Play a game and help CURE children

International (MNN) ― Did you ever think that when you played a game on Facebook, you could help heal a child? That may be the case, according to CURE International.

CURE reports ToonUps have created a fun and engaging Facebook game called "A Better World." Through mid-January, by playing the game and sharing positive messages and expressions with other players, you can help to heal 10 kids through CURE.

If CURE is able to reach 1 million positive expressions in the game by mid-January, ToonUps will donate $10,000 to heal 10 children through CUREkids. The good news is they're already at more than 600,000 expressions.

CURE is asking you to consider taking a few short minutes to sign up and play. If you have a Facebook account and a little extra time, it will make not only a physical difference for these kids but maybe even an eternal difference as CURE does this work with the love of Christ. That great thing is: you'll also have fun doing it,

To help CURE a child, click here.

Sanctity of human life resources offered

USA (MNN) ― God values human life. We see it time and time again in Scripture. As Sanctity of Human Life Sunday approaches January 15, Christians around the United States are looking for resources to help people in their church honor life and ultimately honor God, the Creator of life.

In God's eyes, life is precious, and every person has value. Dr. David Gushee, an ethicist and professor at Mercer University, wrote in an article for the Baptist Associated Press that "each and every human being, without exception, has been designated by God as a creature of incalculable worth."

Buckner International shares that belief. That's why they celebrate all stages of life, from ministering to mothers with unintended pregnancies, to promoting foster care and adoption, to giving elderly in Texas the highest quality senior living communities. It's all done to honor God.

This year, Buckner is providing free resources to churches to celebrate this important Sunday, including a Sanctity of Human Life video, an article to serve as a sermon starting point, and worship slides with key sermon points.

If you're interested in adding to what your church is already doing, or you would like to start something new, click here.

You can help one in a million

USA (MNN) ― If you thought you could help a ministry save one million people with as little as $2.35, would you give it? What if you thought you could have an eternal impact on one million people...would you get involved then? That's what Medical Teams International is doing through their One in a Million Campaign.

President of Medical Teams International Bas Vanderzalm says as Americans celebrate Thanksgiving and everything God has blessed them with, many people around the world aren't as fortunate. "We think of people in places like Guatemala where there are children who are struggling to get enough food to eat, or children in Uganda who are struggling with HIV or AIDS and who are alone and need help."

There are millions of these stories around the world. Vanderzalm says that's why they've started the One in a Million Campaign. "In the next few months, we hope to touch the lives of one million children and mothers who are struggling in 16 countries. And it cost so little to help these children. It's about $2.35."

As you give to Medical Teams, your gift will be doubled. Vanderzalm explains, "We have a special donor who has very generously offered to match every gift up to $200,000."

Vanderzalm adds, "This Thanksgiving, what a wonderful way to express our appreciation and gratitude to God for His blessing by taking a moment and sharing with someone who is struggling and needs our help."

Helping physically is importantly, but so is helping with spiritual needs. Vanderzalm says, "We work with Christian partners in places where we are serving; we want to make sure that what we do is in keeping with our mission of demonstrating the love of Christ with people affected by disaster, conflict, and poverty around the world."

That takes at least two different forms. "We can pray with those people who ask us to pray with them and share this great hope we have that drives us to show this compassion. When Jesus came, He came both teaching and healing. That's what we want to do."

If you'd like to help Medical Teams International, click here. 

Biblica making progress on mega languages

Mission Network News: "USA (MNN) ― Translating Scripture into the heart language of people around the world is essential for people coming to Christ. Biblica is dedicated not only to translating Scripture, but to giving end users an entire Bible -- one they can easily understand."

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Teams needed to start recovery process of 2011's natural disasters

Mission Network News: "USA (MNN) ― The year of 2011 has been filled with natural disaster for the United States. No one disaster has been of Japan-tsunami proportions, but multiple "small" crises are adding up.
TouchGlobal Crisis Response, a ministry of the Evangelical Free Church of America, is responding to three of these crises in particular."

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Packing party with a purpose

Mission Network News: "USA (MNN) ― Have you ever packed with a purpose? I'm not talking about vacation packing. I'm talking about packing with real eternal purpose. How would you like to be a part of a 4000-5000 person effort? Here's your opportunity."

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Video series helps church planting

USA (MNN) ― A mission organization that's reaching out to unreached areas of the world wants you to know more about planting churches in one specific group of people. In order to provide that basic education, they're using technology to do it -- video technology.


