March Newsletter to Focus on North Korea

When I took on the role of Chief Executive Officer of VOMC in January, one of my new responsibilities was becoming the editor of our monthly newsletter. This is one of the most enjoyable and challenging aspects of my ministry, as our newsletter is our flagship publication. It is the most important communications vehicle that we have and I encourage every Canadian Christian to subscribe to it. There is no magazine like it in the country.

One of the more demanding aspects of working on the newsletter is that the work never ends. We have to work months in advance at times, arranging articles, pictures, interviews, etc. Presently, we are busy working on the March edition which will be focusing on the persecution facing Christians in North Korea. We hear so little from about the church in this totalitarian regime that often heads the lists of top persecuting nations in the world. So I am pleased that we can focus on North Korea in March.

Let me tell you about some of the things we have planned. We have a wonderful article written by one of my colleagues (and a good friend) from our sister mission in the United States, Todd Nettleton, in which he shares about North Koreans who escape to China, become Christians and then return to their homeland in order to share the gospel. Their stories of courage in the face of incredible danger are almost unbelievable. I know that you will be touched and challenged by this article. We will also be sharing how you can more effectively pray for the church in North Korea.

Starting in January, we introduced two new features to our monthly newsletter. "Partners in Action" shares how specific individuals and churches are standing up, stepping up and speaking up for the Persecuted Church. In "That's a Good Question" we address questions from our readers. In the March edition, we address the question whether reporting on persecution promotes, even inadvertently, intolerance towards people of other religions.

Please do not think that you are getting the whole picture if you are already receiving our weekly Persecution and Prayer Alert email news service. I know that sometimes people believe that if they are getting the P+P Alert, that they don't need to get the newsletter. I have always said that you need both. The P+P Alert provides up-to-date news and prayer requests, but its very nature precludes us from telling the whole story. The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter provides a far wider perspective, focusing on the courage and faith of today's Persecuted Church and how you can respond. If you are not receiving our newsletter, I encourage you to subscribe today by going to http://www.persecution.net/newsletter.htm.