This Sunday night will be our monthly small group meetings. If you are interested in joining a small group – please contact – Joe Blankenship, Andrew Moss, Doug Fry, or Jared McCoy.

Springs of Grace will have our regular schedule tomorrow with Puppet Time for children and Adult Fellowship at 9:30 and then Bible Study for all ages at 9:45 and worship service at 10:45.

Excited about worshipping together with you.

The Unfinished Task in Asia
1 While we praise God for great strides in the evangelization of Asia, the remaining challenge is awesome

a) Over 83% of the 4.4 billion non-Christians in the world

b) Over 87% of World A unevangelized individuals

c) The three largest non-Christian religions in the world and the most challenging for Christians: 832 million Muslims, 805 million Hindus, 400-900 million Buddhists

2 Of the 55 countries of the world that are less than 10% Christian, 44 are in Asia

3 The least evangelized people on earth are predominantly Asian

4 The unreached peoples of Asia

a) The Arab World (including North Africa, but excluding African minorities)

b) The Indo-Iranian bloc

c) The South Asian bloc is the largest of the 8 with 1.3 billion individuals, nearly 800 ethno-linguistic peoples and thousands of ethno-cultural caste groups

d) The Turkic bloc stretches from SE Europe to NE Siberia across most of Central Asia

e) The East Asian bloc comprising those cultures deeply impacted by the Chinese

f) The Tibeto-Burman bloc of the Himalayas, Central Asia, NE India, Myanmar and China

g) The Southeast Asian bloc — the four nations of Indo-China, Thailand and South China

h) The Malay peoples

5 Special areas of ministry need:

a) The Parsees are followers of the Persian Zoroaster

b) Children in crisis

c) Bible translation presents a major challenge with 1,300 languages having a definite or likely need

Tibetans

Stats
•Population of Tibetan Peoples – 7,147,000
•Number of Tibetan People Groups – 134
•Number of Tibetan UPG’s – 117
•Restricted Nations with large Tibetan Populations – China, India, Nepal, and Bhutan

The Tibetan Plateau is located in west, southwest China and is home to many Tibetan people groups. However, Tibetan peoples can be found in large numbers in countries such as India, Nepal, and Bhutan while in smaller numbers in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Pakistan. In 1959, there was a major role in the uprising against the Chinese government that led to the Dalai Lama’s departure from Tibet. All Tibetan people groups are devout followers of Buddhism. Work among the Tibetans has been happening for centuries but has been met with much resistance and conflict. Tibetans who come to faith in Christ can experience persecution from the society they live as well as family and friends. Despite such persecution, the church among a number of Tibetan people groups has persevered. However, Limited availability of Scripture and literacy of languages along with the importance placed Tibetan culture and rituals make it difficult for Tibetan believers to live a Godly life. Source: Joshua Project, IMB

•Pray for Scripture (NT) translation into Tibetan languages.
•Ask God to continue to bless the Christians serving among Tibetans.
•Pray for Chinese Christians to be able to travel freely and minister to Tibetans.
•Pray for God to work in the hearts of the Tibetan peoples and draw them to Himself.
Pray for the Hamiltons in China who have ministered to many Tibetian orphans.

Answers to Prayer in Asia
1 The spectacular growth of the Church in some countries of Asia observed in the 1980s has continued in the 1990s
a) All Christians have increased from 22 million (2.3%) in 1900 to over 300 million (8.3%) in 2000
b) Protestant and Independent Christians increased from under 4 million in 1900 to over 193 million in 2000
c) Catholic growth was slower — from 11.1 million (1.2%) to 96 million (2.6%)
d) Asian Evangelicals, over 130 million, have become almost as numerous as all Evangelicals in the Americas
2 The establishment of the Church in lands long sealed off from all overt Christian work with hundreds of churches and thousands of believers in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey and footholds for the gospel gained in a number of others
3 South Korea’s maturing Church
4 Indonesia is the first largely Muslim country to have many Muslims coming to Christ
5 The increase in the number of Muslim Background Believers (MBBs), despite or even because of, the activities of Islamist extremism
6 Detailed and dedicated research during the 1990s in India, China, Indonesia and SE Asia has revealed the spiritual needs and the extent of Christian outreach, or the need for it, to the various peoples in these complex, multi-cultural lands
7 The emergence of a mature, international missionary involvement

The Unfinished Task in the Americas
Despite the large Christian presence and much evangelical activity, major challenges remain:

1 There are 6 countries where Evangelicals are below 5% of the total population:

a) North America: Greenland, St. Pierre & Miquelon

b) Latin America: Colombia, Cuba, French Guiana and Uruguay

2 Upper and middle classes in Latin America. These are generally less evangelized by Evangelicals

3 The urban poor. In North America they usually live in the decaying hearts of major cities; in Latin America it is in huge slums that ring or even permeate the major cities

4 Whole regions of some countries are far less evangelized than the rest of the country

5 Students in the universities. Only a small minority are Evangelicals

The Church in the Americas
1 During the 20th Century, the Americas proved to be the most dynamic Christian continent

2 The Roman Catholic Church has passed through 40 years of tumultuous change, in part spurred by the growth of Evangelicals

a) Concern for the poor and social justice

b) The charismatic movement

c) Traditional Catholicism

3 The challenges for Evangelicals in the 21st Century

a) Wise handling of political power in Latin America

b) Willingness to confront social and economic injustices in a biblical way

c) Religious freedom

d) Adequate training for present and future pastors

e) Maturity in the churches

f) The need for biblical standards in morals and ethics

g) Denominationalism, which is a major problem

h) The integration of Amerindian churches into the mainstream of Christianity in their countries

i) Christians to face up to the challenge of cults

4 The Evangelical missions movement has had an enormous impact on the world — firstly from North America and now increasingly from Latin America

a) Churches to learn the privileges and responsibilities of supporting cross-cultural outreach

b) Finance, which is a major limitation

c) The development of viable and locally applicable sending structures

d) The ability to relate to the international missions world

Francis Schaeffer once asked his wife:

“Edith, I wonder what would happen to most churches and Christian work if we awakened tomorrow, and everything concerning the reality and work of the Holy Spirit, and everything concerning prayer, were removed from the Bible. I don’t mean just ignored, but actually cut out—disappeared. I wonder how much difference it would make?” We concluded it would not make much difference in many board meetings, committee meetings, decisions and activities.

—Edith Schaeffer, The Tapestry: The Life and Times of Francis and Edith Schaeffer (Waco: Word, 1981), 356.

Let’s press one another on to live lives dependent upon the Holy Spirit of God rather than ourselves.

Father, would You empower your Word by Your Spirit to cause Your church to accomplish Your mission. For You are able to do far more abundantly than we can even ask or think according to the power that works in Your church.

