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| KOSA Photo |
By Kate Porter, Reporter
• KOSA-TV
MIDLAND, TEXAS - Thriving United and Transform Church in Midland have big plans for Easter Sunday, they want to feed the entire city of Midland ...
• Read/watch the rest of this KOSA report ...
Thursday, March 31, 2022
In the News ... "Midland church planning to feed the city with free Easter brunch"
By Kate Porter, Reporter
• KOSA-TV
MIDLAND, TEXAS - Thriving United and Transform Church in Midland have big plans for Easter Sunday, they want to feed the entire city of Midland ...
• Read/watch the rest of this KOSA report ...
In the News ... "Rev. Gore gives insights into Ukraine"
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| OA Photo by Jacob Ford |
By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American
ODESSA, TEXAS - The Rev. Jesse Gore went on his first mission trip to Ukraine 18 years ago and began forming a devotion to its people that has taken on a very disturbing tenor since the country was invaded by Russia Feb. 24.
Having served as the First Baptist Church’s pastor of missions from 2009-16, the Rev. Gore is getting hundreds of messages each week from Ukrainians he has befriended during over 30 trips there, the most recent one in 2019.
Still pursuing his Join Jesse in MISSION POSSIBLE ministry since opening Gore Insurance Agency with his wife Penny, Gore said, “I’ve been blessed to share Jesus on five continents, but it is the people of Ukraine who continue to bring me back.
“They are a special people when you look at their hospitality and especially the way they’ve been abused, starved and slaughtered through history. Stalin starved millions and the Nazis did a job on them, too. There was a huge amount of Jewish people in the country prior to World War II.
“They are extremely intelligent, musically gifted and very well educated. Many speak four or five languages. I’ve had several Ph.D.’s and a couple of physicists in my conversational English classes there.”
Along with spending a lot of time in the capital city of Kyiv, Gore has also preached and taught in Poltava, Kharkiv, Kherson and Odesa, which is the Ukrainian spelling for the southern seaport. Local attorney Spencer Dobbs paid for his first trip.
“The tons of messages I’m getting about the war keep me praying because I know what a gracious people they are,” he said.
Referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Gore said, “Seeing them molested by a Russian-speaking Hitler causes a mixture of anger, sadness and sympathy that is overwhelming.
“When I see all this happening, I believe it’s going to usher in the second coming of Jesus. Russia is the Gog and Magog that we see in Revelation 20:7-9.”
Asked if the Ukrainians he knows thought the invasion would happen, he said, “I think some of the older ones expected it, but the younger ones have been overtaken with disbelief.
“We did our best to turn our backs when Russia invaded Crimea and took it over in 2014. They didn’t annex it. They took it over by force.” ...
• Read the rest of this OA report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
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| Dr. Katharine Hayhoe |
CLIMATE CHANGE - Climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe says the most important thing we can do to fight climate change is to talk about it. That’s precisely what she did during a McClendon Scholar Program offered by New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. Nearly 400 people listened in ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Equal Exchange Blog ... "A Farmer-Led Future for Tea"
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| Equal Exchange Photo |
A Farmer-Led Future for Tea
Did you know that tea is the second most popular drink in the world—second only to water?
Here’s another question: do you know that, even today, it is likely that the tea products lining your grocery store’s shelves—even those sold as Fair Trade—were sourced from plantations established under colonialism? ....
• Read the rest of this post ...
Join Us!
We invite you to join our growing community of citizen-consumers who are getting even more deeply involved in Equal Exchange.
We need consumer participation in our organization to build a deeply democratic trade system made up of farmers and their democratic organizations, workers and their democratic organization, and citizen-consumers who now have a democratic space in Equal Exchange as well as their own network. Join us in changing trade, together!
In the News ... "Lubbock's Tom McGovern remembered for inspiring through faith, education"
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| TTUHSC Photo |
By Alex Driggars, Reporter
• Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - Tom McGovern is being remembered for inspiring many in the Lubbock community and beyond through faith, education and compassion after he died Monday following a brief illness, according to family and friends. He was 86 ...
• Read the rest of this LAJ report ..
• Read Thomas McGovern's obituary ..
