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From The Office

COMMENDATIONS The Lighthouse Church in Masterton have the privilege of commending Prabhu & Christina Pothula to partner with Mission Aviation Fellowship in Australia.LAKE LEARNING CAMP Lake Learning Camp will be running again from 15th – 22nd January. Click here for more information and a registration form.GC3 NewsWe thank God for Graham & Betty (Day 19) and honour them on the anniversary of their fifty years of service to the people of Latin America. They are in Guatemala ...

Commendation

Crossroads Church in Palmerston North have the pleasure of commending Rebekah Lamb to serve in the Kudjip Nazarene Health Ministries, PNG, serving as a medical doctor. Rebekah will depart for PNG as soon as her visa comes through....

Operation World Resources

Whether you are an intercessor praying behind the scenes for world change, a missionary reaping the benefits of intercession, or simply curious about the world, Operation World Resources will give you the information necessary to be a vital part in fulfilling God's passion for the nations.Operation World Resources showcases all formats available for the 7th edition of the definitive global prayer handbook Operation World, including the book, ebook, CD, DVD-ROM, and prayer map.WEBSITE: https...

What does a bible translation consultant do?

Bible translators are my heroes! And I get to work with them! Most are whole-heartedly devoted to their challenging task – toiling day after day and year after year – often with hostile opposition. Several tell me it’s the hardest thing they’ve ever tried to do – even those who’ve already accomplished big things as pastors or professionals. Translators need competence in a wide variety of fields. I mainly help them with just one of the many things they need to do well – how to come...

Personal Support Raising

The God Ask: A Fresh, Biblical Approach to Personal Support RaisingAs a ministry worker, raising support can be a daunting task. It doesn't have to be intimidating though. It isn't about money or asking people to give. It is about looking to God to provide for you. He has given you a vision for ministry, and now you get to invite others into that vision. Your job is to pray and work hard to discover those whom the Lord has already prepared to invest in you and your ministry. God has done His wor...

To be an effective pray-er

Last week, a dear friend of mine died. She was a lady of prayer, a lady who also had a deep interest in mission. She was 91 years old. For many years I worked in the same office as this lady. She had an outstanding Christian character which I admired. I was humbled to know that not only did she pray for me, but she also prayed for our three boys each day. At her funeral, I discovered that there were many others for whom she prayed each day as well.  What makes a good pray-er? What has made ...

Finishing Well

It’s a bit awkward being asked to write about finishing well—because we aren’t yet horizontal-in-a-box and are likely to mess up a few times in future. Of course, the editors could have asked Billy Graham or John Stott—but they aren’t likely to provide an article anytime soon! We have, however, just finished 24 years involvement with the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies (SAIACS) in Bangalore, India, and for the last ten Ian has been the Principal. We’ve just...

How to Care for Your Missionaries

Serving As Senders: How to Care for Your Missionaries While They Are Preparing to Go, While They Are on the Field, When They Return HomeA missionary needs care in at least six areas:Moral SupportLogistics SupportFinancial SupportPrayer SupportCommunication SupportReentry SupportThis book gives scores of practical ideas in how a team can provide the necessary care for a missionary. Chapter One tells "when" and "why" a missionary needs care. Chapters Two through Seven deal with each of the six are...

How to help your congregation engage with your mission partners

If you’re a person who is interested in mission you’re always on the lookout for news and updates and keen to hear how your mission partners are doing offshore. However, for those who haven’t been bitten by the ‘missions bug’ or are new to your church, it can be hard to engage in the lives and activities of others so far away. We don’t want mission interest to be restricted to the mission’s team or one special Sunday, we want it to be just as much a part of your church as your chil...

Sulawesi Tsunami – Indonesia

Please pray for people who have been affected by this terrible disaster. Remember especially our Christian family, asking that they will be a source of hope, peace and comfort to all, amidst the chaos and destruction. GC Aid is collecting for relief of this disaster. ...

Headspace - Thailand - Wk 10

FINAL DAYS: 29 Sept - 3rd OctFull Team: Debrief - Chiang Mai The last few days involve debrief on their nine weeks in Thailand, looking at how the trip has impacted their views and values and how they will be able to apply that to life in NZ. Departing from Chiang Mai airport on the 2nd October, the team head home to New Zealand, arriving on the 3 October.  Pray for the leaders as they lead the team through debrief and help them prepare their hearts and minds to head home. Pray for great ti...

Reach Into Our Prisons

This year there has been a lot of press coverage on the growing prison population in NZ. No matter what your view on our present justice system, we need to remember that behind the numbers are actual people, people who need to hear the gospel and our family of churches has a ministry opportunity that has been operating now for forty-five years. Early in the 1970s the GPH began printing, publishing and marketing Bible Gem calendars which provided a verse for each day of the year in a monthly form...

Headspace - Thailand - Wk 9

For their final week the team will be together doing a work project at a home for girls that have been abused. It is a home for girls under the age of 18, where they are shown the love of God and given help for physical and emotional recovery.Pray for continued enthusiasm for their time in Thailand as some team members potentially start to feel homesick. Pray that they would have strength and energy to give their all at this last project for the trip....