Answers to Prayer in the Americas
1 The growth of Evangelicals in Latin America in the 20th Century has been spectacular

2 Pentecostal Evangelicals have demonstrated the greatest vigour and have become the largest component of Evangelicals in Latin America with over 32 million affiliates

3 The spiritual impact of North America, and especially the USA, on the world

a) Great evangelists who have touched the world

b) Great missionary statesmen and visionaries who helped to lay the foundations for the present global harvest

c) Unstinting generosity in giving for great causes — especially missions advances

4 The impact of the Scriptures on Catholics has opened the hearts of millions to a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus

5 People movements are growing among the Amerindians who have long been resistant or indifferent to the gospel
Geography – North America
Area 21,675,600 sq.km. North America contains three of the 13 largest countries of the world: Canada (2nd largest); USA (4th) and Greenland (13th).

Population (2000) 309,631,093 +0.85%AGR

Peoples – North America
Euro-American 64.6%.

Hispanic 11.4%.

Afro-American 11.4%.

Asian 4.8%.

Middle Eastern 4%,

Other/mixed 2.7%.

Native Americans 1.1%.

Economy – North America
The world’s wealthiest continent and the economic engine on which the world’s economy depends for growth.

Politics – North America
The economic and political strength of the USA has the potential to overwhelm its neighbours, which encourages a defensive nationalism on the part of the latter.

Religion – North America

The continent with the least religious discrimination.

Religions Population % Adherents Ann.Gr.
Christian 81.57 259.0 mill +0.66%
non-Religious 12.04 31.8 mill +1.95%
Jewish 1.83 5.9 mill -0.07%
Muslim 1.68 4.6 mill +2.28%
Buddhist/Eastern 0.99 2.9 mill +3.60%
Hindu 0.49 1.3 mill +2.70%
Traditional ethnic 0.38 1.1 mill +1.83%
Baha’i 0.26 787,000 +0.85%
Sikh 0.18 412,000 +2.48%
Other 0.58 1.6 mill +2.64%
Christians Denom. Affil.% ,000 Ann.Gr.
Protestant 793 23.11 71,568 -0.1%
Independent 2,515 21.94 67,928 +2.2%
Anglican 4 1.02 3,162 -1.0%
Catholic 9 22.81 70,616 -0.6%
Orthodox 76 2.06 6,381 +0.7%
Marginal 395 3.55 10,982 +0.6%
Unaffiliated 15.62 48,371 n.a.
Doubly affiliated -6.51 -20,157 n.a.

Missionaries from Americas

71,088 in 672 mission agencies of which 50,720 are in other countries.

Missionaries to Americas

3,008 expatriates in 151 mission agencies.

Geography – Latin America/ Caribbean
Area 20,537,000 sq.km. Comprising 46 countries and territories, of which 25 are islands; 15.1% of the world’s land area.

Population (2000) 519,131,119 +1.59%AGR

Peoples – Latin America/ Caribbean
Euro-American 40.5%; Mixed race 39.1%; Amerindian 10.2%; Afro-American 9.1%; Asian 1.1%.

Literacy over 85%. All languages in the Americas 1,183. Indigenous languages with Scriptures 25Bi 254NT 200por 249w.i.p.

Economy – Latin America/ Caribbean
Rapid development since the early 1980s when democracy and free market economics took root, trade barriers were lowered and inter-state and inter-island communications improved.

Politics – Latin America/ Caribbean
The ending of the Cold War and the eclipse of Communism reinforced the trend to more democratic government throughout Latin America.

Religion – Latin America/ Caribbean

In 1900 almost the entire Spanish-speaking population was considered Catholic.

Religions Population % Adherents Ann.Gr.
Christian 91.65 476.6 m +1.52%
non-Religious 4.28 21.4 m +2.66%
Traditional ethnic 2.73 14.7 m +1.17%
Muslim 0.34 1.4 m +2.88%
Jewish 0.20 1.1 m +1.47%
Baha’i 0.18 829,000 +3.11%
Buddhist/Eastern 0.16 723,000 +1.81%
Hindu 0.13 894,000 +0.38%
Sikh 0.01 40,000 -0.70%
Other 0.33 1.9 m +5.67%
Christians Denom. Affil.% ,000 Ann.Gr.
Protestant 1,874 7.11 36,889 +3.7%
Independent 2,894 4.58 23,752 +4.6%
Anglican 44 0.18 928 +1.0%
Catholic 48 78.77 408,941 +0.8%
Orthodox 64 0.10 533 +0.7%
Marginal 276 1.76 9,150 +4.7%
Unaffiliated 3.30 17,106 n.a.
Doubly affiliated -4.00 -20,700 n.a.

Missionaries from Americas

10,192 from 346 agencies of which 3,827 serve in other countries.

Missionaries to Americas

16,980 expatriates in 539 agencies.

Pray For…Latin America

Stats
•Population of Latin America – 588,503,542
•Percentage of Evangelicals – 10.59%
•Total number of People Groups – 1,274
•Number of Unreached People Groups – 737

The Latin America are a land of diversity where old inhabitants meet new immigrants and prosperity meets poverty. Stretching from the the Gulf of Mexico to the Antartic Circle, the environments are about as diverse as the people who populate them. Within this diversity lies a history that is amazing in some instances while tragic in others. Today, much of the population of the Americas enjoy modern luxuries and the benefits of industrialization. However, there is great poverty amidst these luxuries. Whether due to discrimination, conflict, government corruption, or natural disaster the Latin America is home to people struggling for the necessities of life. Currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti, was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake just days ago leaving tens of thousands dead, unaccounted for, homeless, or injured. Each year the Caribbean is pounded by hurricanes that result in loss of lives and property alike. In addition, the majority of Latin America has been affected by an economic downturn. So, let us pray for all the peoples of the Americas, but especially, let us ask God how he would have us help those in poverty.

•Pray for the Latin America churches to understand how to best support cross-cultural outreach.
•Pray for God to provide for those in need through His church.
•Pray for God place a passion in the Latin American churches to spread His glory to the nations.
•Pray for the development of training and sending structures that result in fruitful long-term missions.
•Pray for Jim and Maria McCarty as they serve as medical missionaries in southern Mexico. They are supported in part by Springs of Grace Bible Church. Jim attended Grace Church of Collin County in Texas where Brother Joe pastored and graduated from Springs of Grace Shreveport Preacher School before heading to Mexico.

