“Iranian children right now are victims of their wider society and the struggles that their parents face,” says Silk. “There’s a lot of very serious economic hardship in Iran today, and that is affecting the adult population in their mental health. There are a lot of people turning to drugs and alcohol. There’s a lot of joblessness and struggling to put food on the table. So that worry and stress and struggle, of course, is going to permeate the whole household. And children are very helpless in these kinds of situations.”

The weight of these challenges increases for Christian children. In Open Doors’ World Watch List, an annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most persecution, Iran ranks #9.  According to Silk, Christian Iranians have needed to be even more cautious with their faith since the 12 Day War in June, which started when Israel launched targeted airstrikes in Tehran, dramatically escalating conflict within the Middle East.

“The government is really scrutinizing everything and desperately trying to weed out the Christians, and these children have been very careful at school to toe the line and keep up pretenses that they are sympathetic, at least, to the Muslim faith. So all of that carries its toll.”

And while Iranians are free to acknowledge Christmas as a “festival,” that doesn’t mean Christians are safe to celebrate the meaning behind the day.

“People can still decorate their homes and make a fuss of that time of year,” says Silk, “but as soon as you get into a truly Christian celebration of what happened 2000 years ago, then that’s all going to be kept quiet.”

She notes that Iranian children outside of Iran are mostly refugees, with their own set of challenges: “A lot of the issues they face really affect their sense of well-being, even mental health, depression, anxiety, panic attacks.” However, evangelism efforts are much less dangerous for Iranian refugees than for Christians living within Iran.

“We do a lot of that, particularly in Turkey, where we can gather other refugee Iranians who are all living a sort of bleak life at the time,” Silk says. “And so the Christian families can say our holy celebration is coming up. So it’s a great way just to gather a community, and of course, through that, then we get to bless these families, practically and spiritually, sharing truth.”

For all Iranian children—Christian or not, within Iran or in refugee regions—Transform Iran is working to share joy through Operation Christmas Joy, a six-week program where families gather and talk about Jesus and what Christmas means, culminating with a gift for each child that helps meet a practical need.

“We talk a lot about joy and peace and hope at Christmas time,” says Silk. “We thought, well, how do we share the gospel message with children and truly allow it to penetrate their lives so that it does birth joy in their hearts? We want them to be laughing again and dancing again and enjoying community.”

To learn more about partnering with Transform Iran this Christmas, visit their website.

Header photo courtesy of Transform Iran.

But something else happened during the days of Nowruz. A small team of evangelists with Transform Iran gathered in Turkiye with a special goal: Meet Iranian tourists on holiday with news of the gospel.

“There’s a lot on our minds at these kinds of times, isn’t there, in terms of life and truth and God and reality and the future? So that’s a sort of mental space that Iranians are in at New Year,” Silk says.

Silk tells about one miraculous encounter where a Muslim family walked up to the team.

Traditional Table Setting On Persian New Year (Representative Stock Photo courtesy of RDNE Stock project via Pexels)

“Sorry to disturb you,” the family said, “but we keep hearing this voice telling us to come and talk to you, and that you’ve got something that you need to tell us. What do you need to tell us?” 

“I thought, Isn’t that great that, you know, God leads Christians, for sure, but God is leading Muslims to Himself? He literally spoke, you know, [it] had to be audible,” Silk says. 

More than 300 people heard the gospel during the five-day outreach. Several confessed faith in Christ immediately. All gave their contact information to learn more! (Read even more stories from the outreach here!) 

There’s more ahead. The team at Transform Iran is committed to connecting the people they met during Nowruz with other believers as relationships develop. Silk says, “[Our follow-up] team is widely spread [in] Turkey and across Europe. They’re trained counselors and pastors who look to lead people to Christ, and then from there, disciple them into growth and fruitfulness.”

A glimpse of the bigger picture

What happened at Nowruz 2025 in Turkiye is simply a snapshot of what Silk says is happening in Iran as a whole.

