November 2022 EHC Newsletter

FOCUS LEADERS IN MALAWI

Focus Leaders are full-time Every Home for Christ evangelists in Malawi and Zambia who motivate and train local churches to take gospel literature village by village. Every month they send us reports and stories of what the Lord is doing in their region.

PASTOR DAVID KANDAWIRE reports -

EHC ministry activities in my Focus area progressed despite the challenges of reaching out to people who are still busy harvesting and selling their farm produce. We did however manage to reach those within reach and successfully mobilised them for prayer and for training. We partnered with Grace Covenant Ministries and some other twenty three churches. People were trained in evangelism, prayer and discipleship. We prayed for them, established Christ groups and shared assorted literature booklets. We also connected some new converts to some already-existing local churches and established Christ groups to those that seemed far from already existing local churches for spiritual strength. Baptism was not also left out.

PASTOR STANLEY CHAMVEKA reports -

We partnered with seven churches in our programs this month. Situations have not normalised in our area since we were hit by the cyclones. As such, mobilising people for prayer is a challenge because many of them are busy searching for food as many of their fields were washed away by floods. We were also not able to conduct training sessions but, despite this, we have been able to visit homes, preach the Gospel, establish Christ groups and also distribute literature.

PASTOR INESS KANDEU PHIRI reports -

In Mwanza, pastors and leaders from the Baptist church organised evangelism and discipleship training aiming at equipping its leaders in evangelism. Every Home for Christ ministry was also invited to participate in this wonderful meeting. The training came just in time because many of them had no knowledge of evangelism and discipleship. After the trainings, pastors were sent out to evangelise and win souls. The Gospel was preached and many came to the Lord. Assorted types of literature booklets were also distributed to all the people.

Australia: PO Box 168 Penshurst NSW 2222 Telephone: (02) 9570 8211 Facsimile: (02) 9570 4738 ABN: 88001276240 www.everyhome.org.au E-mail: ehc@everyhome.org.au

New Zealand: PO Box 31-260 Milford North Shore City 0741 NZBN: 9429043322862

Telephone: Free call 0800 900 200 Facsimile: 0061 2 9570 4738

Born DifferentNot Less!

By Sarita Chitapa

When Martha called me after my radio broadcast, I heard my story in hers.

Martha’s 11-year-old son, Jonah, has cerebral palsy. Jonah desperately wants to go to school, Martha tells me. Jonah’s physical challenges and his family’s financial circumstances make that impossible. Martha just wants a full life for her son.

As a mother, I get it: the tender joy we feel toward our children mingled with fierce love. We will do anything to protect them from a world that is so cruel, especially to anyone born different.

The stigma against people with disabilities in Africa is oppressive. It’s tragic. It’s infuriating.

Children and young people with disabilities are treated as outcasts and often neglected. Governments provide little or no support to families with children who have disabilities. Husbands frequently abandon their wives when their child’s disability becomes apparent. Disability is often seen as a curse on a family. Families and communities blame mothers.

My son, Dawn David, has autism and is nonverbal. I understand Martha’s frustration and desperation. The blame, shame, isolation, exclusion—you name it, I have experienced it.

But my son is not a curse. I see God’s favour on my family because of my son. We see beyond his disability; we see God’s glory and image. My husband and I are blessed to have raised him. The Bible says children are a blessing from the Lord. It does not specify able or disabled children. They are all a blessing. When we follow Christ, we must fight against the stigma and prejudice around disability.

In Luke 14:12-14, Jesus says, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbours, but when you give a banquet, invite the poor… the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed.”

Jesus calls us to reach not only the people we are comfortable with but the ones we are not so comfortable with. We are to urge anyone we find to come to the house of the Lord.

Anyone means any human being you find with God’s breath, regardless of shape or form, abled or disabled. That’s the great commission. And when we step into the places of difference and stigma, we find God’s blessing.

After Martha called me, I visited her and Jonah. My heart was immediately filled with love for them. I felt God compelling me to help them.

My family and I prayed for God’s provision, and we paid for Jonah’s fees at a school for children with special needs. Jonah is so happy and is making outstanding grades. Martha is also now able to work and care for her other children.

