How to Pray for Missionaries This Christmas [December Prayer Guide]

TEAM - The Evangelical Alliance Mission • Dec 01, 2016

Where you the first time you heard the Christmas story?

By the fireside with your family? At a church play? Watching A Charlie Brown Christmas ?

This month, missionaries around the world are sharing about Christ’s birth through carols, parties, gospel tracts, skits and more. For many people, it will be the first time they ever hear that God sent his Son to save us!

Will you please pray with us for all the Christmas outreaches and other ministries TEAM missionaries are serving in this month?

December 1 – 7

Workers in Japan are preparing for their annual Christmas outreaches and ask for your prayers. Photo by TEAM

JAPAN | Murray and Kathy Trim write, “Please pray for the many evangelistic outreaches this month where we will be sharing the true meaning of Christmas. Also pray for us as we return from home assignment on December 1 and will immediately jump into ministry with the many opportunities for evangelism surrounding Christmas.”

SOUTH ASIA | Workers write, “Pray for qualified American English teachers, a business manager and start-up capital to help us launch a business venture in South Asia among some unreached Muslim people in a major urban context.”

AUSTRALIA | Owen Ames writes, “Pray for me as I meet with the national leaders of various missions in Australia to explore Kingdom co-operation between them and TEAM. Also pray for wisdom as I seek to follow God’s leading as to what new ministry areas he would have TEAM start in Australasia. Some exciting opportunities to work with indigenous churches are presenting themselves.”

ASIA | The Asia Pacific region leadership team and leaders from the 15 ministry areas in the Asia-Pacific region will be meeting together in Bangkok, Thailand, Dec 5–8. Pray that these days together will be times of good fellowship, learning and new ideas for future ministry.

FRANCE | Living in a strange culture, speaking in a second language, working to plant a church — sometimes, the stresses of missionary life make a place to get away almost a necessity. To help, workers in France have made an apartment available for missionaries to do just that. Please pray that wearied workers would be refreshed through this ministry of hospitality.

BRAZIL | Dave Kanagy writes, “Please pray for a man I am discipling named Cleiton, that he would understand our Lord more fully and that I would be wise as I mentor him. Pray, too, for one of our small group Bible studies, that I would have wisdom in helping direct this study and that God would give me moments where I can have input into the life of the leader about this study.”

PAPUA | Workers in Papua hope to start a sewing class in order to help women in the community start their own businesses. Please pray that God would use these classes to encourage laughter, friendship and conversations that point to him.

December 8-14

Workers in Guatemala are praying for their puppet ministry to grow. Will you join them in prayer? Photo by TEAM

GUATEMALA | A puppet ministry in Guatemala is sharing the gospel message through its performances and trains other groups, including seminary students, to do the same. Please pray that God would use this ministry to captivate many children with stories of his love.

EAST ASIA | Missiologists marvel at how quickly the church has grown in parts of Asia. But in some mountain regions, it’s as if the good news of Jesus never happened. Trained national missionaries are ready to share the gospel with these unreached people, but lack the funds to do so. Will you pray that God would raise up support for them?

JAPAN | Mike Gray writes, “Please pray for our music outreach during December on the street and in the church. Also pray for direction and funding for a new Takamatsu Christian Center in Takamatsu, Japan.”

MEXICO | In La Paz, programs at a local community center are creating natural ways for workers to share the gospel with youth and their families. Workers are trusting God to continue to provide funding for rent and other equipment to keep their doors open. Will you join them in asking God that this center would continue to bless La Paz for years to come?

ZIMBABWE | At Karanda Mission Hospital, TEAM doctors and nurses use simple aids like rattles, dolls or walkers to encourage the mental and physical development of disabled children. Please pray that their care would be effective and would reflect the care of Christ.

