Persecution of Christians in Europe
Europe is increasingly the front line in the clash of Islam and Western societal values. As Muslim populations migrate to Euopean countries, stress cracks are appearing as the secular authorities in these nations attempt to deal with irreconcilable differences.
One of the most recent examples of this stress has been the uproar arising from Switzerland's ban on minarets. The world ignores the burning of Christian churches in many Muslim countries while the Swiss restriction on mosque towers is lamented by the media as a lamentable sign of religious intolerance.
Persecution by Muslims in Europe is commonly directed toward those of their own community who hear the the Good News of Jesus Christ and want to leave the bondage of Islam. The alarming rise of Orwellian-named "honor killings" attest to the degree to which European Muslims seek to escape the darkness of Islam.
Prayers for persecuted Christians in Europe
Kids receive New Testaments
Our partners in TURKEY distributed 300 children’s New Testaments and printed and distributed 6,000 copies of their Gospel-focused children’s magazine. We know that it isn't the numbers that matter because only the Holy Spirit can change hearts set on sin to hearts set on worship. But the numbers do indicate the faithfulness of Turkish believers to preach the Word to their communities. Praise God for their diligence and pray that this seed will fall on good soil and that the Lord will draw many of Turkish kids to Himself!
EXCITING NEWS!
One of our ministry partners in Turkey sent us exciting news about several new converts! The email updates came in one by one. First we heard of an older woman who accepted Christ. Then we received news of a younger man. When the prayer guide was just about to go to print, our partner sent us the story of how a third person had come to Christ! This ministry partner has persevered through serious dangers and opposition, and God has blessed his ministry.
Three Converts to Be Baptized!
One of our ministry partners in TURKEY reports that three people have recently turned to Christ and want to be baptized!
Praise God for His salvation! “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!”
LEARN MORE: EXCITING NEWS!
God’s Provision in Turkey
One of our ministry partners in TURKEY gives thanks for God’s continued provision.
Please pray for the kids who are attending their camp this summer. Ask God to encourage the young campers and change their lives for eternity. “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.”
Verbal Abuse and Assassination Plot
UPDATE: A pastor who was attacked this spring in TURKEY says that he has suffered verbal abuse since childhood, abuse which intensified after he began sharing his faith openly as an adult. He was mentor to three martyrs whose killers have still not been convicted five years after the murder. Another pastor says that due to a plot to assassinate him, he has had to live with a personal bodyguard 24 hours a day for the past four years.
Restrictions and Attacks in Turkey
Christians in TURKEY face continued difficulties. Missionaries have been expelled or denied re-entry under tightened visa regulations. A pastor was attacked on Easter weekend. Recently a church building was vandalized.
Ask God to encourage Christian workers. “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”
Believers Attacked, Threatened
A report released earlier this year documented attacks on Christians in TURKEY and said that some church leaders must live under police protection and some even need bodyguards. Believers have been beaten for sharing their faith, church members have been threatened, and church buildings attacked.
Pray that Christians in Turkey will persevere. “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”
Struggle of Turkish Christians
A recent report on persecution in Turkey describes a “root of intolerance” toward non-Islamic faiths. In some areas Turkish church leaders must “live under some sort of police protection.” The report adds, “There are at least five church leaders who have bodyguards, and at least two have a direct phone line to a police protection unit. Several churches have police protection during worship services.”
Children Face Harassment
Christian children in TURKEY often face harassment and vilification. One 8th-grade civics book characterizes “missionary activities” as a national threat. The Ministry of Education ignores requests to change this language.
Pray that young believers will stand firm in their faith. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.”
Learn More: Education in Turkey
Outreach to Kids in Turkey
One of our ministry partners in TURKEY reports that a recent program for kids went well. One of the kids asked, “Could you come and do an activity every week?” The Christian population of Turkey is less than 1% of the nation’s total population. Christian children in Turkey often feel isolated.
Ask God to help these kids to follow after Him. “Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”
