May EHC Newsletter 2023

Since Every Home for Christ International’s inception in 1946 from the founder’s small garage in Saskatchewan,Canada, the ministry has experienced significant international growth. Originally operating as a radio broadcast ministry called Tract Club of the Air, which made tracts available free to all who requested them, EHC founder, Jack McAlister, expanded the vision globally and by 1952 changed the name of the ministry to World Literature Crusade, moving the headquarters to Southern California (now in Colorado Springs). During those same early years, it became clear to Jack that to reach a nation literally with the Gospel, the only certain, measurable way was to take the Gospel message systematically home-by-home, which was the early Church method. Thus, in 1953 the first Every Home Campaign was born in Japan.

Since then, 70 years later, more than 2,344,229,353 homes have been reached with gospel literature resulting in 243,847,817 people responding and 400,255 Christ groups being established.

In 1975 Every Home for Christ began in Australia under the leadership of Eric Leach with New Zealand following a short time later, primarily existing to raise prayer and financial support for the EHC ministry around the world.

Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the thousands of Every Home for Christ supporters who continue to help make this dream a reality.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUING SUPPORT.

ERIC LEACH, Executive Director Australia and New Zealand

Do you remember a time when it felt like Jesus showed up for you? Can you recall an experience of His presence when you needed Him most? This month, we’re sharing inspiring stories of moments when Jesus showed up. Three things stand out to me in these stories and I hope they are encouraging reminders for your journey of faith.

First, Jesus is still showing up today. In hearts, homes and communities around the world, Jesus is encountering people who are longing for Him. Miraculous encounters with Christ are not confined to the pages of scripture. They are happening today all around us.

Second, Jesus shows up in surprising ways. He doesn’t always come in the ways, places, or faces we expect. His presence is a gift we cannot predict or control—and it often comes in ways we never anticipated! All we can do is keep our hearts and eyes open for Him.

Third, Jesus shows up in the meeting of people. The scriptures make this clear: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20, NIV). When we show up to the people God has called us to serve, we can trust Christ will be there. When we simply love our neighbours, Jesus shows up.

I invite you to take time to remember the moments in your life when Jesus showed up for you. Remember the people who carried His presence to you. Then, invite the Lord to stir your heart to carry His hope to someone else. How can you bring the unexpected presence of Jesus to the people in your world? It might be a simple act of kindness for a neighbour, or perhaps you will be inspired to support Every Home for Christ who are carrying Christ to the ends of the earth today. Whatever it is, you can trust Jesus to be there.

Tanner Peake, President Every Home for Christ International

MYANMAR

Jesus on the Porch

“One day, I was sitting in front of my house,” shares Than Soe, a woman from Myanmar. “A man came to me and shared the Gospel with some literature. I took it and read it.

I was very interested in these writings about Jesus. So, I asked my sister about Jesus. She took me to her Christian friend. Then he brought me back to the man who had shared literature with me.

A pastor named Saw Eh Htoo was also there. He shared the message very clearly with me. At last, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour.

A few days later, Pastor Saw Eh Htoo baptised me in the river. Now, I am part of a Christ Group fellowship. I have begun to share the Gospel with friends. Praise the Lord!”

Like Mary, Than Soe encountered Jesus and hungered for His truth and love. “Take me to the Lord,” she asked. And Jesus entered her life through His people.

Jesus also enters places that are hemmed in by obstacles and steeped in anxiety. The disciples were cowering in an upper room, after all, when through the locked door, Jesus appeared, saying, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19)

Believers go the distance to carry Christ to every person in Myanmar.

CREATIVE ACCESS COUNTRIES

Jesus Amid Our Fears

Mr. R, his wife, and two daughters live in a country where it is risky to share the Gospel. Loyal to the traditional beliefs of their ancestors, Mr. R and his family were known to be in strong opposition to the Gospel. But their rituals brought them no peace.

