Advent: A Season of Light and Invitation | the Reach December 2025

by | Dec 17, 2025 | Biblical/Missional

Dear Friends,

This Advent season, as with every Advent, we hold the tension of promise and
fulfillment. The Light has come—and yet the world yearns for redemption. Christmas is not merely a tradition, but the announcement of a kingdom—a kingdom that calls us to rise, to shine, and to join God’s mission of hope in a world longing for good news.

And this is the good news, the greatest news, in fact, that our global workers are sharing this season and throughout the year among those who have little to no access to the gospel.

Behind the scenes, God is moving in remarkable ways.

Just a few days ago, in a South Asian country, a room full of first-time participants at a sports camp heard the gospel and experienced Christian fellowship in a culture where faith in the God of the Bible often faces opposition. In Central Asia, medical teams are trekking into remote mountain villages with portable equipment—not only to heal bodies but to share the hope of Christ where few have heard His name. In the Maldives, believers are interceding for Malé, a city of over 250,000 souls, asking God to breathe life and peace into a land where gospel witness is scarce. In the Middle East, a young couple came to faith in Jesus and last month named their newborn daughter after the WO worker whom they came to love. And here at home in the U.S., many diaspora peoples from Muslim backgrounds are encountering Christian hospitality for the first time this month.

These glimpses remind us that the kingdom of God is advancing—not through headlines or power plays, but through quiet acts of faithfulness, prayer, and generosity. Advent invites us to join that story. It is a season to lift our eyes beyond the consumerism and chaos, to see the world as God sees it: broken yet beloved, waiting for redemption.

The brokenness is real. Across our family of global workers, many are about to have their first Christmas missing a dear loved one who passed this year. Many wait for healing—physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational. So, while we can see gospel light breaking through, we also recognize the dark valley many have walked through. Thankfully, our Messiah and Lord goes with us, knowing that road better than we do, and shows us the way.

How can we respond?

  • Pray: For the light to break through the darkness among the least reached people of the world—over 3 billion who still have no access to a Bible in their heart language, a Believer, or a Body (a church). Pray for strength, rest, healing, and provision for our global workers.
  • Give: Consider a year-end gift to support a global worker, medical outreach in Central Asia, or help finish the sports training center.
  • Invite: Perhaps God is calling you to open your home this Christmas to a neighbor who has never experienced gospel hospitality. Your table could be a place of Christian grace for the first time in their lives.

The gospel is not advice but the greatest news that changes everything. It’s the announcement that Jesus is Lord, and that reality reshapes our lives and our world. This Advent, we savor and behold Christ as our greatest treasure, and we have the privilege of reflecting His light and glory. We proclaim His kingdom and hope to our weary world—the King has come, and His kingdom is growing.

Thank you for standing with us in prayer and partnership. Together, we are telling the best story in the world.

In Christ’s hope,

Gabriel de Guia
Executive Director
EPC World Outreach

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Greg Livingstone | the Reach October 2025

by | Nov 17, 2025 | Biblical/Missional, Engage2025

Dear Friends,

“Greg Livingstone was one of God’s wonders. He always had ideas that no one else ever imagined. He always placed his hands to the plow and encouraged everyone. As Coordinator for Engage 2025, he gave a dimension that I as director didn’t have to give, along with an experienced enthusiasm and joy for a monumental endeavor. Greg was a personal friend and delight.”
George Carey, former EPC World Outreach Director (2009-2014)

On July 19, 2025, Greg Livingstone entered the presence of our Heavenly Father. Above all, Greg was a passionate follower of Jesus with an unwavering heart to share the Good News with those who had never heard. As World Outreach Executive Director, Gabriel de Guia, put it:

For more than six decades, Greg championed the cause of bringing the gospel to unreached peoples, and his influence on global missions—and on the EPC in particular—has been immeasurable. Through his teaching, personal mentoring, and strategic partnership with EPC World Outreach, Greg helped ignite within our denomination a deep burden for the nations and a passion to send workers where the Church is not yet present.

In EPC World Outreach’s infancy, the denomination consulted Ralph D. Winter, the renowned American missiologist, on the direction the new denominational mission agency should take. He advised, “You should go to the Muslim world; all the easy places are taken!” World Outreach followed that counsel and early on committed itself to Muslim peoples.

Greg had long felt an unshakable call to the Muslim world, and he and his wife Sally were drawn to World Outreach for this reason. In the early 1980s—around the time Greg founded Frontiers—they joined EPC World Outreach as global workers. For nearly two decades, they served stateside, building Frontiers, mobilizing churches, and ministering faithfully in the EPC, before moving to pioneer ministry in East Asia in the early 2000s.