It’s amazing how something so simple, so easy to take for granted as the opportunity to go to school, can completely change the lives of an entire family.

I believe God has called me on a mission to reach the most vulnerable, voiceless and neglected people in Africa. He has called me to minister to people with disabilities and their caregivers. As I prayed about how to do this, God placed the idea on my heart to start projects with local churches to

provide care packages to families of children with disabilities and help them connect with support services.

Please pray for these projects and for the families we hope to reach. And pray that African communities would love and accept children and young people with disabilities. Please pray for their caregivers to also be strengthened. And pray that the Gospel would spread quickly among the marginalised and for open hearts to receive the saving grace of Jesus.

Sarita and her son, Dawn David

A mission field desperately needing prayer.

I’m referring to the portion of our population that consists of students, mostly children and young adults. They are under spiritual assault and we must cry out to God for them.

Why is this group a mission field?

Considering the Bible’s agricultural imagery, we can picture fields that must be prepared for harvest and then harvested. Children and young people in our nation need to hear of God’s love and salvation often and be given opportunities to learn God’s ways.

It’s safe to say that the majority of children and youth don’t even have a basic exposure to the Gospel, nor to the significance of biblical truth for their lives. We could say that they are an unreached people group.

However, they are being discipled every waking moment. Their worldview is being formed but not in a godly direction.

Children and youth are bombarded by messages through digital media, some elements of their education, peer groups and more. The result is confusion about the most important things in life and further distancing from a possible relationship with God.

The bad press Christianity has been receiving (legitimate and illegitimate), further reinforces negativity, skepticism and even hostility towards all that is called Christianity.

Despite the advances in technology and increased material goods that promise so much, there are unprecedented, alarming trends among youth today. Despair, hopelessness, crime, depravity and suicide rates are on the rise.

This is no accident. The Scripture tells us clearly that Satan’s agenda is to kill, steal and destroy all that has to do with life that God has created. One of his tactics is to create confusion, which happens all too easily when the authority of Scripture is missing in the church and outside the church.

This confusion intends to undermine the Bible, the ways of God, the value of a human life right from conception, life’s origin and meaning, identity at the most fundamental level and the truth about eternal destiny and salvation. What we see all around us is what the Bible describes as a famine of the Word of God.

In his latest book, American Worldview Inventory 2021-2022, expert researcher George Barna discloses shocking statistics that reveal so clearly the need to pray for a revival of the Church. He concludes that “each generation of people living today has adopted a way of life that is at serious odds with biblical teachings”. His comment refers to people who identify to some degree with Christianity.

We must pray for a revival of God’s people in their devotion to the Lord, his Word and his mission and for a spiritual awakening across the land.

Here are some specific ways to pray the Word of God into the lives of your children or grandchildren:

Pray that your child will continually ask the Lord to examine his heart and mind so that he will be able to walk in truth and purity. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).

Pray that your child will use his mind to understand and search out wisdom so that he can recognize the stupidity of wickedness. “So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly” (Ecclesiastes 7:25).

Pray that his mind will be steadfast as he trusts in the Lord. “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal” (Isaiah 26:3-4).

Pray that your child will love the Lord with all of his heart, soul and mind. “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37).

Pray that your child will not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but will be transformed by the renewing of his mind. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

Pray that your child will always have the mind of Christ. “But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16b). “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9). “

For more ideas from Kim Butt about how to pray for your children and grandchildren, go to https://www.harvestprayer.com

- 2038

The Oikos Initiative

The Oikos Initiative is an Every Home for Christ movement to reach every home on earth with the truth and love of Jesus within a single generation — 20 years!

The truth is that God loves everyone, everywhere. It’s why we are committed to taking the gospel to every nation, every home and every person.

We have begun a once-in-a-generation marathon to reach the last home on earth.

Every Home for Christ (along with many other organisations) is committed to this challenge — but it takes more than the commitment of a few well-intentioned individuals to make a plan succeed. We need resources, both spiritual and physical.

Oikos is the ancient Greek word for a dwelling or a family. To put it simply, it’s a word that means “home.”