AUSTRALIA | Ray and Marti Williams write, “The Adelaide College of Ministries is having its final graduation ceremony on 14 December. Next year, the school enters a merger with the Bible College of South Australia. It is a good move in some respects but sad in others. Pray for the students who will be making a transition to the new environment. Thank God for the impact that the graduates of ACM have had/are having in the work of the Lord. We are both thankful that we will have a role in the new school. Praise the Lord for continuing opening for ministry.”

PAKISTAN | A traveling tent-school project is giving nomadic children in Pakistan the chance to get an education. TEAM workers train shepherds to teach the children in their own camps during seasonal migrations so kids can keep learning. Pray that these teachers will be effective in their work.

December 15-21

Workers at a school in Chad are seeing progress in their students, but need more school books to enrich their work. Photo by TEAM

SPAIN | Workers are slowly building a Christian school program in Seville, Spain, starting with extracurricular activities. Pray for God’s provision and guidance as they take the next step by starting an early childhood program.

ITALY | Pray for all TEAM Italy members as they plan evangelistic outreaches for the Christmas season. Pray that the Lord will use prayer, talent and creativity to reach nonbelievers in a season when they may be more open to the gospel. Pray especially for wisdom on how to use the Christmas season to reach out to the town of Sansepolcro.

JAPAN | Rob and Yoko Taylor write, “We are currently looking for a building to rent for our new church plant in Ueda city in Nagano prefecture. We have had a very difficult time finding a big enough space that we can afford within reasonable walking distance to the train station. Also, we are in the process of pursuing adoption, and we are also in the beginnings of homeschooling our elementary age boys, Codey and Miles. Please pray for wisdom for Yoko as she leads the homeschooling effort, and how possibly having a new baby in the house will fit in with the boys homeschooling.”

CHAD | In a region of Chad, children are coming alive as they learn to read at the first school for their local language. But in order to sustain a literacy movement, some experts say you need at least 100 different books — and the school only has 27. Recently, missionaries created another 30 children’s books, but lack the funding to print them. Please pray that these students would receive the resources they need.

PAPUA | Dan and Louise Hubert write, “Pray for the successful launch of the Semangga Community Center (a new community center just outside Merauke, Papua). May it be not only a place to study English and computers but also a place where the light of the gospel shines forth.”

MIDDLE EAST | As more Syrian refugees flee their country, their chances of finding work are growing even more scarce. Pray for missionaries in the Middle East who are distributing bags of food and building relationships. Ask God to give refugees true hope through this ministry.

MEXICO | Ralph and Ellen Shepard write, “We are really seeking to add another group or two in the near future as we expand our house church ministry. Please pray for open doors for this via current believers or interested people or multiplication of current groups. Thank you for continued prayer for our men’s ministry too. It is a great encouragement.”

December 22-31

Seminary students in Papua often struggle to feed their families on a limited income. Will you pray that their school’s rice program will continue to be a source of provision? Photo by TEAM

EAST ASIA | Every year, workers in East Asia put together a Christmas program with carols, games, crafts and the Christmas story. About 400–500 people come every year! Ask God to help them pull together the final details, and pray that many hearts will be touched this year.

JAPAN | Paul and Violette Bridgman write, “Please pray for our English class students to have open hearts to receive the Gospel.”

PAPUA | Papuans often struggle to feed their families on their own when they go to study at the Roesler Memorial Bible School. Ask God to encourage them during this time of sacrifice. And pray that God will continue to bless the school’s rice program, which helps feed many of the students’ families.

GLOBAL | Pray for the many nations that will be celebrating Christmas today. May the true meaning of Christmas be proclaimed far and wide by Christians everywhere!

TAIWAN | Ron Heinsman writes, “Please continue to pray for the ministry of Trailblazer Camps, both for the camp facility repairs and the ongoing program development. Pray for wisdom as staff and board membership make long-term decisions.”

FRANCE | A church in Plaisir, France, has dreamed for years of having a worship center of its own, but TEAM missionaries Bob and Veronique have faced many roadblocks in buying land this year. Please ask God to open the right doors for this congregation’s future place of worship.

