WASHINGTON — A new survey of churches across America reveals a turnaround for church financial health — halting a downward trend in church giving caused by COVID-19. The findings are welcome news for churches as the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) launches the second annual Bless Your Pastor (BlessYourPastor.org) campaign to equip churches for October…
OREGON — In the wake of wildfires in Jackson County, Oregon, Samaritan’s Purse seeks to be the hands and feet of Jesus to devastated homeowners. Their teams are sifting through ashes in search of items precious to each family. Every homeowner also receives a Bible signed by the volunteers who worked on their property. Lynda…
ORLANDO, FL — Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that empowers mother-tongue Bible translators and partners with local churches in the advancement of Bible translation, reports that Nigerian Bible translators are asking for help after suspending Bible translation projects in 30 languages. The global pandemic, terrorism, and economic collapse have brought Bible translation to a halt…
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by KP Yohannan, issued this Special Report on the horrific realities girls face, child marriage, human trafficking, abuse & exploitation, and the restoration & redemption that God brings to their lives. Nearly 173 years ago, on October 16,…
LIBERIA — Mercy Ships has announced the arrival of the Global Mercy, the world’s largest purpose-built charity hospital ship capable of more than doubling the charity’s surgical and training capacity. The 174-meter, 37,000-ton ship will have six operating rooms and house over 600 volunteers from around the globe representing many disciplines including surgeons, maritime crew,…
PORTLAND, OR — There’s no question this has been one of the most difficult years in history, and pastors and church leaders have not been immune to this pain. Many are struggling to keep perspective, stay encouraged, and lead their churches well. In an effort to bring unique encouragement and support to pastors during this…
WASHINGTON, DC – Global Handwashing Day is October 15. The annual observance was established by the Global Handwashing Partnership in 2008. The Partnership is a coalition of private sector entities, academic institutions, government agencies, and non-governmental organizations that collaborate to promote handwashing. I thought that responsibility belonged to my parents. “Don’t touch anything with your…
BAKERSFIELD, CA — Since the United States Department of Agriculture Farmers to Families Food Box Program launched in May 2020, CityServe’s collaborative network of churches and faith-based organizations have distributed over 5 million food boxes across the United States. Food box distribution in CityServe’s network totals over 120 million pounds of wholesome foods delivered to…
LOS ANGELES — The Restart Learning Center, now in its tenth week of operation, is a new service the Los Angeles Dream Center began providing at their Echo Park campus at the start of an unusual school year. With remote learning providing an additional challenge for working families, and unstable or non-existent wifi connections for…
WILLS POINT, TX – Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) have released the newest in their acclaimed series of Special Reports. The latest report is about being a girl – and the tragedy that can be. Susan Lawson opens her well-document report with a thumbnail view of the classic…
NEW YORK – World Food Day occurs every October 16 as an effort to remind everyday people like you and me that 11% of the world population is hungry. I had been blissfully unaware that anyone in the world suffered from hunger until I saw the movie, Oliver! In 1968. My naïve, young mind was…
NEW YORK – The International Day of Rural Women is observed annually on October 15. The event particularly recognizes the needs of the millions of rural# women in developing countries who are often pivotal to ensuring household food security. October 15 was specifically chosen for this observance because it if the day immediately preceding World…
BURKINA FASO — Following an escalation in violence against Christians in Burkina Faso in West Africa since June 2019, countless believers have been forced to flee leaving them in desperate need of food supplies. Churches have been attacked by radical Jihadists, with at least 50 Christians murdered and thousands more displaced. Open Doors has responded…
QARAQOSH, IRAQ — When the so-called Islamic State (IS) took over their town, Qaraqosh in northern Iraq, Mathi and his family had no choice but to flee. He, his wife Nazik and their six children fled to safety – they knew that their Christian faith made them extremely vulnerable. Five years later, thanks to support…
USA — When COVID-19 hit, Joni and Friends developed creative new ways to serve families across America living with disabilities. Through Family Retreat at Home they’re providing spiritual refreshment as they focus on God’s love and connect with other families facing similar challenges. Tabitha Williams – Joni & Friends Bay Area Family Retreat at Home…
PITTSBURGH — A pandemic won’t stop FLM Haiti’s efforts to provide needed support for the Haitian people. In fact, the need is even greater this year as Haiti continues to fight the impact of COVID-19 and other ongoing challenges related to education, health care, and housing. With that in mind, the Functional Literacy Ministry (FLM…
LONDON, ENGLAND — There are believed to be around 500 Christian prisoners of faith in Eritrea, many imprisoned indefinitely under appalling conditions. However recent reports indicate a growing number of them have been released. A trusted contact of Release International says the government has set free 27 prisoners, most of whom have been behind bars…
