WASHINGTON, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) was founded in 1998. The mission of the USCIRF is “To elevate and promote international religious freedom as a norm and practice.” During the past year, the USCIRF has issued four factsheets that summarize four types of laws used internationally to prevent the…
“Planning for God’s Abundance” Theme Encourages Attendees to Focus on the Kingdom Impact of their Life-Saving and Family-Building WorkNASHVILLE – Care Net, a nonprofit ministry that supports one of the nation’s largest network of pregnancy centers, kicked off its 36th annual conference last Sept 4 at the Union Station Hotel. The conference is the nation’s…
TASHKENT – The spotlight of the global water crisis is currently shining on the countries of Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan. In “Water: A Time Bomb in Central Asia,” Aqua Doc emphasized that, “Agricultural water use in Central Asian countries is of vital importance, especially for Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. These countries employ inefficient irrigation methods….
Faith-based Agency Helps Bring Christ’s Love into Far-flung Villages, www.gfa.org/press/bicycles WILLS POINT, TX — Aiming to bring “compassion on wheels” into more remote villages in Asia, faith-based agency Gospel for Asia (GFA) today announced the launch of a new bicycle campaign. In August and September – a period when many Americans enjoy taking their bikes…
90-Day Hope’ initiative will be more affordable and focus on women’s opioid addiction crisis; rehab center also begins accepting insurance for first timeCOLUMBUS, GA — Adult & Teen Challenge (www.teenchallenge.cc) – Southeast Region based in Columbus, Ga. announced the launch of a new 90-day drug and alcohol treatment program, serving women throughout Georgia and surrounding…
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) has released a new special report entitled “Literacy: One of the Great Miracle Cures.” Subtitled, “Resolving the Limitations Illiteracy Places on the Human Spirit,” noted author Karen Mains explains that illiteracy is a multi-faceted . . . problem that results in [fewer] job opportunities and low income,…
Teen Challenge is an organization that operates a support program for people with an addiction to drugs. The first center for boys in Romania was inaugurated in 2007 near Bucharest, in Gradistea. According to statistics it is estimated that there are over 100,000 drug users in Bucharest. “I saw a program which I really liked…
Greg Laurie, evangelist, pastor, and best selling author, shares his thoughts on the subject of millennials and the Generation Z and their search for truth, God, and love for country. I thought the subject of this article might grab your attention because it is not what we are generally hearing about millennials and Generation Z…
WILLS POINT, TX — Labor Day has been celebrated by Americans on the first Monday in September since 1894. Labor Day has become the unofficial last day of summer. Picnics, hot dogs, parades, and fireworks. Only a few continue to observe the day in recognition of the rights of laborers and to remember those who…
VENEZUELA – More than four million Venezuelan Refugees have sought refuge in other countries, due to the severe economic crisis at home. Thousands cross the border into Colombia every day, and many of those continue on foot into the interior. They walk alone or with their children, and depend on the kindness of others for…
Matthew Barnett, co-founder of the Los Angeles Dream Center and senior pastor of Angelus Temple, discusses the ways to end homelessness, that it is not an impossible dream to do so. It’s hard to believe that homelessness still rises to a crisis level in so many places across the U.S. And it pains me to…
NEW YORK – August 22, 2019, marked the first International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief sponsored by the United Nations. Missions Box News first became aware of the proposed special day in July 2018 when members of the British parliament were called to consider supporting a proposal…
NEW YORK – Clean water. America has it in abundance. And we have all the benefits that come along with immediate access to it. But do we understand what those benefits are and what the impact of living with them is? The issue goes far beyond thirst. UNICEF published the first volume of a new…
ANAHEIM, CA – SoCal Harvest is celebrating its 30th anniversary of holding crusades in Southern California the same way it did after its first crusade in 1990: with thousands of changed lives. The three-night outreach event drew 100,000 people to Angel Stadium, where they enjoyed performances by Grammy Award and Dove Award-winning artists, fireworks, celebrity…
KABUL – That is one way to describe Afghanistan: 48,000 mosques; no churches. Our mental picture of Afghanistan is a country torn by Taliban tribal warfare and a haven of ISIS. That vision includes thousands of U.S. troops in-country and many more whose return to “normal life” has been hindered by afflictions that range from…
WILLS POINT, TX – Only as the scourge of human trafficking is infesting the North American continent, we are at long last becoming aware of its sinister realities. Human trafficking cases are making local news headlines in places like Fayetteville, NC; Tuscaloosa, AL; and Milwaukee. Our blissful ignorance of the 16 million victims of human…
Violence against women is a worldwide problem, even in the United States of America. One in five women in the United States have been sexually assaulted In the wake of the recent #MeToo movement, sexual assault and violence against women in American and other Western countries have made headlines in unprecedented volume. According to a…
Prominent Pastors Greg Laurie and Dr. Jack Graham say the mass shootings in America are clearly the result of a spiritual crisis in the nation. In a five-minute Instagram video posted Sunday, Laurie and Graham discuss the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio and what Christians need to do in response to…
This week the State Department hosted its second annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom.As part of the session, 27 victims of religious persecution met Wednesday with President Trump at the White House.The ministerial convenes foreign diplomats, experts and civil society leaders to address the most pressing issues affecting religious freedom around the world. Certainly among…
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA) issues an extensive Special Report on child labor: Millions of Children Trapped between Extreme Poverty and the Profits of Others In a report written by Lee Tucker, a consultant to Human Rights Watch, about the problem of bonded labor in Asia, a young girl shared, “My sister…
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — A radical new book out today aims to shake up America’s laid-back retirement culture and launch a new wave of missions-driven seniors into God’s service. “After a lifetime of work, the thought of a life of ‘(doing) nothing’ can seem like paradise,” said Bruce Bruinsma, author of The Retirement Reformation, published…
JERUSALEM — Throughout much of its existence, The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) has stood in the gap between the support people feel they need in the vulnerable parts of Israel and what the government has had the capacity and capability to provide. “No government in the world protects its people as…
WILLS POINT, TX — Gospel for Asia: The scourge of human trafficking is accelerating at a rapid pace, according to Christian agency Gospel for Asia (GFA), which urges the public to ‘Speak out for Silent Victims.’ To mark World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30, Gospel for Asia (GFA) is sounding the alarm…
This week America was rocked by the news that multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein was arrested for running a sex-trafficking ring of minors. Noel Yeatts, president of World Help, a Christian humanitarian organization, examines the situation: The details, revealed by a federal indictment recently unsealed, are still emerging, but what we know so far paints a grim…
BANI, BURKIN FASO – Wearing a Christian cross on a necklace is common. For some, it is a mere prettification. Others wear one as a talisman of sorts. But, for believers, it is a witness to their faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary. It is, for the most part, a perfectly acceptable…
VIRGINIA BEACH – Ben Kinchlow’s warm, smiling face graced our living room for nearly two decades as the host of The 700 Club on the Christian Broadcasting Network. Today, Ben Kinchlow is looking at the warm, smiling face of Jesus as He has welcomed Ben with the words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”…
WASHINGTON D.C. – The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) launched a new national campaign to help congregations “show and share God’s love” for their pastors in creative and practical ways. The Bless Your Pastor (BlessYourPastor.org) campaign is part of a larger initiative to address financial challenges faced by pastors and is funded by a $1…
ANAHEIM, CA – Greg Laurie, bestselling author and senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship of California and Hawaii, will host his 30th annual SoCal Harvest Crusade at the Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Calif., August 23 – 25th. Called by Billy Graham the “evangelist of the future,” Laurie has preached the gospel in person to millions…
MADRID – Working with, through, and for the local Church, the Luis Palau Association through the FestiMadrid campaign proclaimed the life-changing message of Jesus Christ on a nationwide scale a June 21-23, 2019. The region-wide effort brought together more than 200 churches and trained 3,700 local followers of Christ – all focused on a week-long…
malariNEW DELHI – The paradox of disease is that on the one hand it is an opportunity to share the gospel and on the other hand, it is an enemy that can rob us of the time needed to reach those afflicted. South Asia is the poster child for this paradox. As you read this…
WILLS POINT, TX — Gospel for Asia (GFA) — a Christian movement that launched a “revolution in world missions” — celebrates its 40th anniversary on July 3, with its founder proclaiming “we can’t slow down, there is so much more yet to do.” The Texas-based ministry is “celebrating God’s faithfulness” over the past four decades…
CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU – About this same time last year, Missions Box News and media outlets worldwide were reporting on the looming “Day Zero” water crisis in Cape Town, South Africa. That crisis followed a drought that had lasted three years. Earlier this month, we continued to monitor the growing world water crisis in New…
WILLS POINT, TX – June 20th is World Refugee Day. The annual observation is particularly important this year as we are currently facing the worst refugee crisis in recorded history. Measuring the Problem According to the UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, at least 68.5 million people around the globe have been displaced from their…
DELRAY BEACH, FL – Haiti has been plagued for years by extreme poverty and natural disasters. In fact, the natives of Hispaniola were “virtually wiped out” by Spanish settlers within 25 years of Columbus’ arrival. Haiti was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere even before the massive earthquake of 2010 in which some 200,000…
BEIJING – The Chinese Community Party hopes to have its social credit system fully operational across the entire country by 2020. What the CCP calls a social credit system, others are calling China a “digital dictatorship.” Implementation of the system is well underway. Already 13.5 million Chinese have received scores low enough to be blacklisted….