Among Greg’s many roles in World Outreach was serving as Coordinator of Engage 2025. Launched in 2010, the Engage 2025 initiative called every EPC presbytery to adopt an unreached Muslim people group by the year 2025. By God’s grace, all 16 presbyteries are participants in what is now simply called “Engage.” We have reached 2025, and the work continues in large part because of Greg’s leadership.

One World Outreach field worker, who launched in 2004, observed the dramatic impact Engage 2025 had on him and his team. Before Engage 2025, he felt lonely, isolated, and forgotten by the denomination. However, he said, “When the Engage 2025 initiative was launched, Greg saw an opportunity for a presbytery to adopt us and the people we serve as their Engage 2025 field instead of going through the process of raising up a team on their own. It was a ‘win, win, win’ solution for everyone: us, the presbytery, and more importantly, the denomination.”

World Outreach’s early focus on unreached Muslim people groups was unusual among denominational mission agencies. One worker recalled, “In the early years, this rallied many of the churches coming into the EPC who were not used to a missions focus and involvement. So many churches were inspired, joined in, sent mission workers to Muslim people groups, and supported World Outreach in this unique focus.” Engage 2025 multiplied and intensified that energy.

Greg’s love for Jesus, Muslim people, and the EPC converged in his work with World Outreach. He longed to see the Church fully engaged in Christ’s command to make disciples. EPC World Outreach worker and longtime friend Shawn Stewart commented, “What I hope the whole EPC and World Outreach community will remember is how Greg stuck with the Church and this denomination. . . . He stayed in the arena, calling us higher, praying with us, challenging us with that daredevil, youth-worker like heart of his.”

The EPC community continues to feel the ripple effects of Greg’s ministry. EPC Stated Clerk Dean Weaver shared, “Greg challenged, sharpened, and encouraged me as a leader. He was passionate about the Gospel and laser focused on the largest and most difficult group of people on the planet to reach. We are forever indebted to him for his vision and leadership, and each of us are the grateful inheritors of his legacy.”

Tim Harris, EPC World Outreach worker and author of Loving Your Muslim Neighbor, recalled texting Greg a few weeks before his passing, thanking Greg for how he loved Jesus, his family, and the lost. Greg responded, “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.” Amen.

Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-39). Greg embodied these words. He ran his race with endurance and now knows the fullness of joy in the presence of our Savior. May we follow in his steps, loving God and neighbor.

Celebration of Life

Greg’s celebration of life will take place at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, CA, on November 15 at 11 am. You are invited to join in worship and remembrance, and can RSVP here by October 30th, so that planners can prepare for catering. While this is a public event, it will not be livestreamed to protect the identity of some who will contribute during the service.

If you would like to provide your tribute or condolences, please post them here: Kudoboard (password Greg2025). These messages will be collected and printed as a book for the Livingstone family. 
 

Greg Livingstone Award

We are pleased to announce the Greg Livingstone Award! Through his teaching, personal mentoring, and strategic partnership with EPC World Outreach, Greg helped ignite within our denomination a deep burden for the nations and a passion to send workers where the Church is not yet present.

In his honor, at the 46th General Assembly, EPC WO plans to give The Greg Livingstone Award to recognize an EPC church doing exceptional work serving and living out the mission of God and His heart for the nations.  Would you like to nominate a church? Nominations are due by December 31, 2025.

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A Lifeline | the Reach June 2025

by | Sep 29, 2025 | Biblical/Missional, Mission Story

Dear Friends,

In the dusty outskirts of a conflict-torn city, Anna sat alone on the rooftop of her small apartment. Below her, life bustled in a language she still struggled to understand after two years. She had come full of passion to serve, to love, to bring the hope of the Gospel. But that night, with rockets echoing in the distance and the weight of culture shock pressing down on her, she felt more alone than ever.

Anna is not unique. She represents thousands of missionaries who serve in cross-cultural, high-risk environments—where trauma, spiritual warfare, and isolation are often daily realities. The call to follow Christ to reach the unreached is difficult. These people groups and places are unreached for a reason, because they are difficult, often dangerous places—even just to reach, let alone to live and work in. Without intentional and ongoing Care, that calling can quickly become a crushing burden.

Member Care refers to the provision of spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical support for missionaries. It’s not a luxury; it’s a lifeline.  And it matters—for their health, their effectiveness, and their longevity on the field.

Emotional Health is often the first casualty in the mission field. Culture shock, homesickness, exposure to suffering, and sometimes hostility take a toll. In Anna’s case, the lack of a safe space to process trauma led to chronic anxiety. Had it not been for a visiting Member Care worker who recognized the signs and walked with her through healing, Anna might have returned home prematurely, convinced she had failed.