ORLANDO — Despite the unprecedented slew of pandemic-related shutdowns, quarantines, and schedule delays, the Christ for All Nations (CfaN) team has not missed a single Gospel Crusade. In fact, 2020 has been one of their busiest years and by the end of the year, they will have had the most crusades in a single calendar…
WASHINGTON, DC — Evangelist Franklin Graham says for believers, the most important weapon is prayer – and that’s what he and thousands of his brother and sisters in Christ were doing in America’s capital today: praying … for America. The focus of Prayer March 2020 from the Lincoln Memorial to the U.S. Capitol – a…
NORTH KOREA — North Korea is on the verge of a catastrophic meltdown according to reports reaching Open Doors from North Korean Christians. “North Korea faces a major crisis with multiple causes,” says Timothy Cho, North Korean escapee. “Covid-19 lockdown, catastrophic flooding, and international sanctions.” Although the North Korean Government has claimed that they have…
ISRAEL — Shaya Ben-Yehuda, managing director of international relations at Yad Vashem, shares regarding the incredible true story of Corrie ten Boom. In Jewish culture, we believe that only very few, the most virtuous of all, have the distinction of passing through the “gateway to the Lord” while still in this world. Similarly, very few…
SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Discussing religion and politics at a neighborhood barbeque may be considered bad form, but a new two-dimensional survey commissioned by the non-profit and non-partisan Presidential Prayer Team (PPT), first to the general public of Americans (reflected here) and second to the vast prayer team membership, shows that the mixing of prayer and…
WEST DES MOINES, IA — A former domestic abuser turned non-profit leader has launched a new national campaign challenging churches across America to help “halt the epidemic of domestic violence.” Michael Clark — an ex-abuser jailed twice for domestic violence — is calling on America’s churches to tackle the nation’s domestic abuse crisis head-on during…
MIDDLETOWN, CA — “Spiritual fire” means a believer in Christ “on fire”–zealous to cleanse from old sins, turning away from the world’s ways to God’s Way, ready to love neighbors, telling them that Christ is real and gives hope for their lives. Over 8,000 California fires just in the year 2020. Over 5 million acres…
WASHINGTON — In round two of the United States Department of Agriculture Farmers to Families Food Box Program, CityServe, a faith-based nonprofit, and Gold Star Foods Inc., one of the nation’s leading nutrition providers to K-12 schools and USDA approved contractor, collaborated in a unique partnership to feed families. Occurring from July 2 through September…
QAMISHLI, SYRIA — Pastor George Moushi leads a church in Qamishli, northern Syria. His church responded when the region was invaded by Turkish forces last autumn, providing vital aid for many vulnerable Syrians. Support from Open Doors has kept them going as they faced a very visible threat – bombs, soldiers, Islamic extremists and now…
SANFORD, FL — Ligonier Ministries will release the first episode of a new podcast, Luther: In Real Time, on October 10. As its title suggests, the dramatic podcast enables listeners to walk in Martin Luther’s footsteps five hundred years to the day, from his heresy charges on October 10, 1520, to his famous stand for…
CALIFORNIA, USA — Samaritan’s Purse is helping homeowners in Santa Cruz, California, where hundreds of houses burned to the ground in the wake of terrible wildfires. Sharing God’s love in word and deed, their volunteers are sifting through the ashes to find personal treasures for affected families. Mark Bingham, Fire Chief, Boulder Creek Fire Dept….
WASHINGTON — Coptic Solidarity’s 5th Annual Modern Coptic Martyrs Day will be hosted on Zoom this Friday, October 9th at 2 PM, Eastern Standard Time. This year’s event will be held on the ninth anniversary of the Maspero Massacre when 27 Copts were brutally murdered by the Egyptian Army while they were peacefully protesting a…
CHAMPAIGN, IL — When support from mainland U.S. dropped due to the COVID 19 pandemic, orphanages in Haiti faced a food shortage. A church in Puerto Rico applied to empty tomb®, inc.’s Mission Match® to fill the gap. Even though Puerto Rico is still recovering from Hurricane Maria (2017), Pastor Rolando Cruz of the Iglesia…
NEW YORK – World Teachers’ Day has been observed annually on October 5 since 1994 as a joint endeavor between UNESCO, UNICEF, the International Labor Organization, and Education International. (Education International is a federation of global teachers’ unions.) The theme for World Teachers’ Day 2020 is, “Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future.” With the…
NEW YORK – The United Nations General Assembly declared the second day of October as the International Day of Non-Violence. It has been observed annually since 2007, yet its true meaning becomes less clear the more one studies the thought-leaders who address the subject. What Non-Violence Is Not In far too many thousands of cities…
KIGALI, RWANDA – Africa New Life began extending its hands of evangelism and compassion to the suffering nation of Rwanda in 2001. The country was just beginning to recover from what has been described as “the swiftest genocide in history.” Over 800,000 Rwandans had been slaughtered over a period of 90 days. More than 600,000…
