Bishop Richard Anthony and his wife Philea serve a local church in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where they have found creative ways to share the love of Christ with their community. Each year, they host a Christmas celebration for children, but they soon realized that the church building itself could be a barrier for some families. Because Muslims in Malaysia are not permitted to enter churches, they began looking for ways to take the celebration beyond the church walls.
They started by renting space in a shopping mall, raising the money needed through their congregation. Richard even drove Uber to help cover the cost. Families from different faiths came, and what began as a Christmas outreach became an opportunity for the church to build relationships and become known in the community.
The following year, a larger mall invited them to host the celebration—and then surprised them by waiving the rental fee. Other businesses and individuals soon joined in as well. McDonald’s, an LED-screen company, and even a professional Muslim emcee offered their services and products at no cost after hearing about what the church was doing.
Today, the outreach is called “Joyful Bliss” and reaches more than 300 children. There are food, games, gifts, snow machines, and even Santa Claus sharing joy with children in several local languages. But for Pastor Richard and his wife, the greatest blessing is what happens beyond the event itself: relationships are being built, trust is growing, and doors are opening in places they never expected.
They have even found that people recognize and welcome them in places such as hospitals. They see each of these unexpected opportunities as God’s provision and an invitation to keep going.
Their story is a beautiful picture of what can happen when we are willing to step outside the walls of the church. In Kuala Lumpur, God is using a simple celebration of Christmas to bring people of different cultures, religions, and backgrounds together—and to create opportunities for His love to be seen.