Spiritual Health also needs tending. Missionaries pour themselves out in service, often with little opportunity for being spiritually refilled. Without intentional care—retreats, mentorship, coaching, debriefing, and accountability—it’s easy for their wells to run dry. Anna admitted that her passion for prayer had withered under the demands of survival. But through a Member Care provider that offered guided spiritual retreats and regular pastoral check-ins, she began to rediscover the joy of abiding in Jesus—not just in the work of ministry.

Physical Health is another area where support makes a difference. Many missionaries endure harsh climates, lack of access to medical care, and the physical exhaustion that comes with constant adaptation. A well-functioning Member Care system includes not only mental, emotional, and spiritual care but providing access and consultations for physical health, crisis plans, and even furlough planning to ensure missionaries are not only surviving but thriving.

But perhaps the most overlooked benefit of Member Care is longevity. Research and experience show that missionaries who have someone to turn to during struggles are significantly more likely to stay long-term. They are not immune to hardship, but they are equipped to endure it. Anna, once on the brink of burnout, is now mentoring younger workers in the same region—because someone made it their mission to care for her.

If we in the EPC are to take the Great Commission seriously, we must also take seriously the care of those who go. Sending is only part of the equation. Sustaining is the other. Member Care isn’t just about keeping missionaries on the field—it’s about keeping them whole.

Let us be the ones who hold the ropes, who provide the anchor in the storm, so that those on the frontlines can stand strong—for the long haul.

By Chris Gibson, Director of Member Care

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Starting Small | the Reach May 2025

by | Sep 29, 2025 | Biblical/Missional, Church Partnership

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CORINTH, MS

Dear Friends,

It began with one. One missionary our church supported. Supporting this one missionary started a ripple effect—leading the church to build a plethora of meaningful relationships and actively participate in the growth of God’s Kingdom around the world.
 
About 35 years ago, the church I serve began supporting a single missionary with whom it had a personal connection—she was from the same small town where the church was located. That missionary is still serving on the field today. Over the years, the church has taken numerous trips to visit and serve alongside her. Today, that same church provides prayer and financial support to over 50 missionaries serving across the globe. It has been a powerful experience for me, as well as for all who have traveled to visit these workers.
 
In life, the most remarkable transformations often begin with the smallest of actions, ideas, or events. What may seem insignificant at first can grow into something far greater than initially imagined. This concept is evident in many aspects of life, from nature’s cycles to personal achievements, societal changes, and of course in God’s Kingdom. A single seed, planted with care, can grow into a towering tree; a modest idea, nurtured with passion, can evolve into an influential movement. Understanding how something small can become something bigger reveals the power of growth, persistence, and the potential for transformation in all aspects of life.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
Matthew 13:31-32

Jesus told this parable to encourage people to have faith and to seek small ways to be useful in God’s Kingdom. I have seen firsthand how powerful this can be through providing prayer and financial support to missionaries around the world. A church in a small town can make a lasting impact for God’s Kingdom. It begins with one.

If you are part of a church—no matter the size—you can join in this exponential work: 

  • Start small. Begin with one. Support one missionary with whom your church has some kind of connection.
  • Every prayer matters. Keep your missionary in front of your congregation with regular updates and prayer requests.
  • Every dollar helps. Even a small gift can greatly encourage a worker on the field. Start by designating just 1% of the church’s budget to missions, with the goal of increasing it each year.
  • Contact World Outreach. There are many ways churches can partner with World Outreach to support global workers and reach unreached neighbors in the U.S.
  •  

By getting your church involved, our God will expand your world and bless you in ways you never imagined.

– By Pastor Waring Porter
First Presbyterian Church (FPC)
Corinth, MS

GROUP FROM FCP VISITNG AND SERVING WITH MISSIONARIES THEY SUPPORT

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Bridging the Gap | the Reach February 2025

by | Sep 8, 2025 | Biblical/Missional

Dear Friends,

“How can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” (Romans 10:14 NLT)

When she heard the pastor’s announcement, she was indignant. Their church would be hosting a Muslim outreach seminar? Not if she had anything to say about it. After service, she approached her pastor and made her opinion clear. “My husband and I don’t want that seminar in our church,” she told the pastor. Surprised, he responded that it was all about evangelism—sharing the Good News with Muslim people. She was undeterred, “I don’t care. We don’t want anything about Muslims in our church!”

Perhaps motivated by fear or anger, this woman was deeply uncomfortable with the idea of a weekend seminar about Muslim outreach. She lived in a small, midwestern town, and while she knew a Muslim population lived nearby, she had never before interacted with them. Despite her reluctance, she participated in the weekend seminar called Bridging the Gap.

What she learned there changed her life. Led by World Outreach workers and authors Timothy and Miriam Harris, Bridging the Gap equips Jesus followers with the tools and knowledge necessary to reach out to their Muslim neighbors. They host sessions such as, “God is Moving in the Muslim World,” and “Muslims are People Like You and Me – They Just Need Jesus.” For many American believers, this is the first time they encounter love-based, comprehensive information about effective outreach to Muslim people.

