PASTORING TODAY MARCH 2021 ISSUE

The great commission, the Magna Charta of Christianity, has been entrusted to us, His larger body of disciples. The commission or MISSION to which He sends us is very plain: “Go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”

Christ has commissioned us, (you and me), to evangelize the whole world. We are to make “disciples” or “learners” of all the nations. Evangelism is not limited to conversion only. The whole life individually and socially of the people must be changed by the power of the gospel.

We need the programs, the ministries, the activities, but keep the focus!

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BREAKING: Hundreds rescued from Boko Haram—including Chibok girl

by Lindy Lowry in Africa Our Africa partners are reporting that Nigeria’s army has reportedly rescued hundreds of people abducted by Boko Haram—including at least one of the 112 still-missing Chibok girls kidnapped April 2014 in an attack on a girls’ finishing school in the northeastern Nigerian village of Chibok.

Here’s what we know so far: A military source told Nigerian news publication The Cable that the rescue followed a series of military operations in the Sambisa Forest where hundreds of captives are being freed.

“For a month now, troops have been bombarding the Sambisa forest and Boko Haram hideouts, and many civilians are being rescued,” a military source said. “When the enemies are neutralized, those they have captured regain freedom.” Among those freed is a Chibok girl, Hauwa Halima Maigana, rescued after her captors’ hideout was cleared.

This year, Nigeria entered the top 10 of Open Doors 2021 World Watch List at No. 9. See the other 49 countries on the list.

Maigana may not be the only Chibok girl among those rescued. “There are many other girls, we are still trying to find out where they were stolen from,” the source told The Cable. Sahara Reporters echoed that report, quoting an unnamed source privy to information who said the group is not only Chibok girls: “They are made up of a variety of women abducted by Boko Haram terrorists.”

Secretary of the Chibok Parents Association, Lawal Zannah, said he also had information that some of the girls had escaped but had not yet ascertained the number. “We heard that some of our girls have escaped from the forest, but we are yet to get the details about their number,” he said.

‘Is this my daddy?’

According to CNN, Maigana called her father to say she and others had managed to flee Boko Haram militants Thursday. Her father, told CNN, “She asked me. Is this my daddy? Is this my daddy,’ and she started crying. The crying was [so] much and I couldn’t hear her very well. I was crying too. I never expected to hear from her again.”

Hauwa, apparently a Muslim, was kidnapped along with her step-sister who was rescued by troops with a baby from a Boko Haram commander in 2016.

Some 276 girls were abducted and until today at least 112 have been missing for almost seven years after Boko Haram militants stormed the school and kidnapped 276 girls—creating a firestorm that gained widespread global attention and sparked an international campaign 6 advocating for their release with the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.

BREAKING: Hundreds rescued from Boko Haram— including Chibok girl (continued…)

Dozens of girls escaped almost immediately after the mass abduction. Another girl was found in May 2016 when she wandered out of a Nigerian forest asking for help. Later in 2016 after negotiations, Boko Haram released 21 girls to the Nigerian government. Then 82 more girls were freed in a prisoner swap between the terrorist group and the government in the capital city of Abuja in 2017.

Since then, nothing had been heard of the 112 young women.

To date, the Boko Haram insurgency in northeastern Nigeria and border countries, Niger, Cameroon and Chad has claimed the lives of thousands and has led to more than 250,000 kidnappings.

This is a developing story. Open Doors field staff are working to get confirmation from sources in Chibok. We will share more information as it becomes available. photo: 21 girls released from Boko Haram captivity October 2016 two years after Boko Haram attacked Chibok Secondary school and kidnapped 276 students.

PHOTO CREDIT/GOOGLE PHOTOS

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Reaching Your Social Media Church Outreach Goals

By T.Gipson Where Are You Coming Up Short?

Time

Are you strapped for time because you’re wearing too many hats?

Results

Unsure what to do to accomplish your goals?

Quality

Is it not to the standard that you want?

Here’s What You Need To Do? • • • • •

Start with your core objectives Put your strategy to paper Create graphics for your content that include your mission and ho to connect with your ministry.

Assign someone to post to all the top social media channels and include responding to visitors who access your site.

Lastly weekly or monthly review your views and consider opportunities and outreach to grow the ministry via social media as well.

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Where Are Christians Most Persecuted Today?

By OpenDoors

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North Korea Afghanistan Somalia Libya Pakistan

6. Eritrea 7. Yemen 8. Iran 9. Nigeria 10. India

This year the top 10 worst persecutors are relatively unchanged. After North Korea is Afghanistan, followed by Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Eritrea, Yemen, Iran, Nigeria, and India.

Nigeria entered the top 10 for the first time, after maxing out Open Doors' metric for violence.

The nation, with Africa’s largest Christian population, ranks No. 9 overall but is second behind only Pakistan in terms of violence, and ranks No. 1 in the number of Christians killed for reasons related to their faith.

Sudan left the top 10 for the first time in six years, after abolishing the death penalty for apostasy and guaranteeing—on paper at least—freedom of religion in its new constitution after three decades of Islamic law. Yet it remains No. 13 on the list, as Open Doors researchers noted Christians from Muslim backgrounds still face attacks, ostracization, and discrimination from their families and communities, while Christian women face sexual violence.

(This switch among the top 10 echoes the decision of the US State Department in December to add Nigeria and remove Sudan from its Countries of Particular Concern list, which names and shames governments which have “engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”)

India remains in the top 10 for the third year in a row because it “continues to see an increase in violence against religious minorities due to government-sanctioned Hindu extremism.”

Meanwhile, China joined the top 20 for the first time in a decade, due to “ongoing and increasing surveillance and censorship of Christians and other religious minorities.”

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PHOTO CREDIT/OPEN DOORS PHOTOS

All I could see was fire – Sri Lankan Bomb Survivor’s Face Glows with the Joy of Christ

by Lindy Lowry in Asia

By the blood that Jesus shed for us, He made us priceless treasures to prepare us for things like this.”

—Sri Lankan attack survivor Rebekah On Easter Sunday, April 19,2019, Rebekah woke up, excited to go to church and sing the song she had practiced with her sister Verlini—a song, she says, that’s all about Jesus’ suffering and love for us. She was standing in the church bookstore, when the bomber detonated the bomb in his backpack in Zion Church in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, killing 30 people and injuring hundreds of others.

That day, in a coordinated operation, Islamic extremists targeted and bombed two other churches and three luxury hotels in the island nation.

Rebekah’s young nephew was killed; and her niece was blinded in the blast. Third-degree burns completely cover the left side of Rebekah’s body and parts of her right side. She spent 60 days in the hospital.

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All I could see was fire – Sri Lankan Bomb Survivor’s Face Glows with the Joy of Christ (continued…)

Rebekah shows us what resilient faith looks like. She shares what went through her mind in the chaos was “all I could see was fire … Even though my sarai had caught fire, I didn’t dwell on the fact that I was burning,” she says.

“I knew I was going to die and go to Heaven. My only aim was to meet Jesus.”

Rebekah’s story reminds us that we have so much to learn from our persecuted family.

“I didn’t take anything negatively,” she shares. “I began to think, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. So, I thought to myself, I can.”

Today, almost two years later, Rebekah continues to sing—and pursue her faith. She asks us to pray for her in that.

“I need to draw closer to Jesus,” she says, “so pray for that for me.”

PHOTO CREDIT/OPEN DOORS PHOTOS

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