The Unreached of Africa
Much has been achieved; Christians are numbered in their millions, but serious challenges must be met, and the Church in Africa and world-wide must be mobilized to meet them

Much of Africa is within the 10/40 Window area

1 The Imazighen, or Berber of North Africa

2 The Tuareg (Tamasheq) are related to the Berber, but have a unique culture and live in the central Sahara Desert

3 The West Atlantic cluster with 6.4 million speaking 77 languages and dialects

4 The Mande peoples live mainly in Africa west of Nigeria, and are in a majority in Mali and Guinea

5 The Soninke-Bozo peoples — mainly of Senegal and Mali are 1.6 million with only a handful of believers

6 The Songhai-Zarma peoples — 4.7 million living mainly in Mali and Niger and speaking 18 languages and dialects

7 The Fulbe (Pulaar, Fulani) number 20 million in 40 or so distinct ethnic groups speaking related dialects

Religion
Overview: Geography, Peoples, Economy, Politics

Religious freedom has increased over much of Africa during the 1990s, but persecution of Christians by Muslims has also increased in Egypt, Sudan, northern Nigeria and the Comores.

Religions Population % Adherents Ann.Gr.
Christian 48.37 379.4m +2.83%
Muslim 41.32 324.1m +2.53%
Traditional ethnic 8.74 68.6m -0.97%
non-Religious/other 1.15 9.0m +4.85%
Hindu 0.22 1.71m +1.42%
Baha’i 0.19 1.47m +2.32%
Jewish 0.01 96,400 +1.02%
Christians Denom. Affil.% ,000 Ann.Gr.
Protestant 1,927 12.59 98,768 +4.2%
Independent 13,137 9.99 78,360 +3.9%
Anglican 36 4.12 32,329 +5.2%
Catholic 63 15.10 118,423 +2.6%
Orthodox 54 5.96 46,727 +0.5%
Marginal 164 0.45 3,506 +6.0%
Unaffiliated 3.65 28,664 n.a.
Doubly affiliated -3.46 -27,119 n.a.

Missionaries from Africa

12,442 in 620 agencies with 3,126 in other lands.

Missionaries to Africa

17,737 expatriates in 620 agencies.

click for legend

Geography

Area 30,212,000 sq.km; 22.3% of the surface area of the world’s 238 countries.

Population (2000) 784,315,000 +2.41%AGR

Peoples
African 77.9%; Arab 17.3%; Imazighen (Berber) 2.6%; European 1.1%; Mixed race 0.7%; Asian 0.4%.

Languages 2,110; 30.5% of the world’s total. Official languages Arabic in North Africa (7 countries). Elsewhere French (22), English (21), Portuguese (4), Spanish (1). The increasing use of European languages in education is at the expense of local languages. In only 6 nations is an African language officially used as the main means of conducting the nation’s business.

Bible translation Africa is the greatest remaining challenge for Bible translation with existing openings for missionary translators. Languages with Scriptures 130Bi 237NT 250por. There is work in progress in 373 and a definite need for translators in 297 more. This latter number could rise to 1,290 after careful field research.

Economy
Africa’s economy has stagnated for 40 years; many countries have become poorer, a few have made progress. HDI is a measure of the quality of life of 174 nations. Of the bottom 40 in this list, 33 are in Africa. Income/person $660 (2% of USA). Only 1.7% of the world’s GNP is generated in Africa.

Politics
Black Africa’s isolation from the rest of the world ended in the ‘Scramble for Africa’ by the European colonial powers in the 19th Century.

Pray For…Africa

Stats
•Population of Africa – 997,260,873
•Percentage of Evangelicals – 14.8%
•Total number of Countries – 58
•Number of Restricted Countries – 12
•Total number of People Groups – 3,124
•Number of Unreached People Groups – 1,977

Africa is one of the most diverse continents with a variety of languages, cultures, peoples, religions, and history. The North African states are made up mostly of Arab peoples with small populations of black Africans. The black African populations increase in proportion as one moves to countries further South. Poverty is a major factor in this continent. Heavy droughts; corrupt, unstable governments; and widespread conflicts have displaced vast populations and left even more with vulnerable food supplies and lack of suitable shelter. Also, Africa has seen a growing AIDS population with whole generations pass away from this disease. This is largely due to a lack of preventative education and proper medical care. However, along with this, Africa is home to 12 countries where there is widespread persecution against those who follow Christ. These countries are largely located in the northern part of the continent and mostly are in Muslim dominated countries. Those who profess faith in Christ risk losing jobs, friends, family, their freedom, and even their lives. Let us remember those in chains and ask God to put a passion in all of His people to cling to Christ alone in a similar manner. Sources: Voice of the Martyrs, IMB Global Research, Operation World, and CIA World Factbook

•Pray for our brothers and sisters who are persecuted that the Lord with be with them, keep them, and make His face shine upon them.
•Pray for God to bring His peace to the continent of Africa which has been ravaged by war.
•Pray for the majority of African peoples who live in poverty where even basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter are a daily struggle.
•Pray for the great number of people affected by AIDS and for God to move amidst the lack of education and proper medical care that continues to escalate.
•Pray for the Church in Africa to be effective in the discipling of new believers.
•Ask God to provide leadership training within the church by supplying funds and solid Biblical resources for training and supporting full-time workers.

This is one way to easily contribute aid to help legitimate groups minister in Haiti.

http://twentytwowords.com/2010/01/13/charge-a-donation-for-haiti-to-your-phone-bill/

getAHEAD Prayer Requests

- Please pray that the Lord would provide faithful tutors to invest in the kids and that the Lord would bless those relationships and make them long-term mentoring opportunities
- Please pray that the Lord would give us wisdom in dealing with the discipline issues that arise with the kids and wisdom in relating to and encouraging the kids’ parents
- Please pray the Lord would provide the resources (manpower & finances) that the program needs
- Please pray that Lord would give the staff energy, creativity, enthusiasm, and patience every getAHEAD, especially since many of the getAHEAD staff and volunteers work other jobs during the day and are worn out by the time getAHEAD begins.
- Please pray for the hearts of the kids: that they would be soft to the things of the Lord, that they would recognize the love we have for them because of Jesus, and that they would pay extra attention during the times when we talk about the Lord with them
- Please pray for the safety of the children particularly during transportation
- Please pray that God would open up more opportunities for us to interact with parents and invite them to church
- Please pray that God would give us wisdom about how to maximize the time we get with the kids and that the things we do with them would have a long-term impact for the glory of God in the battle against racism, poverty, and violence in our city

One Hope Academy Prayer Requests
- Please pray that the staff would have energy, excitement, and creativity every day
- Please pray for wisdom in handling the discipline issues; pray that God would give real resolution and bring about real change when discipline issues arise
- Please pray that the staff would be able to motivate the students to learn
- Please pray that God would make the hearts of the students soft towards our staff and that He would open their eyes to the love that our staff has for them
- Please pray that God would save every one of the students and turn them into ambassadors for Christ in their families and communities
- Please pray that the Lord will provide many Gospel opportunities with each of the students
- Please pray that the teachers would walk in the Spirit and be reminded that they have the help of the Holy Spirit in the both the mundane and the difficult moments
- Please pray that both the students and the staff would have the grace to persevere throughout the semester
- Please pray that God would bring more saints to volunteer at the school and to pray for the school
- Please pray that God would provide funds for hiring on more staff for the school