PHOENIX – The latest and final portion of the Cultural Research Center Worldview Inventory 2020 has been released. The results are alarming. Having compared the worldview of the Millennial generation to the other living generations, the report title tells the tale that the results reveal. Millennials Have Radically Different Beliefs About Respect, Faith, and America…
GARLAND, TX – Odds are that you have never heard of Twelve21 Global. That’s because it was founded by Yusuph Emmanuel only two years ago in 2018. Yusuph knows first-hand what life on the streets is like in a developing country. He grew up as a street kid in the African country of Tanzania. Life…
DILLSBURG, PA – The Forgotten Voices ministry is committed to doing its part to transform the lives of some of the 4.1 million orphaned and vulnerable children in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi. Although it is a small organization compare to like-minded global outreaches, its impact is, nevertheless, soul-stirring. Forgotten Voices follows a local church-based, family-focused,…
WILLS POINT, TX — Gospel for Asia (GFA World and affiliates like Gospel for Asia Canada) founded by Dr. K.P. Yohannan – Discussing World Mosquito Day and how GFA workers are using the day to bring hope into the lives of their neighbors. World Mosquito Day, observed on August 20, marks the date in 1897…
DALLAS, TX – The SIL International story began in the jungles of Guatemala when 21-year-old William Cameron Townsend was distributing Spanish translation Bibles among the Kaqchikel Indians. In the midst of his missionary work telling the Kaqchikel about the Jesus of the Bible, one astute Indian confounded the Bible college-educated Townsend with this question. “If…
SANFORD, FL – Americans are becoming theologically and spiritually weaker. It is more and more obvious as we read and watch the daily news, and as researchers publish survey results that measure our changing perspectives on all things moral and Biblical. Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research collaborate every two years to monitor “The State of…
SANTA CLARITA, CA – ZOE may be my favorite word in koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament. It means “life.” Among other places, it appears in John 14:6 where Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” and John 3:16 where He says, For God so loved the world…
SAN ANTONIO, TX — Recovery Sunday is this Sunday, September 27th, offering hope to Christian drug addicts. Almost 21 million Americans have at least one addiction. Only 10% receive treatment. 2 million Americans are addicted to opioids – a class of drugs which block sensations of pain and cause euphoria. From 1999 to 2017, more…
RALEIGH, NC – Refugee Hope Partners’ (RHP) name pretty well explains why the organization exists. RHP is a relatively small ministry, but its services are a big deal for refugees from around the globe who have settled in Raleigh, North Carolina. More than 60 million people have been displaced worldwide. Unfortunately, these people often become…
MONUMENT, CO – The vision for 4D Ministries was planted in the hearts of Hank and Mona Paulson as an extension of other ministries under their care during the era of the Cold War. When the Curtain Went Up The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 was not merely a symbol of the entire…
“Literacy Teaching and Learning in the COVID-19 Crisis and Beyond” was the theme for this years’ International Literacy Day on September 8, 2020. UNICEF introduced the initiative in 1996 to encourage governments, businesses, and non-governmental agencies to promote and participate in programs to advance literacy for men, women, and children around the world. The gap…
GREENVILLE, SC – PAK7 is a brand-new faith-based organization that is preparing for Christian ministry in Pakistan, the fifth largest country in the world by population. More than 90% of the population, of which 70% are under age 35, are Muslim. Pakistan is also ranked as the 5th most dangerous nation for the persecution of…
WILLS POINT, TX – Fidelity Charitable published an article recently that discussed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on charitable giving to NGOs and FBOs. Fidelity noted that “The COVID-19 pandemic has upended daily routines and impacted communities across the world in unprecedented ways. No corner of our society has been left untouched by the…
HENRICO, VA – Good News Jail & Prison Ministry is the largest independent provider of chaplains for jails and prisons worldwide, serving in 22 states and 25 countries. GNJPM will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2021. Good News JPM’s vision is “To reach every inmate in the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ…
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — This month, pro-life ministry Save the Storks delivered its 58th and 59th mobile medical units (MMU) to two pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) in El Paso, Texas. The units will arrive in Texas on Sept. 10 to coincide with a joint celebration for both PRCs. “This is such a great example of…
NEW YORK – The Forum of Bible Agencies International is the world’s only forum for international Bible ministry leaders designed to benefit member agencies individually and through the partnerships they create. Let’s imagine that every Bible-believing Christian in America decides to move to a foreign country as ambassadors for Christ. What would that look like?…
ENGLAND — Thanks to a remarkable acceleration of translation work despite the worldwide pandemic, Wycliffe Bible Translators reports the Bible is now available in more than 700 languages across the globe. This breakthrough comes at a significant time as people have been reading the scriptures more than ever before during this time of lockdown. A…
