Gospel for Asia

We all want to know we are supporting a missionary charity that keeps its mission central and delivers on its message, especially when it comes to addressing poverty in Jesus’ name. Around the world, people living in extreme poverty often face hunger, unsafe housing and limited opportunity. International reports estimate that roughly one in ten people still live in these conditions. When you give through a missionary charity that is serving the poor, you help local workers come alongside families living in poverty—including those who have been affected by floods, storms and other natural disasters—with care that honors their dignity and points them toward lasting hope. [2] Charity Navigator, one of the largest nonprofit tracking websites, offers these tips: [1] If you can’t find their Employer Identification Number (EIN) as a 501(c)(3) organization, do not donate. You can search for an EIN at IRS.gov through its Tax Exempt Organization Search (TEOS) tool. Look for evidence on the organ...

Over time, the definition and strategies for Christian missionary work have been changing. Where once a person or couple would dedicate a lifetime to their chosen mission field, more recent decades have seen an increase in short-term missions and church-organized mission trip opportunities for youth and adults. These trips can help people see God’s global mission more clearly. They are most effective when they come alongside long-term Christian missionary work that is reaching people, encouraging local churches and pointing hearts back to Jesus as His followers live out the Great Commission in daily life. [1] With this shift from long- to short-term missionary work, a key question remains about the effectiveness of contemporary missions. How many people still don’t have access to the Christian gospel or to believers who can walk alongside them? “Evangelized persons are those who have had an adequate opportunity to hear the Christian message and to respond to it, whether positively or ...

Jesus’ disciple Bartholomew may have been one of the first missionaries to bring the New Testament to one country in South Asia. It is said he left behind a copy of the Gospel of Matthew. He was followed, most likely, by Thomas the Apostle and Bishop David of Basra. This all took place within the first three centuries following Christ’s ascension. [1] Ancient texts tell of the rise of the church through Christian missionaries in South Asia. [2] Myth and tradition surround the early era of Christianity in South Asia. Geography and commerce also played a major role in who, when and where missionaries made an impact. The 15th and 16th centuries brought waves of Catholic missionary orders, such as the Franciscans, Jesuits, Augustinians and Dominicans, as they followed new sea routes into South Asia. Among these early visitors was Francis Xavier, a Jesuit Catholic missionary. His journeys along the coasts of early modern South Asia and nearby regions helped introduce Christian teaching and...

The United Nations lists women and girls as one of the most vulnerable people groups in the world. [1] That’s half of the planet’s population. Deep social and cultural prejudices and practices hurt this people group. This is why women missionaries are so greatly needed in the world today. “These are often among the most vulnerable members of society, and are at greater risk of economic hardship, exclusion and violence; discrimination against them is often compounded,” the UN reports. [2] Across the globe, 380 million women and girls live in extreme poverty, with an income of $1.90 per day or less. [3] In addition, one in three women in 2021 lived with moderate to severe food insecurity. [4] Of all human trafficking victims, 72 percent are women and girls. [5] These staggering and heartbreaking statistics show the hurts and fears that millions of women face every single day. Women missionaries can lovingly go into these places as friendly faces of God. They can understand the fragile...