One Hope Ministry Prayer Requests
- Please pray for God’s direction and God’s vision as we pray and plan for the future ministry of One Hope
- Please pray that God would show us the best ways to battle the poverty, discrimination, and violence that have strongholds in our city
- Please pray that God would provide opportunities for the church body to get more involved in the daily ministry of One Hope
- Please pray that God would prepare the hearts of those He is calling to intern this summer
- Please pray that God will provide for the summer ministry

Please Pray For…The Ministries of Springs of Grace Bible Church
Pray for the preaching of the Word of God as we gather together that God would empower His Word as it is preached and empower His people to prove it out as they hear.
Pray for the ministry outreach of One Hope to those in need in our community. Pray for the One Hope Tutorial Academy students to develop a pursuit of living a life they have been created for.
Pray for GetAhead as it begins a new semester. Pray for tutors and workers and relationships with children and their parents.
Pray for our Twenty Something Bible Study as it begins again in a few weeks.
Pray for the sick in our church body and those dealing with ongoing physical trials.
Pray for laborers to come and join us in this ministry.
Pray for those trapped in poverty in our city that we might build relationships with them and demonstrate to them the life of Jesus.
Pray for those in our city enslaved to drugs, violence, pornography, homosexuality, comfort, racism, and hatred. Pray that Jesus might set the captives free.
Pray for those involved in human trafficking. Pray for the rescue of children and young girls enslaved in the sex slave trade.
Pray for the homeless in our city and for the hungry that we might show them the love of Jesus.
Pray for orphans and those in the foster care system. Pray for those in our church who are seeking to adopt to be able to do so soon.
Pray for the families of Springs of Grace to model the love and mission of the church.
Pray for one another.
Pray for the Sick
Anne Julian – stomach cancer (pray for her physical strength and for her family’s faith)
Sue Hopkins – blood clot in leg – recovering from fall
Marcella Kline – weak heart
Pray for our MISSIONARIES
Vanessa Fry – South Korea
Carrie Moss – returning to Lutz, Ukraine
Matt Shackelford – Waxahachie, TX
Interns and Former Interns 

Africa’s Hot Spots
1 The Great Lakes War. This became Africa’s first major international conflict

a) African and international peacemakers

b) The warring factions and their leaders

c) The millions of refugees

d) Recovery through repentance of perpetrators, justice for the offended, forgiveness given and received and the long process of reconstruction for ruined lives, families and countries

2 The Horn of Africa was the scene of terrible events in the 1990s

a) Somalia descended into anarchy with humiliating failures for the UN and the USA in finding solutions

b) Ethiopia and Eritrea’s unexpected, unnecessary war in 1998-2000 between two largely Christian nations led to heavy casualties

3 The West African debacle of Liberia’s civil wars in the last decade has resulted in the immense destruction of lives, property and mass exploitation of children as soldiers

4 The Maghreb conflicts — the Algerian civil war with its unending bloody massacres of civilians, and the unresolved conflict about the future of the Western Sahara occupied by Morocco since 1974

5 Sudan’s 40-year civil war with its Islamic jihad overtones in which the Muslim north is seeking to subjugate the largely Christian south and impose shari’a law and Islam

Peoples
Overview: Economy, Politics, Religion, Geography

African 77.9%; Arab 17.3%; Imazighen (Berber) 2.6%; European 1.1%; Mixed race 0.7%; Asian 0.4%.

Languages 2,110; 30.5% of the world’s total. Official languages Arabic in North Africa (7 countries). Elsewhere French (22), English (21), Portuguese (4), Spanish (1). The increasing use of European languages in education is at the expense of local languages. In only 6 nations is an African language officially used as the main means of conducting the nation’s business.

Bible translation Africa is the greatest remaining challenge for Bible translation with existing openings for missionary translators. Languages with Scriptures 130Bi 237NT 250por. There is work in progress in 373 and a definite need for translators in 297 more. This latter number could rise to 1,290 after careful field research.

Economy
Africa’s economy has stagnated for 40 years; many countries have become poorer, a few have made progress. HDI is a measure of the quality of life of 174 nations. Of the bottom 40 in this list, 33 are in Africa. Income/person $660 (2% of USA). Only 1.7% of the world’s GNP is generated in Africa.

Politics
Black Africa’s isolation from the rest of the world ended in the ‘Scramble for Africa’ by the European colonial powers in the 19th Century.

Religion

Religious freedom has increased over much of Africa during the 1990s, but persecution of Christians by Muslims has also increased in Egypt, Sudan, northern Nigeria and the Comores.

Religions Population % Adherents Ann.Gr.
Christian 48.37 379.4m +2.83%
Muslim 41.32 324.1m +2.53%
Traditional ethnic 8.74 68.6m -0.97%
non-Religious/other 1.15 9.0m +4.85%
Hindu 0.22 1.71m +1.42%
Baha’i 0.19 1.47m +2.32%
Jewish 0.01 96,400 +1.02%
Christians Denom. Affil.% ,000 Ann.Gr.
Protestant 1,927 12.59 98,768 +4.2%
Independent 13,137 9.99 78,360 +3.9%
Anglican 36 4.12 32,329 +5.2%
Catholic 63 15.10 118,423 +2.6%
Orthodox 54 5.96 46,727 +0.5%
Marginal 164 0.45 3,506 +6.0%
Unaffiliated 3.65 28,664 n.a.
Doubly affiliated -3.46 -27,119 n.a.

Missionaries from Africa

12,442 in 620 agencies with 3,126 in other lands.

Missionaries to Africa

17,737 expatriates in 620 agencies.

click for legend

Geography

Area 30,212,000 sq.km; 22.3% of the surface area of the world’s 238 countries.

Population (2000) 784,315,000 +2.41%AGR

SPRINGS OF GRACE VISION MESSAGE for 2010

1) Diligently promote among Springs of Grace an awareness of the need in our city and world. (Luke 10 “Parable of Good Samaritan”; Luke 14)

Hopelessness, poverty, human trafficking, sexual perversion; generational patterns of violence, drugs, family disintegration; educational crisis, racial prejudice and discrimination; absence of biblical gospel, lack of biblical knowledge.

THERE IS A NEED BIGGER THAN WE CAN IMAGINE AND A MISSION GREATER THAN WE CAN ACCOMPLISH.

2) Call the people of Springs of Grace to pray – to really pray – to join in what God is doing throughout this city and throughout the world through prayer. (John 15:7, 16)

Use Operation World book as a tool to pray for the entire world over the coming year. Develop a prayer page online that is updated at least weekly, if not more often, about the ministries of Springs and the prayer needs of the world –

Ask each other: “WHAT ARE YOU PRAYING FOR?” and “WHAT CAN I PRAY WITH YOU ABOUT?”

3) Encourage one another at Springs of Grace to read the Word of God (John 15:3-7).

We will provide a “Read the Bible in a Year” handout; as well as a handout for reading through the New Testament in a year and reading through the key passages of the Bible in a year.

Ask each other – “WHAT ARE YOU READING THIS WEEK?” or “HOW HAS GOD USED THE SCRIPTURE WE READ THIS WEEK IN YOUR LIFE AND THE LIVES OF THOSE GOD HAS GIVEN YOU TO LOVE?”

4) Press hard to equip and develop more of the saints at Springs of Grace for ministry (Ephesians 4-12-16).

a) Pray for laborers – “Jesus said, ‘ The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech (PRAY) the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Luke 10:2
b) Intern program – pray and recruit and support more interns for this summer
c) Preacher school – seek to develop the preacher school by offering another step beyond the bible study that will more diligently develop preachers. Ask God to use the intern program as one of the main feeders into the preacher school.

d) Offer more classes for the church body. We hope to offer a hermeneutics class (How to study the Bible) and a general overview of the Bible class this next year.                                                       (CONTINUED ON BACK)

5) Count our lives as nothing (Acts 20:24) in order to be about a mission (John 20:21) we can’t accomplish on our own.

a) Cultivate a love relationship with Jesus as the fountain source for all we do so that we stay as far away from moralism and legalism as possible but give ourselves away as the overflow of the rich love we have for Jesus.

b) Encourage our brothers and sisters in the body to use their gifts alongside us so that we collectively demonstrate the perfections of Christ to our city. Not everyone has the same role but all are a necessary part of the body (1 Corinthians 12).
c) Encourage one another to be bound by the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s will because faithfulness to His mission is better than life.
d) Encourage one another to be faithful even though we don’t know what tomorrow holds because faithfulness to His mission is better than life.
e) Encourage one another to not quit when it gets tough because faithfulness to His mission is better than life.
f) Encourage one another to reject the American Dream (trust yourself) and embrace the gospel dream (deny yourself) because faithfulness to His mission is better than life.
COUNTING NONE OF THESE THINGS AS GAINING MERIT BEFORE GOD OR AS A STANDARD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS TO MEASURE OURSELVES OR OTHERS BY – but seeing faithfulness to His mission as better than life BECAUSE it is the way to finish the mission and it is the path to joy forever.

6) Preach, Live, Glory in and Believe a God who is greater than we can imagine – One who is able to do the impossible (Luke 1:37; Matthew 19:26)

a) Dependent upon His Spirit and not ourselves

b) Praying for a great God to do great things

c) Looking at the things God has blessed among us and considering how we might be more involved in what He loves

d) Thinking and dreaming and praying together as to how we might love like He loves and speak like He speaks in this city at this time

e) HOPING for God to change us and our city to be like Him as He stirs His people to pray and as His Spirit empowers His Word to accomplish His work

Africa

Stats
•Population of Africa – 997,260,873
•Percentage of Evangelicals – 14.8%
•Total number of Countries – 58
•Number of Restricted Countries – 12
•Total number of People Groups – 3,124
•Number of Unreached People Groups – 1,977

Africa is one of the most diverse continents with a variety of languages, cultures, peoples, religions, and history. The North African states are made up mostly of Arab peoples with small populations of black Africans. The black African populations increase in proportion as one moves to countries further South. Poverty is a major factor in this continent. Heavy droughts; corrupt, unstable governments; and widespread conflicts have displaced vast populations and left even more with vulnerable food supplies and lack of suitable shelter. Also, Africa has seen a growing AIDS population with whole generations pass away from this disease. This is largely due to a lack of preventative education and proper medical care. However, along with this, Africa is home to 12 countries where there is widespread persecution against those who follow Christ. These countries are largely located in the northern part of the continent and mostly are in Muslim dominated countries. Those who profess faith in Christ risk losing jobs, friends, family, their freedom, and even their lives. Let us remember those in chains and ask God to put a passion in all of His people to cling to Christ alone in a similar manner. Sources: Voice of the Martyrs, IMB Global Research, Operation World, and CIA World Factbook

•Pray for our brothers and sisters who are persecuted that the Lord with be with them, keep them, and make His face shine upon them.
•Pray for God to bring His peace to the continent of Africa which has been ravaged by war.
•Pray for the majority of African peoples who live in poverty where even basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter are a daily struggle.
•Pray for the great number of people affected by AIDS and for God to move amidst the lack of education and proper medical care that continues to escalate.
•Pray for the Church in Africa to be effective in the discipling of new believers.
•Ask God to provide leadership training within the church by supplying funds and solid Biblical resources for training and supporting full-time workers.

Africa’s Hot Spots
These warrant passionate prayer:

1 The Great Lakes War. This became Africa’s first major international conflict. Tensions between the Hutu and Tutsi peoples in Rwanda and Burundi have led to civil wars and periodic genocidal massacres over the past four decades. The Rwanda genocide of 1994 triggered a chain reaction of war and waves of refugees affecting surrounding countries. This interlocked with the wars already being fought in Angola, Sudan and between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The impact on Congo has been devastating for much of the country and continues to affect millions of people. Pray for:

a) African and international peacemakers in their arduous, thankless task and for resolution of the underlying causes of war.

b) The warring factions and their leaders to end their fighting and for peace to be restored.

c) The millions of refugees to be adequately provided for and ultimately resettled. Many NGOs are involved.

d) Recovery through repentance of perpetrators, justice for the offended, forgiveness given and received and the long process of reconstruction for ruined lives, families and countries.

2 The Horn of Africa was the scene of terrible events in the 1990s.

a) Somalia descended into anarchy with humiliating failures for the UN and the USA in finding solutions. Pray that the Somalis may find workable solutions to the chaos they have created.

b) Ethiopia and Eritrea’s unexpected, unnecessary war in 1998-2000 between two largely Christian nations led to heavy casualties. An uneasy cease-fire prevailed in 2001, but lasting peace, restoration of trust and reopening of trade are needed.

3 The West African debacle of Liberia’s civil wars in the last decade has resulted in the immense destruction of lives, property and mass exploitation of children as soldiers. This conflict spilled over to Sierra Leone and Guinea with even worse atrocities and has drawn in West African and UN forces who have vainly tried to impose a measure of peace. The conflict has had deep impact on surrounding nations and an ending of the fighting and of the ‘reign’ of the warlords looks distant. A whole generation has been deeply scarred.

4 The Maghreb conflicts — the Algerian civil war with its unending bloody massacres of civilians, and the unresolved conflict about the future of the Western Sahara occupied by Morocco since 1974.

5 Sudan’s 40-year civil war with its Islamic jihad overtones in which the Muslim north is seeking to subjugate the largely Christian south and impose shari’a law and Islam.

Trends to Watch
A few of the major international trends are given for prayerful attention. See under individual countries for more specific detail.