The world population is projected to surpass 8 billion people in 2024. Don’t think of this as just a staggering number. Picture newborn babies and great-grandfathers. Imagine tribal leaders, university students, single mothers and powerful entrepreneurs. When you picture the people, you clearly see the mission.

The same heartbeat that infused our original vision infuses the Oikos Initiative. This is our greatest opportunity and our greatest challenge. But we hold tight to a promise:

In Matthew 24:14, Jesus says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

There is still so much work to be done. Yet there is no greater purpose than reaching a lost and broken world with the truth and love of Jesus.

SPAIN

Father, we thank you for the suffering and death of Christ on the cross, making our forgiveness and salvation sure. We thank you that, whether we have known you for a short time or 40, 50, 60 or even 70 years, your faithfulness has been new every morning. Even when life has been difficult, even when we have faced trials or sickness or loss, you have never left us - you have been faithful and our hearts are filled with gratitude, praise and thankfulness. You have continued to love us - with an everlasting love - even when we have been unlovable. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is your love for those who fear you - who stand in awe of you. You are an amazing and wonderful God and as we bow in your presence we want to ask for your forgiveness for anything in our lives that would bring dishonour to your name, for any areas in our lives where we are not putting you first and are letting Satan have a foothold in our life, for any relationships where there is conflict or strife or dishonesty. Father, we seek your forgiveness and your power to change.

We give our lives afresh to you. Help us to make Christ Lord of every part of our life. Help us to love you with all of our heart and to surrender completely to you. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we can stand firm against the rulers, the powers, the authorities and the spiritual forces in the heavenly realms through the authority of Christ. Father, we thank you that when we wake up each morning you have given us a new day to live, another day to prove your faithfullness, another day to serve you and to share the good news of the Gospel. We ask that you would grant us good health one day at a time; You have healed us in the past and we will trust you for the future.

Great is your faithfulness O God our Father; morning by morning new mercies we see... and we will give you all the praise and all the honour as we seek to serve you. We thank you Father for Jesus our Saviour and we come to you in His strong and mighty name.

Great is your faithfuness O God my Father Morning by morning new mercies I see All I have needed You have provided Great is Your faithfulness, Lord unto me.

NOVEMBER 2022

Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from the Psalms. For those wanting to do the one-year Bible reading program these chapters are in brackets.

1PRAY FOR TANNER AND BETHANY

PEAKE Tanner is the International President of Every Home for Christ with a large responsibility for EHC ministries across the world. Psalm 104 (Nehemiah 1 - 7)

2PRAY FOR DIPLAVE POKHREL

Give thanks that Sangita is now with Diplave in Sydney. Please continue to pray for them both as they serve the Lord together. Psalm 105:123 (Nehemiah 8 - 10)

3PRAY FOR ERIC AND LORRAINE

LEACH Pray God will guide Eric in his leadership as Executive Director in Australia and New Zealand and Lorraine with EHC office responsibilities. Psalm 105:24 - 45 (Nehemiah 11 - 13)

4PRAY FOR YOUR FAMILY - sons, daughters and grandchildren, plus others to come to Christ. Get a piece of paper and write down their names. Get their photos and pray every day for their salvation; eternity without Christ is a long time! Psalm 106:1 - 24 (Malachi 1 - 4)

5SOUTH SUDAN Pop. 11,200,000 Map. 32 A team from Every Home for Christ will be conducting an outreach in Maban in the upper Nile State (an unreached region) where they will have open-air prayer times, evangelism and discipleship training and a showing of the Jesus Film. Pray for good health and safety as the team ministers in this location for several weeks. Psalm 106: 25 - 48 (Matthew 1 - 2)

6VENEZUELA Pop. 28,400,000 Map. 214 Pray that pastors and churches in Venezuela will be motivated to participate in the Love Your Neighbour project to empower local believers in the areas of evangelism and discipleship. The goal is to receive the commitment of 250 churches to partner with Every Home for Christ throughout the country. Psalm 107: 1 -21 (Matthew 3:1 to 4:11)

