SYRIA — With the sudden takeover of Syria by Islamist rebels driving out Syrian President Bashar Assad, Christian ministry Help The Persecuted says Christians there are in an increasingly perilous situation. Before this offensive began, Syria was home to an estimated 300,000 Christians. The takeover by Jihadist forces has the Christian community concerned that they…
BIRMINGHAM, AL — Christmas services at each of the 26 Alabama and Georgia locations of Church of the Highlands will provide an uplifting worship experience and an inspiring message this holiday season. Senior Pastor Chris Hodges is inviting everyone in the community to attend one of the multiple services occurring Thursday, Dec. 19 through Tuesday,…
SAN DIEGO, CA — This Christmas season, Dr. David Jeremiah, founder and host of Turning Point Ministries, wants to reach the world with the hope of the Christmas story. On Saturday, December 14, Turning Point Studios, the production company for Dr. Jeremiah’s Turning Point Ministries, is hosting Reach the World Day, an evangelistic outreach featuring…
BANGLADESH — In northwest Bangladesh, nine-year-old girl, Rumana is persecuted because her family left Islam. At school, Rumana continues to face rejection and isolation every single day. But she now attends a Sunday school run by local Open Doors partners where she feels loved and accepted. Rumana: “They have been treating us badly ever since…
CENTRAL ASIA — Ailin’s* parents are deaf – and Christian – which makes them especially vulnerable to persecution in Central Asia. Rejected by their family, and even arrested, Ailin and her parents have since received practical and spiritual support from local Open Doors partners. *Name changed for security reasons. *Ailin – name changed for security…
NORTH WALES — A father and son based in North Wales in the UK are working together to make sure thousands of vulnerable children won’t be forgotten this Christmas when they receive gift-filled shoeboxes. Dave and Simon Cooke who both run the charity Teams4U are busy preparing to send what they describe as ‘love in…
LIBERIA — When special needs Liberian girl Erica was tied to a tree in her community in Liberia because they thought she was cursed a Christian charity worker not only rescued her, but also restored her life through the support of a ministry center called His Safe Haven. Her story is featured in a Christmas…
PORTLAND, OR —In honor of Luis Palau and his years of faithful ministry, the Luis Palau Association is excited to announce the public launch of the Luis Palau Legacy Library (www.LuisPalau.org). This exciting new website and podcast allows individuals from around the world to explore Luis Palau’s remarkable life and teachings, offering access to 80…
ORLANDO, FL — In a year that will be remembered as one of the most groundbreaking in evangelistic history, Christ for all Nations (CfaN), under the leadership of Evangelist Daniel Kolenda, successfully completed 50 crusades across eight nations as part of its 50th-anniversary celebration. Spanning from Cape Town to Cairo, this epic journey of faith…
BOONE, NC — Every Christmas season, hundreds of thousands of Americans pack gift-filled shoeboxes for children in need around the world. Samaritan’s Purse delivers these shoebox gifts—packed with personal care items, school supplies, and fun toys—to boys and girls through its project, Operation Christmas Child. Volunteers work year-round to share God’s love in this tangible…
NIGERIA — Rev. Jonathan Ugbede is deputy chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria. He shares what he’s seeing of the displacement crisis in sub-Saharan Africa and how the global church can respond. Rev. Jonathan Ugbede – Deputy Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria: The fact is millions of people are displaced from their…
NIGERIA — More followers of Jesus are killed for their faith in Nigeria than any other country in the world. Every year, thousands of Boko Haram Victims die at the hands of militants who are determined to turn Africa’s most populous nation into an Islamic state. Greg Musselman, of Voice of the Martyrs Canada, brings…
BANGLADESH — Moryom aged 9 from Bangladesh is rejected, mocked and bullied at school for her faith in Jesus. The one safe place she and her family have is their church. And thanks to support from Christian charity Open Doors, Moryom can spend time with other Christian children at Sunday school, where she is accepted…
LOVES PARK, IL —It’s a surprise twist few would have imagined — Ukrainian and Russian Jewish Christians are playing a vital role delivering aid to suffering families on the frontline in Israel, 2,000 miles from the war in Europe. Recent immigrants to Israel include Ukrainian refugees who’ve added to the ranks of Israel’s small-but-growing evangelical…
AFRICA — A ten-year-old girl from Sierra Leone is standing 14 centimetres taller after receiving free, life-transforming surgery from international charity Mercy Ships to straighten her severely bowed legs. Through Mercy Ships, Fudia was diagnosed with Blount’s disease – a condition that causes severe leg deformities in young children and adolescents. The condition caused Fudia’s…
BOONE, NC — Samaritan’s Purse is airlifting winter clothing into one of the hardest-hit areas of North Carolina this afternoon. Franklin Graham, the president of the international Christian disaster relief and evangelism organization, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem will deliver hundreds of winter jackets, fleece sweaters and pants to the Bat Cave community near…
ZAMBIA — The Love Zambia Campaign has reached more than 730,000 Zambians over a period of 5 months. Through the Luis Palau Association’s Global Network of Evangelists, volunteers from more than 25 countries ministered in villages and cities across the nation, culminating in a 3-day festival in Zambia’s capital, Lusaka. Mark Roughton reports. The Love…
