Author: jwhite

The Bible League – December 2021

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December 21, 2021

11:38 am

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Text Box: eNews Worldwide | Dec. 2021

eNews December 2021

In West Papua, a province of Indonesia, the term Christianity is used as a label. Whether a person believes the Gospel or not, they are identified as a “Christian” because of cultural tradition. But in many parts of the area, people who are labeled as Christians have never even heard the Gospel. Some don’t even have access to Bibles.

This was the case in Urundupi Village. The village was started by a group of Papuan tribes around 10 years ago. A simple, wooden church building stands in the center of the community and is a place of gathering and singing, but there was no pastor or Gospel-centered preaching.

Papuan Village

There’s no public transportation in the village, but it’s become a shortcut for cars traveling to other areas. Because of the traffic, local children realized they could profit off of these passing cars. Young people would block the roads, often wielding weapons, to rob the drivers. They would drink alcohol and steal from their parents, even damage their own homes.

This community was desperate for the Gospel, and thanks to your support, they got it.

A local pastor who was raised in Papua was trained to teach Project Philip Bible studies and spread the truth of the Gospel across his country. “Bible League programs are the answer to the spiritual challenges I’ve faced in the mission field,” he says. He trained members of his church to lead Bible League’s Project Philip Bible studies and sent them out to villages just like Urundupi. One of those members, Frida, visited Urundupi for two months to host a Project Philip Bible study for kids and adults.

Papuan Village

“When I started to come to Urundupi, there were no Bibles available at all,” she says with tears in her eyes. She encouraged the villagers to attend the Bible study held in the local church building. After they completed the study, each graduate received their own Bible. “When it was time to give them the Bible, they were so happy,” she says. “They cherish their Bibles and they want to keep reading them.”

The impact of your generosity continues still today, well after that graduation day. Parents in the area report that their children have changed completely. The kids are no longer drinking and robbing the travelers; now, they are welcoming and friendly to the visitors. Parents say the children are now well-behaved, and it’s all thanks to the Bible stories they are studying.

Thanks to your continued generosity, entire villages and communities are changing through the Gospel. This Christmas, know that your support allows children in Urundupi Village and around the globe to read the Christmas story from their very own Bible. Thank you.

Papuan Village

Fleeing from Idolatry

 

Fleeing from Idolatry

Angela idolized pop stars and celebrities. She was disrespectful and rude to her parents and friends. But all that changed when she started studying the Bible.

“My parents were worried about my behavior, but they had no solution for me,” begins 15-year-old Angela in Armenia’s Zoravan village. “They wanted to help me, but I refused to listen to their advice. Things went from bad to worse, life became a drag to me, and I didn’t trust anyone anymore.”

Angela had idols among Armenian and international pop stars. She dreamt about them and was passionate about them. This obsession somehow made Angela disrespectful to her parents, rude to her friends, and violent to her sister.

Then one of her friends invited her to a Christian Christmas event. It turned out to be a fantastic event for Angela, and she felt that the people there were loving and sincere. They gave her a booklet called Questions and Answers from Bible League Armenia. Angela loves reading, so she was glad to start studying something new. Indeed, it was full of exciting questions and answers for Angela. She learned more about the love of Jesus, the One deserving a “superstar” title compared to her other idols. While learning more about Christ’s love and greatness, she felt hunger inside to know more about Him, so she continued to study the Bible.

Her heart full of questions, Angela joined a Bible League Project Philip Bible study group. “I haven’t missed a single meeting,” she says. “The first booklet we studied was called, Who is God. It made me discover that God has a plan for my life. I also understood why Jesus died for me. I learned to pray, and I learned many things about Jesus that I hadn’t heard before. During the Bible study, I decided to give my life to Jesus. He has changed my life through His Word. One of the things I learned was that we need to flee from idolatry. I realized that people could also be idols. I asked God to help me and to free me from those pop idols that I had. God heard me and helped me.”

Angela also finally realized how important it is to respect her parents. She went to them and her sister to ask for forgiveness. They were touched and realized that God had changed her life. God filled her empty life.