AUSTRALIA | Ray and Marti Williams write, “Our visa denial has been appealed. The appeal process can take over a year, so we are still here. Pray that we can stay focused on ministry while we wait and that we will receive a positive result from our appeal.”

GUATEMALA | TEAM nurses recently started working at a Guatemalan-run clinic to provide quality care and shine the light of Christ. But a lack of organization of patient records dramatically slows down the process of seeing patients and makes long-term care difficult as records get lost. Please pray that despite the challenges, TEAM nurses would be able to administer treatments to those who need it most.

SOUTHERN AFRICA | Lynda Collison writes, “Please continue to pray for Swaziland Evangelical Bible Institute third-year students as they are really beginning to think of life after school. They will have their graduation ceremony next February. Pray for the incoming students. We never know how many.”

JAPAN | Roberta Peabody writes, “Please pray for the Japanese living abroad who return to Japan with their families. The wife may be the only Christian in the family and face pressures within the family and children’s educational system. The ministry that I work with will have an Equippers Conference to assist returnees of all ages to come back to Japan and be witnesses.”

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Loving Like Jesus Cross-Culturally (Part 1)

By Megan Lunsford • 23 Apr, 2024

When seeking to serve cross-culturally with an authentic love for others, there’s no better example for us than Jesus. If we sat around a table and threw out the question, “How do we love like Jesus?” I think we would have several commonalities as we respond. For example, Jesus loved all people right where they were. He loved those who were deemed the least, those hardest to love, or those who were His enemies. These are all beautiful realities of the heart of Jesus. When we step into relationships, it can be easier to take on the warmer, more gracious gestures of Jesus’ love, especially in cross-cultural relationships. Think about it––when doing life with those who look and act differently than us, we are already out of our comfort zones and would rather keep things as simple and familiar as possible. But there are other facets of Jesus’ heart we often overlook that can transform us and others even more into His likeness. Jesus is love because God is love. Everything Jesus did was out of love; it’s the mere definition of who He is. As followers of Jesus, He calls us to the same: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John:7-12) Every display of love we offer to others is an opportunity for them to encounter the ultimate love of the Father. That’s a pretty big deal! In this article, we’ll look at three expressions of Jesus’ love that we tend to overlook when engaging others cross-culturally. (Next month, we’ll look at three more.) 1. Jesus loved sacrificially. Everywhere Jesus went, crowds followed Him. We even see times in Scripture where Jesus had plans to step away for time alone but those who were hurting found Him and He had compassion on them and stayed with them. Can you imagine rarely having any time to yourself but, instead, constantly being surrounded by crowds of people wanting help from you? Jesus loved sacrificially. He welcomed all who came to Him with love and compassion, never turning anyone away. “When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) In the same way, we can make room in our lives for Jesus to bring sacrificial interruptions which, in His eyes, are orchestrated encounters to transfer His love to others. It can be tempting to be so “on mission” that we are full steam ahead and find ourselves frustrated when the Holy Spirit sends an interruption into our path that we feel we don’t have time for. Or, perhaps, we have scheduled a meet-up but it’s the norm in another culture to be 30 minutes or an hour late. We anxiously think through how it will affect whatever we have planned next. While it’s normal to feel a little stressed, what if the very "interruption” standing in front of you was really a divine appointment sent by God? Or what if that person running late experiences how peaceful and gracious you are in adapting to their culture and therefore, they can encounter a beautiful display of Jesus’ love? To truly represent Christ, we should remain ready and willing for each assignment the Lord sends into our path, no matter the cost or how much we will have to re-route our day. He is always a hundred steps ahead and will work all things for His glory and our good. 2. Jesus loved by discerning each situation well. Think about how many situations Jesus had to respond to on a daily basis. We read in Scripture that there were lines of people waiting to be healed by Him, talk to Him, hear His teachings, or simply touch the hem of His robe. Jesus was fully dependent on His Father to discern each situation before addressing it. “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) Another temptation we can have when in a relationship with those God has sent us to is to think we already know the solution or what God wants to do before we’ve even asked Him. We believe we are full of knowledge, so we just pull from the bank we have stored within and go with it. However, when we access what is familiar to us as our default, we risk missing out on a God-given solution that might truly be the key to unlocking whatever challenge is in front of us. What does this look like when interacting with others? We can simply ask, “God, what is on Your heart for the person standing in front of me?” Then we listen and respond as He speaks. When we make it a daily habit to pause and hear God’s heart for each situation before responding, we are guaranteed to be effective in loving those around us. He knows the heart of every person that will cross our paths. Imagine how impactful we can be if we first lean on His wisdom and discernment before moving forward. 3. Jesus loved by speaking truth. Most of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. If we are honest, this conversation makes us a bit nervous as none of us would be comfortable with Jesus calling out intimate details of our lives that we would prefer to hide. But Jesus went further than just airing her dirty laundry. He offered her the hope of the Gospel and a relationship with Him - a divine fulfillment that could never be found in an earthly relationship. Jesus modeled a powerful example of loving others well cross-culturally. He took the low place and spoke truth, truly out of love––speaking to her heart from His. Like Jesus, our goal in sharing the truths about Him and His Word is to bring hope and satisfaction through Him alone. When we speak truth from Scripture, we are calling others higher into all God has for them. The tricky part here is we should avoid speaking truth if it isn’t first fueled by compassion. If it merely comes from a place of judgment, condemnation, or self-righteousness, it will fall flat 100% of the time. But if it truly comes from love, you are likely to not only win a heart back to the Father but, like the story of the Samaritan woman, even an entire village! If you see someone living outside of God’s best for their lives, ask God to show you your heart before engaging theirs. Once your heart is properly postured, you can speak truth out of an overflow of God’s love and trust Him for a transformation in their lives.

