Engaging in Mission

Here’s what going on in our mission environment!

PRAISE and prayer for:

Evangelism Training in Mesoamerica Region 

Some 250 Mesoamerica Region District Leaders were trained through Challenge 2022 - an Evangelism Initiative Training. This event is part of the regional evangelism strategy to involve church planters, district evangelism coordinators, and district superintendents in the planting of new churches and in active evangelism.            

So far, the regional Evangelism team has carried out Challenge trainings in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. The team also plans to bring this training to the Caribbean and Haiti fields. The trainings are part of the region’s four-year strategy to take the message of Jesus to all people, in all nations

“Being able to see firsthand a large number of options and resources available to us for evangelism made me dream of the great things that God has for the Central District of Costa Rica,” said Andrés Fernández, district evangelism coordinator. “Being able to share with leaders from other districts and listen to their experiences fills my heart with hope.”

Ukraine 

Quick Update -  The response of the Global Church of the Nazarene has been outstanding since the beginning of the crisis. As we have shared in past updates, the Eastern Europe Field mobilization of their people as well as hundreds of volunteers that have invested their money and time to come to help have shown that we are indeed a global family that cares for each other. This response continues now, even though thousands of Ukrainians decided to return to their homeland. NCM Poland is still providing humanitarian AID to hundreds of people transiting back and forth from Ukraine.    

Nazarenes have been very effective in building and integrating networks with many other Christian and non-Christian Organizations coordinating relief efforts. Some of these organizations have shared their resources with us and at the same time we have done the same. We have shared our vehicles so they are able to distribute humanitarian AID in communities where we do have churches.

Bangladesh

From May 5-7, 2022, the youth in Bangladesh spent three days together for their National Discipleship Youth Conference (for which they have been waiting for 3 years). All 5 districts were represented by 265 young people and many ministry leaders who were there to support and encourage them!  Around the theme BE ONE - MAKE ONE. the youth enjoyed teaching and training with a variety of speakers, as well as participating in group work, worship services, games, and activities. 

PRAY for:

UKRAINE - Please keep praying with us, for the NCM teams in Poland and Ukraine and for the Lord’s grace and strength for them to find ways to continue supporting the people in need in the church and other communities in Ukraine. Also, our gratitude goes to you that have been generous donating for this emergency.  In its fifth month, bombing continues in different cities, and where some of our churches are locate:  like Odessa, Kiev and in Shitomyr, close to Vaphnyarka and Kazaten. We continue crying to our almighty God for peace and justice. 

  • And pray for a lot  the people living there and those trying to assist them - this from the Sunbergs in Bombs - the things we know. "I watched an unexpected fireworks display from the edge of Kraków’s Vistula River. I watched it with friends from Ukraine.  Friends who have been delivering food and medical supplies to the dangerous places. I watched their videos of phosphorus bombs being dropped on Ukraine. Illegal. Lethal. Their stories have taught me science that I never wanted to know. Did you know that phosphorus burns through the metal of a car? It burns through flesh as well. I’ve seen those photos too. I didn’t want to but I had to. I needed to. Because this is our world. * I saw a Ukrainian babushka outside the train station wearing sweats though Ukrainian babushkas don’t normally wear sport sweats. They said, ‘If not now, then when?’  My daughters met a 6 year old. His eyes had been affected by a bomb that detonated in their yard. They put silicone in his eyes to stabilize them until they can get to Germany. * My Ukrainian sister said this week that kids can go back to school if it has a bomb shelter. Schools with mandatory bomb shelters." Bombs. The things we know.

JFHP TEAMS

  • Ghana, Africa - This year, Ghana teams plan to do "non-stop soul-winning." Pray their eternal harvest is great, and one that continues to multiply across West

  • Bangladesh - pray for open hearts as the JESUS Film Harvest Partner teams share the Good News.  We praise God for the JESUS Film Harvest Partners teams  and pray for them as they continue to go where the church is not yet

  • Argentina, South America - pray for JESUS Film teams to partner with the local church to spiritually and economically support the 500,000 Argentinians living in slums.

Calgary First Church - We still don’t know when Nairobi Visa Office will connect with the Chan Kulang family – David, Nyakhor (wife), and four young girls, Nyanen, Nyathijin, Nyalual, and Lenyduer, for the sponsorship interview. The latest from the Visa Office (24 Mar 2022): “Thank you for contacting the High Commission for Canada in Nairobi. We confirm that the application is still pending an interview. Once we schedule the application for interviews we will contact you and the applicant with interview details.” Prayer for “movement” on this sponsorship and speedy/successful visa processing is requested. (Carman 24 Mar)