Restricted Access Countries

The socio-political climate throughout a significant portion of the world is becoming increasingly hostile to the Gospel and to Christians. Each day Christians lose their jobs, their families, and their freedom because they follow Jesus. They are beaten, imprisoned, and killed for the name of Christ. More Christians were killed in the 20th century than in all other centuries combined. In spite of this, the church continues to grow and believers continue to gather in groups for worship, normally in small house churches. Even in countries where the Christian community is small, Christmas remains the birthday of Jesus and a time of joy. For Christians who live in oppressive situations, each activity of the season holds a deeper significance. Bread is baked from three braided strands to symbolize the Trinity. The leader of the service blesses one person with a touch; that person touches the person next to him or her and the touch is passed around until all present have felt the “touch of peace.” Families gather quietly together and one of the children reads about the birth of Jesus while the rest hold

Christians in situations of pressure need to be well-grounded in their own faith and to have a thorough understanding of why they believe in Christ. Entrust cooperates with other missions and local church bodies to create training programs specifically tailored to their cultural, religious, socioeconomic, and educational contexts. Local believers are being “apprenticed” to teach or are already teaching on their own. Training centers are established wherever possible. As the work progresses, opportunities to spread to neighboring regions in similar situations are initiated.