Their offerings consumed their savings. And still, life heaped burdens upon them; sickness came to their home. One day, they received a message titled “Why Jesus Died on the Cross” from Every Home for Christ.

They called a local believer and he shared more about Jesus and prayed with them. As he prayed, Mr. R and his family “felt a weight fall from them” shares our local team.

Mr. R’s family turned their hearts toward Jesus and began fellowshipping with a local church the very next day.

Despite the risks, many people in Creative Access nations are seeking Christ.

Believers in Papua New Guinea carry Christ to their neighbours through hospitality.

NEW GUINEA

Jesus In Our House Today

In Papua New Guinea, a group of 30 men and women struggling with drug addiction gathered and invited a local pastor, Emmanuel Kavanamur, and Every Home for Christ’s Ministry Director Aaron Nikkie, to tell them more about Jesus. Dorcas, Emmanuel’s wife and some members of his congregation cooked a big meal to share as Aaron spoke about Jesus’ love.

One of the men present, Robert, and several others responded to the Gospel.

“Today,” Robert said, “the Lord Jesus Christ has entered this house and rescued us from the bondage of addiction.”

That’s what we celebrate in the resurrection: today, Jesus has entered our house and rescued us!

Every day, around the world, Jesus enters human lives, bringing resurrection. And often he touches hearts through believers who faithfully carry his love to their neighbours.

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MAY 2023

Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from the books of Exodus and Leviticus. For those wanting to do the one-year Bible reading program these chapters are in brackets.

PRAY FOR TANNER & BETHANY

PEAKE Tanner is now the International President of Every Home for Christ with a large responsibility for EHC ministries across the world. Please pray for them as they take over the role from Dick and Dee Eastman.

Exodus 12 (Judges 6 - 8)

2 PRAY FOR DIPLAVE POKHREL

Please continue to pray for Diplave and Sangita as they seek to serve the Lord together.

Exodus 13 (Judges 9 - 12)

3 PRAY FOR ERIC AND LORRAINE LEACH Pray God will guide Eric in his leadership as Executive Director in Australia and New Zealand and Lorraine with EHC office responsibilities.

Exodus 14

(Judges 13 - 16)

4 PRAY FOR YOUR FAMILY - sons, daughters and grandchildren, plus others to come to Christ. Get a piece of paper and write down their names. Get their photos and pray every day for their salvation; eternity without Christ is a long time!

Exodus 15

(Judges 17 - 21)

5 VENEZUELA Pop. 28,435,940 Map.

214 Please pray that God would provide grace and wisdom to the churches EHC partner with as they carry the Gospel to all areas of their nation.

Exodus 16 (Ruth 1 - 4)

6 ITALY Pop. 60,461,826 Map. 65 “We ask for prayer for Sicily,” says our team in Italy. “Believers are sharing the Gospel with the homeless, people struggling with addiction and prostitutes. Pray for a great harvest and protection as our team does this difficult, rewarding work. Pray for God’s peace in these neighbourhoods.

(1 Samuel 1 - 7 )

Exodus 17

Pop. 16,425,864 Map. 34 We are in Boroum, a large village in Chad, where much of the population is Muslim,” the team here explains. “Pray that God will reach many who have never heard about Jesus Christ and touch their hearts. Pray for training and discipleship following conversations so all can grow in their faith.” Exodus 18 (1 Samuel 8 - 12)

7CHAD

8CREATIVE ACCESS - SOUTHEAST

ASIA The Every Home team in this restricted nation requests prayer for their upcoming trip to an area that is difficult to access: “Please pray that this visit to a remote church to train its members would go well and that many would be discipled and equipped to encourage and disciple others as they establish this new Christ Group.”

Exodus 19 (1 Samuel 13:1 to 16:13 )

9 CYPRUS Pop. 1,207,359 Map. Please pray for Syrian regufees Helmi, Hasan and Abdel Karim. The Every Home for Christ team in Cyprus is discipling them and they hope to be baptised soon. They are so intent in their faith and we pray that not only will they be discipled efficiently, they will also grow in the word and share their faith.

