If you have a passion for spreading the Gospel, India is one of the most critical mission fields — and now is a key time to support Mission India as they touch kids’ hearts.

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

Raina Miller with Mission India says, “Giving Tuesday falls during our 10-Day Children’s Bible Club matching challenge, so it’s a great time to take advantage of that…. Every dollar that you give to 10-Day Children’s Bible Clubs is currently being doubled — so $1 is doubled to reach two children with the good news of Jesus!”

India is home to 1.4 billion people, and 96% have never heard the Gospel. Mission India works with local Christian partners for these Children’s Bible Clubs — even as believers face intense persecution.

“India is actually the 11th most dangerous nation in the world for Christians,” Miller explains. “There are people who are ostracized from their communities, they are facing violence, they’re facing intimidation in all different forms for following Christ…. And yet, we’re finding that the more persecution increases, the more the Church grows.”

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

You can donate to Mission India’s 10-Day Children’s Bible Clubs today at www.missionindia.org/double.

This Giving Tuesday, help make an eternal difference for children in India.

Miller also asks, “Pray that the kids who are reached through the Bible Clubs that are being sponsored during this match would have their hearts changed in a way that pushes them to lead others to Christ as well. [Pray] that it just creates a domino effect where the kids reached through this match then go on to reach entire communities!”

Header photo courtesy of Mission India.

Then Samrina’s parents heard about a 10-Day Children’s Bible Club from a Christian relative. Although they themselves were not believers, her parents figured it would be an enjoyable distraction for their young daughter.

From Samrina’s first day, Raina Miller with Mission India says, “She loved it! There were tons of fun activities. There were songs that she got to sing about Jesus that had fun dances and motions to them, and then she memorized Scripture verses too. All this is just kind of new to her.”

Samrina (Photo courtesy of Mission India)

But most of all, “The message of Jesus really spoke to her,” Miller says. “She was just amazed that God loved her. After her life had been pretty much dominated by pain and desire for healing [from] medical issues, she was amazed to discover that her life really had purpose — no matter what she might be going through.”

With childlike faith, Samrina decided to bring her greatest need before Jesus. She prayed for healing.

“One of the incredible things about our 10-Day Bible Clubs is that the children learn how to pray to Jesus,” said Raina Miller with Mission India. “They understand that Jesus can answer their prayers and that he can do miracles.”

By the end of the 10 days, Samrina experienced what no doctor had been able to provide — complete healing. The pain that had tormented her for years was gone, and her family could not deny the miracle they witnessed.

Overcome with gratitude, her parents began attending church, eager to learn more about the God who had healed their daughter. “Now we’re just praying that her parents come to salvation,” says Miller.

“We’re so excited about what’s to come this summer as more children like Samrina find hope and even healing and eternal life in Christ through this 10-Day Children’s Bible Club!”

Across India, thousands of children will step into these clubs — some battling struggles of their own, and all seeking joy, love, and hope. You can help introduce them to the love of Christ!

Just $1 typically allows one child to attend a 10-Day Children’s Bible Club. But right now, Mission India is running an Easter matching challenge that doubles every dollar given until April 21.

See your gift expanded to reach more kids in India with the Gospel! Give to Mission India’s matching challenge here.

Then, pray for these kids attending 10-Day Children’s Bible Clubs to become lights for Jesus in their generation.

Header photo courtesy of Mission India.

Mission India operates 10-Day Children’s Bible Clubs across India, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with kids who have never heard of Him.

Now is a critical window of time to get involved! Starting today through December 31st, Mission India is featuring a $540,000 matching challenge for donations to their 10-Day Children’s Bible Clubs.

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

With Giving Tuesday tomorrow in the United States, maybe you’re trying to think of where to send your financial gift that will make a significant Gospel difference. This is it!

Normally, just $1 will send one child in India to a 10-Day Bible Club. But during Mission India’s matching challenge, every donation will be matched by a generous donor up to $540,000. So $1 would cover attendance at a 10-Day Bible Club for two kids!

