• Directories
    • Business Directory
    • Church Directory
    • Organization Directory
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Help
  • Log In

MENUMENU
  • Learning
        • Leader’s Edge
          • Author Interviews
          • Book Summaries
        • Book Reviews
          • Book Look
          • EMQ Book Reviews
        • Publications
          • Anthology
          • Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ)
          • Missiographics
        • Podcasts
          • The Mission Matters
          • Members Only Feed
          • Missions Podcast DirectoryNew
        • Topics
          • COVID-19 Resources
          • Diaspora Missions
          • Global Issues Updates
          • Member Highlights
          • Mobilization
          • Muslim Missions
          • Support Raising
          • UkraineNew
        • Media Library
          • Conferences
          • Global Issue Updates
          • On Mission
          • Thought Leader Briefings
          • Webinars
          • Workshop
          • View All
  • Programs
    • Accreditation
    • Bible Certificate
    • Church Missions Coaching
    • Cohorts
    • Cybersecurity
    • ImproveNew
    • Mission Jobs
    • Missions DataNew
    • Publish
    • RightNow Media
    • The Mission App
    • Women’s Development
  • Events
          • Calendar
          • In-Person Events
          • Virtual Events
          • Event Recordings
          • Awards
        • Premier Events
          • Mission Leaders Conference
          • On Mission
        • Upcoming Events

          • Webinar: An Introduction to the Theology and Practice of Cross-Cultural Risk
            Thu May 26 2022, 12:00pm EDT
          • Pocket Guide to Being a Missions Pastor: 5 Things Every Missions Pastor Needs to Know
            Wed Jun 1 2022, 01:00pm EDT
          • From Harlem to the World - the Local Church Mobilized for Global Missions
            Wed Aug 3 2022, 01:00pm EDT
        • View All Events
  • Research
          • Missions DataNew
          • Missiographics
          • Research Reports
        • Popular Research
          • Compensation Reports
          • COVID-19 Resources
          • Field Attrition Report
          • View All Reports
        • Contribute
          • Current Research Projects
          • Volunteer
  • About Us
        • Who We Are
          • Our Contribution
          • Meet the Team
          • Board Members
          • History (1917–present)
        • Our Beliefs
          • Statement of Faith
          • Community Standards
        • Awards
        • Partner with Us
          • Advertise
          • Donate
          • Sponsorships
          • Volunteer
        • Help
          • Contact Us
          • Advertising Specs
          • Branding Guidelines
  • Join
        • Learn
        • Learn what you cannot learn anywhere else.

        • Meet
        • Meet people you otherwise won’t meet.

        • Engage
        • Engage in a community like none other.

          • Benefits
          • Benefits for Churches
          • Pricing

Sponsored Content

Upcoming Events

  • Webinar: An Introduction to the Theology and Practice of Cross-Cultural Risk
    Thu May 26 2022, 12:00pm EDT
  • Pocket Guide to Being a Missions Pastor: 5 Things Every Missions Pastor Needs to Know
    Wed Jun 1 2022, 01:00pm EDT
  • From Harlem to the World - the Local Church Mobilized for Global Missions
    Wed Aug 3 2022, 01:00pm EDT
  • Innovation Leaders Discussion
    Mon Aug 8 2022, 01:00pm EDT
  • Peer 2 Peer for Communications and Marketing Staff: Communications and the Mission of God: Aligning organizational communications with God's purposes
    Thu Aug 18 2022, 01:00pm EDT

View all events »

Topics

author interview CEO Church Church Missions Church Mission Team Church Planting COVID-19 Cross Cultural Skills Diaspora Disciple Making Discipleship Focus Future Innovation Islam Justin Long Leadership Management Member Care Missiology Missionaries Mission Finance and Administration MLC2019 MLC2020 MLC2021 Mobilization muslim Muslim Diaspora Networks Partnership Podcast Presenter Pursuing Partnerships Series Research Risk Short-Term Missions Spirituality support raising Training Trends Unengaged Unreached Weekly Roundup Women Women in Leadership

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Why Should the Free Care?

Posted on June 27, 2017 by Kurtis AmundsonJune 30, 2017
Did you realize that over 75% of the world’s population is living with high restrictions on their practice of religion? Persecution is not a fringe issue and it is not relegated to those suffering for Christ in a prison far away. Persecution is a daily reality for billions and it is a defining feature of our Christian faith. Explore four lenses on persecution that will open your eyes.
Download as PDF
Download as Image
Related ContentShare / Embed
Devotional: Valuing the Least
Translations: English | French | Greek | Portuguese | Spanish
To embed on your site copy and paste the code in the box below.

