Missions News
What God Has Done in Grand Junction
The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains, in the western foothills, in the Negev and along the coast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. See, I have given you this land. -- Deuteronomy 1:6-8a
In June of 2014, 13 disciples from the Denver Church of Christ broke camp and advanced into the hill country of Grand Junction, Colorado. The mission team consisted of several married couples, singles, and part-time campus ministry interns. Yet even with no full-time staff members of their own, the church has experienced great victories of faith and growth since landing on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains a year and a half ago. God continues to convince us that he has truly “given [us] this land.”
Happy Chinese New Year! Is the Year of the Monkey Your Time to Take the OYC?
To mark the Chinese New Year, Disciples Today is publishing a series of articles written by our correspondent in mainland China. For the previous articles in this series, see Good News from China, What’s It Like to Be a Christian in China?, A Short History of Christianity in China, and The International Churches of Christ in China.
Happy Chinese New Year! International Churches of Christ in China
To mark the Chinese New Year, Disciples Today is publishing a series of articles written by our correspondent in mainland China. For the previous articles in this series, see Good News from China, What’s It Like to Be a Christian in China? and A Short History of Christianity in China.
Happy Chinese New Year! A Short History of Christianity in China
To mark the Chinese New Year, Disciples Today is publishing a series of articles written by our correspondent in China. For the previous articles in this series, see Part 1: Good News from China and Part 2: What’s It Like to Be a Christian in China?
Space Coast Church to Hold Inaugural Service Feb. 28
The recently planted Space Coast Church of Christ will be celebrating ignition and liftoff with their inaugural service at the beautiful Crowne Plaza Melbourne Oceanfront Hotel in Melbourne, Florida on February 28, 2016. The accompanying picture of the group is from the sendoff service from the Orlando Church of Christ on January 24.
Happy Chinese New Year! What’s it Like to Be a Christian in China?
Today is the first day of the Year of the Monkey, according to the lunar calendar observed by over one billion Chinese people around the world. To mark the Chinese New Year, Disciples Today is publishing a series of articles written by our correspondent in mainland China, who is even now celebrating the Chinese New Year in southern China. (See Part 1: Good News from China.)
Happy Chinese New Year! Good News from China
Tonight, almost 800 million people will gather in China with family around their TVs for the most-watched entertainment program of the year, the Chinese New Year Gala, broadcast by China Central Television. (By contrast, the Super Bowl will be watched by about 120 million viewers.)
Chinese New Year will be celebrated around the world, drawing attention to this ancient culture’s history and its spring festival’s colorful traditions. Chinese people are spread more widely than ever among the nations of Asia—Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia have millions—and even now throughout the West: our churches in Australia, for example, now have many Chinese disciples.
To mark the Chinese New Year, for the next several days Disciples Today will publish a series of articles written by our correspondent in mainland China, who will celebrate the Chinese New Year with friends and family in southern China and share more about how disciples of Jesus live in the world’s largest nation.
2015 Brings Great Growth in Brazil Churches
2015 was an exciting year for the churches in Brazil. In June, all previous ten sectors of the church in Sao Paulo (Igreja de Cristo Internacional de São Paulo) started to meet together in one location on Sundays in order to draw strength from each other and become united again. In the second semester of the year, we saw the church baptize and restore more than 60 souls (it had been less than 20 in the first semester), at a third of the rate we used to baptize and restore souls before 2003, but this time with less hurry, and waiting more on the Spirit to convince everyone of their own sin.
John Oakes Reports on Missionary Teaching Trip to Southeast Asia
Bangkok, Thailand, Jan. 6-8
This is my third visit to this world-class city of over 10 million people. Thailand is a majority Buddhist country. I see signs banning the use of Buddha symbols at the airport on the way in, as this is disrespectful to Buddhism. Thailand is a wonderful country with friendly people, a beautiful culture and wonderful food. There has been a lot of political instability lately, with riots and demonstrations closing the capital for weeks on end. The elected government, which more or less represents the poor and the rural was overthrown by the military and the opposition which represents the wealthier and more urban interests, although this is a simplification. The king is now nearing 90 years old, and his ability to bring calm and sense to the politics has lessened. Things are in a relative peace right now, but at the cost of a military takeover. Democracy is on hold. Those I talk to feel that the stability is worth the temporary loss of freedom.
Dusseldorf Celebrates Twenty Years
Earlier this month, Tom and I had the incredible privilege of traveling to Germany for the 20th anniversary service for the Dusseldorf Church of Christ. Many years back, our family was a part of the German and Swiss church plantings; being able to return again to meet up with many of these disciples was an honor.