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
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| Missy Buchanan |
PRESBYTERIAN OLDER ADULT MINISTRIES NETWORK'S CONFERENCE - ATo illustrate how older adults can build bridges to young people through intergenerational ministry, author and speaker Missy Buchanan selected an illustration that was brand new when many of her listeners were youngsters — the Golden Gate Bridge ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
From ServLife International ... "Get to know Steve"
ServLife International is a movement defined by values of God’s kingdom, not programs built around human efforts and activities. The reign and rule of God should be made apparent to every person on the planet, despite their religion, race or socioeconomic status. We believe that issues of justice are inseparable from the good news that Jesus Christ came to proclaim. ServLife exists to take the gospel of Christ and the hope of a better, more just, world to the lives of people we touch. This happens through individual contributions of time, creativity, resources and dreams. |
| ServLife Photo |
We are honored and excited to announce Steve Hurry as the new Operations Director at ServLife International.
When we set out to hire an Operations Director, Steve was at the top of our list. Having already worked for ServLife International over a decade ago, and having run a ministry overseas recently, Steve was an obvious choice. His experience with international leadership, overseeing staff, creating systems and processes, combined with his passion to "equip God's people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ" on a global scale make him an ideal candidate.
“I'm excited to be working back at ServLife, and it's full circle. Getting to come back here where my ministry career began. I feel like working overseas, I have a lot of wisdom and experiences that I gleaned from that I'll be able to bring back here and be even more effective and impactful as I combine my passion with the mission of ServLife.”
Check out our Q&A with Steve and the video interview here ...
Thank you,
From Adam Nevins
Executive Director
ServLife International Inc.
Click here to give a gift to help families and our partners in India and Nepal.
Join Our Mission
ServLife International propels reconciliation and justice by building global community to plant churches, care for children and fight poverty. Compelled by the message, life and love of Jesus Christ, we seek to care for the spiritual, physical, social, and economic areas of life in northern India and Nepal. Learn more about our latest news, featured stories, and how to get involved at servlife.org
 |
 |
 |
Support a Pastor
Our church planters spread the love of Christ in some of the most difficult environments in the world. • Support Them ... |
Sponsor a Child
For only $30 per month you can help give a child food, education, care and, most importantly, hope. • Sponsor Now ... |
Fight Poverty
The HOPE Fund, our micro-finance program, provides start-up funds for a small business, paving a way out of poverty for families in need. • Learn More ... |
In the News ... "Connection Center welcomes three-year anniversary"
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| OA Photo by Eli Hartman |
By Royal McGregor, Reporter
• Odessa American
ODESSA, TEXAS - About three years ago, Connection Christian Church of Odessa and four non-profit agencies made their new home on Tanglewood Lane.
Connection Christian Church Co-lead Pastor Dawn Weaks said it has been a win-win situation for the church and non-profit organizations in the area.
The office space for the six non-profit organizations is known as The Connection Center as it spans more than 10,000 square feet. It also includes communal bathrooms, a kitchen and a large meeting room called Fellowship Hall.
“We knew there was always a need for better cost-to-rent spaces for nonprofits,” Weaks said. “It’s a lower cost rent to all nonprofits serving our community. It’s all inclusive. We provide Wi-Fi and things that provide structure under the important work that they are doing.”
Weaks also about 150 people can fit inside the meeting room.
Fellowship Hall doesn’t cost the nonprofits additional funds to use the space. Weaks said all nonprofits have to do is put the event on the schedule.
“A lot of our nonprofits where every time they had to have a bigger meeting (they) had to scramble and figure out where they were going to meet,” Weaks said. “That takes energy. That takes planning time. We took that off the table because they have a place to meet. All they have to do is get it on our calendar of events. We are just helping them use their energy, time and money better.”
The six nonprofits in The Connection Center are Centers for Children and Families, Big Brothers Big Sister of Odessa, Basin Theatre Works, YOLO Program (Youth Opportunities to Learn and Observe), Pink the Basin and Junior League of Odessa.
Three of the four non-profit agencies that originally entered the address at 4241 Tanglewood Lane still reside there — Centers for Children and Families, Big Brothers Big Sister of Odessa and the Basin Theatre Works.