NIGERIA — Pastor Barnabas lives in one of many internally displaced people (IDP) camps in Nigeria, along with thousands of Christians who have been forced from their homes by Islamic extremist violence. Across sub-Saharan Africa, 16.2 million Christians have been forcibly displaced by violence and conflict. But most of the world doesn’t even know it’s…
BARTLESVILLE, OK — The Voice of the Martyrs has released a powerful and professional short feature film about the bravery and bold witness of a pastor and his wife serving in the dangerous paramilitary-controlled “red zones” in Colombia. The Martinez Family short feature will inspire viewers to join in the International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians (IDOP)—a…
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA —In a massive effort to share hope with hundreds of thousands of Zambians, the Luis Palau Association partnered with more than 4,900 churches across denominational lines to accomplish the Love Zambia Festival. This nationwide evangelistic campaign trained tens of thousands of Christians and reached hundreds of thousands of individuals with the Good News…
WILLS POINT, TX — At Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas on October 18, GFA World (www.gfa.org) led a special “Celebration of Life” service for its founder and leader, K.P. Yohannan, who passed tragically in May of this year. The service had over 250 attendees, including prominent Christian leaders and pastors such as Jack Graham, Francis…
CAMEROON — In the Far North region of Cameroon, Christians are high value targets for Islamist extremists from Boko Haram, leading to significant trauma among the local population. Believers like Ramata* live under the threat of attacks that can snatch away loved ones and uproot families from their homes. Thanks to support from Open Doors,…
MADAGASCAR — A YWAM medical ship has set sail from the North Wales coast to Madagascar where its crew will provide vital medical treatment to those in desperate need. GNA reporter Peter Wooding went on board the Island Reach to find out more about their journey and mission to the South East African coast. A…
BOONE, NC — Samaritan’s Purse has completed more than 210 helicopter and fixed-wing missions to deliver emergency relief supplies to some of the most isolated and hard-hit areas of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee in response to Hurricane Helene—with more airlifts going out every day. From small helicopters to Black Hawks to Chinooks, capable…
MIDDLE EAST — As the war in the Middle East continues to escalate, Christian ministry Help The Persecuted is launching an urgent appeal to enable their team on the ground in Lebanon to provide safe shelter, urgent food supplies and pastoral support to some of the one million displaced people who have fled the fighting…
BOONE, NC — Samaritan’s Purse has begun emergency airlift operations in western North Carolina to help people who have been cut off from access to basic necessities due to infrastructure damage caused by Hurricane Helene. The international Christian relief organization has also deployed an Emergency Field Hospital to assist Cannon Memorial Hospital in Avery County,…
SPRINGFIELD, MO — Convoy of Hope teams are in North Carolina and Florida, where Hurricane Helene made landfall last week as a Category 4 storm. Disaster response teams have already staged numerous distributions for survivors, providing them with food, water, hygiene kits, cleaning supplies and tarps. Additional truckloads of supplies are being sent from Convoy’s…
BOONE, NC — Samaritan’s Purse is responding to overwhelming needs in Western North Carolina, Eastern Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida following the catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene. The Category 4 storm made its historic landfall with 140mph winds along Florida’s Big Bend region on Thursday night leaving an enormous path of destruction that flattened homes and…
BOONE, NC — Samaritan’s Purse is responding to south central Louisiana after Hurricane Francine rapidly intensified into a category 2 hurricane unleashing 100mph winds and heavy rainfall on coastal communities. Today, a Disaster Relief Unit—a tractor-trailer filled with tools and equipment—is on the way to south central Louisiana where strong winds downed trees and extensive…
NIGERIA — Christmas 2023 saw many largely Christian villages in Nigeria’s Middle Belt attacked by militant Fulani herdsmen. Magdalene* and Mafulul* recount their painful stories – but also God’s healing through trauma-care workshops run by Open Doors partners. Mafulul*: “By 5pm the attackers came. They started shooting everywhere. “My wife had just finished cooking. I…
ORLANDO, FL — Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that empowers mother-tongue Bible translators and partners with local churches in the advancement of Bible translation, has developed and launched an app for iOS and Android that brings the Bible’s New Testament to life through seven sign languages used in the African nations of Benin, Cameroon-Anglo, Côte…
AFGHANISTAN — Abraham is a chair of a displacement camp in Nigeria. He and his family have been there for three years, ever since their village was devastated by a Fulani militant attack that killed eight people, including his brother. Neglected by the authorities, food at the camp is scarce and conditions are awful, but…
AFRICA — A 14-year-old girl from Sierra Leone is free to follow her dreams of becoming a doctor after having a benign facial tumour surgery by international health charity, Mercy Ships. Without the timely surgery, the tumour would have continued to grow to the point of causing airway obstructions, and ultimately, death by suffocation. Lucy:…