WASHINGTON —Travis Weber, Vice President for Policy and Director of the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council, spoke in Taiwan at the Taiwan International Religious Freedom Forum (TIRFF) on the importance of promoting religious freedom around the world, particularly in China. The conference is a joint effort of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan,…
WASHINGTON D.C. — “Christians in the Mirror: Stories of Courage and Faith in the Face of Persecution From Syria, Iraq, India, Sudan and Egypt” will premiere Monday, June 10 at the Miracle Theatre in Washington D.C. from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Joshuacord, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is honored to share with the community this one-of-a-kind film…
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – The water crisis that has struck nations in South Asia, Africa, and South America has now expanded into New South Wales (NSW), the most populous state of Australia. There is no indication at the moment that the two years of drought, below average rainfall that has plagued the eastern part of the…
MEVO MODI’IM, Israel —Yael Eckstein and Dari Carlebach have something in common. They are both the daughters of noted rabbis. Carlebach’s late father, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, was known as “The Singing Rabbi” for his unique, lyrical style of prayer which became famous throughout the world. His songs drew many to Mevo Modi’im, the idyllic Israeli village…
PORTLAND, OR — At the invitation of hundreds of churches and thousands of Christians in Spain, the Luis Palau Association will share the Good News of Jesus Christ in Madrid, June 15-23, 2019, through numerous outreach events and a 2-day family festival in the heart of the city. Working with, through, and for the local…
GENEVA – China will play host to the United Nations’ annual World Environment Day on June 5. More than 100 countries will participate to address this year’s theme of “Air Pollution” with a special emphasis on how air pollution affects the health of children. Air pollutio𝗇 is a significant, health and life-threatening problem for people…
CHARLOTTE, NC — Crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team are deploying to Jefferson City, MO, following a destructive EF-3 tornado that impacted an area of approximately three square miles, damaging more than 150 structures. The twister was one of more than a dozen that tore through the state earlier this week. “Chaplains with the Billy…
GARDEN VALLEY, TX – Aissata was right at the center of a major milestone in the ministry of Mercy Ships. In fact, she is the milestone but she doesn’t even realize it. You see, Aissata is only seven months old. On Monday, May 20, 2019, Aissata became the 100,000th person to become the recipient of…
GHORAHI, NEPAL – Around the entire globe, the followers of Jesus Christ increasingly suffer persecution from non-believers. The sources of persecution may come from authorities at constitutional, legislative, or municipal levels, from radical followers of other religious groups, or from the creep of sin that is making societies and cultures more anti-Christ. Christians may decry…
MUMBAI – The Indian general election results will be announced on Thursday, May 23rd, 2019. Most Americans probably did not know that. Here are 10 other amazing things about the general elections in India you also probably did not know. India’s general election process has been dubbed “The world’s biggest democratic exercise.” Question: If this…
Christian men’s ministry Promise Keepers has announced plans to launch a national event in 2020 with expectations it will reignite the revival among men sparked in the 1990s. The event called The PK Experience, taking place at the AT & T stadium in Arlington, Texas July 31 and August 1 is expected to attract crowds…
CHIAPAS – It is amazing how much we do not know about our USA neighbors to the immediate north and south. We are especially ignorant of religious persecution against Protestants and Evangelicals in Mexico. Some will be surprised at the allegation because they think that Mexico is a Christian country. Accepting the fact that there…
PASADENA, CA – Sunday, June 9, 2019, is the International Day for the Unreached. This is the second in a short series of articles that will explain who they are, where they are, how we are doing, and how we can do better. In our first article, we introduced five major groups defined by the…
JERUSALEM — When Hamas and Islamic Jihad began to barrage southern Israel with over 600 rockets in less than 24 hours, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews immediately began to assess the effects of the attack on its program recipients and to enact their broader emergency response plan only deployed when Israel teeters on the brink of…
A local government communications agency in China held a seminar in April to discuss with Communist Party members the “enormous harm” the growth of Christianity is to the atheist nation. The Chinese Christian persecution watchdog China Aid raised an alarm about the event, titled “Christianity’s Enormous Harm on China’s Security,” held on April 22 in the…
