A Cup of Cold Water In Jesus's Name

Ramadan has begun. Muslims believe that fasting during this month will erase sin. Would you click here to pick a country and a 15-minute prayer slot, then forward this link to your Christian friends? 

Financial support in missions doesn't always accomplish what we hope to accomplish. I've often had to ask myself questions like, "Does my Sudanese brother visit me because he is truly interested in planting churches among Ms, or does he want to immigrate?" or "Did my Egyptian friend genuinely click 'agree completely' with my online points about house churches or is he looking for financial support for his ministry?" When we missionaries don't have the linguistic or relational success we hoped to have within the first few years overseas, it is tempting to turn to the one thing we can do... partner financially with nationals. But that has its own challenges. So when I am asked by an Arab brother to connect him with financial partners, I send him the Arabic version of this.

Yet as I mentioned in a past e-newsletter more than a year ago, we certainly have a biblical precedent for cross-cultural financial support in times of crisis. Humanitarian organizations are rightly investing in refugees from Ukraine, who are "barely reached" with the gospel at 4% evangelical. Yet how much more should we the church support gospel-centered relief work for Yemeni Arabs (0.00% evangelical) who have endured civil war for years? This ministry was recommended for funding by a senior SB mission leader who lived in Yemen for 25 years and has been a friend for the past 10 years.

I'm not a Baptist but....

...I think they got it right when it comes to church government. When I read Scripture, I am persuaded that the congregational form of church government (church decides) is more biblical than the presbyterian form (elders decide) and the episcopal form (the bishop decides). Of course, all churches would agree that Christ Himself is the true head of the church. As I talk to Arab brothers, it seems that one of the major barriers to them planting a house church is related to the issue of authority. From whom should they get permission to do so? Should they be formally ordained by a registered denomination, or is it enough to receive the informal blessing of other Arab pastors whom they know? Should they follow their evangelical cultural norm of a single pastor, or is it more biblical to have a plurality of pastors/elders? If the congregation has ultimate decision-making authority, what does it mean to "obey" and "submit to" the elders? This article has been helpful in answering some of those questions so I had it translated to Arabic and share it often with Arab brothers.

For most of May, I was in the Middle East. I was able to visit friends in Nazareth for the first time since covid began. Therefore, I was also able to connect with brothers in Irbid in northern Jordan before traveling down to Amman. Please pray for continued conversations online with both old and new friends. I was unable to visit Sudan last month. Especially, pray for brothers there who are all struggling economically & socially.

You're In Charge

I was in Nazareth for 3 days for the first time since before covid. Then I was in Jordan for 5 days. I am in Beirut now for 3 days. I will be in Egypt for 6 days and then Saudi for 4 days. Would you ask the Lord to raise up reproducing churches of gospel-centered Arab families?

We all need counsel when it comes to parenting. A Jordanian couple in full-time ministry with whom we were friends when we lived there called me last month. Their older kids are doing well but their younger son was not submitting to his teachers at school. The mom said she found herself yelling at him sometimes. After asking questions and listening for 30 minutes, I suggested that they read chapter 4 "You're In Charge" of Shepherding A Child's Heart and each write 2 obedience points to apply to their parenting. I was a little concerned that the dad might not follow through but he actually shared 3 obedience points when we met the next week online! We talked about the difference between discipline and punishment. This family is loved and respected by many in the evangelical community of Jordan. Pray that they would be "strict but kind" to quote the dad. Have you and your spouse ever considered asking an elder in your church for parenting counsel? Sometimes just expressing the problem out loud and answering a few of their questions is enough to help us see it more clearly.