If you listen to the news regularly, you get
lots of bad news every single evening from all
over the globe. Well, today it brings me incredible
joy to share with you where God is working through
Living on the Edge all over the globe. You do
not want to miss this. Welcome to this edition
of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We are
an international discipleship ministry devoted
to helping Christians worldwide live out their
faith for the glory of God and the benefit of
all people. I'm Dave Drury, and over the past
few weeks, Chip's been teaching through the Book
of Philippians, but today we're pushing pause
on that study to do something a little different.
Andrew Icardi is with me in studio now. He leads
our international team here at Living on the
Edge. Andrew, thanks for joining us, and I'm
really excited for you to share the unbelievable
ways God is using this ministry all over the
globe. And to help you do that, you have a handful
of friends with you. So take it away. Great to
be with you, Dave. Today's a special broadcast
for me because I have our entire leadership team
here with me today. Hello, everyone. Hi, Andrew.
Great to be with you. Hi, everyone. It's good
to be here with you. I'll introduce you to each
of them in a minute, but first, you know, if
you've listened to our broadcast for a while,
you've probably picked up by now that Living
on the Edge is all about discipleship. We want
to help Christians live like Christians. We want
to help you grow closer to God, and that's what
we're all about. You know, in the United States,
we do that primarily through this broadcast.
We are on about 1 ,100 radio towers here in the
U .S. and, of course, on the podcast or on the
app or streaming. But overseas, we help Christians
live like Christians by investing in pastors
and church leaders. In fact, we say a church
will rise and fall on the spiritual leadership
of the pastor and the strength of its disciples.
And so today we're going to take a quick tour
of the world to give you an update on the ministry
of Living on the Edge and how it's impacting
pastors all around the world. I know some of
you have your finger hovering on your cell phones
right now wondering if you want to skip this
episode or not, or you're wondering if you want
to change the channel from your radio, but I
just want to encourage you. When you hear what
God is doing around the world, it gives you an
idea of what God can do in your life. God is
in the miracle business of overcoming obstacles.
And so if you listen, I just think you will receive
a lot of great encouragement for your life. Okay,
so let's start the tour. Ronald Raj is with us,
and he leads our work in Southeast Asia. That
includes Nepal, it includes the Gulf states,
but also India. And Ronald, you've been in the
marketplace for many years. God's called you
into the ministry. And you've been traveling
all across India. What are you seeing right now?
What's impacting the church in India? Well, thank
you, Andrew. It's such a pleasure to share what
God's doing in India. But let me set the context
first. Over 1 .2 billion people in India still
lack access to the gospel. That's nearly one
in six people on the planet. We are... the largest
mission field on the earth. India is home to
about 2 ,100 unreached people groups, and this
is the context we have in terms of the opportunity
the harvest is really ripe. While the church
is growing, the pressure is also mounting for
us. India ranks number 11 in the world for Christian
persecution. Pastors are being arrested. churches
are being burned, and new anti -conversion laws
are making disciple -making dangerous. But here's
the miracle, God is still moving. Since COVID,
nearly 90 ,000 pastors and leaders have been
trained, and in the next few years, we aim to
train over 300 ,000 more. Through them, we believe
you'll see about 40 million believers, disciples,
and 1 .2 million new souls added to the kingdom.
I'm honestly not sure if any other ministry has
this kind of an impact and a reach like Living
on the Edge. The sense of urgency that we have
to move into areas is amplified in what really
happened in Manipur. It was a tragic ethnic and
religious conflict. In 2023, a deadly ethnic
conflict broke out in Manipur between the Hindu
majority Maitis and the Christian minority Kukis.
About 200 lives were lost. 70 ,000 people were
displaced, most of them Christians. 400 plus
churches were destroyed. About 7 ,000 homes were
burnt down. and 100 villages were razed to the
ground. And when we see these heart -wrenching
stories, it kind of shakes the soul. And that's
why I'm so glad and so motivated when the Lord
called me to the full -time ministry. It's for
a kingdom cause, a cause that's much bigger than
me, my business, or my family. And when we respond,
we're going to respond by... training pastors
who will go and train other leaders who will
start training the congregation. Hope is restored.