Bartholomew* with Mission India says, “With these 10-Day Bible Clubs, it’s basically Vacation Bible School on steroids. We want to hit this matching challenge of $540,000 because if we do, over 1 million kids will be able to attend a Children’s Bible Club coming up next summer.”

The 10-Day Children’s Bible Clubs are operated by local Indian believers who pour into these kids with God’s love — teaching them Bible stories, singing Gospel songs, and providing a safe place for fun and friendship.

Every year, more and more Indian kids are starting relationships with Jesus Christ through these 10-Day Bible Clubs.

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

But it doesn’t just change the life of that child. “The more kids that will be allowed to go to these 10-Day Bible Clubs, the generational change that you are giving the opportunity to in the nation of India is…just amazing,” Bartholomew says. “They go back to their families and tell their families about Jesus. As they grow up, they lead their families in the ways of Jesus.”

If you want to support Mission India’s 10-Day Children’s Bible Clubs during the matching challenge this Giving Tuesday, click here to donate!

Whether or not you are able to give, now is also a critical time to pray for the nation of India. So please, pray for these kids!

Bartholomew says, “India is one of the youngest nations in the world…. So we would just ask that people would pray over these children as they go through struggles of poverty, lack of education, lack of really a home life, that you would just lift them up in prayer that they would find peace and confidence and support and grace through the love of Jesus.”

*Last name omitted for security purposes.

Header photo courtesy of Mission India.

Maybe that’s why it can be difficult for some of us to understand just how precious a copy of God’s Word really is.

How Far One Bible Goes

Jason Woolford of CRI sees value in each Bible and knows how far just one copy of the Scriptures can go. On average, a book is read by 20 people during its lifecycle, he says. That means that at a minimum, providing one Bible means exposing 20 people to the Gospel.

But in some parts of the world and in some pairs of hands, it can go even farther than that. For example, “When you look at a pastor of a church in Uganda or Kenya or the Philippines, or Bangalore, India that gets a Bible from us, you’re talking about congregations of church plants [where] sometimes even the pastor doesn’t own the Bible,” Woolford says.

In those situations, “the impact is literally millions of people with the amount of things that we sell.”

Ongoing Bible Drive

Photo courtesy of Mission Cry

That’s why CRI hosts an ongoing Bible drive to bring in used Bibles and Christian books and send them around the world. Donate Bibles and Christian books you have around the house, and CRI will ship them to pastors and believers around the world.

The demand is high. Typically, CRI sends almost $13 million in Christian literature around the world every year. Yet even with that many books, they’re still coming up short; people are just that desperate for access to the Gospel.

Their Bible drive will continue for another month, so if you’d like to participate, collect Bibles from your own home or from a church Bible drive and send them to CRI using this information.

Custom CRI Bibles

CRI isn’t just sending used Bibles. Thanks to a partnership with the NASB Bible, they’re publishing customized CRI New Testament Bibles for pennies on the dollar and shipping them all over the world.

In addition to the books of the New Testament, hese CRI Bibles include a plan of salvation, a basic guide to reading the Bible, a discipleship program outline, a code of conduct, and other tools for new Christians looking to leave a legacy of servitude to God. One of these Bibles can be purchased, printed, and shipped for just $2.

How to Help

Photo courtesy of Mission Cry

Want to get involved? If you’re interested in sending your own Bibles and books, you can contact CRI right here or call them at (517) 223-3193. Consider organizing a Bible drive or sending this article to your own Christian community. You can also simply donate directly to CRI and their mission.

Most of all, you can pray, especially for persecuted members of the global Body of Christ.

“The Word of God, they’ve been beaten for, but now they just want to read about the very God they’re being beaten or martyred for,” Woolford says. “God reminds us in His Word, time and time again, that everything will perish. Everything returns void except His Word. And so you have the ability to give that to someone overseas. God bless you.”

Header photo courtesy of Unsplash.

