Syria’s Christians: What to watch for (December 26, 2024, Evangelical Focus)
Over a decade of civil war, Syria lost hundreds of thousands of its Christian population, with one estimate putting the number of Christians currently at less than 2% of the population, down from 10% pre-war. With the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, what is likely to come next for the Christians of Syria?
Christmas is non-existent for North Korean Christians (December 17, 2024, Premier Christianity)
Christmas is non-existent for North Korean Christians (December 17, 2024, Premier Christianity)For most Christians around the world, Christmas is a time to gather and celebrate with friends and family. But for Christians in North Korea, the most dangerous country in the world for followers of Jesus, it is a time of great danger
New approaches needed for growing Mongolian Church (December 2, 2024, Mission Network News)
Over 90 percent of Mongolians are still considered unreached even with the evangelical Church growing at a rate three times the world average. Ministry practices that were introduced by missionaries have helped the Mongolian Church to grow quickly but may not be enough for the future.
AFGHANISTAN: Bringing life to the graveyard of empires (September 23, 2024, Release International)
How do you take the gospel to one of the most inhospitable places in the world – a country now dominated by a militant Islamist group? One answer to that question is by radio.
Christmas Celebrated in China’s Christian Communities on Sunday (December 23, 2024, China Christian Daily)
Many churches have marked Christmas in advance as Christmas Day, which falls on Wednesday this year, is not an official holiday in China. It is said that many house churches have celebrated the festival days or even a month ago due to safety concerns, while a large percentage of registered churches observed it last Sunday.
Xiamen: Pray for New Testimonies of God’s Power (December 23, 2024, China Partnership)
There are not good testimonies to share with others. We keep repeating the testimony of the older generations – but in our generation of younger churches, it doesn’t seem like there are many stories to tell. Pray for us to have more deeply rooted, godly lives.
Stories of Life-Changing Encounters in Church on Christmas (December 22, 2024, China Christian Daily)
On Christmas Eve in 2009, he wandered the streets after work, with nothing particular to do. He noticed a church packed with people and, out of curiosity, went in. The warm reception from the church staff and the cozy atmosphere of the Christmas Eve service deeply moved him. Although he didn’t quite understand what the pastor was saying, he was infected by the fervent atmosphere when the call to respond came during the church service, and resolutely went up to receive the pastor’s blessing.
China’s Catholics in 2024: A Year in Review (December 22, 2024, The Catholic Reporter)
If the 1950s and ’60s were an era mostly of state persecution in China, 2024 was a year mostly of state control over the Church.
Ministering Cross-Culturally: A 150 Percent Person (December 20, 2024, ChinaSource)
You and I will never be a 200 percent person. But there are enough shared values and beliefs in divergent cultures for us to appreciate and begin to understand another culture, always as an outsider, but with a growing capacity to respond to new expectations and values in culturally appropriate ways.
Xiamen: Longing for Depth (December 19, 2024, China Partnership)
If Xiamen churches are to grow and mature, they need to reflect deeply on Christ’s goodness. As one pastor shared, he is praying for “discipleship within the church, and evangelism and missions outside.” While sobering, this critical look at what the Xiamen church needs can encourage us to pray for Xiamen believers and for the church in China.