Transformation happens. God is glorified. Kingdom
is built. Amen. You know, when I was in India,
I was just meeting with a pastor, and he just
opened up his cell phone. He starts showing me
pictures of pastors being beaten. And you're
like, wow, this is real life. I got another text
from another leader who said, these are all the
pastors in my network who are in prison right
now. It's like 40. So it's just living on the
edge is attracted to some of the hardest places
in the world. And we're making a difference.
And God is doing things through the ministry
of living on the edge. Absolutely, Andrew. The
window is very narrow. with the general elections
slated for 2029 and several state elections happening
between now and 2029, the window of opportunity
for us to really openly go out and share, train,
raise disciple makers is too narrow. So I hope
we get the sense of urgency for... us at Living
on the Edge and for all our friends and supporters
that we need to rise up to this challenge. Absolutely.
Thanks, Ronald. And that brings us to Patrick
Cuccio, who leads our ministry in Africa. Now,
Patrick, sub -Saharan Africa specifically is
highly Christianized, if we want to call it that,
but that doesn't mean it's not without its challenges
either. Is that right? Absolutely, Andrew. In
fact, I keep wondering whether J .I. Packer,
had Africa in mind when he penned that famous
quote, that the church is 1 ,000 miles long and
half an inch deep. Because I keep wondering,
of the 718 million professing Christians, out
of a population of 2 .4 billion people, where
is the impact? Did these decisions ever translate
into disciples? Your guess is as good as mine.
I don't think it happened. Because if it did
happen, then Africa would be miles ahead of every
other continent. But currently, Africa is home
to many contradictions. So many decisions, very
few disciples. So much wealth in our natural
resources, but abject poverty all over the place.
So many leaders, very little leadership. So this
is a context that you've accurately described,
Andrew, about Africa. You know, I was reading
the Wall Street Journal, and a futurist was asked,
what does the future look like? And he used one
word, Africa. It was interesting because we just
heard Ronald talk about, in India, this closing
window that will be there. And they've got 1
.4 billion people. But Africa, by 2050, will
be the only growing continent. It is a strategic
opportunity for us to grow disciples in Africa.
Absolutely, Andrew. In fact, it is said by 2050,
one out of every four human beings on the planet
is going to be African. So there's every reason
to invest in this young, greening continent.
There is revival. There are thousands of young
people who gather. Tonight, my daughter is just
joining other thousands of young people who are
just gathering together for a night of worship.
And this is happening all over our continent.
God is on the move. You know, in India, there's
a lot of challenges. I think in Africa, we'd
say there are challenges, but there are just
immense opportunities. We're seeing God do some
amazing things in Africa through Living on the
Edge. Can you tell us about some of them? Yes,
Andrew. By the grace of God, through Living on
the Edge, We have equipped over 211 ,000 pastors
across the continent of Africa. Wow. And these
are pastors who are yearning, they are hungry,
they are saying, we know that the challenge Africa
is faced with is one of a discipleship deficit.
And that if we close that discipleship gap, there
will be transformation across Africa. It's interesting,
this year alone, we had 45 leaders. from 23 different
countries gather in Nairobi. And these leaders
represent over 800 ,000 congregations. And all
of them, without exception, say they are willing
to cooperate and collaborate with Living on the
Edge as we help them and equip them to become
disciple -making churches. That moved my heart
a lot because every other evangelist has gone
through Africa. And the decisions have been in
their millions, but the impact has been very
minimal. So yes, God is using living on the edge,
and we are trusting God that by 2030, we will
have equipped close to 500 ,000 pastors. Who
knows? Why not? We'll see what God does with
that. It's just amazing the opportunities we've
been given in three years. We started from scratch,
and God has continually opened doors to us. Thank
you, Patrick. I want to shift now to Alex, and
Alex leads our team in the Middle East. Now,
you should know, however, that Alex is not his
real name. We've changed it for security purposes,
but Alex, it's challenging in the Middle East
to be a believer. Can you tell us why that is?
Yes, indeed, Andrew. Even in the countries which
have... formal Christian existence, Christians
become persecuted for their faith. And of course,
it gets harder and harder if they are living
in Muslim background countries or countries that
don't allow the freedom of worship as you are
used to in the West. I'm lucky that I live in
one of the countries which allow the nationals
to be Christians because I was born in a Christian
family, but so many other people in the Arab
world, especially in the North Africans and And
some Gulf countries don't have this blessing.