In the words of Slavic Gospel Assocation’s Eric Mock, “While the Ukrainian government works to establish itself on the world scene, it still reels from the reality of its industrial base that was greatly damaged when Russia invaded the eastern third of the nation.”

As a result, villages and towns have been devastated. Local businesses, including grocery stores, gas stations, and more, have been shelled into rubble. Most surviving businesses chose to flee rather than wait in fear for their turn, and new businesses rarely take the financial or physical risk of establishing themselves.

Photo courtesy of Slavic Gospel Association

Homes are gone, too. Most have been blown away by bombing and war, leaving locals starving, impoverished, and homeless. Conditions are already harsh, and as winter builds, it’s only going to get worse.

And yet, there is hope. “In the midst of suffering that’s going on, God continues to accomplish things, as you said, behind the scenes and in amazing ways, to raising up His church and people that desire to make a difference.”

That’s where the Crisis Evangelism Fund comes in. The Fund provides mattresses, linens, food parcels, evangelistic literature, and more. They’re equipping locals to face hardship with a good night’s sleep, full bellies, and Gospel hope.

“We’ve been able to get behind the people that God has raised up to help the people in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainians reaching Ukrainians,” Mock says. “What a joy it’s been to see how these faithful believers, week in and week out, are putting their lives on the line in the midst of this conflict to take a message of faith, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to bring much needed food and supplies to citizens.”

If you want to support, you can contribute directly to the Crisis Evangelism Fund and learn more about how your donations help Ukranian families. You can also donate to other projects Slavic Gospel Association uses to support Ukranian believers and hurting locals.

Not sure you can spare the money? Pray.

“It would be foolish for me to think that my man-centered efforts are the total solution to all their needs there,” Mock says. “Instead, it’s the power of God at work through the power of prayer. And God hears our prayer. In fact, Peter Deyneka Sr, the founder of Slavic Gospel Association, would say, ‘Much prayer, much power. Little prayer, little power. No prayer, no power.’”

Header photo courtesy of Slavic Gospel Association

Meeting one gift with another

In 2018, Wycliffe Bible Translators finished a decades-long effort to translate the New Testament and portions of the Old Testament into the Keliko language. For this Christian people group, these Bible translations were a priceless gift. Now, believers can have and use Scripture in their own language in their daily lives.

At a recent church service, Wycliffe visitors saw Keliko generosity first-hand.  The church building was a large tent made of tarps and the pews were plastic chairs, but the congregation’s heart was one of blessing.

(Photo courtesy of Wycliffe USA)

“When they took the offering, there was a child holding a bowl… in the front, and then everyone got up out of their seats and they were dancing to the front. [Some gave] money if they had it, others [were] putting their hands in as if to say, ‘I’m all in. I’m all in for the Lord and the work of the kingdom,’” says Susha Roberts of Wycliffe USA.

A translator explained that the funds collected were to support church work, including ongoing translation and Scripture use.  Keliko refugees raised this money through small jobs and by selling portions of their food rations.

Learning from the Keliko

The attitude of giving and hospitality exhibited by the Keliko is reminiscent of the widow and her two mites. As that story teaches, it’s easy to be generous when you have much to give, but a heart of giving is something separate.

Some might think the wealthy donate more. However, that is not always the case. A report from the Chronicle of Philanthropy found the opposite during the height of the Great Recession. The average wealthy American decreased their donations to charity while their poorer counterparts gave more. Just like the Keliko, they gave even in their own time of need to help others. Read more here.

We all have something to give

For the Keliko, having a translated Bible in their language was a priceless gift. The community also now has a written language and the opportunity to attend literacy classes. Donations, prayers, and volunteered time all made that possible.  Wycliffe Bible Translators is looking to do the same for many other communities around the world.

(Photo courtesy Wycliffe USA)

Join the Keliko by giving generously to these efforts through the 2019 Gift Catalog.

These donations go to fund the translation of the Old Testament, New Testament, hymns and more. Learn more here.