7ARMENIA

Pop. 2,900,000 Map. 104 Prayers are needed for EHC’s new project to establish Christ Groups in Aratashen, in the Armavir Province of Armenia. Pray especially for group members to grow and flourish in their lives of faith and for new people to come to Christ as a result of these new home groups. Pray for God to bless their fellowship. Psalm 107: 22 - 43 (Matthew 4:12 to 7:29)

8LEBANON

Pop. 6,800,000 Map. 114

"Pray for the Muslim sheikh who reached out to us after attending our monthly workshop,” the EHC team says. “He has a lot of questions, as so many of them do. May our Lord give us wisdom in presenting the Gospel to him. Pray also for safety and protection for all who seek Him.” Pray for breakthrough. Psalm 108 (Matthew 8:1 to 11:1)

9BANGLADESH Pop. 164,700,000 Map. 132 The work in Bangladesh is not without challenges and our team asks for your prayer. Please pray for the protection of all evangelists who are trying to reach the unreached peoples on a daily basis. They often face local and social difficulties related to politics, religion, work and tribalism that could impact the work. Psalm 109 (Matthew 11:2 to 13:53)

10MOZAMBIQUE Pop. 31,300,000 Map. 8 “We are so thankful to those who have helped us reach marginalised places in Mozambique,” our team says. “We visited Maguacua in Sofala Province, a cult-like stronghold in the region. Pray as we establish a Christ Group here that it will be a hub to develop faith-filled believers and Christian leaders.” Psalm 110 (Matthew 13:54 to 16:28)

PRAY FOR ISRAEL ROMANS 11:28

11TRINIDAD

& TOBAGO Pop. 1,400,000 Map. 209 Pray for wisdom and discernment in selecting ministry directors in the new nations of Turks and Caicos and the Cayman Islands. Pray that God would help identify key leaders for these ministries who would share the heart and wisdom of Every Home for Christ and be in tune with all aspects of the great commission to work. Psalm 111 (Matthew 17:1 to 19:2)

12CZECHIA Pop. 10,700,000 Map. 82 Please pray for new plans to improve the work and increase awareness of the Czech Every Home for Christ ministry through a new ministry website currently being developed. Our prayer is that the new presentation design will be more effective and motivate more Christians to participate in evangelism.

Psalm 112 (Matthew 19:3 to 23:39)

13CREATIVE

ACCESS - NORTH

AFRICA In this nation, 98% of the population is Muslim. “Evangelism is very difficult in our country,” the team says. “Please pray for a successful evangelistic campaign in the D region, which makes up almost half of the population in our country. We trust in the Lord that this is the right time for it! Please pray.” Psalm 113 (Matthew 24:1 to 26:2)

16CROATIA Pop. 4,100,000 Map. 69 "Praise the Lord! Another island is covered with 4,105 gospel messages!” the team reports. ‘EHC’s home-to-home evangelism outreach was completed on the island of Murter in one week with 20 EHC volunteers sleeping in tents! Praise the Lord for those who responded to the Gospel.” Psalm 116 (Mark 1:1-13)

17SAINT

LUCIA Pop. 183,000 Map. 205 The new ministry director requests prayer as she begins her journey with Every Home for Christ. “Please agree with me,” she asks, “that God will equip me to accomplish the task at hand. I am also thankful to work alongside a ministry that embraces the great commission. Thanking you in advance for your prayers.” Psalm 117 (Mark 1:14 to 3:35)

18COTE

D’IVOIRE Pop. 26,400,000 Map. 41 Mantoman and her two daughters are fully committed to a Christian walk with God. A young Muslim woman, Fatou, also gave her life to the Lord. Pray against intimidation from local Muslims who wish to derail their faith. Psalm 118 (Mark 4 - 5)

19GUYANA

SOLOMON ISLANDS Pop. 690,000 Map. 152 Praise the Lord for mobilising the churches in the Solomon Islands to reach their own communities in every province! The team is thanking God for your prayers for the success of church partners in reaching out to the most remote areas. Please continue to pray for them as they disciple new believers! Psalm 114 (Matthew 26:3 to 27:66)

14

15CREATIVE

ACCESS - MIDDLE

EAST “We humbly ask for prayer that the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ would be with us and surround us by His mercy and grace to complete the mission that He gave us,” the team in this heavily restricted nation asks. ‘We pray for new doors to be opened in Jesus’ name.” Let’s join them in prayer for their nation.