So what happens if somebody becomes a believer
from a Muslim background in the Middle East,
in most Middle Eastern countries? In many of
the countries in the Middle East and North Africa,
when their direct family might know that they
are changing their face, they might persecute
them. They may kick them out of the house if
it is a husband or a wife. Their partner, even
by law, have the right to divorce them because
for them they are an infidel. The second level
of persecution that they face can be from the
government if they are reported in some countries
or if someone reports them directly wanting to
harm them. They can face imprisonment for a long
time that can vary from one year to three years
to even six years or more in some countries.
The third level of persecution that people face
is from the general society or the community.
So it's really a challenge. But the most encouraging
thing, Andrew, is that so many people are taking
faith in Christ as something that they cherish
so much, as something that is really valuable,
and they pay a very high price for it. In the
last year, I could say, Andrew, we have seen
So many churches asking for training for the
pastors and training for the leaders because
they want to become disciples. They want to have
discipleship material to be able to disciple
others. And it is honestly not only happening
in the countries which have formal... church
and Christian existence, but also even in the
underground churches in so many countries like
Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and even in the Gulf
region, we are seeing so many people are crying
for help. I can say, Andrew, that in the last
year, We have seen over 1 ,700 people trained
with the Roman 12 model of discipleship. We have
seen over 600 people receiving the Art of Survival
training. People want to become disciples themselves
and they want to lead their churches, to become
disciple -making churches. We have seen this
happening with churches, with... pastors, with
leaders who lead formal churches in many countries,
and also with pastors and leaders who lead underground
churches in their own homes. You know, it's just
so important to note here, because we've just
talked about India and Africa and these just
gigantic numbers. But I have to tell you, when
you're talking about 600 or 1 ,700 leaders coming
together, This is a huge percentage of leaders
in the Middle East. There's just not that many
of them. That's very true because, you know,
if we talk about, for example, the churches,
the places where we know. that have Bible -believing
churches from different denominations and different
backgrounds are not so many churches. In Egypt,
we have a little over 1 ,000 churches. In places
like Lebanon, we have no more than 100 churches.
In Syria, there are around 70 churches. In Jordan,
it's about the same. In Iraq... In the other
countries that don't have formal church existence,
like Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia and Libya,
you're talking only about a few thousand believers
here and there. And maybe you're talking about
15, 20 churches in Morocco, 10 churches in Tunisia.
But what you are saying is really significant,
Andrew. The percentage of people being affected
by this kind of teaching is great and very encouraging.
shows that we are headed in the right direction
to equip God's kingdom for learning more how
to become disciples and disciple -making people.
You know, when I think about the numbers you
just mentioned, I live in Gwinnett County, Georgia.
There are probably more churches in Gwinnett
County, Georgia, than in all of the Middle East.
Let's just think about that for a second. And
yet God is opening the door to living on the
edge to go into these churches that exist to
make them stronger. And for those that are underground,
we're helping them become disciple makers. As
I've mentioned before, we're attracted to hard
places. The Middle East is not a place of big
numbers, but it's a place that's important. It's
close to God's heart. I really believe that.
Let's shift now over to Latin America and David
Tamez. David oversees all of Latin America for
us, but for our time here, we're going to focus
on Mexico. So, David, with all the upheaval with
immigration, crime, fentanyl, these are all the
things we hear on the news of the relationship
between the U .S. and Mexico. There are real
struggles for pastors in Mexico, aren't there?
Yes, exactly. Everything is changing and the
news is not encouraging. In Mexico, for instance,
pastors and churches are facing many challenges
that hinder their mission, including violence
and insecurity, which create a fearful environment
for their worship services. Additionally, social
and political polarization leads... to a lack
of unity among different denominations. And many
pastors struggle with lack of resources and training
impacting their leadership. And that's why they
are looking at our ministry for help. When we
were in Mexico and listening to one of our leaders
there, he said some of our pastors had to pass
gang checkpoints just to get to our training.
And that's not everywhere. But this is a real
issue for pastors to deal with in Mexico, isn't
it? Yes, it's true. And I'm glad that you're
talking about Mexico because I was born in Mexico
and it's sad for me to see what's going on mainly
on the border with Mexico and the United States.