“I hope those who participate… look at the Keliko and their generosity and think, ‘I can give like that. I don’t live the way they do; I have so much more’,” said Roberts.

“They barely have anything and yet they give it.”

You can also join in prayer. Pray for the completion of the Keliko’s translation, or select another group to pray for as they approach translation. Please ask God for emotional healing among the Keliko and for their eventual return to their homeland.

Header photo courtesy of Wycliffe USA.

Renew, Reuse, Recycle

Mission Cry distributed two shipping containers worth of used bibles, seminary materials, and Christian books earlier this month. These materials were donated to strengthen South Sudanese Christians by fellow believers thousands of miles away.

(Photo courtesy of Mission Cry)

“These people are hoping and asking and believing that they could have a Bible, something that they can afford. And they want a Bible, they want a Christian book, even if it’s used. And if they can get a used Bible or a Christian book, then that’s going to change their life,” says Jason Woolford of Mission Cry.

Since 1956 Mission Cry has been distributing used Christian literature around the world.

In South Sudan, Woolford is partnering with Far Reaching Ministries, which focuses on training chaplain soldiers who serve in the field. Being a chaplain is a high-risk role; 18 chaplains have been killed in the past few years.

“Where we’re partnering with them is giving them their first-ever mission Cry Christian Resource International Bible, giving them the ability to read about the very God that they’re being martyred for,” Woolford says.

A Nation in need of Healing

Even now, citizens deal with the aftermath of civil war and ongoing tensions. The brutal conflict saw child soldiers, widespread torture and sexual violence, displacement, and destroyed lives. Read more about South Sudan’s ongoing struggles and the events of the past year here.

“People need the word and they want the word, so we’re going to give it to them, especially those that are suffering real persecution for the name of Christ,” Woolford says.

Though the shipment of materials has just arrived there is already a demand for more.

“There’s 80,000 people that are requesting, and needing, and have the ability to speak in English,” he explains.

Books for Believers from Believers

Woolford is asking for aid to continue getting materials to believers in need.

(Photo courtesy of Mission Cry)

“It costs us about $10,000 to send a sea container, but that’s filled with nearly a half a million dollars worth of stuff, so I’m asking about things that change people’s eternity forever or encourage them in a testimony,” Woolford says. Click here to give.

Your own used books could be what encourages a fellow believer in need. Donate your gently used materials here.

Woolford asks for believers to pray for Mission Cry and the continued success of the ministry. Pray that these materials will be a source of renewal and hope for South Sudanese believers. Pray for the peace and restoration of South Sudan and the healing of its people.

“We’re sending the only thing in the world that doesn’t return void, and that’s the word of God. And then on top of it, we’re sending the used Word of God. In other words, Bibles that were sitting on people’s shelf that we’re going to be thrown out the word of God thrown out but instead we’ve recaptured it,” Woolford says.

Header image courtesy of Mission Cry.

Sadly, not all kids are prepared for the school year. Things like backpacks and pencils are luxuries for struggling families. This is especially true of kids living in refugee camps in Lebanon.

Heart for Lebanon offers informal education to refugee kids through their Hope Centers in Lebanon, and Molly Hawkins says they see the struggle firsthand. In addition to a lack of resources, even the school supplies refugee kids do have often wear down quickly.

(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

“If we come home and we put our briefcase or our purse or our backpack on a clean chair in our nice, clean house in the corner, or even if we leave it on the floor, the conditions we live in are just so much more sanitary than where they live. Things really don’t last as long. They get dirty very quickly, and just with wear and tear, things don’t hold up.”

That’s why Heart for Lebanon is hosting a Back-to-School Match to raise funds for school supplies for refugee kids. Thanks to a generous donor, every dollar given will be doubled, up to $10,000! This is the last week you can give to this initiative!

With the potential to raise $20,000, there is a lot of good Heart for Lebanon can do with that money.

“We love to give out backpacks to all the students at the beginning of the year filled with the supplies they need — so, filled with paper and markers and pencils and workbooks,” Hawkins explains.