<p><img src="https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/missio-graphics/Volume+4/missiographic_WhyShouldFreeCare.jpg" alt="" width="800" /></p>
<p><a href="https://missionexus.org/why-should-the-free-care/"><strong>Why Should the Free Care?</strong></a><br />Did you realize that over 75% of the world’s population is living with high restrictions on their practice of religion? Persecution is not a fringe issue and it is not relegated to those suffering for Christ in a prison far away. Persecution is a daily reality for billions and it is a defining feature of our Christian faith. Explore four lenses on persecution that will open your eyes.</p>

Engage Through Prayer
Dear God, you call on us to remember those suffering from persecution with deep empathy. Help us to see beyond our own situation to the suffering and pain of others. We ask that you would rescue those we know who are being persecuted and be with those we do not know as they face danger and oppression. Help us to seek you even when we are being personally oppressed and give us the faith to trust you completely no matter what we are called to endure. Amen

Personal Reflection
Have you ever asked yourself the question, “Why should the free care?” Maybe you asked that as a person who lives with significant freedom. Or you might have asked that question as someone facing oppression and wondering if anyone cares. We know that persecution will be a reality until Jesus returns, but our hearts ache as we suffer or as others around the world struggle against evil forces. Use this Missiographic to understand persecution, and then ask God what He would have you do based on where you sit today. How can you pray more intelligently? What cause could you get involved in to advocate for those who are suffering? What is God teaching you through your own experience with persecution?

Engaging the Church
Most of us attend a church that has focused on the persecuted Church for a Sunday morning or at a prayer meeting. Whether our church is in a country that experiences persecution or whether it is seen as a problem for those only far away, it is a common theme in our churches. But how are we engaging with persecution in its various forms. What is your church doing to speak about the social hostility that so many people face as they strive to practice their faith? Does your church remember persecution of the past? Are you sharing a message of hope that places of persecution can become places of vibrant church growth? The bleak picture is compelling and draws attention, but are you recognizing the bigger picture of how God can use persecution to accomplish His overall plan? Consider how your church engages on this issue and use this Missiographic to be a broader discussion within your community of faith.

Organizational Application
With over 75% of of the world experiencing high levels of restriction on religion, it is likely that your organization serves people dealing with religious persecution. How are your programs taking this reality into account? Whether it is legal or social persecution, are you equipping the Body of Christ to respond to persecution in a God-honoring way? As you travel globally, how are you helping your staff and partners process persecution and respond appropriately? Use this Missiographic as a discussion piece to look more broadly at the topic of persecution past and present and develop a Christ-centered response.

Good information is key for any individual or ministry. For more insights look at missiographics.com.

Sources
1

Restrictions and Hostilities in the Most Populous Countries


2
https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/wwl-downloads/
3
Corruption Perceptions Index, http://www.transparency.org/cpi2015
4
Global Peace Index (bottom 10 not ñtop tenî),

Homepage


5
From The Future of the Global Church Digital Collection, www.TheFutureOfTheGlobalChurch.org”.
In FGC, these are listed as ñmartyrsî in the sense that a government policy or conflict eliminated their freedom and brought death, often to a whole community. Most were members of ancient Christian churches„Catholic or Orthodox.
6 Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) is the most widely trusted data source on Syrian casualties. www.syriahr.com/en

Permissions
The representation of this data is copyrighted by GMI and the information within is used by permission. GMI grants users the right to reproduce this image digitally and in print for the purpose of educating and engaging audiences with the content. All use must retain the GMI branding and sponsorship bar located at the bottom of the infographic. Any use of this image in a paid product or service requires permission from GMI. If you are interested in licensing this image for use in your product or service, please email info@missiographics.com.

GoToOlder PostNewer PostAll PostsMissiographicsVolume 4

Write a Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Subscribe to Our Mailing List

Keep up to date with our community.

Menu

  • Home
  • Directories
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Contact Us

Join

  • Join
  • Benefits
  • Learn
  • Meet
  • Engage

Help

  • Contact Us
  • Terms
  • Cookies Policy

About Us

  • Who We Are
  • Statement of Faith
  • Awards
  • Resources
Missio Nexus Logo

© Missio Nexus. All rights reserved.
As an Amazon Associate Missio Nexus earns from qualifying purchases.


PO Box 398
Wheaton, IL 60187-0398

Phone: 770.457.6677
678.392.4577

Annual Sponsors

ECFA Logo Brotherhood Mutual Logo

Subscribe to our Mailing List

Membership website powered by MembershipWorks