“I thank all those people who are helping to provide these amazing booklets from the Bible League. Many thanks to all of you. Through these study materials, my eyes were opened to see God and to receive Him in my life. I am sure that these can be helpful for others also. May God bless all of you. Thank you for the wonderful Project Philip Bible study program.”

Yvan’s Faith Grows Stronger

Yvan is a 17-year-old student at Mwaro Secondary School in Burundi. He’s the firstborn in a family of two children. His family is traditionally religious, and Yvan grew up going to church. Though he describes his parents as loving and excellent, they were also quite strict.

“My parents were so strict to the point I grew up afraid of making mistakes,” he explains. “If anyone did wrong, my father would punish them seriously. But I feel blessed still to have both of my parents. I know many young people orphaned by the civil war that lasted more than 20 years in Burundi.”

He admits before he gave his life to Jesus, he was very rebellious. “I avoided places where people talked about God. I would try to show a good side to people and be a different person alone.” However, Yvan’s life changed when a Christian friend invited him to church. He says, “I fell in love with the Word of God. I understood God is so gracious to us.”

After hearing the Gospel at this church, Yvan gave his life to Jesus. He notes, “My life changed. Now I desire to please God and walk in holiness.” Since then, Yvan has continued to grow in his faith through a Bible League Project Philip Bible study at his school. The teen explains, “The program strengthened me in my Christian life. It helped me understand how much God cares about us and God’s will in my life. I felt challenged to read the Bible.”

Yvan is also grateful for the Bible he received, and he believes it will help him to grow in knowledge of God’s Word. He now feels God is calling him to share the Good News with his friends and family.

Action Podcast

Five years ago, Mexican authorities captured El Chapo—one of the most powerful drug traffickers in the world. Today, the Sinaloa Cartel kingpin is serving his life sentence in a U.S. prison. For years, a man named Pablo was on this very same path to destruction until he found the narrow path that leads to life.

On this Action Podcast, join host Michael Woolworth and his Bible League colleagues, Ryan and Denisse, as they share the amazing story of this former cartel hitman who now proclaims, “Seeing Sinaloa’s mountain range transformed by Christ is our vision. We want Sinaloa filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”

Thank you for tuning in. Be sure to subscribe so you get updates and leave a rating so others can find the Action Podcast!

Listen:  https://www.bibleleague.org/stories/action-podcast-ep16/?show=true/

Bible League International Prayer Calendar

Join Us in Prayer This Month: Download the December 2021 Prayer Calendar

Additional Prayer Requests

In the last year, more than 2 million people studied God’s Word through Bible League’s Project Philip Bible studies, Church Planter Training, and Bible-based Literacy. Nearly 100,000 people were trained to share the Good News in their communities. Praise God for the amazing work He is doing!

Over the next year, people in more than 55 countries around the globe will study God’s Word. Plans are underway to launch ministry for the first time in Pakistan. The Lord continues to create opportunities to draw people to Him. As we look to the end of the year, let’s pray over the opportunities He is creating and over the people He will reach.

Grace Covenant Ministries – Tornado Update

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December 21, 2021

11:24 am

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To our Prayer Warriors,

We have been getting inquiries about whether we were affected by the recent tornadoes in Kentucky.  We thank you for your concerns.  The worst part of the storms was about 150 miles from us.  Some of our staff and board members had relatives who lost their homes and a few suffer some injuries.  We join you in praying for those affected and will look for ways to join in the relief efforts.

Jake Moss

Director of Development

Annville Institute/Grace Covenant Ministries.

Lenz Family – December 2021

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December 21, 2021

11:21 am

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Back in 2012, one of our friends/translation helpers gave a piece of property for the church to build a meeting house on. All started out well, but now for the last 5 years or so, this piece of ground has been the subject of an ongoing court dispute. A certain family has laid claim to this land and has sought to make things hard for the church and for the one who gave the land to the church. The individual who gave the land tried as long as he could to avoid taking the issue to court, but as things escalated, it was obvious that court was his only recourse. It has become evident that the issue isn’t so much against the one who gave the land as it is against the church. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

Our friend has won 2 previous court cases with the same people over this property but the opposition keeps appealing the decisions. Today, another group of lands mediators came to view the land being disputed and tomorrow (your Wednesday evening) the final decision should be announced. Please pray for our friend. Pray for his spirit to be encouraged as this has been physically, spiritually, and financially draining on him. Pray for God to be honored and the truth to prevail!