“Also, we like to be able to supply things for like art class or when they go to chapel. A lot of times there is a craft that goes along with the story they have heard. Also for gym class, [we supply] the soccer balls and basketballs and just gym equipment in general.”

Many refugees in Lebanon don’t have formal asylum seeker status. This means they are limited in the aid available to them and it’s harder for parents to make sure their family has basic necessities.

“Their parents just don’t have the means to buy anything for them, so whatever we can do that will help [refugee students] learn now and succeed in the future, we want to do that.”

(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

Heart for Lebanon works with approximately 300 refugee students at their three Hope Centers. Every teacher that serves at a Hope Center is a Christian eager to demonstrate Jesus’ love for these kids.

“We believe that God is great and that He is creative, so [we want to] see children develop that part of them and then explain, ‘There is a God that created you exactly the way you are. Look at how creative He is to be able to have made this whole entire world and you. That’s where you get it from. You can use your gift for His glory. You can use your gift to bring other people joy and happiness.’”

In addition to education, a major way they teach refugee kids about God at the Hope Centers is through chapel time. Each chapel covers biblical characteristics and leadership traits. Every month, students learn a biblical value such as generosity or integrity or honesty, and teachers try to emphasize those virtues in the classroom.

Hawkins shares one story of a young female student. “She was super quiet. She never really said anything. She didn’t really ever seem to enjoy anything, especially not chapel.

“One day at the end of class, the teacher handed out papers and asked the students to write what they love the most. Surprisingly, the student wrote, ‘I love chapel. I used to not like it. I didn’t really believe it, but now with your patience and hearing all the stories about Jesus and how much He loves me, I look forward to chapel more than anything else.’”

(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

Hawkins says this message to refugee kids — that they are loved by God and that their lives have meaning — is contrary to what they normally hear.

“We don’t want to just throw them away like other people do. They have a purpose. So these [school] materials will help us to show them how they were made and how loved they are and what they can do.”

Of course, there are always families in every community who need help equipping their children for school. This struggle is not unique to refugee communities.

However, Heart for Lebanon’s Tom Atema says the need in our own backyards shouldn’t stop us from responding to the need outside our borders as well.

“I don’t think it’s either-or. I think it’s both. I think we have an obligation to help people in our own backyard, our own Jerusalem, and then go to Samaria and eventually go to the outermost parts of the world.”

Hawkins adds, “We definitely want people to help locally, but if you have a heart for the Middle East, then we definitely want to talk to you. Really at this moment in time, Muslims are more open to the Gospel than ever before… This is our opportunity to reach out in love and to show them exactly what Jesus did.”

Atema encourages believers to really seize this opportunity and respond to what God is doing in the Middle East — especially among Muslim refugees and this young generation. “The 300 [students] that we deal with is a small drop in the bucket, but we have the capacity to do more. We just need more prayers and investments.”

(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

If you would like to give to Heart for Lebanon’s Back-to-School Match and see your gift doubled, click here!

Then, commit to praying for this ministry. Atema says, “I’m asking for prayer for our teachers, that they’ll have wisdom, they’ll have strength, they’ll have God’s protection as they deal with all the different situations.

“The last prayer request I would have is for the children themselves — that many of them, number one, would come to faith in Jesus Christ. But number two is, as they grow in their faith in Jesus Christ, they will not get discouraged, they will not lose hope, they will not lose that passion that they have — believe me, they have it — of what they want to be, that their dreams will be fulfilled in a positive, God-honoring way.”

(Header photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

“Those are filled with about a half million dollars worth of used Bibles and Christian books ranging anywhere from Bibles to seminary books by Christian authors for Christian education, and those are sent around the world for free distribution.”

Preparing the Belize container (Mission Cry)

Jason Woolford of Mission Cry has been working with Mission Cry, donors in the United States, and on-the-ground missions organizations around the globe to put Christian literature in the hands of believers desperate for a closer relationship with God. Their goals have been high, but that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to reach.