According to statistics, there are probably half
a million refugees. Living in despair and in
the midst of this situation is where our ministry
and local churches are trying to help. For instance,
there is one in Mexico, a pastor that said, there
was a time when I believed my ministry was coming
to an end. And I had tried many strategies, but
nothing seemed to bring results. I was ready
to give up. And I had the opportunity to attend
one of your seminars. of the high -impact church
in my city. Thanks to the inspiring insight and
practical advice, I have seen a remarkable transformation
in our church. These are the kind of testimonies
that we are getting every day from churches in
Mexico and other countries in Latin America.
I just want to keep saying it again and again.
We work with pastors because they're the ones
who have influence in their churches and in their
communities. And these churches are overwhelmed.
And so we come alongside them to help them make
disciples. Yes, our records show that over 29
,000 pastors and leaders have been successfully
trained across Mexico and other nearby countries,
including Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, El
Salvador, Costa Rica, and others. We are aware
that other barriers might come, but we believe
that by leading a Christ -centered life, individuals
can inspire others to follow. Discipleship is
not just about teaching, but about actively demonstrating
faith in ways that reflect the love and grace
of Jesus. So I'm here to say that there is hope
because our training programs are actually working
and making a difference in the countries that
we are serving right now. Pastors who used to
feel lost and helpless are now confident and
full of new and practical ideas on how to lead
their churches. We are seeing... Lives and communities
change for the better. Even local churches and
border cities are becoming safe places where
people can find salvation and hope for their
families. That's just amazing, David, what God
does in these difficult places and how He brings
redemption and hope. So thank you for what you're
doing. Amen. You know, it is hard work. I am
convinced that God always chooses. He's the best
warrior for the greatest battles. But we know
with prayer and with your faithful support, we
can change the world one day at a time. Amen,
David. You know, thanks for sharing all the wonderful
things that God's doing through Living on the
Edge in Mexico and all around Latin America.
Well, I hope our little trip around the world
has encouraged you and opened your eyes to the
profound ways this ministry is making an eternal
impact on believers and church leaders everywhere.
You know, by God's grace, we've trained and resourced
nearly 440 ,000 pastors over the last few years.
And in the next few years, our goal is to see
that number climb to 3 million. And that's where
you come in. When you partner with Living on
the Edge financially, it is like you are going
with us into these communities and churches that
are desperate for spiritual nourishment. And
you'd be surprised at how little it takes to
support these pastors. You know, we've discovered
that $10 can provide these church leaders with
resources, training, and this much -needed encouragement.
And so a gift of $100 can impact the lives and
well -being of 10 pastors. And when a pastor
is spiritually healthy, They produce Christians
who live like Christians. And then those Christians
go out and become difference makers in their
communities and countries. And right now, during
our mid -year match, your gift goes twice as
far to help even more church leaders around the
globe. So would you please pray about what God
would have you do to partner with us? Lord, we're
so grateful that you have opened the doors. all
around the world to Living on the Edge. And I
pray your great blessing on the ministry as we
help pastors become healthy pastors. And we thank
you for all of our financial partners who will
help us help these men and women all around the
world. Amen. Amen. Thanks, Andrew. You've been
listening to a special edition of Living on the
Edge with Chip Ingram. I'm Dave Drewy. And if
you were inspired by today's program and want
to partner with us in supporting pastors worldwide,
like Andrew said, now is the perfect time. Every
gift we receive between now and June 30th will
be matched dollar for dollar. So be part of our
mid -year match and help us provide resources
and training to these discouraged church leaders.
Visit livingontheedge .org or call us at 888
-333 -6003 to learn how. That's 888 -333 -6003
or go to livingontheedge .org. App listeners,
tap donate. And thanks in advance for doing whatever
God leads you to do. Hey, one more thing before
we go. Do you want to deepen your connection
to God amid your busy life? Then take Chip with
you by subscribing to our daily podcast. With
a few simple taps on your phone, you can access
the full -length versions of our latest series.
And if you're always on the go, download a handful
and listen to them at your own pace. Let us help
you grow your faith. Search for Living on the
Edge with Chip Ingram today wherever you listen
to podcasts. Well, thank you for listening to
this edition of Living on the Edge with Chip
Ingram. I'm Dave Drewy, and I hope you'll join
us again next time.