Pray for Papua New Guinea…

The spiritual darkness around us has been extremely tangible over the last couple weeks. A friend of a dear friend of ours was accused of sorcery a couple weeks ago and was killed as a result. From what we understand, this woman was a Christian. To say that she was killed puts it the most mild way possible as we cannot even begin to describe to you the things she endured before the Lord took her home. There was also another man also killed along with her. From what we understand, God gave this woman the strength to remain silent before her accusers as they demanded that she give the name(s) of her supposed accomplices. We hear that her silence has been cause for wonder and amazement by some, while others are now on a mission to mark other suspects. The things that these people have to face as a part of their every-day life is unreal! Please pray that God would soften the hearts of the people to hear his Word.

Pray for Mibu…

Another situation we want to keep before you for prayer is the Mibu Church. Below is what we are able to share with you. It is a little out-of-date, but the situation continues, so PLEASE continue to pray.

The church among the Mibu people group of Papua New Guinea is calling on brothers and sisters around the world to PRAY. Established in 2006, the church in Mibu has grown and matured through many trials and the very passage of life. In the last couple weeks, they have started asking for prayer for wisdom in dealing with a hostile criminal gang that has been roaming the area, leaving a wake of mayhem and destruction as they travel from village to village. As the rumor of these attacks grew in frequency, scale of destruction, and in closer vicinity, the realization of confrontation [with] the Mibu village seemed inevitable.

Today, that confrontation happened. We received a message today that the band of criminals has arrived in the Mibu village. This was a very dangerous situation. As we await word from our dear brothers and sisters, please be holding them before the Throne in prayer.

Wanted: A Reliable Vehicle…

I know some of you don’t have Facebook so I want to update you on a need that we’ve been sharing. We are needing to purchase a vehicle to use here in Papua New Guinea; to get in/out of our village. It’s about a 100-mile trip to our village, but because of the “road” conditions, it takes about 4 ½ hours (average speed of 22 mph). As of the end of last week, we were at 61% of our goal of $63,000 to purchase a Toyota Land Cruiser Troop Carrier which has the cargo/passenger capacity to meet our needs and the durability to stand up to the abusive road conditions.

We continue to be in awe of how God is providing for this need. Thank you to all who have given and prayed for God’s provision. Please let us know if you’d like to know more about this project. If you’d like to be a part of giving toward this need, you can follow this link https://ethnos360.org/missionaries/levi-and-robyn-lenz. Your gift will be tax deductible. Please be sure to note that it is for the “Lenz-Vehicle Project” so we can keep our records straight.

Thank you for continuing to stand by us in prayer, financial support, and encouragement!
Your co-workers in Christ,

Levi, Robyn, Michael, Daniel, Matthew, and Krystiana Lenz

Grace Covenant Ministries – November 2021

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November 16, 2021

9:07 am

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Grace Covenant Ministries/Annville Institute

PO Box 340

Annville, KY  40402

November 15, 2021

Dear Prayer Warrior,

Attached pdf copy of this month’s “Prayer Warrior”.  As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we have many reasons to give thanks.  Your prayers and financial support are treasured blessings.  Happy Thanksgiving!

“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”  (Philippians 1: 3-6 NLT)

Your Partner in Missions,

Tommy Miracle                                                                                                      Jake Moss

Manager of Campus Operations                                                                        Director of Development

 

Prayer Warrior for Nov 2021

The Field’s – November 2021

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November 16, 2021

9:02 am

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I just had the privilege of taking 60 students to

Ethnos Training Center in Missouri.

We got to learn about the next step of missionary training after Bible School.

We joined their classes for 2 days led by the staff there who have each spent years overseas. We heard about:

  • God’s heart for the world and our part in HIS story.
  • The teacher’s field experiences.
  • The importance of learning the heart language and building relationships.
  • Evangelism starts with learning about their world view.
  • The big picture from our sending church to planting a mature church.
  • The process of learning an unwritten language.
  • How to live off the grid.
  • Learning about conflict resolution.
  • The importance of team discipleship and unity.
  • …and much more!