Take their Belize project. Last year, Woolford announced that Mission Cry wanted to have enough Bibles and books to put one in every home in the entire country of Belize. Thanks to donations and contributions, they were able to meet their goal. The first container recently landed, and a large turnout from the local community helped unload the books.

“Last year when we were in Belize we had 700 people waiting in a line for two and a half hours to get a used Bible that had markings and writing in it,” Woolford says. “When they got it, some of them cried, some of them fell to their knees, and children rejoiced. This is a real need that’s being met.”

But where is the need coming from? Some of the most excited book recipients are Christians who were touched by missionaries but then left with only a taste of what God has to offer. Now, they’re looking to build a deeper relationship with Christ.

“A lot of times, people have been reached by Christianity but they don’t have a full understanding of who God is, so we’re giving them that ability,” Woolford says. “When you ask Jesus into your life, you are a part of Him, but then you need to learn about Him and be in relationship with Him, and that only comes by reading the Word.”

The Zambia container (Photo Courtesy Mission Cry)

That’s why Mission Cry is taking on this task. “We are enabling Bible colleges, seminaries, evangelists, missionaries and even secular libraries, giving them the tools they need to go out and reach people,” Woolford says. “Some of them have to choose between feeding their family or buying a Bible, so we’re partnering with them to give them this opportunity for free.”

But they can’t do this alone. They’re working with Bible schools like the one that will be receiving the container in Zambia, churches that come together to provide Mission Cry with the resources they need, and individuals who have been moved to give.

If you want to join in, a three month Bible drive beginning in June might be right for you. Don’t want to wait? There are plenty of ways you can help make sure Mission Cry has another container ready very soon.

Growing up in India, Monika’s father was more preoccupied with alcohol than his family. He squandered away what little money they had on his addiction. When he was drunk, he would also become violent and abusive.

But then, Bartholomew* with Mission India says, one of their ministry partners started a Children’s Bible Club in Monika’s village.

Children’s Bible Club with Mission India waves hello! (Photo courtesy of Mission India)

“She started attending this Children’s Bible Club and over time, Monika just started learning about Jesus and what He did for her…and what Jesus could do for her family.”

Monika learned to pray to her Heavenly Father for the first time. She started praying that God would change her dad’s heart. Her mom even started to pray too.

Eventually, God answered Monika’s bold prayers.

“Her father came to realize what his addiction was doing to the family and…started to not drink anymore and started going to church. So through this Children’s Bible Club and through Monika, this little 10-year-old girl changed the family’s story for the better. By the love of Jesus and through this Bible Club, Monika was able to see her family transformed. So we were just really moved by this.”

It costs just one dollar to send one kid to a Children’s Bible Club with Mission India. So at some point, someone gave just one dollar to Mission India, which allowed Monika to join the Bible Club. And that one dollar ended up introducing her entire family to Jesus.

If you give to Mission India before the end of April, your gift will be matched by their India’s Children 2018 Matching Challenge.

Click here to give to Mission India!

Bartholomew explains, “For every dollar you give, it will be doubled up to $300,000 by the end of April. We’re just excited that there are more Monikas that could be touched by this matching grant.”

It’s not uncommon for Mission India to see spiritual transformation in an entire family when the kids attend a Children’s Bible Club.

(Photo courtesy of Mission India via Facebook)

“They are bringing Jesus back to these communities and to their homes. There are plenty of Monikas that are part of these Children’s Bible Clubs who go back to their families and we read tons of stories of the redemption that takes place.”

As you give, please commit to praying for Mission India’s ministry. “We would just request prayers over our partners and the people who are implementing these programs. Those who know Mission India know that we don’t send missionaries. We partner with fellow believers in India to do the work that God has called us to do. So we just pray for protection of those partners and their families. We also ask for prayer for the children who will be attending these Children Bible’s Clubs in the future.”

*Name changed for security purposes.