“God is literally, right before our eyes, changing the course of a nation. You cannot overstate what God is doing in Iran today. Most of it is unseen to the un-inquisitive mind or eye,” she says with a laugh, “but those of us who are inquisitive or digging below the surface, it’s right there to be experienced.”

Silk points back to the days of the Persian Empire when King Cyrus released and resourced Israel to rebuild their temple and city. “He was this great Persian king, and that is who we’re meant to be. I’m seeing how God is just steering this giant ship back to Himself again. It’s amazing. I’m full of praise and gratitude for it!”

You are invited to join the adventure of what God is doing in Iran! 

“We’re looking for people who will pray with us, partner with us, care about the people [of] Iran, love [the] people of Iran, talk about them,” Silk says. “You know, share on social media, be an advocate, be a voice.” 

The best way to get started is to sign up for Transform Iran’s monthly newsletter. It’s packed with key ministry updates and prayer requests, so that you can truly be part of the ride.

(Photo courtesy of Transform Iran)

Header photo of Istanbul, Turkiye is a representative stock photo courtesy of Tools Dianellos via Unsplash.

“In the countries we serve, Easter has greater prominence among the churches even than Christmas,” says Erick Mock with Slavic Gospel Association. “Easter becomes a profound time of worship.”

The victory concept carries a particular poignancy in countries like Ukraine, Israel, Russia and many others where SGA partners with local churches. Destruction and discord have loud voices. Yet Mock tells the story of one woman who discovered God’s voice even in mayhem.

While in Ukraine, he met an older woman who had lost her family and home. She often didn’t know where her next meal would come from. But she wore a beautiful smile.

“Please tell me why you’re smiling,” he said after hearing her story.

In a time of great uncertainty, God is bringing help, healing, and hope to the people of Ukraine through SGA-supported pastors, churches, a seminary and SGA-supported Compassion Ministry.
(Photo, caption courtesy of Slavic Gospel Association)

“Because everything tragic that happened in my life led me to this place where I found the grace of God,” she replied. “God has filled my heart with peace and joy, independent of my circumstances, and I know heaven is before me. Whatever happens to me, heaven is there.” 

That same hope in Jesus’ resurrection is yours today, if you know Christ. 

”Even as you watch the chaos in this world, or even some of the chaos in our own country, [I encourage you] to see Easter as a point of victory, a point of celebration that our lives are not determined by our circumstances — both positive and negative — but it’s the hope we have in Jesus Christ, by His grace, through faith,” says Mock. 

This Easter, SGA is boosting support to missionary pastors so they can deliver more aid to their neighbors in the name of Christ. It opens the way to invite people to church and hear the gospel — like it did for Sergei in Belarus. Pray for many people to be drawn to Jesus this Holy Week.

Learn more about SGA here. 

Header photo: In a time of great uncertainty, God is bringing help, healing, and hope to the people of Ukraine through SGA-supported pastors, churches, a seminary and SGA-supported Compassion Ministry. (Photo, caption courtesy of Slavic Gospel Association)

Unknown Nations’ Greg Kelley says, “A few dozen people were killed on Christmas Day simply for being followers of Jesus. It’s a pattern, unfortunately, that has just been a reoccurring theme now for several years across Nigeria.”

The Fulani herdsmen live in Nigeria’s Muslim-majority North, but they’re increasingly moving south to find better grazing land for their cattle.

(Photo courtesy of Unknown Nations)

“They target farms, and a lot of times these farms are owned by Christians,” Kelley explains. “It’s a very difficult thing to contain because there’s no assistance coming from security forces, and if it does come at all, it’s always after the fact.”

Christians grow weary of the never-ending bloodshed. Kelley says, “Christians and Muslims have coexisted for literally hundreds of years, and so the issue isn’t that they can’t coexist. The issue is the violence. You have all these IDP (internally displaced people) camps throughout the country filled with people who have lost everything.”

Please stand with believers in prayer for relief.

Nigeria remained the deadliest place in the world to follow Christ last year, according to Open Doors.

“We need to be praying for the persecuted believers in Nigeria,” Kelley urges. “More Christians are killed simply for their faith in Christ than the rest of the world combined.”