The first half of the weekend is spent on instruction and teaching, and the second half allows the participants to interact with their Muslim neighbors. They visit a local mosque where they receive a tour and explanation of Islam from a Muslim perspective, and they finish the day by eating at a restaurant owned and operated by Muslims.

Timothy shared that these believers end the seminar with answers to important questions such as, “What are the cultural practices of Muslims that Christians should learn about to effectively build bridges with them? How can Christians have sincere, honest faith and life conversations with Muslims? What are some questions for heart-to-heart dialogue/conversation between Muslims and Christians?”

After a full weekend of instruction and relationship building, the same woman who adamantly opposed the seminar came up to Timothy and said, “I just want you to know that this weekend has been transformational in my life.”

The Lord changed this woman’s heart, and there is great hope in that. 1 in 4 people in the world are Muslims, but over 80% of them do not know a single Christian. As each hour passes in the seminar, Timothy witnesses the participants’ demeanors change as they grow in understanding toward Muslim people and catch God’s heart for them.

So how can you get involved in your own community? Here are some practical tips:

  • It begins with prayer. Pray and ask the Lord to burden your heart for the salvation of Muslim people.
  • Get outside your comfort zone and find a halal (like kosher in the Jewish tradition) restaurant or Middle Eastern market in your community and engage with the people working there.
  • Grab a copy of Loving Your Muslim Neighbor by WO’s Timothy and Miriam Harris and learn practical tips from stories from across the Midwest to the Middle East.
  • If you think your own congregation would benefit from a Bridging the Gap seminar, contact the World Outreach office at wo@epcwo.org or 407.930.4239 for more information.

Don’t wait. Begin this week, begin today, to reach across the divide, bridge the gap, and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those who have never heard.

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Emmanuel, God with Us | the Reach December 2024

by | Dec 17, 2024 | Biblical/Missional

Dear Friends,

Carols, cookies, lights. Calendars with mystery surprises on the other side of 24 tiny doors, and the lighting of candles on the wreath. This season holds much celebration and tradition. My family and I love all of it. Advent and Christmas are our favorite times of year.

Advent begins the Christian Liturgical Year in the West, a practice of intentionally waiting for and anticipating the birth of Jesus. As we light the four candles in the weeks before Christmas, churches worldwide will reflect on the themes of Peace, Hope, Joy, and Love before culminating with the lighting of the Christ candle.

When I think about our global workers and ministry partners, I rejoice with those who have celebrated sweet gifts of new life this year—the desire for baptism from a new first-generation believer, the birth of a grandchild, a church planted.

However, this season can also be immersed in pain, loss, anger, and fear, with loved ones walking a path in the shadow of death in so many ways—deaths of people, dreams, hopes, and plans. I am acutely aware of the heartache that often hides behind all the decorative lights and cheer. Certain sobering pleas for prayer still echo in my mind from this year:

“Angry rioters are roaming the streets burning churches. We are locked inside, praying they pass us by.”

“The floods are the worst they’ve been in the history of our country. Hundreds of people from our churches have lost their homes. Please pray for us!”

“The bombings, destruction, death… everyone has been traumatized.”

“My father passed away unexpectedly.”

“My daughter has cancer.”

Advent’s Peace, Hope, Joy, and Love? Can they really experience that in the midst of so much uncertainty?

But then, that’s exactly how and why our Savior came.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Isaiah 9:6

Jesus came into our fear, uncertainty, pain, and humanity as Emmanual, God with us, to dwell and walk with us in every situation. He knows us and turns our eyes toward His work at the cross and resurrection. And we anticipate His return.

In John 14:27, we read the words of Jesus speaking over his disciples before going to the cross: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

The word for peace often used in scripture is Shalom, which means more than just an absence of conflict, but implies a wholeness and healing of brokenness (learn more at the Bible Project).

The trials and turmoil in this world and in our lives are not surprising to the Lord. Christ also said, in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” And He has overcome. Emmanuel came.

  • He answered those prayers for the rioters to pass by and kept our workers safe.
  • The flood waters receded, and through the International Disaster Relief Fund, the EPC provided housing materials and meals for hundreds of families.
  • Ongoing trauma care and relief continues in war-torn Lebanon.
  • A daughter is in remission.

There are other scenarios where we still wait or sense the darkness. Even so, it is not without light because He is with us. The gospel continues to go forth as His church endures, grows, and bears fruit.

May we look to Christ to be our peace while we both praise Him and wait on Him. May we experience the restoration and Shalom of Christ in our lives. May we work together in the bringing of that Shalom to others.

I pray His Peace, Hope, Joy, and Love fill you in deeper ways this Christmas and throughout the coming year.

 

Gabriel de Guia

Executive Director
EPC World Outreach

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