Our group was blown away by the incredible training provided for anyone planning to minister in a different culture and language.

Click here to see a day in the life of a missionary training student.

Our hearts are FULL!
We all got to hear about the righteousness of God, His love for every human, and our responsibility of proclaiming His name to the ends of the world. We can’t thank the Lord enough that His children get to be involved in God’s heart for the world!

Dave & I thank you; sending church, friends and partners for your partnership in what the Lord is doing here at Bible School and around the world!
Dave & Kim Field

Kraybill’s – November 2021

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November 16, 2021

8:57 am

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Hello Prayer Partners,

Praise the Lord!  Celebrate with us as you hear what God has done!

Good News #1:

Last Monday, we had our visa appointment at the Italian Consulate in Miami, where we submitted our paperwork for our visa to enter Italy.  They said it could be several weeks before we heard back from them with the results.  Then suddenly, last Friday, we received our passports back in the mail. Upon looking inside, we discovered that we received our 1-year visa with multiple entries, and it only took them three days!

Good News #2:

Today, we learned that our team leader received a verbal agreement on a two-bedroom apartment that he found for us.   It is on the 5th floor of an apartment building near the city of Bologna.  This apartment is 10 minutes from the International airport, has easy access to public transportation, and is within 10 minutes walking distance of the language school we hope to attend. God has been incredibly gracious in not only providing this apartment before our arrival but giving us three things we didn’t think we would have in Italy: a dishwasher, a bathtub, and kitchen cabinets.

Next Steps #1:

We have purchased our plane tickets and will be flying from Orlando to Italy on January 11.  We’re starting to get excited as our long-awaited move to Italy is becoming a reality.  We look forward to being closer to North Africa so that we can better serve our members living there.

Next Steps #2:

We are so grateful for the Lord’s provision over the past 21 years for our financial support needs for our family.  As we prepare to relocate overseas, we continue to raise funds to cover the cost of our plane tickets, visa costs, household setup, and language school.

If you feel the Lord is leading you to help with these expenses, you can click on the link to our Relocation Fund:

 https://usgiving.aimint.org/project/138220-016

Thank you for your prayers and partnership with us.

Rod & Lori Kraybill

The Bible League International – November 2021

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November 4, 2021

11:43 am

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Text Box: eNews Under-Resourced Church | Nov. 2021

eNews November 2021

Equipped with the Gospel

Charles was born in the Geita Region in the western part of Tanzania. He is a member of the largest ethnic group in the country, the Sukuma, with an estimated 10 million members. The Sukuma people are known for traditional dances and music and their practice of witchcraft and magic.

“The conviction of this society is that the youth must follow the tribal culture and not foreign cultures,” he says. “They believe Christianity is a foreign culture.” But praise God, Charles was introduced to the Gospel as a teenager when his sister married into a Christian family. He accepted Christ as his Savior and wanted to join a church, but his parents were against it. Every Sunday, they made him work in the field early in the morning to try and keep him from church. But their plan failed. He would do his work, then walk almost seven miles to worship God.

Today, Charles serves as a pastor in Tanzania’s Mara Region, not far from where he grew up. He was excited to learn about Bible League’s Project Philip Bible study and leader training that was being held in his area. “I have 86 members in my church; only 14 had Bibles,” he says. “Some of them had old Bibles that were missing books. We were thrilled to receive Bibles on the day of the Project Philip graduation.”

In addition to receiving new materials, Charles gained a deeper understanding of the Gospel and evangelism through the training. “Previously, my life in ministry was hard because I doubted if everyone could understand my teachings,” he says.

Charles is eternally grateful for the support of Bible League friends like you. “I have vowed to live for Christ and help others just as I have been equipped through others. I want to use the help from Bible League to reach many people with the Gospel,” he says. “Thank you for this important support. We don’t have enough words to thank you, but may our Lord protect you and multiply your vision to help more lost people.”

FEATURED STORIES

Project Philip Revealed Jesus Christ

 

Morweng Felt The Fruit Of The Spirit

ACTION PODCAST

Action Podcast

Haiti has been a hot topic on news outlets for months. The president was assassinated. The country was rocked by a devastating earthquake. Violence and crime dominate the headlines. And Bible League partners in the area aren’t immune to the struggles. Recently a pastor of a Bible League partner church was kidnapped and there was a shooting in another partner church.

