Yegor and Andrei Wolf are brothers who live in the Kazakhstan republic of the Soviet Union. They are Christians who took the risk of building printing presses in their homes to print Christian literature. At the end of 1984 they were arrested and now await trial. There is a tremendous hunger in the USSR for Christian books.

According to the German periodical, Idea, the Mission Covenant Church of Norway has been asked by the Chinese government to build and operate a university for 12,000 students in the city of Zhan Jiang. It is for secular purposes but Christian teachers would be allowed and a church could be built on campus.

 In Tamarke, Nigeria, the church celebrated a “feast of repentance” to introduce 60 new Christian converts to the Islamic community. They reject the idea of being closet Christians. “The community will soon try to persecute these new Christians,” said the national evangelist, “but they have no fear at all. They do not stand alone, as individuals. They are a group. They have community recognition.”

Takao Nakamura, a Japanese pastor, said, “The Japanese government wants to be very international, and they think it's important to study Christianity as the religion of Western culture.” With this cautious official encouragement surveys now show that almost 40% of the people are interested in Christianity. He remarked that the young people especially are showing an openness to the gospel.

When we discuss the long range planning committee report this Sunday in the Sunday School classes, let's do it with a spirit of expectancy. A justified expectancy that God is stirring all over the world in governments and churches to do a new thing in our generation.

Look among the nations, and see;
wonder and be astounded.
For I am doing a work in your days
that you would not believe if told.

Think and dream with the global heart of God. The question for Bethlehem is not primarily how to create space. The question is: By the end of the second millennium A.D. (a mere 14 ½ years away) how can we do the most eternal good to the most people in the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God—here in Minneapolis and especially where whole peoples have not even been touched by the gospel?

Come, let us pray and dream and plan together!

Expectantly,

Pastor John