Mission & Mercy Ministry Update - 2025, Issue 12
Table of Contents
Prayer Focus: Praying Through The Headlines
Mission Highlight: Hira Visit To Dayton
Mission Opportunity: Perspectives Coming in January
Mercy Highlight & Opportunity: Fix-It Team
Mercy Highlight: Operation Christmas Child (OCC) Wrap-Up
Mercy Opportunity: Launching Our English as a Second Language (ESL) Ministry
Upcoming UBC Mission Trips: Current opportunities for 2026
Prayer Focus
Praying Through The Headlines
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
As the year comes to an end, we can look back and see many ways that the Lord has blessed us and grown His church throughout the world. We can also see that war and tragedy continue. This month, we focus our prayers on a few of the trouble spots throughout the world. Pray for these conflicts, nations and peoples specifically.
Come, behold the works of the Lord, how He has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah - Psalm 46:8-11
Prayers
Russia-Ukraine War
Pray for a de-escalation of the crisis; that troops from Russia will withdraw; that attacks on cities and towns will cease.
Pray for God to bring about a supernatural breakthrough in talks between Russia and Ukraine; that a peaceful and just solution will be proposed and accepted.
Pray for God’s healing for those wounded by attacks, and comfort for those who are mourning the loss of those they love.
Pray for followers of Jesus to arise as messengers of His hope to the hopeless and the oppressed.
Pray that God would make a way for the gospel to be shared freely and spread throughout Russia
Israel and Conflicts with Gaza (Hamas) & Lebanon (Hezbollah)
Pray for Jews and Arabs alike to find hope in Christ and to find meaningful reconciliation with one another through Him, the Prince of Peace.
Pray for the Jewish people to recognize Jesus as their true Messiah and for the love of Jesus to capture the hearts of Hamas and Hezbollah members.
Pray for Messianic and Palestinian Christians to boldly live out the Gospel.
Pray for God to replace division, fear, and hatred with gospel-rooted love
Pray for leaders in our own government. That they would make the issue of religious freedom and violence against Christians a high priority when meeting and negotiating with leaders of hostile governments.
Sudan: Civil War & Refugee Crisis
Pray for the love of Jesus to transform the hearts of those perpetrating violence and war.
Pray for miraculous provision of healthcare, food, and water.
Pray for the millions of displaced people; that they will find safety and provision, and protection from further violence.
Pray for God to comfort and to emotionally and spiritually restore the traumatized.
Pray for wisdom and protection for the Sudanese church; that they will remain faithful amid persecution and crisis, and that, because of their faith, many will hear the good news of Jesus ChristPray for believers in the United States. That we would not forget our persecuted brothers and sisters and that we, like them, would lift high the name of Jesus, even when it cost us.
Nigeria: Persecution of Christians
Pray for the protection and rescue of the 300+ kidnapped children and staff.
Pray for the Prince of Peace to transform terrorists into disciples of Jesus.
Pray for persecuted believers to courageously represent Christ in the face of suffering.
Pray for biblical truth to demolish division and syncretism in the Church.
Pray that God would raise up missionaries from the south full of the love of Jesus for the north.
Mission Highlight
Hira Visit to Dayton
In November, Hira R (one of our partner missionaries) visited the Dayton/Beavercreek area, spending time here at UBC, as well as at Cedarville University. At Cedarville, Hira talked to a group about what it was like to be a Christian in a predominantly (over 91%) Muslim country and where Christianity is less than 0.5% of the population. He talked about various ways of persecution that the church experiences. Here at UBC, Hira had the opportunity to briefly share at our services at the Beavercreek Campus, and then engaged with U!Kids, an adult class, shared with members at our Gospel Heights Campus, and finally back to share with STUMIN. UBC was an encouragement to Hira as many stopped to talk to him at each of these events. As Hira was leaving on Monday to go towards his next location, he stated it felt as though he was leaving family. Thank you UBC Family for loving on a brother in Christ, allowing him to feel the love of Christ through each of you. Let us continue to lift up Hira, his family, and the rest of our brothers and sisters in South Asia as they continue to be faithful and share the Good News to the unreached.
Mission Opportunity
Perspectives Coming in January
Perspectives is a fifteen-lesson discipleship course that will change the way you view the world around you. Be prepared to have your vision, purpose, and heart challenged as you grasp the "big picture" of what God is doing – in urban & suburban streets of the U.S. and in the cities, rain forests, mountains, and deserts of distant lands. Perspectives isn’t solely about world missions, it is a study program rooted in Scripture to help clarify each believer’s remarkable opportunity to co-labor with God in His global purpose.