While the situation in Haiti seems impossibly dark, the Lord continues to shine His light. On this episode of the Action Podcast, Bilda, the National Director of Bible League Haiti, discusses how God is moving in his country. As he says, “He has rescued us from the darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His Son.”

Listen now! Be sure to subscribe so you get updates and leave a rating so others can find the Action Podcast!

GIVING TUESDAY

Givng Tuesday

Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 as a simple idea–let’s designate a day that encourages people to do good. What better thing could you do than share the Gospel with someone? On November 30, you’ll read about a pastor preaching with a torn Bible; he’s just one of thousands of church leaders who needs the Word of God. You’ll have the opportunity to join the movement by sending a Bible to someone just like him.

But it’s more than making a monetary gift. Giving Tuesday is also about doing good for your neighbor, your coworker, your friend, or a stranger on the street. This Giving Tuesday, we encourage you to share the Gospel with someone. Pray that God will lead you to the right person so you can tell that individual about the love of God. Let’s use this day to be more than a day of generosity. Let’s use it to tell more people about Jesus.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for Giving Tuesday updates and to hear the latest Ministry News and encouragement!

PRAYER REQUESTS

Bible League International Prayer Calendar

Join Us in Prayer This Month: Download the November 2021 Prayer Calendar

Additional Prayer Requests

Please pray for believers and churches across Venezuela. Despite economic and governmental crises, the people of Venezuela are finding hope in the Gospel. Pray for the children whose parents have emigrated to other countries to support their families. A few weeks ago, one partner held a Project Philip Bible study graduation for 300 children! Praise God! Pray for pastors and church leaders who are reaching the country’s most impoverished communities. Pray for peace and healing in that nation.

There was a recent break-in at a partner church in Albania. Nothing was stolen, but things were destroyed. Islam is the majority religion in this area and church leaders believe this was the work of extremists. The church members are not afraid; they still gather, deciding that love should be their answer to the hatred. Pray for their safety as they continue to meet. Pray that the Lord would touch the hearts of these extremists so they will see the love of Jesus through these church members.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support. Your gifts to Bible League International help provide Bibles and training to a world in need.

Kraybill News – November 2021

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November 2, 2021

6:02 pm

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Announcements, Missions

Dear Prayer Partners,

We appreciate each of you and your partnership with us in the Gospel.  God is at work in North Africa.  His name is being proclaimed, people are coming to know and worship Him, and His church is being planted.

We are praising God in His provision for us as we’ve brought our requests before Him.  He continues to be faithful in providing abundantly for us.  Thank you for joining us in praising and lifting our prayers before God.

Praises:

  • Anissa passed her Occupation Therapy Assistant national exam, accepted a job here in Clermont, and found a place to live all in one week.  She worked hard studying for her exam, so it was a relief to get the news that she had passed.  We knew God would provide a job and housing for her, but it was amazing to see how it played out.  She will be working at a pediatric clinic, where she did one of her clinical’s and hoped to get a position.  She will be starting her job on November 15 after taking a trip to see some of her high school friends.
  • Bologna:  Did you ever wonder where bologna comes from?  It comes from a city in Northern Italy and tastes very different there than it does here in the States.  Last week, we heard the good news that AIM has decided to place the Northern Region Office in the suburbs of Bologna. We’re thrilled to know where we will be moving to in January.  There are many reasons why this area was chosen, some of those reasons are accessibility to an international airport, many immigrants from North Africa living there, and two churches ready to help us get settled and welcome us into their congregations.

