Baroda Bible Club

March - 01 To 04

COUNTRY :BANGLADESH
Population	132,219,000
Peoples:	All ethnic groups 50. Bengali 97.3%. Muslim and Hindu Bengalis have distinct cultures and dialects. Tribal Groups 1.1%. Over 30. Largest: Chakma 352,000; Mogh 185,000; Santal 157,000; Tipera 105,000; Garo 102,000; Tripuri 78,000; Meithei 56,000; Mru 45,000; Hadi 42,000; Usipi 35,000; Bawm 31,000; Oraon 24,000; Dalu 11,000; Pankhu 2,200; Khyang 1,400. Other minorities 1.6%. Urdu 600,000; Hindi 346,000; Burmese 231,000; Bihari 230,000. Refugees: 200,000 Rohingya from Arakan, Myanmar.
Literacy	Literacy 24%. Official languages: Bengali, English often used. All languages 37. Languages with Scriptures 14Bi 3NT 7por.
Cities	Capital: Dhaka 6,646,000. Other major city: Chittagong 2,289,000. Urbanization 15%.
Economy:	One of the world's poorest nations, suffering from gross over-population and periodic natural disasters such as devastating floods and cyclones with enormous loss of life. There seems little hope that the poverty of this unhappy land will ever be substantially alleviated. Major sources of foreign exchange are aid, textiles and jute. Underemployment 50%. Public debtperson $81. Incomeperson $180 (0.85% of USA).
Politics:	Formerly East Pakistan; independent in 1971 after bitter civil war and defeat of Pakistan by Indian and Bangladeshi forces. Corruption, instability, assassinations and 18 coups have marred the years since then. A nine-year military dictatorship ended in 1991 with restoration of democracy and the election of a government led by a woman, Begum Zia.
Religion:	A secular state 1971-88; then the former government declared Islam to be the state religion. This is heightening tensions between Muslims and followers of other religions. Muslim fundamentalists are a vociferous minority. Muslim 87%. Almost entirely Sunni. Hindu 11.7%. Decreasing through emigration and lower fertility. Buddhist 0.6%. Mainly among the Chakma, Mogh and Mru peoples. Other 0.3%. Non-religious 110,000; Animist 80,000; Baha'i 4,000. Christian 0.44%. Affil 0.36%. Growth 3.6%. Protestant 0.23%. Affil 0.19%. Growth 4.5%. Roman Catholic 0.21%. Affil 0.18%. Growth 2.9%.
1. Bangladesh has been a hard field for the gospel. Revulsion at the cruelty of Pakistan's repression in the name of Islam in the 1971 civil war temporarily weakened Bangladeshi loyalty to Islam, and gave new opportunities for the gospel. However, the rise of extremist Muslim groups pressing for a more radical Islam is affecting Christian witness in many ways. Pray that the present freedom for all to practise and propagate their own religions be maintained and that the leaders of the nation may handle the many problems with integrity, devotion to duty and fairness. Pray above all that the grip of the powers of darkness may be broken.
2. Praise God for progress for the gospel despite the increased difficulties. a) Christian aid since independence and during the nation's frequent natural calamities has been generous and impartial. Non-government organizations such as HEED and World Vision seek to uphold Christian values and prepare the way for local church and mission involvement. TEAR Fund seconds workers and helps in funding projects. Pray for wisdom and sensitivity for all involved in implementing these programmes -- that aid not be perceived as manipulative or dependency-producing. b) The openness and even responsiveness of whole Muslim families in some areas to innovative methods of evangelism is encouraging. Pray for strong witnessing churches to be planted and for protection in persecution of all who follow Christ. c) Several Hindu castes have shown marked and continuing response to the gospel. This has mainly been among the Namasudra and, more recently, the Muchi castes. d) People movements among tribal peoples have resulted in nearly all the Bawm and Pankhu becoming Christian, and also 95% of the Garo, 60% of the Oraon, and 50% of the Mahili and Khasi. The turning to the Lord continues among the Santals (25%) and Munda (16%).
