Christians who may be outwardly different in language, dress, culture, background and other ways are exactly alike in the way that matters most. Each has a personal relationship with Christ and his indwelling Holy Spirit. “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit,” says 1 Corinthians 12:13. No wonder we sense a powerful connection with believers in Christ throughout the world; we have the same Holy Spirit, the same new spiritual hard drive, as it were. We are united as one flock under one Shepherd, and we hear his voice ( John 10:16). What a beautiful diversity in the global body of Christ, each part enriching the other. And God is calling us to help expand his family, sharing the good news and making disciples of all nations.
On the road again I’m glad to say the crisis on the Pan American Highway ended happily. The soldiers did get the situation under control as the officer promised. They removed the burning truck and reopened traffic. And our bus safely reached its destination. I did not see the Salvadoran woman again, but our brief encounter gave a hint of the global family we will have in heaven: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands (Rev. 7:9, ESV).
VOICES OF THE GLOBAL CHURCH The richness of God’s global family will be on full display at LittWorld 2022, the global Christian publishing conference organized by Media Associates International (MAI). “I see LittWorld like a big family Christmas dinner with family members attending from different places,” said Nigerian author and publisher Pusonnam Yiri. “I have met people from different countries who are now my friends.” Please pray for the continuing preparations for the April 2429 conference in Hungary, with an expected 200 Christian publishing staff and writers from 40-plus countries. Many will have worked for months in relative isolation due to the pandemic, so the conference will provide a much-anticipated return to in-person interaction between Christian publishing peers from around the world. More than 40 international publishing professionals will lead plenary sessions, small group workshops, devotionals and one-on-one consultations, with noted author Philip Yancey as keynote speaker. Participants will gain fresh vision, skills and networks for more effective publishing ministry to readers in their respective nations.
Men and women from 94 countries have participated in LittWorld since the conference began in 1986, including a number of College Church members who have served as trainers or volunteers. Through LittWorld, we have seen publishing houses born, new books, magazines and podcasts conceived and participants inspired to excel and persevere in ministry for the Lord to their readers. Pray for similar outcomes once again in 2022 for the growth and strengthening of the global Church and that that Christ will be glorified. “I was truly inspired to sit in a room with 52 nationalities all worshiping together,” said an Australian attendee at the last LittWorld. “In a cultural climate that seeks to separate us into identity groups, the myriad of faces from across the globe made it very clear for me that there is only one answer to division—Christ.”
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