Prayer requests:

  • Continue to pray for the gospel work that is being done in North Africa.  Pray for bold proclamation from our gospel workers, open ears and hearts to those they’re reaching, and for boldness and endurance through suffering for our brothers and sisters in these countries.
  • We will be applying for our visa to Italy at the Italian Consulate in Miami on November 8.  Pray that we would get all of the papers that we need for our visa by our appointment date. Pray that we would have favor in getting our visa for Italy.  We hope to leave for Italy sometime in the first two weeks of January.
  • Pray for our team leaders who have just arrived in Italy.  They also need to get their visa so that they can stay in Italy.  They are preparing the way in many areas for themselves, us, and those to come.  Pray especially for them as they look for their own and our housing.  There are a lot of hurdles to cross when it comes to finding rental properties.
  • Pray for Anissa as she begins her job in mid-November and moves in with her housemate.  Pray for strength and wisdom for Autumn as she continues to teach and work with her six students; each day is a challenge.  Pray for Alanna as she prepares for an event for Gospel worker children the first part of November whose parents will soon be working with AIM.

As we were reminded at our church on Sunday, let us be people who are not quarrelsome but who speak gently to those who oppose the Gospel. (2 Timothy 2:23-25)

Rod and Lori

News from the Fields – October 2021

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November 2, 2021

2:10 pm

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Do you know anyone who would like to study the Word for 2 years?

We love this school because of the community here. The students love each other well.

We love it because the students learn the Word verse by verse.

We love this school because the teachers and staff love the students and are a part of their lives.

We love this school because all of the staff are supported by churches and friends, not by any tuition from the students.

We love to see the students study the Word and have their lives changed by it.

We love this school because students get to hear through the story of scripture Gods heart for every human to hear about Him .

We love this school because of who the students are when they enter the school, and then who God transforms them into by graduation day.

We love being a part of the students learning who they are in Christ, and then because of their love for Him, desiring to serve Him for their whole life.

I’m going to stop my list here because you won’t believe me if I keep adding to it:) Is it too good to be true? Come and see, and bring your family and friends!:)

October 28-29
December 2-3
February 10-11
March 10-11

Campus Visit Weekend is a free event where for 2 days you can live the life of a student. You will go to classes, eat in the cafeteria, stay in the dorms, visit with staff in their homes, have a tour, enjoy a fun event with the students, and hear all about God’s heart for His world. It’s a win win!

Click on the blue button below for more info and to register.
Can’t wait to see you here, or if you can’t come, please pray for us next weekend as we host 40 visitors!

Love to you al!
Dave & Kim Field

Click here to see more info or register

 

Tom & Leslie Johnson – October 2021

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October 22, 2021

10:39 am

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Tom speaking at the National Mosque in Washington, DC, this past July 2021.

Reactions to our Book Launch:
God Needs no Defense

Since our July book launch at the Nation’s Mosque in Washington, a German colleague, Esther, has been tracking the media response. Though less than a hundred people attended due to Covid restrictions, she has counted about 40 news reports in nine languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Korean, Portuguese, Indonesian, and Norwegian). It is interesting to see myself quoted in a newspaper I cannot read! The level of media reaction shows, I believe, that millions of people around the world are eager for better approaches to the role of religions in society, and this desire has increased since the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.

While making recommendations on this topic I have consistently tried to articulate normal Christian beliefs so that no one thinks of me as a neutral philosopher of religion. Our attempt to replace violent jihads and crusades with serious discussion flows from the best version of Christian beliefs. I attempt to follow 1 Peter 3:15, “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense [apologia] to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” Apologetics must replace warfare. Christianity Today caught the spirit of our efforts in the title of their report: “Christian and Muslim Leaders Agree on Legitimacy of Evangelism.”

With the Muslim scholar who was the co-editor of the book, we released an interview about the book as a podcast. It can viewed or heard here. We arranged a transcript of the multiway interview entitled Muslim-Christian Relations: Becoming Good Neighbors. And I have prepared the text of my speech at the mosque, Future Relationships among Muslims and Christians.

The key texts are also available as free downloads:

  1. God Needs No Defense: Reimagining Muslim-Christian Relations in the 21st Century, Festschrift for Thomas Schirrmacher edited by Thomas K. Johnson and C. Holland Taylor.
  2. Humanitarian Islam, Evangelical Christianity, and the Clash of Civilizations, Thomas K. Johnson, WEA World of Theology, vol. 20.
  3. “The Case for Ethical Cooperation between Evangelical Christians and Humanitarian Islam,” Thomas K. Johnson,  Evangelical Review of Theology (2020) 44:3, 204–217.

