Open Doors, Open Hearts and Open Minds: Praying for Atheists

Suzanne Pearson • Mar 01, 2022

In this month’s Prayer Focus, we continue our series in which we invite you to join us in praying for followers of world religions other than biblical Christianity. We’ve spent time the last couple of months praying for Hindus and Muslims , and this month we are focusing on people around the world who identify as atheists.

According to the Joshua Project, just shy of one billion people, or 12.7% of the world’s population classify themselves as atheistic or “non-religious.” It’s important to note, however, that the term “atheist” can mean different things across different cultures.

Scott Andrews, a TEAM global worker involved in church planting and discipleship ministry in the Czech Republic explains. “There’s a lot of diversity-of-worldview among those who would self-identify as atheists. Growing up in an American Evangelical context, I always had a specific caricature in mind when I would hear the word ‘atheist’ when in actuality, there are many different kinds of people who would use that label to describe themselves.”

“For example,” Scott continues, “many Czechs automatically identify themselves as atheists in the same way that we might see a German automatically identifying as a Lutheran, or an Italian as a Roman Catholic, or an Iraqi as a Muslim, on a basis that is more ‘cultural’ than ‘confessional’.”

Another misconception surrounding atheism is that all atheists deny the spiritual world altogether. “The label ‘atheist’ does not necessarily preclude openness to spiritual life and practices, nor does it mean an across-the-board rejection of any notions of the supernatural,” says Scott. “Non-religious spirituality is a large and growing sector, as people who don’t belong to an official organized religion still feel that spirituality is an important dimension of what it means to be human. Many who don’t ascribe to belief in ‘God’ – at least in a Christian understanding of God – may believe in ‘something’ – the universe, fate, astrology, magic, ghosts, prayer, etc.”

Still others may choose the label of atheist simply as a kind of a “none of the above” designation because they’ve either found no affinity with any spiritual paradigm, or they’ve never taken the time to think about it at all.

Regardless of where atheistic people fall in this myriad of mindsets, as the Church, we are called to bring the truth and hope of the Gospel to atheists around the world, and many TEAM global workers are faithfully fulfilling that call . Join us in praying for atheistic populations in these ways:

Man and woman in a conversation at a cafe.

Sharing Christ with atheists can be challenging due to their reluctance to discuss spiritual truth, as well as misconceptions they may have about what biblical Christianity is or why salvation is even necessary.


1. Pray for OPEN DOORS for spiritual conversations and relationship-building.

In talking with TEAM workers in highly atheistic areas such as the United States , the Czech Republic , and other parts of Europe , a common theme we discovered is how challenging it is to engage atheistic thinkers in spiritual discussions. Because most atheists have either already dismissed the notion of God or haven’t deemed it important enough to think about such things, they are often uninterested in discussing what they believe. Therefore, meaningful and intentional relationship-building between believers and atheists is key to finding those open doors.

Paul Davis, a TEAM global worker in France shares a story of encountering Maurice, a militant atheist and member of the Communist Party in France. Maurice emphatically stated that God did not exist, and yet he was intrigued by a co-worker who demonstrated a totally different and compelling way of life. Curiosity eventually pushed Maurice to ask why. The co-worker shared about her faith and invited Maurice to attend a young adult gathering at Paul’s church. Over time, Paul and others in the church continued to reach out to Maurice until one day, “he showed up at church! He had put his faith in Christ!” Paul reports. “We would later find out that he had been internally fighting with the conflicting thoughts of his ingrown atheism and the reality of Christian testimonies and the Gospel.”

Pray for atheists to encounter global workers and other believers, and to be open to their friendship and subsequent spiritual conversations.


2. Pray for OPEN HEARTS to grasp the need for a Savior.

Many atheists understand the Gospel intellectually but don’t connect to it on a personal level or see any need for the redemption and abundant life that Christ offers. There is a disconnected sense of “that’s great if that works for you, but I’m doing fine on my own.”

Interestingly, God is using COVID-19 to dismantle that very way of thinking in atheists around the world. Nearly every TEAM global worker that we talked to for this piece reported specific examples of how the pandemic has caused people to think more deeply and intentionally about God, faith and truth.

Andrew Campbell*, a TEAM worker engaged in English as a Second Language (ESL) Ministry in Canada, shares one such story of a retired Chinese man for whom Andrew was providing language lessons over Zoom.

“I was alone with him in a [Zoom] breakout room…the week that his brother had died [from COVID]. Our conversation centered on his grief and life in general. At the end I said, ‘I think that now is the time for you to study the Bible.’ He then said, ‘I have been an atheist all my life. But I think that you are right. I do need to investigate the Bible.’” This man went on to put his faith in Christ.

Pray that God will continue to use COVID and other circumstances in people’s lives to show them their need for Him.



3. Pray for OPEN MINDS to rethink what the Gospel means.

The majority of atheistic cultures are also post-Christian , meaning that people living in those cultures have had some exposure to Christianity and as a result have preconceived, and often incorrect, notions about what Christianity is. Global workers often find that before they can effectively communicate the true Gospel, they must disentangle people from the false ideas they already have.

Christina Mayer, a TEAM worker focused on ministry to women and children in the Czech Republic has found that many people who identify as atheists also incorporate quasi-Christian traditions into their lives, but this doesn’t result in true faith in Christ.

For instance, Czech families often teach their small children about “baby Jesus” in the same way that other cultures do about Santa Claus. Czech children grow up believing that their Christmas gifts are given to them by baby Jesus, but then as they grow up, they “learn” that it was “just a fairy tale.” This type of misrepresentation is hard to undo when Jesus is later presented to them as a real, historical figure and the Son of God.

Other cultures have negative connotations of Christianity due to theocratic governmental oppression in their country’s past – misdeeds done in the name of “the Church.” In many ways, having to deconstruct these ideas is harder than if there had been no exposure to the Gospel at all.

“There’s a reason why the Apostle Paul preferred to build where there was no foundation ,” says Scott Andrews. “No one likes to have a building inspector walk in and point out all the cracks in their foundation, and in the case of an atheist, it’s not even their house!”

Pray that atheists will clearly understand the true, life-changing message of the Gospel.


*Some names have been changed for security reasons.


By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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