3. Praise God for steady growth in the number of Christians with ingatherings of both Hindu and tribal people into the churches. The Church has grown at twice the population rate for the last 30 years despite the difficulties. There is rising confidence and faith for that to continue in the '90s. Pray for: a) The Bangladesh Baptist Fellowship, Assemblies of God and the Bangladesh Free Baptist Churches who are growing fast and who have set bold church-planting goals. b) The Great Commission Movement, launched in 1991, which has brought together evangelical congregations with the commitment to prayer, research and cooperation to plant a church in every one of the 464 sub-districts and each of the ethnic groups of the country by the year 2000. Pray for the implementation of these goals.
4. Revival of the church is the greatest need. Pray that the Holy Spirit may move in these areas: a) Nominal Christianity. Early people movements brought thousands of marginalized sections of society into the Church. Poverty, illiteracy and lack of trained and godly leadership have led to shallowness and nominalism. b) Unity. Imported and indigenous divisions have hindered the effectiveness of the witness in the past. Pray for the National Christian Fellowship of Bangladesh as it seeks to encourage evangelical unity and cooperative action in evangelism, teaching and aid programmes. c) Missions vision. After years of little interest, there is growing interest in reaching out to the major non-Christian communities.
5. Leadership for the churches. God is raising up a new generation of leaders who exercise a ministry beyond their own community, yet they are few. Pray for the multiplication of leaders: a) The Christian Discipleship Centre and the Dhaka United Theological Seminary are the only interdenominational residential schools. The CDC also runs TEE and short-term programmes. The CDC had graduated 145 by 1991. b) Five denominational Bible schools and seminaries (AoG, ABWE, Free Baptist, Lutheran and Church of Bangladesh).
6. Unreached peoples. Few nations in the world have a larger number of people totally untouched by the gospel. Pray for: a) The Muslims. From among the 100 million Muslims there are only a few thousand believers, but their numbers are increasing. Pray for the house groups meeting as Jamat (Muslim-style congregation) and for their continuing need for discipleship to be met. In 1985 there were only 25 Christian workers among them; the situation has improved, but the vast majority have never heard the gospel. Most are fairly lax in their profession of Islam. b) The Hindus who feel vulnerable as a religious minority. Their insecurity increased during the 1991 Gulf War, when Muslim mobs destroyed Hindu temples. Pray that this may open many to the truth in Jesus. Of the 29 lower castes, only four are over 2% Christian, and in a further six there has been a smaller response. The upper castes have remained resistant to the gospel. c) The Bihari Muslims who, while refusing Bangladeshi citizenship, are denied entry to India and Pakistan. They live in large refugee camps. Pray that their dilemma may bring an openness to the gospel. d) The Rohingya Muslims. 200,000 became refugees in 1978 and again in 1992 fleeing Myanmar government persecution. They have never been evangelized -- pray for those seeking openings to reach them. e) The tribal peoples, some of whom have resisted the gospel, or have not had adequate opportunity to hear: the animist Mru (work by Baptists), the Buddhist Chakma (Baptists), Mogh and Khyang (1,200 Christians). f) Students. There are nine small groups with but 200 Christians linked with the BSFB (IFES) for the 458 colleges and 650,000 students. Pray for the two staff workers. In 1992 a Bangladesh Sports Coalition was formed for ministry among literate, educated and sports-loving young people. g) Young people and children. Over half the population is under 16. Very little effective outreach is directed to them.
7. Church planting in the majority community has borne fruit, and village congregations and indigenous house meetings have multiplied. Pray for great wisdom in nurturing this movement -- its leadership, worship patterns, dependence on God in poverty, firmness under persecution from Muslim neighbours, evangelistic vision and relationships with the older Christian community from a different cultural background.
8. The tribal peoples' very existence is threatened by the population explosion. The Chakma of the Chittagong Hill Tracts have responded with guerrilla warfare to the destruction of their villages, occupation of their land and even massacres by hundreds of thousands of Bengalis invading their territory. Pray for a just settlement -- the granting of limited autonomy to the region has not improved the situation much. Pray also for Christian agencies seeking to bring the tribal peoples to Christ (ABMS, BMS, SBC, Presbyterians and Lutherans).
