News

CT Media Presents: God Pops Up in the Horn of Africa

When a man from a tiny Ethiopian village heard about taking the gospel ‘to the ends of the earth,’ he knew exactly where to start.

The movement in the Horn of Africa continues to make disciples, planting four new house churches every day. To date, they have seen more than 230,000 people become followers of Jesus. With a deep commitment to prayer and fasting, they follow Luke 10, looking for “people of peace” who then bring households, villages, and entire tribes to Jesus. Daily, their church planters face persecution for the sake of the gospel. But, they say, “we count it all joy so that we can share Jesus with more people.” For security reasons, we don’t divulge the identity of these brothers and sisters.

After watching this episode of God Pops Up, read our article about a kindergarten teacher called to ministry aboard the Africa Mercy.

Through God Pops Up, CT Media brings you stories from some of the world’s most dangerous locations. These stories feature people who are risking their lives to share the Good News. Although we have sought credible sources, for security reasons, we cannot cite those sources, show photos of subjects, or name names. In this series, we use animation to tell true narratives that encourage the global church, but we also seek to protect the people behind those narratives. CT Media created these videos as a discipleship tool for both kids and adults. Thank you for watching and sharing these stories.

If God leads, you can give a tax-deductible gift to any of these causes by giving through the National Christian Foundation (NCF). NCF will anonymously pass your gift to the cause you’ve chosen.

To nominate a story, or to underwrite a story that shows how God Pops Up, email godpopsup@christianitytoday.com.

Also in this issue

We find ourselves near the end of a painful year, with a dark winter ahead of us. CT’s December issue speaks to the fundamental truth we celebrate every Christmas: “On those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2). God still loves the world. He is still God With Us. And he still lives and moves among his people to bring light and life, hope and healing. These are the stories of the global church at work in the age of the pandemic.

CT Media Presents: The Harvest

CT Media Presents: God Pops Up in India

CT Media Presents: God Pops Up in Southeast Asia

Portraits of the Pandemic

Photography By Jeremy Cowart. Reporting by Jeremy Cowart and Morgan Lee.

Reply All

The Roots of Our Issue

Sarah Gordon

For Expats and Missionaries, COVID-19 Was a Crossroads

Rebecca Hopkins

She Knew She Was Called to Serve. Then COVID-19 Came.

Cara Meredith

Meet the People Who Minister in America’s Food Chain

Bekah McNeel

Ghana Pentecostals Come to the Defense of Accused Witches

Daniel Silliman and Griffin Paul Jackson

News

German Churches Reckon with Antisemitic History

News

Gleanings: December 2020

News

Where Are the Other Fake Fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls?

Gordon Govier

We Prayed for Healing. God Brought a Pandemic.

Interview by Jean-Paul Rempp

God’s Mercies Redeem Our Guilty Mornings

Why I Claim the ‘Global Evangelical’ Label

Tish Harrison Warren

Life and Death in ‘The Land of the Clouds’

How the ‘World’s Largest Family’ Survived a Global Pandemic

Kara Bettis with additional reporting by Tonny Onyulo

Editorial

Jesus Is the Light of the Lockdown

Daniel Harrell

You’re Probably Worshiping a False God

To the Ends of the Earth

In My Remote Corner of India, Christianity Is Seen as a Cultural Threat

Apilang Apum

Bringing Hope and Healing to a War-Torn Homeland, One Footstep at a Time

Interview by Craig Borlase

Review

China’s Greatest Evangelist Was Expelled from a Liberal Seminary in America

Alexander Chow

Review

20 Questions for the Churches in Africa

David Zac Niringiye

New & Noteworthy Books

Matt Reynolds

Excerpt

Christianity Isn’t ‘Becoming’ Global. It Always Has Been.

Vince L. Bantu

View issue

Our Latest

The 12 Neglected Movies of Christmas

Nathaniel Bell

The quest for a perfect fruitcake, a petty larcenist, and a sly Scottish dramedy should all grace your small screen this season.

News

Amid Peace Talks, Russian Drone Damages Christian School in Kyiv

Ukrainians are wary of any plan that gives Moscow its “Christmas wish list.”

Make Faith Plausible Again

Bryce Hales

A peculiar hospitality can awaken faith in our secular contexts.

Public Theology Project

Russell Moore’s Favorite Books of 2025

CT’s editor at-large recommends a handful of biographies—from Augustine to Robert Frost—along with sci-fi, Stephen King, social media, and more.

The Priest and Social Worker Deradicalizing Jihadists in Prison

One Catholic and one Muslim, they disagree on the role of religion in their work in Lebanon, but are united in their aim.

The Russell Moore Show

 Listener Question: N.T. Wright on the Parable of the Talents

N.T. Wright takes a listener’s question about the parable of the talents told in Luke 19, and why it’s not all that it seems.

Celebrating Christmas with Hot Chai and Crispy Murukku

Amid rising persecution, Indian Christians share Jesus’ love with friends and neighbors through delectable dishes.

My Top 5 Books on Christianity in Southeast Asia

Compiled by Manik Corea

Explore how the faith has flourished in Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, and other countries in this religiously diverse region.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube