Brazil: starting a church in prison

Mission partners Andy and Kati Walsh work with local church partners in Florianópolis, sharing the hope of Jesus in challenging contexts. Andy and others have been working together to launch churches in local men’s prisons. In one prison, 20–25 believers already meet regularly, currently without any involvement from an ordained minister. Please pray for obstacles to be removed and for favour so that Andy and his team can provide further support and help more prisoners find freedom in Jesus.

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Lebanon: a country and a region in crisis

Lebanon is suffering a “humanitarian catastrophe in every sense of the word”, according to Barham Salih, the United Nations high commissioner for refugees. Over one million people – a fifth of the country’s population – has been displaced as a result of the war over the past few weeks. Pray for provision of shelter, food, drinking water, medication, mattresses and blankets. Pray for people to turn to Jesus across the Middle East and find hope in him. Ask God to turn people’s hearts to peace and for leaders to work together for resolution.

See prayer points from CMS’s partnership officer in Beirut.

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South Asia: theological students

“Praise God for the 90 theological students from all around the country who attended the Equipping Emerging Leaders as Agents of Transformation (EELAT) Conference this week,” writes F, who supports theological education in South Asia. Please pray for the theological students as they return to their regular studies, that they may be inspired and equipped to make a difference to their churches and communities as they prepare to begin pastoral and other ministries. 

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Sri Lanka: Diocese of Kurunegala

Asia-CMS invites prayer for the Diocese of Kurunegala, where the Christian population is declining. Pray for encouragement over their 15 house churches, asking that they might grow in number and depth of faith. Pray for a men’s ministry to be established and for more people within the community to be able to access theological education.

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Tanzania: new mission partners

New mission partners Dave and Tricia Rollett are preparing to move their family to Zanzibar, where they will support Christians in a minority context to grow in their faith and be a loving witness to their neighbours of other faiths.

Please pray for Dave and Tricia as they enter a season of training, preparation and transition. Pray for them to finish well as they wind up their current roles in England, and for peace as they prepare for the big move and everything this will entail.

Pray too for the funding needed to support them, especially for the success of the Tea for Tanzania event in Leicester on 16 May, that many will come and be enthused by the vision that the Rollett family share with our partners in Zanzibar.

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Uganda: Cawdells finishing service

After three years serving at Archbishop Janani Luwum Theological College in Gulu, Sarah and Simon Cawdell left Uganda this week and are preparing to finish service as mission partners. Pray for them as they settle back into life in the UK, and for the new principal of the college, Dr Denis Ruhama, as he and his family get established in Gulu.

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UK: Pioneer Mission Training programme

CMS is hosting two open days next week: on-site in Oxford on Tuesday 21 April and online on Wednesday 22 April. These events are designed to help prospective students explore CMS Pioneer Mission Training options, including streams focused on African Christianity, Asian Christianity, children’s, family and youth work. Pray for people to attend these open days and see how the training could make a difference to their ministry. Find out more and book your place at https://churchmissionsociety.org/open

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Ukraine: for lasting peace, and true hope in the meantime

Mission partner Alison Giblett, who provides spiritual and material care to those in need through her church in Kyiv, asks for prayer for all those caught up in the war to seek God for their strength and peace, and ultimately for an end to the war, and lasting peace. Give thanks for army chaplains from Alison’s church ministering to and sharing hope with hundreds of soldiers, many of whom feel completely hopeless. Pray for renewed hope for all the people of Ukraine.

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Peru: upcoming presidential elections

Mission partner Anna Sims asks for prayer for the people of Peru. Having had three different presidents in the past few months, the nation is now preparing for a presidential election on 12 April, which will likely go to a second round in June, before the inauguration in July. The high rates of corruption and extortion leading to killings continue and with over 30 presidential candidates to choose from, there is a sense of despair and discontent at the lack of a viable option. Voting is compulsory in Peru and many people are talking about spoiling their votes. Pray for God to bring the right person to power, who will lead the country with integrity.

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Nepal: new government and upcoming travel

Please pray for Nepal’s new government to lead with integrity, meet the needs of its citizens, foster economic growth and strengthen the nation with stability and good governance. Please also pray for favour for Christian organisations serving in Nepal – for the government to view their work positively and encourage it. Pray for mission associate N, who has had to postpone a trip to Nepal to be able to travel in three weeks’ time instead.

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Middle East: safety and opportunities

H, a partner in the Middle East, asks for prayer for God’s glory to be revealed through the war and for his full purposes to be accomplished. Pray for safety for H, her team and her church, and for the current situation to open up opportunities for Jesus-followers to share their faith with others.

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Ethiopia: refugees leading churches

Chris and Suzy Wilson work to equip churches to actively pursue peace across ethnic divides. Chris also trains church leaders in refugee camps. They write, “Please join us in praying for our brothers and sisters who are displaced, for refugees leading church communities in extremely challenging situations and for wisdom for our team as we partner with them.”

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