Since this event our Muslim/Christian joint group has been discussing what to do next. It would be premature to say much. Thank you to the many who helped in various ways. And praise the Lord for the opportunity to talk about the Christian faith in such an unusual situation!

Tom: Other news

After the mosque book presentation, I was exhausted, partly from hard work for several months, partly from pain in my right leg, injured in a mountain bike accident 20+ years ago. I had a CT of my knee and an MRI of my hip, leading to seeing the right specialists in the coming month. I am eager to hear what treatments they propose. I hope the recovery time is not too long, though I expect to take some rest time this winter.

Recently I participated in the Christian World Communions conference on zoom. This group has been meeting since 1957 simply to help communication among all the groups of people who are called Christians. About 30 people participated, as usual. Major church bodies send one or two people, such as the Catholic Church, the Mennonites, Baptists, Lutherans, Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Quakers, Adventists, Methodists, etc. For several years I have represented the WEA at these meetings.

Over the last few months, I have received about a dozen articles on the Ten Commandments from Christian authors around the globe. We are calling this “The Decalogue Project.” There should be a book or two, many website articles, a few academic journal articles. I hope this will become quite beneficial. In the coming weeks I also hope to finish the text of volume two of my project Christian Ethics in Secular Cultures. Volume one is available here as a free PDF and here as a paperback from Barnes & Noble.

From Leslie:

ACSI EU Student Leadership Update

The ACSI EU team hosted a virtual Student Leadership Conference (SLC) in September. We had 255 participants from 18 different countries and 24 schools from around Europe and Africa. The theme of the conference focused on how each of us can contribute to building and sustaining a Christ-centered community. Our keynote speakers (Roslyn Barnes and Tim Totten) shared on what a Christian community is like, and how our faith, love and hope affect our relationships to the communities we live in. I gave three workshops early in the morning here in the US/late morning or early afternoon in Europe. It is an honor and privilege to work with the ACSI EU team serving these students. Thank you for your prayers. (To read more about what is happening through ACSI EU, here is the September update.)

ICCM Cohort Update

My ICCM Cohort had our first in-person retreat in September. It was a blessing to meet my fellow participants in person. I continue to read, watch, participate in cohort meetings, and learn, but my learning is taking a new direction.
As you may remember, this past summer the practicum I had arranged last year fell through. I prayed; I sent out a letter for possibly working in other schools; and I had a thought – to write the people who are connected with We Welcome, a ministry to support refugees and immigrants connected with World Relief. Though I never heard from the schools I wrote, I received a response from the women who work with We Welcome – NC (North Carolina) who wanted to talk. Immediately.

The next day, I talked with these women that work and network between different ministries serving refugees in the Raleigh/Durham, NC, area. Then I also contacted Pat Hatch, who is the Director of Refugee and Immigrant Ministry for the Presbyterian Church of America’s (PCA) Mission to North America.

Between these two organizations, I now have exciting work ahead. The We Welcome – NC and I are planning for future training opportunities for their volunteers in the Raleigh/Durham area, as well as churches who are interested in refugee ministries. One of the women also works with a ministry there called Welcome House, which is a ministry to developing short-term housing for refugee families as they look for more permanent housing. One is just opening here in Fayetteville and the first Afghan family arrives Tuesday, October 19. The church sponsoring the Welcome House Fayetteville has asked me to train their volunteers about cross-cultural challenges that will come up working with refugees.

I also have been asked by Pat Hatch to join her team working in the Refugee and Immigrant Ministry for the PCA’s Mission to North America. I will be a “Cross-cultural Training Specialist,” training churches and volunteers involved in ministering to refugees and immigrants. I will also help Pat with some administrative work.

Between these two new opportunities, I will have plenty of work to apply to my practicum for my ICCM cohort. Thank you for your prayers that I would find a good practicum. I am excited to see how the Lord leads and uses me to be an encouragement to others doing cross-cultural work right here in the US. Please pray for the Lord’s wisdom as I prepare and teach people about cross-cultural understanding.

A Much-Needed Time for Rest for Tom

You have watched and read and seen the fruit of Tom’s work these past few years with the Humanitarian Muslims. The amount of energy and work he has put in is, from my (Leslie’s) perspective, immense. Now that the jointly produced book has been launched, Tom needs to stop and rest.