Weaks explained there’s one office space left for a non-profit organization. Centers for Children and Families have the largest space that includes six counseling offices and four play therapy rooms.
“Centers is such a valued partner in our community,” Weaks said, “Forty-plus years of being the counseling center here and in Midland. We are really honored to partner with them.”
Prior to moving into its new space on Tanglewood Lane, Connection Christian Church of Odessa polled non-profits organizations in the area about the need for affordable commercial space.
Weaks said she calls the crossover between the church and nonprofit organizations “holy synthesis” and she believes it’s a continual need for the community ...
• Read the rest of this OA report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
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| Photo Courtesy of Korean Maryland Presbyterian Church |
MATTHEW 25 CONGREGATION - In Deuteronomy, the people are urged never to forget God’s laws. Remember them. Teach them to future generations. “Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:8–9).
While an ancient edict, there are still Jewish households today that seek to remember by mounting what is called a mezuzah onto their doorpost. Inside the mezuzah, which is a small container, is a piece of parchment with the words from Deuteronomy. As members of the household go about their daily tasks, they pass the mezuzah coming and going, and they remember.
While the congregation of Korean Maryland Presbyterian Church doesn’t have mezuzahs in their homes, they do have something for their walls ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Monday, March 28, 2022
From @chinaaid : "House church pastor sentenced to eight years'"
The ChinaAid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China. |
| ChinaAid Photo |
Distributed by ChinaAid, February 2022 ...
EZHOU, HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA – Ezhou, Hubei Province—February 15, 2022) Authorities arrested Mrs. Hao Zhiwei, the pastor of a house church in Ezhou because she refused to join the government-sanctioned Three-Self Church. On February 11, after more than two and half years’ imprisonment, Echeng District Court sentenced her to 8 years under the charge of "fraud." Her lawyer Mr. Si Weijiang visited her in the prison, and she decided to appeal ...
• More on this story from ChinaAid ...
In the News ... "Lubbock’s Christ the King Schools become diocesan Catholic school"
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| CTKCS Photo |
• Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - Most Rev. Robert M. Coerver, Bishop of Lubbock, announced Catholic High School at Christ the King – from pre-kindergarten through eighth grades – will join Christ the King High School as part of a diocesan Catholic school ...
• Read the rest of this LAJ report ..
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
 |
| Photo by Chris Montgomery/Unsplash |
CREATIVE WAYS TO ENGAGE REMOTE CHURCHGOERS - Since the advent of virtual worship, the question on the minds of session members across the country is how to welcome online viewers as full-fledged members. For the Rev. Monica Thompson Smith, stated supply pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Luling, Texas, a small church whose dwindling numbers have slowly been reversing thanks to Zoom worship, the answer is easy: Welcome virtual members the same as you would any other member ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Sunday, March 27, 2022
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
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| Vital Congregations Flower (provided) |
MATTHEW 25: BUILDING VITAL CONGREGATIONS SUNDAY - John 20 gives us one of those timeless settings. The disciples had gathered in a house. Doors were locked. Questions were spiraling. The fear was palpable. Jesus had been crucified just a few days prior and the disciples still hadn’t really figured out what their next move should be. So, they sat. Confused. Doing nothing except worry about how the entire world had changed.
But then, all the sudden, Jesus shows up ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Saturday, March 26, 2022
In the News ... "Lubbock Area Faith Calendar"
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| Courtesy Photo |
• Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - From the Avalanche-Journal, news of regular services, and special events and programs at houses of faith in Lubbock and across the South Plains ...
• Read the rest of this LAJ report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
 |
| The Rev. Dr. Anna Case-Winters |
WORLD COMMUNION OF REFORMED CHURCHES - The Rev. Dr. Anna Case-Winters, who has taught theology at McCormick Theological Seminary for 35 years, wasn’t all gloom and doom during a recent episode of the “Leading Theologically” podcast hosted twice each month by the Rev. Dr. Lee Hinson-Hasty of the Presbyterian Foundation ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Friday, March 25, 2022
In the News ... "Miss Cayce’s donates to non-profit helping make prom dreams come true"
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| KMID/KPEJ Photo |
By Erica Miller, Reporter
• KMID-TV/KPEJ-TV
MIDLAND, TEXAS - Miss Cayce’s Wonderland and their customers donated more than $500, along with several prom dresses and bags of makeup to 3:11 Ministries' Perfect PROMise. The money will be used to purchase makeup and accessories to help girls heading to prom ...
