France
God loves France! And God wants France to be saved. The challenge to be “On Mission” is to “bring the heart of God to the heart of the people” in France. The motivation for all that God does is love—self-sacrificing, agape love! This puts relationships at the heart of everything we do vertically with God and horizontally with each other. This love is fundamental to all that we do (Matthew 22:37–40):
- LOVE leads us to vibrant and intimate worship and prayer.
- LOVE causes us to win souls to Christ—the prism of sharing this relationship that we have found so that others may find him too (John 4:39–42).
- LOVE will identify us as disciples and motivate us to grow the church through converts who become disciples—followers of Christ (John 13:35)—and servant leaders of others (2 Timothy 2:2).
- Because we LOVE God, what concerns his heart will concern our hearts (his compassion; his justice), motivating us to serve others (SERVICE and SOCIAL ACTION; Luke 4:17–21). We proclaim the year of Jubilee wherever we go (Leviticus 25:47–52).
- This (all the above) means that we want to see all that we are and all that we possess yielded on the altar of God: our time, our talent, our treasure (STEWARDSHIP; Romans 12:1–3).
This is a qualitative approach to church growth, achieving the Great Commission through the Great Commandment
“On Mission” in France has been implemented with the following ongoing ministries: 24-hour prayer services, new church planting, outreach by being “Fishers of Men,” French and Spanish MDP sessions and graduations, Nehemiah-RAFFA Charity, and Aimer Plus Feedings and Shut-In Programs. Together in ministry, all churches in France are working to reconcile their nation to Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Netherlands
New Anointing Church Emmanuel in Rotterdam, Netherlands, is pastored by Carlolyn Nivillac Gijsbertha. This local church is serving their community with a food and clothing bank. Contributions and second-hand clothing are contributed by the church members, but they also work closely alongside the Red Cross and other well-known organizations. Here is a report from the local pastor on how the church serves the community:
Each year around Christmas or New Years Eve, we try to give the clients of our food bank something extra for the holiday season. One year, each food bank client received a mini cake (for 6 people) that a member of the church baked. We also help with filling out of government forms or translation of letters to and from Dutch into other languages such as Spanish, English, and Papiamentu. On Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., people from the neighborhood can come in for help with their financial questions, letters from the government, or just for a chat. We also organize special workshops for the elderly and for the family on healthy food choices.
Russia
For many nations, 2024 was not an easy year, including for our churches and pastors in Russia. The impact of the current war and persecution has affected our ministries and churches. Yet we are grateful for the expansion of God’s kingdom and for spiritual growth within our churches. All new believers are truly answers to our many prayers.
The construction of our church building, House of Prayer, in Moscow has started, and we give God all praise and honor for these first steps. Thank you to all who have supported and continue to pray for this project, as it remains an ongoing process.
We expect great things in 2025, and we look at the new year with anticipation of God’s faithful guidance. Please continue to pray for our nations and churches in this very challenging season. As one global family, we lift every one of you up in prayer as well. What an honor to be a part of this great church family.
Spain, Portugal, and Italy
We give all the glory to God for what he is doing in Spain, Portugal, and Italy! His kingdom continues to spread, and we are witnesses to his faithfulness. This year in Spain, we expect the planting of four new churches and the legalization of places of worship in Baza, Figueres, Girona, and Huesca. We celebrated the first graduating class of the Foundations course with 50 graduates who are now equipped to serve, and we give thanks for the 60 active students at IBIDPE, an institute that continues to form committed leaders. In addition, we are taking steps of faith with the purchase of our national property and the ordination of 10 new licensed ministers.
In Portugal, God’s work is advancing with the planting of a new church; and in Italy, multicultural services in Spanish and Italian are touching hearts. We now have 440 members in Spain, 22 in Portugal, and 60 in Italy, and every day more lives are being transformed by the gospel message. The church continues to grow with a multicultural ministry that reflects the love of Jesus to all nations.
In addition, God has allowed us to extend our help to France and Belgium, taking the Foundations course and strengthening his church in these nations.
Today, we have seven organized churches, six missions, and five mission fields in Spain; one organized church in Portugal, and one in Italy. His light continues to shine! We invite you to be part of this work. Your generosity is key for God’s glory to reach all of Europe. Together let us proclaim his name to the ends of the earth.
Israel
Brother Jules Endrawes shared the following: Greetings to everyone, and hello from the Holy Land.
This last year was very tough on us because of the war and its results. Life has not been the same. Our region is still empty of citizens at the moment, and because of that, it is hard to find work. Nevertheless, God has provided for us and kept us safe. We pray that peace comes on these troubled lands.
We continued to meet for meetings and prayer throughout the war and will continue to do so, in Jesus’s name.
We would like to thank everyone who has supported, helped, and prayed for us. If it were not for your prayers, we would have been going through even more trouble.
We love you, and we bless you in Jesus’s name! We wish you a belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Belarus and Ukraine
Greetings to you from Belarus.
This past December in Berezino, our children’s ministry participated in a bake-off fundraising event for the local elderly people’s home. It has been a blessing to see the generosity of our church members. Some of them are elderly as well. Some baked. Some knitted warm socks. Others generously gave.
They also spent Christmas Eve at church. A few new people attended. Youth from the youth ministry participated in a skit. It was so good to see new teenagers sharing the gospel in a skit they had prepared.
The church in Minsk celebrated Christmas and served people with disabilities in our community along with the children. People were invited to church and were told about the true meaning of Christmas, prayed for, and received gifts of groceries.
Right before New Years, our church in Minsk hosted a youth event, “Night in the Church,” where our young people from Minsk and Berezino spent 24 hours at church. It was a wonderful time of fellowship, games, good food, teaching, and prayer. Our young people enjoyed spending the night at church, getting to know each other better, and growing closer to God.
Thank you for your prayers and your support of our ministry!