We know that God does not want us living a life of exhaustion all the time. There are times to push hard; but then there are times to stop and re-gain strength by resting.

Additionally, Tom is having hip and knee problems again and may be facing 1 or more surgeries over the next year. We will know more early in December exactly what the prognosis is.

This has led us to think it is time for Tom to take a sabbatical. He needs to stop and rest his body and his brain. And he needs to have his hip and knee treated appropriately.

Thus, we are planning on Tom taking a year-long sabbatical. The first few months are to be complete rest and medical work, a deep sabbath, allowing God to rejuvenate his body and soul. The next several months would be a time of praying and studying, researching, and writing what he is called to write.

Probably in those last few months, he would be working again with the Humanitarian Muslims, preparing for a big event next September 2022. But this would be at a slower, less intense level than he has had over the last three years.

Twice Tom has had extended times for research and thinking, a research grant 35 years ago and a partial sabbatical 18 years ago. Much of what he has done on the international stage arose from what he learned during those times. People we trust have recommended that he not retire anytime soon because there is a more for him to do. We want this to be a time of equipping for the future.

Please join us in prayer that he could completely pass off current duties for this season. Pray, too, for him to truly rest. (We all have a hard time with that, don’t we?) And pray for the Lord’s wisdom about his next writing projects.

Special Refugee Update

We have no news to report. The paperwork for the refugee family is still stuck in the system. Please continue to pray the paperwork gets processed SOON so they can transition from the refugee camp to the new country as soon as possible.

For the first time since covid hit….

We are behind in our support account. It is a bit concerning since we are currently not traveling at all to Europe or other places. In the past, travel is what drained our support account. And we have not been to our supporting churches. Additionally, many of our individual supporters are getting to that age of retirement and are unable to continue to support us, and rightly so. The Lord is the provider God who will take care of our needs. Please be praying for new supporters, and opportunities to speak at churches about our work.

Cross Cultural Communication

Are you looking for help in understanding cross-cultural communication? Leslie is trained in the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), which assesses a person’s intercultural capability, as well as the Cultural Intelligence/Cultural Values assessment. (For more information on the IDI assessment, you can look at it here.) If you or your team would like help growing in your cultural sensitivity, feel free to contact Leslie to discuss options.

If you are interested, please contact her at lesliepjohnson@lesliepjohnson.com. Thanks!

Praises:
We thank the Lord for:

  • A successful book launch of God Needs No Defense. Their jointly authored book is available on websites and should soon go to bookstores. (See Tom’s report above on the response to this book with links.)
  • A gifted colleague has taken over for Tom to advise the State Department.
  • Leslie’s opportunity to continue working with her ACSI EU and Global colleagues to strengthen Christian teachers, administrators, and schools.
  • A well-attended virtual Student Leadership Conference. (See Leslie’s report above.)
  • Leslie’s new opportunity to join local and national ministries (see her report above) training volunteers working with refugees about cross-cultural values and communication. This is in answer to the prayer for wisdom to find a new practicum for my ICCM cohort program.

Prayers:

Please join us in praying for:

  • Pray for protection from discouragement for the refugee family we have been helping. Their government paperwork is still moving slowly. Pray for the paperwork to get finished and for them to move to the new country safely and efficiently.
  • Also continue to pray for the refugee family’s transition to a new culture. They will need tremendous courage to face huge challenges in their up-coming transition.
  • The Lord’s purposes for COVID-19 to be accomplished around the world and that he would end it. Soon. Lord willing, by the end of 2021, since it still has an impact on a lot of ministries around the world.
  • Creative ideas to help persecuted Christians around the world and safe places for them to go.
  • Tom to effectively pass on his current responsibilities for a season of rest, research, and writing.
  • Tom as he considers which books to research and write next, particularly during his sabbatical
  • For Christians around the world to be strengthened to serve God and others in their communities, whether those “others” are different in beliefs, color of skin, nationalities, etc.
  • Leslie as she starts training volunteers who are working with refugees.

Thank you for your faithful prayer for us as well as your financial gifts that allow us to do the work He has called us to.

Tom & Leslie