MOROCCO, NORTH AFRICA —The church in North Africa is growing, with increasing numbers of people giving their lives to Jesus. But many are forced to keep their newfound faith secret because of the risk of persecution – people like Elmahdi* from Morocco. *Name changed for security purposes. Stock footage from Artlist / Pexels. Like many…
AFGHANISTAN —Afghanistan’s Christians have to keep their faith secret. If the Taliban find out, the Christian could be killed – as Khada (name changed) found out. Khada*: In the shadow of the Taliban’s rule, life in Afghanistan is very difficult. Yet, anchored by our strong faith, we press on through the storm. We have to…
MEXICO—Mauricio* was brought up to follow the traditional customs of his indigenous community in Chiapas, Mexico. So when he became a Christian in Mexico, he experienced discrimination in his community. Thanks to local Open Doors partners, Mauricio is being supported by a lawyer who has helped him to regain his standing in the village and…
BIRMINGHAM, AL — Church of the Highlands is celebrating the joy of volunteering as 22,309 people spent their weekend Saturday helping others in the community. The church’s annual Serve Day, held July 13, coordinated 141,054 hours of volunteer service bringing people encouragement and hope. This year, Serve Day also included a new national partnership to…
AFRICA — London-based Christian Surgeon, Mr Leo Cheng, received an Honorary Fellowship from Cardiff University on 15th July for over twenty years of voluntary service to the international health charity, Mercy Ships. Mr Cheng has used his annual leave to serve on board the Anastasis, the Africa Mercy and Global Mercy once or twice a…
LANCASTER, PA — Viewpoint, the acclaimed educational program hosted by celebrated actor Dennis Quaid, is pleased to announce a new collaboration with Global Disciples for an insightful segment focused on sustainable and reproducible training resources for churches in areas of the world least-reached with the gospel. The segment is set to film in July 2024…
VIETNAM— Thirty years ago, Pastor Barnabas* set up a secret Bible school in Vietnam with the help of Open Doors partners. Since then, he’s helped to train thousands of Christians in Vietnam who have gone on to share the gospel in their communities! Pastor Barnabas* – name changed for security reasons: I don’t have any…
KENYA — While many of Kenya’s most remote communities have little access to electricity Christian radio station Lulu FM is helping them to access the power of the Word of God and the Gospel through distributing solar powered radios. Kenya based Christian radio station Lulu FM is on a mission to expand the reach of…
BOONE, NC — Samaritan’s Purse sent a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) along with more than 24 tons of life-saving supplies to the Caribbean. The N.C.-based organization stood up an Incident Management Team over the weekend as Hurricane Beryl began to strengthen, preparing to respond to the storm. Less than 24 hours after the hurricane…
BOONE, NC — Samaritan’s Purse is responding to Southeast Texas after Hurricane Beryl unleashed a barrage of severe weather with damaging wind gusts and torrential rainfall that claimed at least 8 lives and inundated communities. Today, a Disaster Relief Unit—a tractor-trailer filled with tools and equipment—is on the way to Brazoria County, Texas where the…
TEESSIDE, ENGLAND — Several years of prayer and preparation led to more than 70 churches from throughout Northeast England coming together for Festival Teesside with Andrew Palau earlier this month. In an effort that can only be described as historic for the region, this evangelistic festival, along with more than a dozen surrounding events, is…
FORT WORTH, TX — EEM (Eastern European Mission) successfully concluded its annual Bibles for Kids campaign yesterday to fund printing and distribution of more than 570,000 children and teen Bibles free for young souls across Eastern Europe and beyond. This brings the total over the last three years to more than 1.7 million Bibles in…
BOONE, NC — Samaritan’s Purse has launched its third emergency relief flight to the Caribbean in less than a week, this time, delivering vital supplies to Jamaica as the island begins to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Beryl. Today’s flight carried out by the organization’s DC-8 cargo plane carried essential materials like tarps and…
NAIROBI, KENYA —Organized by Christian children’s charity CRY the aim is to bring together local and native Christian African educators who have the best understanding of what young people need to further their lives and escape poverty. Christian children’s charity CRY recently hosted an educational forum for African educators in Nairobi in Kenya, which was…
ARLINGTON, VA — The Lukens Company (TLC) has been selected as the agency of record for American Leprosy Missions (ALM), the largest Christian organization in the United States dedicated to dedicated to breaking barriers to health and renewing hope for people suffering from the pain and stigma of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) like leprosy. ALM…
LOVES PARK, IL — A new evangelical church movement is bringing hope to Moldova — a vulnerable, ex-communist nation on the edge of the Ukraine war. “Concern among Moldovans is very real that, after Ukraine, they could be next,” said Eric Mock, senior vice president of ministry operations at Illinois-based Slavic Gospel Association (SGA), a…
JAMAICA —At 27 years old, being the rebellious son of one of the world’s most well-known evangelists, Andrew Palau never thought that 31 years later he would return to Jamaica, where he accepted Christ, to lead his own evangelistic festival. 31 Years After Accepting Christ as the Rebellious Son of a Preacher Thanks to His…