An Instant Tool for Evangelism

The audio recordings available on 5fish contain some of the most important words you will ever hear. They speak good news for everyone in their own language. Just as fish is food for sustaining physical life, the messages on 5fish offer spiritual life. Global Recordings Network has developed the 5fish suite of applications for easy distribution and playback of gospel messages on mobile devices. The 5fish.mobi website provides access to GRN's content from any mobile device with a web browser and ...

Our Role In Global Church Planting

What needs to be done by whom in order to plant the churches required to bless all corners of the world? When could/should that work be international? That is a complex question that requires a global perspective and a level of nuance.This infographic will help you understand the size of the challenge, the types of roles needed and some examples of who should fill them.DOWNLOAD INFOGRAPHICPersonal ReflectionWithout looking at any data, people may drop out of international mission if they believe...

Preparing Christian workers for cross-cultural service

Are you a follower of Jesus and would love to step out in faith and be salt and light across cultures?Do you sense God challenging you to step out of your own culture to serve those of another?Would you like to start your journey by training with a diverse group of students and staff from across the globe?If that describes you, then have a look through the courses on offer and get in touch with us.Set in the beautiful countryside of New Zealand’s North Island, Eastwest is a tertiary college, a...

Headspace - Thailand - Wks 7/8

Team One: School on the borderTeam one heads to the border and continues the work teaching and building relationships with the students at the school on the border. Pray that the teaching and relationships started by the first team will provide a good base for this team to build on. Pray that the great opportunities we have here to teach about Jesus would be used wisely to benefit the students and teachers. Team Two: Payap, Chiang MaiTeam two spend their time with Payap Christian Zone, a local c...

The Gospel Speaks to all Cultures

Have you ever tried to share your faith with someone froma different culture? Did they seem confused by some of the concepts you were sharing? Have you ever wondered if you could be communicating more clearly or in a way that connected better with their cultural background and heritage?Jayson Georges' newly released book, The 3D Gospel – Ministry in Guilt, Shame and Fear Cultures, suggests three cultural lenses that impact our view of the world around us.They are:1. Guilt/Innocence – Western...

Headspace - Thailand - Wk 6

Both groups enjoy a much needed rest week at Juniper Tree in Chiang Mai. Juniper Tree is accommodation for missionaries serving in South East Asia. This provides an awesome opportunity for the Gappers to connect with others following their call to missions. The team gets to enjoy some free time and experience more of the tourist side of Chiang Mai by visiting an elephant sanctuary, taking Thai cooking classes and visiting markets! Pray that this would be a great week of rest, refreshment and reg...

Do You Care For Unreached People Groups?

The Disciples and the early Church took the Gospel mandate seriously. The rate at which the gospel spread in the midst of so much persecution was unprecedented. In spite of their best efforts these believers did not reach the “uttermost parts of the earth”. There were anthropological, sociological, social-political, economical, and geographical reasons. The task is not yet finished.Below are a few suggestions that could be applied as you seek to reach these groups: Identify the unreached peo...

Headspace - Thailand - Wk 4 & 5

Team One: Khun KlangTeam One heads into teaching at another school, this time for Hmong people. The team run an English programme and partner with the local church and Wycliffe Thailand to run after school programs. These two weeks provide awesome space for God to really work through the team to speak to the Hmong people of his love and care for them.Pray for the teams to create good rhythms of working in a smaller group. Pray that they would be able to connect well with the Hmong people and tha...

Black Bags

Connie was upset. She was hearing the ominous rustle of plastic bags far too often. It meant only one thing: her husband was leaving her again. Walking away from the problem. Again. Refusing to face up to the consequences of his actions. Again. She had not lost count; this was the twelfth time. As usual, he had stuffed his clothes into black bags and stomped out of the front door. She hated the sight of those black plastic rubbish bags.  Connie and Jared* had met at eighteen years of age, t...

Hope Worth Sharing

Crescent Project, originally known as Arab International Ministry, was founded in 1993 by Fouad Masri to enable Christians to reach out to the Muslim community. Because of his experience as a Lebanese student living in the U.S., he realized that internationals in America often have many unmet needs. Crescent Project was founded to prepare American Christians to reach out to the growing Muslim community in North America.Most Muslim ministries have focused on sending full-time missionaries oversea...

Unreached People Groups

Joshua Project is a research initiative seeking to highlight the ethnic people groups of the world with the fewest followers of Christ. Accurate, updated ethnic people group information is critical for understanding and completing the Great Commission. Revelation 5:9 and 7:9-10 show that there will be some from every tribe, tongue, nation and people before the Throne.Joshua Project seeks to answer the questions that result from the Great Commission's call to make disciples among every natio...

Headspace - Thailand - Wk 3

The team heads back to Chiang Mai to spend time at the Agape childrens home. The work they do here will be mostly practical projects. They will also get to spend time with the children. Pray for health, strength and energy for the team as they get stuck into a work project here. Pray that the work they do will be a blessing to the childrens home and that great relationships will be built with the staff here....