuring singers from all over Asia. Here it is:
Many of the sessions have already been posted on their website and to their YouTube channel.
One that I found particularly helpful considering all that is going on in China was a presentation titled Church and State Relationship in Asia Today. You can see the video here.
I encourage you to spend some time on their website; there are fantastic resources for understanding God’s work in Asia today.
Original link: https://www.chinasource.org/resource-library/blog-entries/blessing-asia/
Image credit: Andrea Brucker, via Unsplash
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