Representative header photo, courtesy of Unknown Nations.

(Image courtesy of SAT-7 USA)

Meanwhile, parents in Lebanon are concerned their children could be radicalized by extremist groups like Hezbollah, which are eager for new recruits.

Joe Willey with SAT-7 USA says, “When there is instability there, and whether a government is toppled, whether there are natural disasters, whether there is conflict between other nations, there are voids. And into that void, something will go.

“That concern of any parent, whether it’s in the US or around the world, is, ‘Are my children safe?… Will my children survive?'”

Even beyond Lebanon’s borders, the threat of radicalization is felt globally.

Germany is still reeling after a Syrian refugee sped a car through pedestrians at a Christmas market, killing five people and injuring over 200.

In the United States, a car-ramming terror attack targeted New Year’s revelers on a packed New Orleans street. At least 15 people died and dozens were injured. The attacker, a US citizen and army veteran, was potentially radicalized and had an ISIS flag in his possession.

Radicalization can happen suddenly or slowly over time, starting at a young age. Hezbollah’s recruitment tactics in Lebanon even include summer camps for kids, targeting children as young as six years old, according to The UN Refugee Agency.

(Photo courtesy of SAT-7 USA)

For parents in Lebanon seeking safe entertainment options, SAT-7’s satellite television program, SAT-7 KIDS, offers Gospel-focused entertainment for children.

Willey explains, “Not only do Christian families and Christian children watch it, but we also have messages — and we’ve had many — from parents of children of other faiths who say, ‘I can put SAT-7 KIDS on and I can be confident that my children are going to hear something that’s good.’

“‘They’re not going to hear something that could radicalize them. They’re not going to hear something that I don’t want them to hear. They’re family values.’ And of course, what we know is they’re speaking about biblical values.”

Pray for children in Lebanon to put their trust in Jesus Christ rather than the false promises of extremist groups. Ask God to give parents wisdom, that they may also follow Jesus and point their kids to biblical truth.

“We certainly at SAT-7 have a mission to really minister to children because these children that are living and have lived in war zones have lived in such chaos,” Willey says. “They are being shaped – and they will either be shaped by that violence, or they can be shaped by the Gospel.”

Learn more about SAT-7 KIDS.

Header photo: Hezbollah fighters train in southern Lebanon, May 2023. (Photo courtesy of Tasnim News Agency/Wikimedia Commons)

“While we’re enjoying all of our wonderful Christmas celebrations, we also need to remember those who have no clue what Christmas is all about,” says Jeff McLinden with Alliance for the Unreached. 

“The wonderful gift that we received at Christmas, the birth of Jesus, the Savior, has not been realized for more than 3 billion people, a third of the world’s population.” 

That’s what the Alliance for the Unreached wants you to hear today: A third of the world has never heard of Christ. But this darkness is not where God intends these people to stay.

“[The Great Commission] is a command from the One who has the most authority, both in heaven and on earth, and He’s giving this responsibility to believers, His followers — you, myself, the millions of Christians across the globe — to do this work to fulfill this command, to make disciples of all the nations,” says McLinden.

(Photo courtesy of Alliance for the Unreached)

He notes that “nations” does not simply mean countries or political boundaries. It means people groups, tribes, tongues, as in Revelation 7:9-17. That roughly 3 billion people break out into more than 7,000 people groups that have never had the chance to accept Christ as their Savior, McLinden says.

That means if you know Christ, your life matters in the Great Commission. So find your place in God’s story!

“It always begins with prayer. Prayer is our most important, most powerful, most potent weapon against the wiles of the evil one and to move heaven and earth in order to reach the unreached across the globe,” says McLinden. 

“If you have no idea about how to pray for the unreached, it begins with knowing who they are. I encourage you to visit our friends at the Joshua Project at their website joshuaproject.net. You will find complete listings of all of the unreached people groups across the globe. Pick out one to begin praying for, even on Christmas Day.”

Click to visit the Joshua Project. Then, to join with others to reach the unreached, connect with the Alliance for the Unreached and the movement A Third of Us. 