Psalm 115 (Matthew 28)

Pop. 790,000 Map. 213 Pray that the mobilisation kits and new materials that arrived in Guyana would be effective for the body of Christ in Guyana. Also pray that the kingdom agenda would be promoted above any denominational influences, theological differences and church politics that might come into play in Guyana. Psalm 119:1 - 88 (Mark 6:1 to 8:26)

20SOUTH ASIA In a few months, Every Home for Christ will introduce literature in several regional languages for tribal people. Three booklets are being produced that will focus on the love of Christ for sinners. The literature will minister to people in hopeless situations. So, pray for the teams as they reach out. Psalm 119: 89 - 176 (Mark 8:27 to 10:31)

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

21CYPRUS Pop. 1,200,000 Map. 113 "Pray for Christos Ioannou,” our EHC team asks. “Christos heard the Gospel and had so many questions. He is a humble man searching for the truth and willing to learn about God’s Word. We invited him to our Bible study and gave him a booklet to read. Pray for his salvation!” Pray for the team as well. Psalm 120 (Mark 10:32 to 13:37)

22MOLDOVA Pop. 4,000,000 Map. 102 “Your prayers are needed for our next hometo-home evangelisation taking place in many villages throughout Moldova. Pray for open hearts of the people who receive the visitors and for God’s protection for those doing the outreach,” the team asks. Pray for encounters with Jesus. “Thank you and may God bless you!” Psalm 121 (Mark 14 - 16)

26CREATIVE ACCESSCENTRAL ASIA In L., our volunteers reached many local people and farmers. They went to the fields, prayed for harvests and delivered gospel messages. They also visited believers and Christ Groups in the city and surrounding villages to encourage them. Pray for those who received the Good News that God would touch their hearts. Psalm 125 (Luke 7:1 to 9:50 )

23COSTA

RICA Pop. 5,100,000 Map. 184 EHC’s mobilisation project is being developed and prayers are needed for a viable strategy for local churches and pastors to connect with the ministry vision. One of our goals is to help each partnering pastor become motivated to continue doing the great commission at the end of the project. Please Pray for wisdom! Psalm 122 (Luke 1 - 2)

24ZIMBABWE Pop. 14,900,000 Map. 9 “Pray for continued favour for the Pastoral Care and Guidance Program in the schools and that our pastors and school leaders would unite to bring the children into a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus,” the EHC team asks. Pray, too, for the ministry director as she further develops the EHC initiative. Psalm 123 (Luke 3:1 to 4:15)

27PHILIPPINES Pop. 109,600,000 Map. 169 "Please pray for God’s protection and wisdom for the EHC team as they visit several provinces this month. There will also be training for pastors which will cover the most effective ways to promote the ministry and to engage pastors in home-tohome evangelism. Psalm 126 (Luke 9:51 to12:59 )

28MALI Pop. 20,300,000 Map. 49 The team asks for prayer for security during a transition of power in Mali. Pray Jesus would guard them from traps, plots and other situations aimed at destabilising the Malian nation. May the Lord build a new nation that all Malians dream of for His glory only and of which only He will be the Master. Psalm 127 (Luke 13:1 to 18:30)

29DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Pop. 10,800,000 Map. 192 Pray for outreaches during this season, especially for those among the marginalised people and children . Pray the witness of the Gospel of Christ reaches those segments of the population that are yet unreached. Psalm 128 (Luke 18:31 to 21:38)

25GERMANY

Pop. 83,800,000 Map. 83 The EHC team says, “This month we will be focusing on going door-to-door with gospel messages and reaching the far northeast part of Germany. Please pray that we are able to reach all 120,000 inhabitants of that region without missing a single home or family! Pray for God to open hearts and doors. Psalm 124 (Luke 4:16 to 6:49)

30LESOTHO Pop. 2,100,000 Map. 2 What joy to see people appreciate the gospel tools EHC provides, such as scripture lessons and discipleship materials. Pray for the growth of new believers as they use these resources. Psalm 129 (Luke 22 - 23)

Send your prayer request to us and we will pray for you too!