Together for the Gospel: Praying for Asia

Suzanne Pearson • Mar 14, 2023

With concerns over aerial surveillance, military aid to Russia, and increasing tensions with Taiwan, it seems that China is constantly in the news. Asia as a whole remains largely in the throes of economic upheaval caused by supply-chain disruptions and other aftershocks of the pandemic.

And yet the Gospel spreads. Christianity grew twice as fast as the general population in Asia during the 20 th century, and that trend continues in the 21 st . According to sources cited in this article from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, Christians now make up 8.2% of people living in Asia.

How can we, as the global Body of Christ, pray together for the Church in Asia? Here are five ways:

1. PRAY for self-sustaining, growing churches.

TEAM Asia global workers report the formation of new congregations everywhere from large cities to remote villages. The Gospel is touching areas and people groups that have long been unreachable.

One TEAM global worker says that many house-churches sprung up during the pandemic, and the national evangelical church in that country promptly took steps to support and encourage those house-churches to grow. “It was a time when more individuals than usual stepped into a leadership or discipleship role, and quite possibly an outreach role to their neighbors, and the national church worked to make the most of the situation. It’s a cool example of God at work during a time of a lot of stress, discouragement, and isolation. ” Many of those congregations still meet together in homes, while others have rejoined a local church, but in either case, God is building up the Body.

Pray that these bodies of believers will stand solidly on the Word of God and grow in wisdom and knowledge of Him.

2. PRAY for God to continue to build on ministries borne out of COVID restrictions.

For many of us in the West, pandemic restrictions are beginning to fade from our memories. But in parts of Asia, lockdowns and other regulations are just recently easing. Amazingly, God used the unique challenges of COVID to grow His Church in Asia in amazing ways. One global worker shares this:

“[Churches] did an amazing job of utilizing digital tools during the pandemic. There were city-wide and nationwide prayer meetings, worship nights, training of all kinds with dozens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of believers joining in. [Believers used technology] to keep in touch with one another, share prayer requests, find practical ways to help (like delivering food and medicine to quarantined members), share the Gospel with friends and relatives, and counsel the discouraged and mentally distressed. Some went one step further and used online tools to link people in cities who lived close enough to manage in-person meet-ups or gatherings. Now, believers continue to utilize this hybrid strategy even with the risk of AI surveillance. Their courage inspires me!

Pray that believers will continue to find Spirit-led ways to adapt and thrive in ministry in an ever-changing post-COVID world.

Despite economic hardship, persecution, and numerous other challenges, the Body of Christ in Asia is growing.

3. PRAY for Christians facing persecution and/or political violence in Asia.

According to Open Doors , 2 out of 5 Christians in Asia face religious persecution. The most extreme forms of persecution are often brought against people converting from Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism. A new believer in Christ is frequently cast out from his or her home, family, and community. Persecution comes also from government entities or political factions when Christians faithfully meet together despite laws prohibiting such gatherings.

Many Christians (and others) in Asia find themselves in the midst of other kinds of violence as well. In one politically charged area, a children’s hostel has recently been the target of aerial raids, scattering hundreds of refugee children into the jungle, hiding for their own safety. A global worker shares, “There is a deep need for peace. I am praying for supernatural ability of Christians to forgive their enemies and for peace to rule in that land.”

Pray for the Lord to bring peace, protection, and provision to those facing persecution and other forms of oppression and violence.

4. PRAY for God to raise up Asian workers, and for Western churches and workers to embrace the role of “partner.”

No longer is cross-cultural mission work a primarily Western endeavor. God is clearly raising up ambassadors of the Gospel “from everywhere, to everywhere” and Asia is no exception. In the last few months alone, TEAM has partnered with multiple groups of workers and mobilizers in Asian nations to set the strategy for cross-cultural sending and provide resources for the next wave of evangelism, discipleship, and planting. A TEAM global worker says this about one such recent gathering:

“Much time was given to praise and prayer and sharing stories, testimonies, and reports. These kinds of activities develop and build the ‘one spirit’ fellowship and trust necessary for partnering. Next, we engaged in a facilitated process of identifying problems and obstacles in areas such as church mobilization, member care, working on multicultural teams, access and visa issues, and, of course, finances. Our six working groups then went on to identify potential solutions to each of the problems and obstacles. We came away with practical next steps to implement over the coming year.

Pray for Asian believers to hear the call to missions and for TEAM and other traditionally-western entities to effectively come alongside polycentric sending movements.

5. PRAY for continued Gospel response!

Though many are coming to Christ in Asia, 60% of people living in Asia are still considered unreached (source: Joshua Project ). A global worker in Thailand shares that she and her co-laborers are seeing whole villages respond to the Gospel like never before. Yet other areas and nations remain steeped in spiritual darkness.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to pour out on these regions, that we may get a glimpse of the promise in Revelation 7:9, where we will behold people “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”



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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