• Read the rest of this KMID/KPEJ report ...
From @FWMission ... Friday Story: “You Helped Make This Happen in February”
Wheelchair Arrivals; Television Interview; Students Lifting Lives; Wheelchair Distributions in Iraq; Coaching in the Dominican Republic; Pray for Ukraine; Welcome to the Board; New Partner Training, and more ...
• Read the rest of this story ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
 |
| Photo by Gregg Brekke |
THE BIBLE IS FOR LIVING - What do a cookbook, a blueprint, a trail map and the Bible have in common?
According to the Rev. Dr. Tod Bolsinger, associate professor of a leadership formation at Fuller Theological Seminary, they are all performative documents ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Thursday, March 24, 2022
In the News ... "Braswell works to surmount pandemic"
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| OA Photo by Jacob Ford |
By Bob Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American
ODESSA, TEXAS - The pandemic hit churches hard, diminishing their numbers and discouraging many members from returning when it finally subsided, as the Rev. Jimmy Braswell attests.
“A lot of churches have closed down and some have combined,” said the Rev. Braswell, interim pastor of Bethany Christian Church at 4522 N. Everglade Ave. and a Home Hospice chaplain. “Our church hasn’t recovered well enough to have a full-time pastor because a lot of people are no longer attending and some moved away. It has been a difficult recovery.
“The country churches have limited resources, but they have done better and been healthier than the ones in town.”
Braswell reported on Feb. 16 that Bethany had had an encouraging 30 attend its previous 10:45 a.m. Sunday service. “We’re taking it step by step to see how God leads us to reach out,” he said.
Braswell had been preaching a “History’s Mystery” series about God’s leadership and was preparing to start on the Book of Revelation. “I used a train as an illustration,” he said.
“God is the engine, the initiator, and we are the coal car in our acceptance of the message and our fellowship as people-movers. The caboose will be the end of time with the coming of Christ.”
The 67-year-old pastor said his reflections on Revelation had been supplemented by his study of the writings of Toronto clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson, whose 2016 book, “12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos,” was a bestseller.
Braswell is a native of Hobbs, N.M., who grew up in Odessa and graduated from Permian High School in 1973. He earned a bachelor’s degree in religion at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene and two master’s degrees and a doctorate at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. He was pastor of St. Andrew Cumberland Presbyterian Church from 2004-19. He and his wife Jody have two children.
The Rev. Larry Hood, who has followed him at St. Andrew Cumberland, first met Braswell when he was a college student visiting his mother at Medical Center Hospital after her heart attack. “Jimmy sat with us all day long ...
• Read the rest of this OA report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
 |
| The Rev. Dr. Brian McLaren |
1001 NEW WORSHIPING COMMUNITIES SEMINAR - For church and worshiping community leaders, the Way of Spiritual Fortitude is apparently paved with good intentions, including intending to regularly practice self-care in the midst of long hours doing ministry that can be as demanding as it is draining.
Cue the Rev. Dr. Brian McLaren, an author, speaker, activist and public theologian who spent 24 years as a church planter and taught college English before that ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Equal Exchange Blog ... "Relationships in the Time of COVID"
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| Equal Exchange Photos |
Relationships in the Time of COVID
Despite the extra layer of stresses and worries the pandemic is causing, we at Equal Exchange are also feeling a depth of gratitude and affection for the myriad relationships that we have cultivated over these past four decades. We simply can’t say it enough: creating, maintaining, and deepening relationships are the pillars that our organization and our business model are built upon. Cultivating these strong relationships with – and between – small farmer cooperatives, trading partners, like-minded businesses, non-profits, religious organizations, and citizen-consumers: weaving these disparate strands together into something beautiful and transformative is both the means and the ends of why we exist ....
• Read the rest of this post ...
Join Us!
We invite you to join our growing community of citizen-consumers who are getting even more deeply involved in Equal Exchange.