1 AIDS in Africa now overshadows the future of the continent — 71% of the world’s AIDS cases in 1999 were in Africa. By 2000 a moderate estimate was of 25 million infected with HIV and 12.25 million orphans due to AIDS. Nearly 10% of the adult population of sub-Saharan Africa was infected. Lowered immunity has stimulated the spread of TB and other diseases. Life expectancies are dropping fast. Whole families, communities and economic structures are being decimated. Deaths by 2000 were estimated at 13.7 million; 6,000 were dying daily in 1999. Pray for:

a) The focal areas of infection. These are South-Central Africa with 20-25% of the adult population of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland infected. Only 30% of Zimbabwe’s 15-year old girls are expected to reach the age of 30. Malawi, South Africa and Zambia are not far behind. Other focal areas are East Africa, Congo-DRC and Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire. Only in Uganda has the rapid spread of AIDS been reversed. Pray that the leaders of African nations might be roused from lethargy, pull their heads from the sand and take all necessary action to stem this human catastrophe.

b) Radical changes in society that deal with the moral, social and spiritual deficiencies that spread the disease. Widespread promiscuity even among Christians, pernicious lies (‘men become sick unless they frequently have sexual intercourse’; ‘sex with a virgin cures AIDS’) and the stigma of confessing to having the virus all contribute to this spread.

c) Mobilization of churches to tackle the causes and effects of AIDS. They alone have the belief system, moral authority and local presence to be effective in ministries of prevention and care. Most churches have long ignored the issue or run away from the implications of involvement. Pray that out of this tragedy may emerge a more effective, caring, relevant, attractive Church in Africa.

d) Deployment of Christian agencies and skills to empower the Church in this new realm of ministry. For decades, this will be a key area for medical missions as national health systems crumble under the effects of low investment and the AIDS pandemic.

2 The ongoing weaknesses of African democratic institutions. Despotism, ‘kleptocracies’ (rulers that rob the national treasury), tyranny and suppression of any opposition still plague many countries. Intercede for effective and peaceful change to accountable government and riddance of despotism in Libya, Kenya, Congo-DRC, Zimbabwe, Angola, Gabon, Togo, Liberia, Equatorial Guinea and Congo-Brazzaville. Pray that Christian politicians who are transparently honest, flint-faced against corruption and nepotism may be raised up and preserved in their testimony once in power. President Moi in Kenya, a member of an evangelical church, has lost his credibility and President Chiluba of Zambia, an active Pentecostal, is in danger of the same. Pray for Christian Presidents such as Obasanjo of Nigeria, Mkapa of Tanzania and Matthieu Kérékou of Benin that they may rule without favour and in fairness as they grapple with the serious problems of their nations. The rapid spread of mobile phones and the Internet in Africa can be one means of exposing sin, corruption and abuse of power.

3 The Muslim-Christian fault-line stretching from Senegal across the Sahel to Ethiopia and along Africa’s Indian Ocean seaboard. The potential for widened conflagrations and confrontations is high because of increasingly aggressive Islamist movements and African Christian evangelism gaining converts from within Muslim communities. Only in Sudan and Nigeria has this led to war or mass violence, but Guinea-Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire and Chad are in danger of trouble in the near future.

4 Africa’s deepening poverty and the right means to alleviate it in the long-term. Part is locally induced — poor health care, massive corruption, greed, war. Part is of foreign origin — inappropriate aid programmes, unfair trading agreements, short-term aid in crises without long-term development, use of foreign rather than local skills and cultural mechanisms. The overall effects are huge — distorted economies, a brain drain of African professionals, 40% of children not in school, degeneration of health care and communications.

a) The governments of richer trading nations need to implement a range of measures to ensure a fair price for African produce and realize that failure leads to raised need for aid. Dumping unwanted and inappropriate foodstuffs and medicines as aid can create more problems than it solves.

b) Secular and religious NGOs from the World Bank to the smallest Christian aid agency need a humble sensitivity to local culture and needs in the short- and long-term and avoid any appearance of neo-colonialistic control or manipulation because of the power of their money.

5 The continued power of African traditional religions. The low percentage of followers of the pre-Christian ethnic religions is not a true reflection of reality. Underlying both Muslim and Christian religious profession is a value system steeped in the old ways — fetishism, ancestor worship, idolatry, etc. Personal, tribal and national crises reveal this in reversion to the old ways. The terrible events in Africa which have so impacted many nations in recent years cannot be understood without realizing this. Pray for the powers of darkness to be bound in Jesus’ name, and pray that Christian leaders and churches may challenge these powers and not succumb to them.

The Church in Africa
The colonial and apartheid past is fading and a new level of confidence, dynamism, vision and maturity is evident in many parts of Africa. In many countries the Church is the only effective social organization that can bring reconciliation between ethnic groups, cope with the many economic, health and education challenges in collapsing societies. Pray that the Church of the 21st Century might rise to the challenge. Challenges to face in the new millennium:

1 More effective discipling of new believers. Millions have been evangelized and responded, but non-Christian customs and worldviews have invaded the Church. Syncretism is a major problem in many areas. Thorough-going repentance and renunciation of sin and the works of darkness are often lacking and many Christians are not free from the fear of witchcraft and evil spirits. The new generation, or third wave of African Christianity, takes a clear stand against these but many churches are seriously compromised.

2 Unity in great diversity. There are around 15,000 denominations, clusters of churches and networks in Africa. Pray:

a) That the carnality of inter-personal relationship breakdowns, desire for power and ethnic favouritism that lie behind many denominational splits may be crucified with Jesus on the cross.

b) For pan-African bodies such as the AEA (Association of Evangelicals of Africa). The role of the AEA is strategic in linking national evangelical denominations in fellowship, stimulating vision and in promoting leadership training, culturally relevant biblical theology and social action. Over 188 denominations and agencies are members and these represent a 50 million Christian constituency.

3 Leadership training is the critical bottleneck. There is a lack of funds for training and supporting full-time workers. Leadership is limited at every level: for village congregations, for the urban educated and for theological training. Pray for:

a) Theological institutions. These have multiplied for students with primary, secondary and post-secondary level. There are only two significant interdenominational graduate-level theological schools. ACTEA, Africa’s accreditation body, lists in its directory over 100 seminary-level members and many more schools, over half being in 4 countries — Nigeria (130), South Africa (111), Congo-DRC (85) and Kenya (66).

b) A relevant curriculum that is biblical, yet Africa-oriented. Too much is geared to Western theological battles and perceptions.

c) Harmony between staff. Tensions among missionaries and between missionary and national staff have sometimes not been a spiritual example to the students they teach.

d) Selection of students. Discernment is needed to know who are anointed of the Spirit for future leadership and who apply out of baser motives of prestige, desire for education, etc.

e) Funds. The poverty of the Church and lack of understanding among potential donors hampers the development of Bible training institutions. The needs for buildings, libraries, student grants and travel are endless. Western churches need to give as freely for providing spiritual food to the starving Christians as they have done to provide for Africa’s famines.

f) TEE programmes, which are vital for training lay leadership. Over 100 programmes are in operation, but some are less successful. Funding, difficulties in travel, low motivation and the failure to involve the real leaders have all been hindrances.

g) African theologians. There is a theological vacuum to be filled. A truly indigenous evangelical African theology has been slow to develop. A clear stand by African theologians to expound the universal and unchangeable truths of Scripture in the African context is needed which will also counteract error, African misconceptions of the gospel and the very real powers of darkness.