Exodus 20 (Psalm 23)

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PERU Pop. 32,971,854 Map.

217 Pray for the social and political situation in Peru. Various conflicts have caused great anxiety. These issues of the heart (and problems in a world we cannot control) can often limit the evangelistic work in numerous ways. So, please pray that the environment in which Peruvians live would not be an obstacle to their faith.

Exodus 21 (1 Samuel 16:14 to 19:11)

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PRAY FOR ISRAEL ROMANS

11AUSTRIA Pop. 9,006,398

Map. 80 Our Every Home team in Austria has identified a need for an evangelism school - a place to educate believers in outreach, discipling others and living on mission. Please pray for God to open the right doors and help connect our team with like-minded individuals to help provide leadership to this effort.

Exodus 22 (Psalm 59)

12NIGER Pop. 24,206,644 Map. 36 The team in Niger requests prayer over the areas of Filingue and Dogondoutchi. Pray that the Lord would touch the hearts of those who have heard about Him and would raise up disciples to be witnesses for Jesus. Pray for the Oikos vision to remain strong in all who are doing the outreach ministry!

Exodus 23 (1 Samuel 19:12 to 21:15)

13FIJI Pop. 896,445 Map. 150

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BULGARIA Pop. 6,948,445

Map. 77 “Please pray with us,” the Every Home team in Bulgaria asks, “for those who will receive literature including Bibles, gospel booklets and followup materials. We pray that the Lord would use his Word to draw people to faith in Jesus Christ. 1 Samuel 23, Psalms 54,63 (Exodus 27)

17ZIMBABWE

Pop. 14,862,924

Map. 9 As the EHC team in Zimbabwe establishes work in rural areas, pray the Lord gives them a strong national evangelisation strategy. They ask for God to make them likeminded people so that they would be able to create a solid foundation for the good news to be shared in every community. Exodus 28

(1 Samuel 24 - 26)

The Every Home team in Fiji asks for prayer “for a huge harvest this year. Pray that the body of Christ will be awakened to reach out to their neighbours and to be involved in discipleship. And we ask for prayer that all work would be done in harmony and unity in order to further the cause of Jesus Christ!”

Psalms 34, 56 (Exodus 24)

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Exodus 25

CREATIVE ACCESSMIDDLE EAST “We thank the Lord for all he’s done in 2023,” says the team in this restricted nation. “Pray for the people we meet, that they will know the Way and the Truth. And pray for God to send us volunteers who love him and want to serve him with all their hearts. Finally, pray for God’s protection over us as we serve.”

(1 Samuel 22:1-2, Psalms 57, 142)

15CHILE

Pop. 19,116,201 Map.

220 The nation of Chile has challenges to ministry, not the least of which is the difficulty that can come in having churches and ministries partner together. Please pray for believers to be able to come together and be unified in all they say and do and that, as a result of this, many would come to know Jesus.

Exodus 26 (1 Samuel 22:3-23, Psalm 52)

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CREATIVE ACCESSSOUTHEAST ASIA Please pray for sixteen believers in training for major ministry outreaches. Pray as they are discipled that they will be well equipped to plant new Christ Groups. This is a nation where it is unsafe to share the Gospel, so please pray for protection, courage and family support as they undertake this great challenge. Exodus 29 (1 Samuel 27 - 31)

19GUYANA

Pop. 786,552 Map.

213 The leadership of Every Home for Christ in Guyana desires to steward the ministry in their nation strategically all year long. Pray God would give them His vision for 2023 and beyond. Pray for each local believer to be encouraged, strengthened and renewed as they carry Christ to their communities.