Hospitality, Help, and the Hope of the Gospel

By Suzanne Pearson • 16 Apr, 2024

TEAM Canada provides warm welcome and trusted friendships for diaspora populations living far from their native countries. As TEAM Canada workers Peter and Ruth (names changed) drive from their home to a nearby community center, they pass numerous apartment buildings and townhouses. Most of the families who live there are immigrants. They’ve left their countries of origin due to political unrest, trauma, and other difficulties. They’ve left family, friends, homes, jobs, and personal wealth behind. They search for peace, justice for the oppressed, and rest from fear and weariness. And as they adjust to a new country and a new language, they are often very isolated from others around them. “The sad reality is most immigrants are never even invited inside a Canadian home,” says Ruth. Peter and Ruth and their team try to change that reality. For the last nine years, the team, which includes workers from partner organizations as well as volunteers, has held English classes at the community center. Three days a week, over 60 students from more than 20 countries come together to learn English as well as to fellowship together and receive practical help in assimilating to a new normal. Meeting Needs and Building Trust That practical help may come in the form of procuring furniture, clothes, or dishes for newcomers, assistance with creating a resume and finding a job, or teaching people how to navigate Canadian laws and the medical system. As these tangible needs are met, relationships are built. “We invite them into our homes for meals and games,” Ruth shares. “We take them on hiking trips, picnics, outings, and out for coffee.” This is particularly important in this type of ministry because most immigrants come to Canada from cultures that value hospitality. Conversely, Canadians do not typically prioritize hospitality and consequently many newcomers feel lonely and isolated. Inviting folks to various gatherings and outings allows the team to spend extended time hearing people’s stories, struggles, hopes, and dreams. When she speaks about building friendships, Ruth’s heart for the people she serves is evident. “Hearing their stories, it’s easy to love them, and many have become close friends,” Ruth says. “We recognize the value of steady one-on-one relationships.”