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Leon Oblak via Unsplash.

In China, they are not. 

There, evangelizing to children before the age of 18 is against the law. Even attendance at Sunday School and church is illegal. Restrictions on children’s ministry have been in place since 2016, but Kurt Rovenstine of Bibles for China says their enforcement has experienced an uptick over the past few years. Rovenstine recently visited with Chinese pastors and asked them what the protocol is when children arrive with their parents at church services.

“They have to put them in a different room because the eyes of the government are upon them. They don’t do evangelism in that room. They just basically babysit,” Rovenstine learned. Surveys show that a majority of Christians accept Christ between the ages of four and fourteen. Thus, what has become known as the 4-14 window delineates a critical age group for ministry. 

Photo courtesy of Sun Lingyan via Unsplash

Ministry leaders at Bibles for China take this to heart. Rovenstine says early on in their work, Chinese children attended church with their parents and expressed an interest in Scripture. 

“They were there, they were present, they were ministered to, and that has gone away,” he says. 

Now, any ministry to children must take place outside the parameters of communist policies. There is some ministry happening covertly in house church communities, which already function absent the government’s allowance. 

In the registered church, pastors are more restricted. Children’s ministry must occur informally: through relationships with families, conversations with friends, and other avenues. 

“They have to pick and choose the battles they fight and what they lose if they choose to minister in a way that’s contrary to what the government has given,” Rovenstine says of pastors. 

In response to the difficult circumstances, Bibles for China is undertaking a project to print and distribute Chinese children’s Bibles among Chinese diaspora. 

“Now it doesn’t help us in China,” Rovenstine says, “but it does give opportunity outside of China to provide a resource that helps to reach these kids.” 

Anyone who knows of a church reaching out to the Chinese community is invited to participate in the Bible distribution. 

“We’d love to talk to them about how we can provide these children’s Bibles to them for the purpose of reaching kids,” Rovenstine says. 

The Bibles for China team can be reached through their website, where donations can also be made to support the distribution effort. 

Most importantly, please pray: for the registered church and for the house church in China. 

“. . . that God would give them opportunity to find a way to reach out to elementary, junior high, high school kids, so that they can hear the gospel; because it’s such an important time for that to take place,” Rovenstine says. 

Pray also that restrictive laws would be dissolved so that Christ may be freely proclaimed to China’s next generation. 

Featured photo courtesy of Rui Wang via Pexels. 

Whether you live in the US or not, Ron Hutchcraft with Hutchcraft Ministries says if you know Christ, you are like the shepherds in Luke chapter 2. These ordinary people were entrusted with a glorious message to tell others, against all human odds. 

“If we were alive at that time, we couldn’t think of a more unlikely choice for angels to entrust their message to [than] shepherds,” Hutchcraft says. Shepherds were lowly and sometimes of questionable character. The ones in the gospel accounts were working “third shift” jobs.

Yet God chose them to be the first witnesses to the birth of Jesus!

“Who are the primary messengers of the gospel [today]? It’s not the people that would be perceived as professional ‘God salesmen,’ like it’s their job. It’s the machinist and it’s the teacher, the mom, the cancer survivor, the golfer, the soccer player,” Hutchcraft points out. “It’s the everyday person who’s in the best position, just like the shepherds.”

The parallels go further. The message the shepherds heard of “good news of great joy for all people” is meant for every person in your life today too!

“The message of our faith is summed up by the angel making the birth announcement with these words: “For to you is born this day a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord,’ or ‘Christ the Lord,’” says Hutchcraft.

(Stock image courtesy of drabbitod via Pixabay)

“The reason it’s such good news [comes from] three things that our message says about Jesus: First, we have a Savior for our sin. Then … we have a Messiah for what’s broken in our life. [Third,] we have a Lord for the things that we are afraid of. Boy, that is good news!”

Hutchcraft says the shepherds’ story was their superpower. They ran to find baby Jesus and His family in the stable, and then they spread the news about what they had seen. “And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them,” Luke 2:18 says.

Your story with Jesus is meant to reach people too. So what might you do even today? 