Exodus 30

(2 Samuel 1 - 4)

20CREATIVE ACCESS - MIDDLE

EAST The team in this restricted nation says: “Thank you for praying for an 18 year old girl who responded to the Gospel. She has been beaten by her family and has faced persecution that is hindering her new walk with the Lord. We are offering her comfort, advice and guidance but prayer is what she truly needs.” Exodus 31 (2 Samuel 5 - 7, Psalm 30)

Send your prayer request to us and we will pray for you too!

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BELGIUM Pop. 11,589,623

Map. 87 The Belgium Every Home team requests prayer as they seek someone to develop the work in Luxembourg, where sharing the Gospel is challenging. May God break down the walls that have existed there and may the individual who is selected be God’s choice to help facilitate the new work in this nation in the coming months. Exodus 32 (2 Samuel 8:1-14, Psalm 60)

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CREATIVE ACCESSCENTRAL ASIA

The EHC team requests prayer for local believers and the goals they set. “Our prayer for the coming months,” they share, “is that we would be able to reach many people with the Gospel. “Pray that the work would continue without obstacles.” Exodus 37 (2 Samuel 16-20)

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CREATIVE ACCESS - SOUTH ASIA Please pray for God to reveal Himself to people who received the Gospel in ”M” village. Pray the Lord would open their eyes and hearts. Pray also for the evangelists who risk their lives doing this great work, that their efforts would be honoured and that God would hear their every prayer. Exodus 33

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2 Samuel 8:15 to 10:19)

23MOZAMBIQUE Pop.

31,255,435 Map. 8 During the leadership seminars conducted last year, local church leaders discussed the hidden persecution suffered at the hands of the government. Many churches cannot meet requirements to complete their legal registration. Pray that responsible authorities will register these churches without complications.

Exodus 34 (2 Samuel 11:1 to 12:14, Psalms 51,32)

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CREATIVE ACCESSSOUTHEAST ASIA Please pray for churches in this nation to be aware of the importance of discipleship. Reaching people for Jesus is the first step to introducing the Christian life to individuals and teaching them to look to the Bible for answers in their lives. Pray for those who are being discipled to have open ears to all they hear. Exodus 35

(2 Samuel 12:15 to 15:37)

25BOLIVIA

Pop. 11,673,021

Map 221 The nation of Bolivia is undergoing political conflicts that prevent Every Home for Christ from reaching certain parts of the country. Workers are asking for prayer for open doors and for protection. Pray also for these conflicts to ease in Bolivia so that the Gospel can be shared. Exodus 36 (Psalms 3, 69)

Pop. 5,459,642 Map. 81 Please pray for creativity as we produce gospel materials. We ask that the Lord would help us create an attractive design and engaging text that appeals to as many people as possible. May the Lord help us as we seek to serve him. Exodus 38 (Psalms 64,70)

27SLOVAKIA

KENYA Pop. 53,771,296 Map. 27 Pray for our ongoing outreaches in Kilifi. Pray for God’s protection and for many to come to know Jesus.” Pray that each believer would have the grace of the Lord as they share the good news. Exodus 39 (2 Samuel 21-22, Psalm 18)

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29CREATIVE ACCESSMIDDLE EAST

Despite the challenges in this nation to sharing the good news, a church is being planted in a key city. Pray that this would be a foundational church in this region and that the Lord would bless all who come through its doors and increase its impact and gospel outreach in the neighbourhood. Exodus 40 (2 Samuel 23 - 24)

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MEXICO Pop. 128,932,753 Map. 178 EHC’s ministry in Mexico’s prisons has seen much progress in the many years it has been in operation. Pray for continuing success as believers connect with inmates in jails and rehabilitation centres in multiple cities. Pray that those who are released would continue with Christ. Leviticus 1 (Psalms 4 - 6)

RUSSIA Pop. 145,934,462 Map. 106 cities. Pray for the unity of the churches so that there would be one large spiritual movement that would bring revival to the nation. Pray also that God would strengthen every believer. Levicitus 2 (Psalms 7 - 9)

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