We need consumer participation in our organization to build a deeply democratic trade system made up of farmers and their democratic organizations, workers and their democratic organization, and citizen-consumers who now have a democratic space in Equal Exchange as well as their own network. Join us in changing trade, together!
In the News ... "Midland woman proves there’s no age limit on giving back"
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| KOSA Photo |
By Kate Porter, Reporter
• KOSA-TV
MIDLAND, TEXAS - You’re never too old to volunteer.
One Midland woman is proving that to be true as she donates her time to Meals on Wheels.
Sue Solari might be 88 years old, but she shows no signs of slowing down ...
• Read/watch the rest of this KOSA report ...
Today in the PC-USA Mission Yearbook
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer.
 |
| The Rev. Dr. Rebecca Davis |
MATTHEW 25 ONLINE GATHERING - These days she’s the Rev. Dr. Rebecca L. Davis, who teaches seminarians about education at Union Presbyterian Seminary’s Charlotte, North Carolina, campus. When she was 9 and growing up in West Virginia, that role would have been difficult to fathom.
As Davis told the story to a national Matthew 25 gathering on education recently, all her life her father had told her that for girls, college is a waste of money ...
• CLICK HERE to read more.
Tuesday, March 22, 2022
From ServLife International ... "Celebrating 10 Years on Staff!"
ServLife International is a movement defined by values of God’s kingdom, not programs built around human efforts and activities. The reign and rule of God should be made apparent to every person on the planet, despite their religion, race or socioeconomic status. We believe that issues of justice are inseparable from the good news that Jesus Christ came to proclaim. ServLife exists to take the gospel of Christ and the hope of a better, more just, world to the lives of people we touch. This happens through individual contributions of time, creativity, resources and dreams. |
| ServLife Photos |
In 2006 I traveled to India and Nepal for the first time, and my heart has never been the same. Playing with the children in the ServLife orphanage, I dreaded my last day there and wished I could bring every child home with me. Little did I know that my son had been born in India a month prior, and would be coming home the next year.
Traveling back to India and Nepal about 25 times now over the last 16 years, I have been able to watch the children grow up and thrive. The way they are cared for and loved has fueled my passion for ServLife and gives me confidence that God is at work in the ministry.
Ten years ago this month my passion became my vocation, and it has been an exciting, humbling, learning experience. I felt intimidated and under-qualified to be ServLife International’s Executive Director, so God took me to 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
I have strived to follow that verse and lead with boldness and strength, compassion and love, steady discipline and attention to detail. It hasn’t always been easy, and I’ve made mistakes and have learned along the way. But it is clear to me that God has been blessing this work, and I’m honored to be a part of it.
ServLife’s international directors have been incredible partners and friends, and with funding from generous donors like you, have been able to more than double the number of children and families that we serve in the last decade. God has done incredible things, bringing restoration and healing to people's lives and hearts, and spreading the joy and love of Jesus Christ.
While I celebrate my 10th anniversary in this job, ServLife also marks 30 years of ministry around the world! We will celebrate this incredible milestone over the course of this year, and I would love to hear and share stories of how you got involved and have been impacted by ServLife.
As I start my second decade on staff, my prayer for you, me, and all of us in this global community is Ephesians 4:13, “for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ.”
Thank you for your friendship, partnership, investment, and prayers. Your support has added to my joy and I appreciate you.
Thank you,
From Adam Nevins
Executive Director
ServLife International Inc.
Click here to give a gift to help families and our partners in India and Nepal.
Join Our Mission
ServLife International propels reconciliation and justice by building global community to plant churches, care for children and fight poverty. Compelled by the message, life and love of Jesus Christ, we seek to care for the spiritual, physical, social, and economic areas of life in northern India and Nepal. Learn more about our latest news, featured stories, and how to get involved at servlife.org
|
|
|
Support a Pastor
Our church planters spread the love of Christ in some of the most difficult environments in the world. • Support Them ... |
Sponsor a Child
For only $30 per month you can help give a child food, education, care and, most importantly, hope. • Sponsor Now ... |
Fight Poverty
The HOPE Fund, our micro-finance program, provides start-up funds for a small business, paving a way out of poverty for families in need. • Learn More ... |
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