mission:world News

Every Christ follower would agree that prayer is both a foundational discipline and a MUST for intimacy with Christ, godly leadership, and church health. Bill Elliff says, ”Prayer has become a side room” instead of a church’s  foundation. Statistics say the average pastor prays only fifteen minutes a day! If healthy leaders make healthy churches, we have a sad picture of what prayer is in many North American churches.

Have you ever been waiting for God to do the “next big thing” in your life, in your church, in whatever context you’re in? When my wife and I moved to Oklahoma City in 2017 (where I am originally from) with our friends Nathan and Lynzie Brewer, there was so much excitement in the anticipation of what God was going to do in this new chapter of our lives. We had never helped plant a church before.

Missionaries are an independent breed. It just goes with the territory. However, living in cross-cultural settings, often with no familiar personalities to interact with and having to make all decisions on your own, can lead to the mistake of becoming detached and sequestered. Of course there are biblical teachings that show us how to avoid these missteps. 

Despite extreme hardships and uncertainty in Myanmar, God has been faithful to Lifeword’s global partner, Rama, in his efforts to share Jesus Christ. The military in Myanmar, since staging a coup in 2021, has carried out a brutal nationwide crackdown. This has made sharing the gospel message difficult, and many believers have been killed.