“What a great thing to know that this message is supposed to be for all the people, [which] means that every person we know deserves a chance to hear this,” Hutchcraft says. 

“How life-changing it is for us to look in the mirror and say, ‘I am someone’s chance. Yes, I’m ordinary, imperfect, sometimes my life is messy’ — think about the shepherds! — ‘but I am the one who’s in their life.

“I have Jesus by one hand, and I have some lost people by the other hand, and God has put me in a position to be the one to bring them together.’ That’s great news this Christmas, because your life really, really matters.”

Header image is a stock image courtesy of Dan Kiefer via Unsplash.

Each year the organization hosts a massive Christmas party for around 500 children. This event not only blesses kids with a few toys and a warm meal, but gives them an opportunity to hear about and celebrate Christ.

Feeding Bodies and Hearts

The children show up in their best clothes for a warm meal of rice and beans, chicken, cookies and candy. They sing Christmas songs and learn about the Christmas story. Then each child receives a gift of a backpack.

(Photo courtesy of Andreas Böhm from Pixabay_

Roseline DeHart from For Haiti with Love says, “People have given us toys throughout the year to take down to Haiti. We have cars, Barbie dolls, hygiene stuff. The backpacks get filled with all kind of goodies. Then we give each kid a backpack and they go home. And then they tell the neighbors, they tell the families that didn’t come. They tell everybody what they have experienced. They tell them about the story they’ve heard – the Bible story. That’s the way that we spread the Gospel, through the children.”

Continuing to Speak about God

Typically the party moves around northern Haiti to reach different people each year. Haitians all over their community look forward to celebrating. However, this year due to the increased security concerns, they plan to have the event at their headquarters. For Haiti with Love is hiring additional security for the event to keep workers and the children safe as they celebrate.

DeHart says, “Satan is always trying to silence the people that want to talk about God. So we do it anyway, because that’s what we’re there for – to tell people about God. We have had people that come up trying to stop the party several times throughout the 30 years we’ve been doing it, but we never stop.”

As the event approaches, DeHart asks for prayer that the party will go off without any issues. Please pray that God will work mightily through the event and the discussions afterward to bring more people to know Him as Lord.

If you would like to support For Haiti with Love financially, please click here.

Representative Photo courtesy of Jörg Haller from Pixabay.

“They’re trying to scare and terrorize the Christians to keep them from being bold in their faith, in gathering, and in exercising their religious freedoms.”

Despite this, Templeton hears that many Christians are going to celebrate no matter what. Added to the threats of violence are a military and police force that sometimes act more as accomplices than watchguards, he says. 

“Their presence is nowhere to be found, even to the point of when asked for protection in these certain places and cities, they just don’t show up.”

With multiple groups targeting Christians and little help from law enforcement, it’s a kind of “open season” on believers. Homes are looted; buildings are burned. 

“If you can take their stuff, and no one is going to put you in jail or come after you, then it just opens the door for further violence against these Christians,” Templeton says. 

Photo courtesy of VOM USA

Persecution of Nigerian Christians is a call to prayer. Templeton says this is especially true as we get ready to celebrate Christmas here in the US in the safety and comfort in our churches, “knowing that many of our brothers and sisters are taking a huge step of faith even to go to church on Sunday and especially during the Christmas season.” 

Please pray that Nigerian believers would draw hope and peace from Christ, and pray that God would provide spiritually and physically for the Nigerian church this season.

“This is not just a political issue or even a religious issue. It’s a spiritual issue, and the Prince of Peace is being attacked by the enemy,” Templeton says. 

Word from MegaVoice colleagues on the ground is that Nigerian Christians recognize the blessing of suffering for their faith. 

“They’re not praying or asking us to pray that they’d be taken away from this,” Templeton says, “but they ask for protection and they ask for boldness.” 

Please pray too for members of Boko Haram and those whose mindsets have been influenced by its ideology. Pray that the light of Christ would dawn in their darkness, and pray that the birth of Christ would soon be known for the redemptive gift that it is.

Featured image courtesy of David Iloba via Pexels