The holidays are a joyful, yet challenging time for many missionaries - full of opportunities to share the gospel with people in their community. But they can also magnify feelings of homesickness for some. Their email newsletters, which take time to put together, are a great way to keep in touch, so let them know you appreciate them by sending a quick reply. Pray that many sending churches will let missionaries know they are not forgotten, by sending Christmas email greetings abroad, or even a care package for the New Year with goodies that aren’t easily available in their country. On the mission field, it can be hard to find ways to grow spiritually, especially in areas without a Christian community. If you find a great blog or book your missionary might enjoy, send it to them and pray that the Lord will use it to encourage them in 2016.

Walla! is the second largest internet portal in Israel and is putting Hebrew-language testimonies about Jesus on its front page. 95% of Israelis are hooked into the internet. Walla! is producing a series of 24 live interviews with Messianic Jews about Jesus. A well-known Israeli actress will ask believers questions about faith in Jesus. Topics being discussed are: who are these Messianic Jews? what’s the difference between Messianic Judaism and Christianity? why is the Hebrew New Testament not available in Israeli book stores? and Isaiah 53. Of the multitude of subjects argued and debated in Israel, Jesus is by far the most controversial. Walla! has taken a bold and risky step by promoting interest in Jesus, and Messianic Jews, to their massive audience. There are likely to be repercussions. They’re asking Christians around the world to use their blogs and websites to link to their Walla! Messianic websites to increase exposure and raise their rating on Google’s search engine.

In many countries Christmas is filled with festivities of exchanging gifts and sharing meals with friends and family. A Daily Mail survey found that this year each individual in the UK will on average spend £868 on Christmas food, drink, decorations and presents. According to debit card Switch, people living in Scotland are the most generous when buying presents, averaging £413.80, while those in the South will spend £335.43. Many will use a credit card or loan, and 19% of the people admitted they failed to budget for the festive season. Last year almost half of us used credit cards, store cards and overdrafts to cover the cost of Christmas, and are predicted to do the same this year and suffer a financial hangover in 2016.

Matt Kägi, a Christian teacher, writes, ‘My main concern is that Christians who work as teachers will maintain their conviction and their joy for their profession, and will thus remain as contagious Christians in schools. I believe that the message of Christ - real love - is as core nowadays as it always was. Schools need real Christians who know they are not themselves the authors of their love, but that they may and must receive this love from Christ, and they may and must let Him guide them in their behaviour and actions; Christians who not only give a ‘redeemed impression’ but are redeemed with a contagious joy, which does not depend on circumstances.’ Pray particularly for teachers with more than 50% immigrant students in their classes, and for those working as special education teachers.