9. Missions have been welcomed for their social uplift programmes -- hence the emphasis on institutions and aid programmes -- but too few are directly involved in evangelistic outreach and church planting. Pray for increased opportunities to fulfil their primary calling. Since 1980 limitations have been placed on missionaries, with all projects, plans and finances needing government approval and strict quotas placed on the number of missionaries allowed. Yet reinforcements are needed. Pray for visas, patience with red tape, and strategic usefulness for the small missionary force in a pressurized situation. The largest agencies are Assoc. of Baptists for World Evangelization (53), Norwegian Santal Mission (49), Scandinavian Pentecostals (36), Mennonite Central Committee (35), ABMSBMS (23), Interserve (15), SBC (14) and SIM (12).
10. Christian literature is in great demand because of the hunger created by: a) Mass distribution by Young Christian Workers, EHC, UBS and ABWE, the latter with a large Literature Division. b) Bible Correspondence Courses run by SIM and others; the former have a staff of 10 in six centres processing over 2,000 papers a month. Pray for these and all efforts to follow up contacts, and for many to be added to the churches. Pray for inspired, national writers and for efficient production of suitable evangelistic and teaching literature and books.
11. Distribution of Scriptures -- portions and sales of Bibles have risen year by year. Pray specifically for: a) The Bible Society and its extensive ministry of production and distribution of Scriptures. b) The wise distribution of the New Testament in the Bengali Muslim dialect. Many copies have been distributed since 1981. It has been well received and appreciated by Muslims, but there has been opposition from some churches. A temporary ban on its import in 1990 enhanced sales. Pray for the completion of the Old Testament. c) The translation of the Bible into tribal languages. At least six, possibly nine, translations are needed; work is in progress in three of these.
12. Christian Media are important since a high proportion of the population is illiterate. Pray for effective outreach through: a) Radio. Christian broadcasters (TWR, FEBC and FEBA) transmit eight hours a week in Bengali and 88 hours in English. Pray especially for the production of suitable and sufficient programmes for the non-Christian majority. b) The Jesus film. This is available in Bengali, Assamese and Santali, and has been used among Hindus and Muslims with good response. Pray for effective training programmes for those who use the film -- both in maintaining the equipment and effectively using the film for church planting. Pray for freedom to show the film in villages and for protection for the operators. c) Cassettes. GRn have a team of recordists working on master tapes in indigenous languages; 21 languages have been recorded. Pray for the completion of the recordings and effective use of the finished product.

COUNTRY :BARBADOS
Population	272,000
Peoples	Afro-Caribbean 95.4%. European 4%. Asian 0.6%.
Literacy	98%. Official language: English.
Cities	Capital: Bridgetown 102,000. Urbanization 45%.
Economy	Tourism, sugar and light industries are the mainstays of the economy. Incomeperson $5,990 (28% of USA).
Politics	Parliamentary government since 1647. Independent from Britain in 1966.
Religion	Complete freedom of religion. Non-religious other 9%. Baha'i 0.6%. Muslim 0.36%. Hindu 0.25%. Christian 89.8%. Affil 71.7%. Growth -0.4%. Protestant 79.3%. Affil 64.35%. Growth -0.6%. Roman Catholic 7.5%. Affil 4.4%. Growth 0.8%. Marginal 3%. Affil 2.9%. Growth 2.4%.
1. Since 1627, Barbados has been Protestant. Despite religious profession and many Evangelicals, real commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ is rare. Materialism, decreasing church attendance, increased violence and crime are the symptoms of spiritual malaise. Pray for the renewal of God's people and a spiritual awakening throughout the country.
2. Opposition to the gospel is strong. Sinister attempts have been made by Satanist prayer groups in other lands to destroy churches and pastors in Barbados. Muslim evangelism has become more aggressive, and Eastern religions more vocal. Pray that God's people may have wisdom and courage to counteract these assaults, and may commit themselves to earnest prayer.
3. Young people must be transformed by the power of the gospel to lift them above spiritual lukewarmness and the pervasive immorality, for 73% of all births are illegitimate and only 13% of adults are legally married. Pray that churches may offer effective programmes for children and youth. Pray also for the ministry of CEF among children, as well as for the efforts of ISIUCF(IFES) in schools and colleges.
4. Goals for 2000. The New Testament Church of God and Pentecostal Assemblies have set bold church-planting goals. Pray for a greater vision for evangelism and missions within all churches.