4 More effective cross-cultural missions. The missionary force is increasingly African and multi-continental and less Western. Much sensitivity and humility is required for effective ministry that reaches the unevangelized and defers to the maturity and vision of the growing African Church. The need for missionaries continues to be greater than the supply of those with the gifting and vision for:

a) Pioneer areas. These still abound; see below. A high degree of commitment and sacrifice will be required to reach present pioneer areas where conditions are sometimes very hard. In some cases missionaries will need to learn two to four languages before they can reach the least-reached.

b) Church support personnel for teaching, youth work, etc., which are needed as never before. Yet the willingness to work under African leadership and as part of the Church in Africa is essential.

c) Specialists for Bible translation, education, agriculture, health, radio, television, cassette ministries, Internet evangelism, etc., yet who will also make a spiritual impact through their lives.

d) Social projects and aid ministries which are in ever-growing demand. In many countries governments have been unable to provide basic services to their people and Christian churches and agencies have had to take these up. Physical needs must be met, but such is the pressure that this can lead to neglect of spiritual needs that may be the ultimate cause of suffering and deprivation.

5 The development of missions vision in the Church. Praise God for the rapid growth and spread of African missions — in 2000 there were estimated to be nearly 13,000 African missionaries with most serving in a cross-cultural setting. Much of past and present church planting has been through humble, dedicated African missionaries. Pray for:

a) Churches to see missions as fundamental to the gospel itself, and the task of every believer — not just a white Christian!

b) Funds to be made available to train and send out missionaries. Exchange controls and poverty prevent many churches from realizing their mission vision to the full.

c) Effective cross-cultural training for missions — few Bible schools do this, but they should. Innovative training mechanisms have been set up and are growing in different parts of Africa — in West Africa through such as the Nigerian Calvary Ministries and CMF, in East Africa through the Africa Inland Church, in South Africa through various agencies.

6 Christian research has flourished through the enthusiastic efforts of a new generation of talented African researchers. The AD2000 and Beyond Movement was used of God to encourage a national research initiative in many African countries — especially prominent in this are Nigeria, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. Especially needing such initiative are Kenya, Tanzania and Congo-DRC.

7 The expatriate mission force. Honour must be given to the huge impact of dedicated missionaries who achieved so much despite the frequent neglect or even opposition of colonial rulers in the past. These missionaries educated, healed, uplifted and modernized much of Africa in what became a massive social transformation. Generations of African leaders were educated in Christian schools. Inevitably there were weaknesses — importation of Western individualism, dualism (division between spiritual and physical), structures and theological presuppositions, but the Church became rooted in Africa as a result. Praise God for both the lives of these heroes of the faith and for the emergence of the Church. The 21st Century brings new challenges:

a) Partnership. The mission force is increasingly African and multicultural. The growth and expansion of the Church means that relationships, partnering, unity in vision and sharing of resources are fundamental for progress. Pray for unity and fellowship that transcends all social and cultural barriers within mission agencies, among agencies themselves, and between the indigenous churches and agencies.

b) Health and restorative ministries. The increase of wars, disasters and economic failures has provided an enormous need for a new type of medical missions and for restorative ministries — AIDS ravaged societies, war-traumatized populations, children in crisis (abuse, child-soldiers, child prostitution, etc.).

The Unreached of Africa
Much has been achieved; Christians are numbered in their millions, but serious challenges must be met, and the Church in Africa and world-wide must be mobilized to meet them.

PEOPLES
Much of Africa is within the 10/40 Window area. Of the world’s 10 major geographical Affinity Blocs of peoples, 2½ are in Africa: the Sub-Saharan peoples, the Horn of Africa peoples and the western half of the Arab world. For more information about the Arabs, see the section on Asia — West. Then, within these 2½ blocs are clusters of peoples with more closely related cultures and situations. Here are listed most of the major ones with a few details. Most of these clusters are found in more than one country, so their global statistics are given. Please see individual countries for more information. Most are in a belt of territory stretching across the Sahel and then down Africa’s east coast. Note the map showing these clusters.

1 The Imazighen, or Berber of North Africa. They were the original inhabitants, but were conquered by Rome; many becoming Christians. Then in the 8th Century they were conquered by the Arabs, their culture and history suppressed and most were absorbed into the conquering race. There are 20 million Imazighen in 76 distinct ethnic groups living in 17 countries. Major groups (with many sub-groups) being the Kabyle (3.5m), Shilha (10.7m), Shawiya (1.8m). Only among the Kabyle has there been a significant turning to Christ. Less than 0.3% might be considered Christian. Several partnerships of agencies concerned for them exist.

2 The Tuareg (Tamasheq) are related to the Berber, but have a unique culture and live in the central Sahara Desert. They number 3 million in 8 countries and comprise 16 ethnic groups. Only in Niger and Mali are there a few groups of believers. A number of agencies have formed a partnership for their evangelization.

3 The West Atlantic cluster with 6.4 million speaking 77 languages and dialects. Most live in Senegal, the Gambia and Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone. Some, such as the Balanta, Mandyak, Serer and Papel have responded to the gospel, but among the more Muslim Wolof (3.7m), Jola (600,000), Beafada (43,000) and Nalu (23,000) response has been very small and these are still pioneer peoples.

4 The Mande peoples live mainly in Africa west of Nigeria, and are in a majority in Mali and Guinea. Most are Muslim. There are 17 million in the main body of Mande peoples and a further 5.5 million in scattered smaller peoples across West Africa. Jula, a Mande language, has become a major trade language for much of the western half of West Africa. In the main body of Mande only the Malian Bambara (4.3m), Kassonke (280,000), and the Sierra Leonian Kono (232,000) have a number of Christians. The most needy are the Mandingo-related (5.5m), Jula-related (1m), Soso-Yalunka (1.3m) and Wassulunke (740,000).

5 The Soninke-Bozo peoples — mainly of Senegal and Mali are 1.6 million with only a handful of believers. Several agencies are seeking to reach them.

6 The Songhai-Zarma peoples — 4.7 million living mainly in Mali and Niger and speaking 18 languages and dialects. Muslim; very few Christians.

7 The Fulbe (Pulaar, Fulani) number 20 million in 40 or so distinct ethnic groups speaking related dialects. They have spread from Senegal to become a major component of nearly every country of the Sahel as far east as Sudan. They are the largest nomadic-culture people in the world. More than half now live settled lifestyles and are more strongly Muslim than the nomadic or semi-nomadic Fulbe. Planting churches among them has been hard and slow with small breakthroughs in Benin, Nigeria and Chad. The Fulbe represent one of the major challenges for missions in Africa today. There are dozens of agencies with some outreach or ministry to Fulbe and several partnerships have been formed specifically to synergize ministry among them.

8 The Volta-Gur peoples number nearly 15 million in 165 ethnic groups. Most live in the Sahel; Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin and Togo. Among the many peoples related to the Mossi (10.3m), Grusi (3.5m), Gurma (2m) and Dogon (900,000), a significant minority are active Christians. The Senufo (3m) and Lobi (500,000) are more resistant and response is slow. Many peoples are largely unreached in Burkina Faso but few of the larger peoples remain without a witness.

9 The Hausa are dominant in Niger and northern Nigeria, but live in 27 countries and number 30 million. Hausa has become the major language for much of Nigeria, Niger and beyond. Many resources exist in Hausa — the Bible, the JESUS film, radio broadcasting, and much ministry is done in Hausa, but few have turned to Christ from Islam. Response has been greatest among the Maguzawa section of the Hausa. This large people remains a major challenge to the Church.

10 Kanuri-Kanembu — 5.1 million in northwest Nigeria and the Chad basin. They are the least reached cluster of peoples in the Sahel. They, and the related Teda and Daza of north Chad, have no known churches. After years of effort to reach them the fruit is meagre.

11 The Chadian peoples. Five intermingled clusters of Sudanic, Saharan and Chadic peoples live in the large area of central Nigeria, north Cameroon, Chad and the Darfur Province of Sudan. They speak over 400 languages and dialects and nearly half of these are without churches, the Scriptures, or much of any other form of witness. Much pioneer work in arduous conditions and among small language groups must still be undertaken. This medley of smaller peoples constitutes one of the most complex challenges for pioneer ministry in Africa today. Special mention must be made of the many peoples linked with the Maba (953,000), Fur (800,000), Tama-Mararit (353,000), Daju (322,000), Masalit (300,000) and Naba (266,000). To these must be added the Shuwa Arab nomads who may number up to 2 million.

12 Cushitic-Horn of Africa peoples. There are 55 million in over 140 ethnic groups living mainly in Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. Many of the peoples in Ethiopia are Christian. The challenge remains to reach the Somali (14m), Beja (2.5m) and Saho-Afar (1.5m). To these must be added the 1.8 million Nubians of the Nile Valley in Egypt and Sudan — long a Christian people until forcibly Islamized in the 17th Century but now with only a few hundred known believers. Many Christian agencies are burdened to bring the gospel to them and see a harvest — there have been many attempts.

13 The East Coast peoples of Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi. Almost all are Muslim and most are able to communicate in Swahili. Major groupings: Swahili (3.8m — including the Comorians and Zanzibarians), Makonde (2.2m), Yao (1.7m) and Zaramo (630,000).

14 The Pygmy peoples of the central African forests. They were the original peoples of the region but invading Bantu peoples pushed them into the more inaccessible areas. They number 765,000 in 33 ethnic groups in 8 countries. They have long been ignored, or evangelized using Bantu languages. Only in recent years have more culturally sensitive church planting efforts been made. Results have been good during the 1990s; around 17% are now Christians. Evangelism Resources is an agency that has championed their cause, but a number of agencies and denominations are now planting churches among them.

Major Great Commission Challenges
1 Islam is the major challenge for Christianity today — both the 160 million Muslims north of the Sahara and the 157 million in sub-Saharan Africa. Islam has been steadily gaining converts from traditional religions in countries west of Ghana and all across the Sahel. More recently Muslim missionary efforts have extended to nearly every country in Africa. The use of oil-funded education, aid projects and grants and a well-orchestrated drive to give Islam a role in Africa’s political life has had some success. African Christians as well as mission agencies need to make Muslims a priority for demonstrations of the love of Christ and culturally sensitive approaches must be developed for planting churches among them.

2 Nations with the smallest number of Evangelicals. These are priority countries with less than 0.1% Evangelicals: Mauritania, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Comores, Djibouti, Niger, Senegal and Somalia. These are the countries with less than 1% Evangelicals: Algeria, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali.

3 Cities. Africa’s urban population has rapidly risen from 130 million in 1990 to maybe 240 million in 2000. Lack of economic development and greater poverty has meant that it is the slums, shanty towns and informal settlements that have mushroomed. These cities have become focal points for dire poverty, squalor, crime, prostitution, AIDS and misery. New ways must be found to impact these cities for God and plant churches that will transform urban areas.

4 Christian Help Ministries:

a) Bible distribution. Increased poverty has reduced Bible distribution. The Bible League estimates 100 million Christians do not even possess a Bible. Pray for effective, self-sustaining Bible printing and distribution by the Bible Societies and others.

b) Bible translation remains one of the major tasks to be accomplished in Africa. Of Africa’s 2,110 languages, 297 are definitely in need of Bible translation work. The major concentrations of these languages are in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and the Sudan.

c) Christian radio. Both FEBA in the Seychelles and TWR in Swaziland and South Africa have major short-wave transmitters broadcasting in most of the major languages of Africa. More use is now being made of national and local broadcasting stations who want to air Christian programmes. TWR, FEBA and HCJB work closely with a growing number of community Christian radio stations in Africa by providing satellite delivery of Christian programming and offering technical expertise.

Please plan on participating in our Week of Prayer at Springs of Grace (January 10th-17th). This is an important step in our living out the vision God has given us for 2010. It is a reflection of our commitment to be dependent upon the Holy Spirit instead of dependent upon ourselves. It will testify to our hope in a great God to do great things. It is a part of our thinking and dreaming for the advent of Christ in this city. It is an act of faith towards our hope of God changing us and our city to be like Him as His Spirit empowers His Word to accomplish His work.

We will have special worship times on the 10th and 17th centered around prayer. We will have the church open for prayer from 6:30-8:00 AM and Noon-1:00 PM Monday through Thursday; and Friday from 7:00 PM – Midnight for prayer. You can come and go during these times. We will have a time of corporate prayer on Wednesday from 7:00-8:00 as well.

If you have prayer requests that you would like us to pray for this week, please email those to b2himglory@gmail.com or place them in the gift box on the wall Sunday morning.

This would be a great week to invite a family over to pray together.

Jesus said, that we can show the love of Jesus to this city and to one another but we need to ask Him to give us that supernatural love.

What is impossible in us is possible with God.

Please join us in prayer this week to our prayer answering God.