If you’ve been thinking about taking Perspectives, 2026 could be your year to finally sign up! There will be TWO classes offered in the Dayton area beginning in January 2026:
Fairhaven Church, Centerville
Sunday afternoons from 3:30-6:00 pm
January 18 - April 26 (Orientation on January 12)
Contact: Sharon VanVlymen, (937) 476-7433 or svanvlymen@fairhaven.church
Emmanuel Baptist Church, Xenia
Thursday evenings from 6:30-9:15 pm
January 22 - April 30 (Orientation on January 15)
Contact: Brenda Eakins, (937) 671-3373 or brenda.eakins.oh@gmail.com
Cost is $250, plus materials
For UBC members or regular attenders, UBC will reimburse half the registration cost upon completion of the course.
Scholarships may also be available. For more information, please stop by the ministry table at our UBC Beavercreek Campus (Main building)
Mercy Highlight
Fix-It Team
The Fix_It team has had a pretty busy fall. Here is a quick update on some of the latest projects:
Took down window shutters and then reinstalled them after they were painted.
Cleared out some old wood from a backyard shed and dispose of it.
Repaired a porch ceiling.
Replaced a kitchen faucet.
Completed a plumbing project
Replaced/built a fence and patched drywall for one of the UBC families the Mitchell’s recently
As of now, the Fix-It has finished all of the projects that were on their back list. They are ready to take on some new ones.
Mercy Highlight
Operation Christmas Child (OCC) Wrap-Up
This past Sunday marked the end of our final collection week, with a combined total of 1,208 boxes from University Baptist Church and Gospel Heights Church!
Thanks to your dedication, we not only met our ambitious goal of 1,000 boxes, but we exceeded it by over 200 boxes! Every single box represents a tangible expression of hope and love that will travel to a child in need across the globe.
Thank you to every volunteer, every donor, and every person who packed a box. Each gift is a planted seed of Christs love, spreading from here in Beavercreek to every corner of the world. Your collective efforts will make a lasting impact for Christ’s Kingdom worldwide!
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations….” (Matthew 24:14)
Mercy Opportunity
Launching Our English as a Second Language (ESL) Ministry
Many of our neighbors who have come from other countries encounter significant challenges when trying to build relationships and connections within our community. These difficulties often stem from language differences and cultural barriers. In response to these needs, our team is excited to announce the launch of a new ESL (English as a Second Language) ministry. This ministry will offer free English classes and provide an opportunity to share Jesus’ love with people from the nations who are now part of our community.
Volunteer Training and Preparation: We are grateful that God has brought 14 dedicated volunteers from UBC to serve in this ministry. These volunteers recently completed an 11-hour teacher training course, which took place on November 7th and 8th. The training was led by a Mission to North America trainer. This organization is committed to serving local churches as they reach out to diverse communities, and also provides ongoing mentorship, resources, and administrative support to ensure the success of our efforts.
ESL Class Schedule and Structure: The ESL classes will officially begin on Tuesday, January 13, and will be held every Tuesday evening through the end of May. To best meet the needs of participants, classes will be organized according to proficiency level: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
How to Get Involved: If you are interested in volunteering with our ESL ministry on Tuesday evenings, or if you would like to support this ministry through prayer, we invite you to contact us for more information and ways to get involved.
Monthly Mission Quote:
"How many there are … who imagine that because Jesus paid it all, they need pay nothing, forgetting that the prime object of their salvation was that they should follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in bringing back a lost world to God."
- Lottie Moon on September 15, 1887, Tungchow
Upcoming Mission Trips
"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news..." Romans 10:15
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How beautiful are your feet?
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"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news..." Romans 10:15 ~ How beautiful are your feet? ~
Planning for 2026 Trips Underway
UBC has wrapped up our short term mission trip opportunities for 2025 and planning is underway for 2026! There are local, national, and global trips offered. You can learn more about some recent UBC trips through “Stories from the Field,” a subseries of our UBC Talking Points podcast. Episodes are available now for the recent trips to Southeast Asia, Namibia, Uganda, and STUMIN trip to Utah. You can find them here.
If you are planning to participate on a mission trip with another organization (e.g. Cedarville’s GO trips), please contact us to let us know more!
If there is a nation or a people group that God has placed on your heart, share it with us. We would love the opportunity to hear and to help you find a trip in the coming year. Reach out to Francisco Jimenez Peña (francisco.jimenezpena@ubcbeavercreek.com).
March 12-22, 2026
Paraguay
Medical trip with ABWE, sharing God’s Love with the Gospel and medical care.More information may be found here.
Contact: Jeff RobinsonJune 11-25, 2026
Uganda
Come help serve South Sudanese refugees as we share the gospel and start discipleship groups. More information may be found here.
Contact: Jim CorbinJuly 31-August 9, 2026
Argentina
Work with Pastor Fabian Santillan and the church plant in La Banda. More information may be found here.
Contact: Jim Corbin
Contact to learn more:
Francisco Jimenez Peña
francisco.jimenezpena@ubcbeavercreek.com
To read past Mission Updates or to get more information about UBC on Mission, visit
https://www.ubcbeavercreek.com/mission-and-mercy-ministries.