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Conference helps Christians love Muslims

USA (MNN) ― Imagine 500 people gathering together to explore the world of Muslim ministry, encourage each other, and gain insight from world-renowned ministry leaders. This is what will take place at The Crescent ProjectOasis Conference in Washington, DC, November 3-5.


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20 Years of Ministry Celebrated

Summer Camp not only leads
 children to Christ, but their families
 as well.

USA (MNN) ― It's been 20 years since Russian Ministries established its work in the former Soviet Union. Started by Peter Deyneka, Russian Ministries focused on supporting church leaders in the former Soviet Union. Today, it's a thriving ministry with goals for the future.

Sergey Rakhuba, the newest President of Russian Ministries, was in Moscow, Russia when the walls fell. "Russian Ministries was started 20 years ago, in the same year the Soviet Union collapsed. I remember when that red flag was taken down. I was standing in Red Square, and I couldn't believe my eyes. I was raised in the former Soviet Union -- I knew how powerful that Soviet empire was."

Rakhuba says the focus of Russian Ministries will always be on helping local evangelical churches -- "helping them to build churches, train pastors, reach out to orphans, and equipping them with all kinds of innovative ministries. In the last 20 years, 1,000 churches were started with the help of Russian Ministries."

There were a lot of unknowns 20 years ago. Rakhuba says, "20 years ago, we didn't know about homeless kids. Today, millions of them are roaming the streets of Russia. 20 years ago, we didn't know HIV/AIDS would make its way into Russian society. Drugs and alcoholism and other immoral issues have flooded to Russia as well."

So Russian Ministries has taken action. "We are working to enable the evangelical church to be a light in society so that the Next Generation leaders will continue reaching, on behalf of their churches, bringing this transforming change into their communities."

Russian Ministries is still focused on "planted churches, growing churches, to continue reaching into contemporary society with the Gospel. And the results are great."

While celebrating is important, Russian Ministries doesn't want to do it alone. They want to celebrate by making a difference. First, they're offering a free copy of the devotional, "The Art of Loving God" by Julie Akerman Link.

We all say that we love God, but do we really understand what it means to love Him? Learning to love God begins with understanding His love for us. When we contemplate His desires for us, His thoughts toward us, and what He has done to save us, the only possible response is overwhelming love. "The Art of Loving God" is a book you'll want to share with family and friends.

Secondly, Russian Ministries is offering a free DVD about their Next Generation leadership in action. "This is a fascinating story of how God is working through summer camps, [enabling] Next Generation leaders to go out into villages and communities and organize summer camps. Through children, God transforms families, society, community and so on."

If you'd like to get your free devotional and DVD, click here. 

BCM Reaches The Whole Family

USA (MNN) ― The Bible Club Movement started in 1936 as a way to reach boys and girls for Jesus Christ through Bible clubs. They did that by teaching children the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation.

Now known as Bible Centered Ministries International, the ministry has grown, says BCM's President and CEO Marty Windle. "Now, we not only work with children, but we also work with adults and youth around the world. We are scattered globally. You could actually say that the sun really never sets on BCM International Ministries."

While the focus is on teaching God's Word, they focus on indigenous outreach. Windle says, "Probably 95% of our over 700 missionaries are people who minister in the country they were born in, so we don't have to deal as much, with cross-cultural and language issues."

Another area that makes BCM unique is "the amount of volunteers that we have," says Windle. "While we have 700 missionaries, I would estimate that volunteers that leverage the ministry of those missionaries is somewhere in the neighborhood of 6,000 to 7,000 volunteers around the world."

BCM is heavily involved in the 10/40 window, the area of the world where the least reached people groups are located. They're also focusing on the 4/14 window, the age group who are most likely to turn to Christ. Missiologists say 80% of those who come to Christ do so between the ages of 4 and 14.

Windle says reaching this demographic is key to church planting. "When you reach the children and show tenderness to the children, then you have a segue into hearts and the lives of adults. Using that approach of reaching children, then we move to the next step to church planting and strengthening the church as God leads us."

According to Windle, BCM is working in more than 50 countries on five continents. A few of them include creative access or limited access nations.

The curriculum they've created has "been published in 25 different languages in Sunday schools, in Bible club ministries, in a variety of different approaches -- not just with children -- but also with small group Bible studies in retirement homes."

While growth is taking place, BCM is facing challenges -- personnel. "The older generation of missionaries is fast approaching retirement, and that curve of attrition has to be counteracted with a new wave of people who catch the vision of reaching men and women and boys and girls for Jesus Christ," says Windle.

If you feel God calling you into ministry or you'd like more information about BCM, click here.