Mission in the Philippines

We give thanks for the work of the CRC of the Philippines and for our missionary family there, Stan and Bessie Kruis (pictured above with leaders from the CRC of the Philippines and other visitors).

For many decades, Resonate has worked in the Philippines in church planting and development. From these efforts and the efforts of many Filipino leaders, the Christian Reformed Church of the Philippines (CRCP) emerged and spread throughout the country. While Resonate mission workers no longer engage in direct church planting, the Filipino churches have owned the vision and are multiplying congregations, especially in the capital of Manila where several congregations have taken root in the last few years. During a trip to the Philippines in February, Zach had a chance to meet with leaders of the CRCP. He also got to meet a few Filipino pastors who immigrated to the US to start congregations there as well and have remained connected to friends in the CRCP. God is at work in Filipinos living throughout the world!

A Time of Pain and Opportunity

The sun rises over a city in Southeast Asia that Zach visited in February. It was a privilege to see how Resonate mission staff are strengthening the church for mission in countries in Asia like this one where Christians make up a few percent of the population. Only weeks after Zach took this photo, COVID-19 impacted this country significantly.

These days the nations are in turmoil. COVID-19 has overturned the order of this world. International and in-country travel has slowed nearly to a halt. Governments have banned nearly every kind of gathering, including those of churches. Offices and businesses are shuttered. Finally, huge portions of the world’s population are sheltering in their homes. The pandemic respects no human distinctions—the rich and powerful are susceptible just as are the poor and oppressed. Everything that human beings thought could protect them has been proven useless as no vaccine or treatment exists for the illness. Into this context our mission workers in North America and around the world have an unprecedented opportunity to share the one  thing that can provide shelter and safety in times of fear and despair: the good news of Jesus Christ. Without a doubt, these are difficult times for mission workers. Without face-to-face communication, they depend on video conferencing, social media, and cell phones to reach outside their homes. Many governments are taking advantage of this pandemic as an opportunity to suppress influences that they do not welcome like the gospel. Pray that God will give Resonate church planters, campus ministers, international missionaries and other gospel workers strength, perseverance and grace in this time of opportunity.

Segaar-King April Update

As a family we are accustomed to epidemics. By God’s grace we survived malaria, dengue fever, zika, and chikungunya. Our scariest epidemic moment was the 2010 outbreak of cholera in Haiti which claimed many thousands of lives (and many of them in less than 24 hours after onset of symptoms). Nevertheless, like many families, we are finding the COVID-19 crisis challenging. We give thanks for Grand Rapids Christian Schools which pivoted to distance learning extremely quickly. As parents we are grateful that learning continues without interruption. A few of our children are challenged by this new learning environment, however.

The situation of the churches around the world weighs heavily upon us. Please pray for our friends in the Christian Reformed Church of Haiti and the Ministry of Christian Development. These organizations have been threatened by a gang that is taking advantage of recent instability and shelter-in-place requirements. Pray for the church globally as many group and face-to-face mission efforts have been scaled back or cancelled. We give thanks that Resonate’s mission workers have leveraged technology so quickly to keep sharing the Gospel in these challenging times. COVID-19 is an opportunity for Christ’s gospel and his church to give our confused and suffering world a solid hope.