Mission & Mercy Ministry Update - 2026, Issue 2
Table of Contents
Prayer Focus: Reaching Our Muslim Neighbors During Ramadan
Mission Highlight: Gospel Opportunities in Local Schools
Mission Opportunity: Engage: Reach the Miami Valley - March 7
Mission Opportunity: Prayer Walks Resume - March 7 & 28
Mission & Mercy Opportunity: Serve at One Bistro -March 25
Mercy Opportunity: Love in Action
Upcoming UBC Mission Trips: Current opportunities for 2026
Prayer Focus
Reaching Our Muslim Neighbors During Ramadan
“How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” Psalm 36:7-9
This month, our prayer focus at UBC is for the hearts of Muslims in our neighborhoods and around the world to find relationship with Jesus Christ. The month of Ramadan offers a unique opportunity to do so.
Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, prayer, and reflection for 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide and occurs during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This year, it began on the evening of Tuesday, February 17 with the observation of the crescent moon and lasts for 29 or 30 days until roughly Wednesday, March 18 depending on the sighting of the moon.
For Muslims, fasting during Ramadan is a compulsory act of worship, one of the five pillars of Islam. No food or water is consumed from sunrise to sunset. The goal of Ramadan is to increase devotion, discipline, and charity.
Breaking the fast each evening is a joyous event enjoyed with family and friends. The iftar meal begins at sunset and includes items such as dates, juice, soup, and various sweets. Before the sun rises in the morning, Muslims wake and eat suhoor, their final meal before another fast.
For some, Ramadan is a religious obligation and an occasion to seek spiritual rewards for their good deeds. For others, it is a time of sacred significance and an opportunity to purify their hearts and overcome sinful behaviors. During Ramadan many Muslims will pray more than the five required daily prayers. Others attempt to read the entire Quran. However, no matter how perfectly practiced, Islam offers no assurance of eternal salvation.
For some, Ramadan’s rules and regulations expose the limitations of Islam. The intense spiritual focus of the season prompts some dissatisfied Muslims to seek truth, and we pray that they will encounter Jesus. Only Christ offers forgiveness and eternal life through His completed work.
Ramadan offers field workers across the Muslim world opportunities to welcome neighbors into their homes to share delicious meals and engage in gospel conversations.
This month throughout the remainder of Ramadan, commit to pray for Muslims to learn about the gift of grace available only through Christ.
Prayers
Pray for Muslim women and men to rest in their pursuit to please God by their works and for them to experience the spiritual rest that comes from trusting Jesus. (Matt 11:28-30)
Pray that God would demonstrate his love and reliability in undeniable ways to Muslims. (Ps 18:2)
Pray for God to provide for the daily physical needs for Muslims in the Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa and for them to find the source of Living Water – Jesus Christ (John 3:13-14).
Pray that workers in the field would have wisdom to point to Jesus as they talk with Muslims about stories that the Bible and the Quran have in common.
Pray for open hearts as field workers share the truth about Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection that Islam does not teach. (John 11:25)
Pray that God would give field workers a profound understanding of local culture in order to talk about spiritual matters in ways that resonate with Muslim men and women.
Frontiers is a mission organization whose mission is to inspire movements to Christ among the least-reached Muslim people groups by sending long-term teams to unreached areas. They have developed a variety of prayer guides you can find here. This year’s focus is about ways God makes His glory known through natural wonders. You can sign up to be emailed daily prayer prompts here: https://frontiersusa.org/allthings.
Mission Highlight
Gospel Opportunities in Local Schools
At UBC and GHC, we are excited to see how the Lord is at work in local schools. Our student believers and leaders supporting school clubs are living out Jesus’ call to be salt and light in the next generation (Matthew 5:13-16). In environments where confusion, pressure, and spiritual darkness often shape young hearts, they step in as a preserving influence and offer a life-giving alternative rooted in truth. Like salt, they seek to add the distinct flavor of the Gospel—bringing joy, belonging, encouragement, and hope into hallways and classrooms. Like light, they intentionally shine through visible acts of love, integrity, and service, and create safe spaces where students can explore faith and encounter God’s truth. It is our prayer that consistent presence, authentic relationships, and bold compassion will awaken a spiritual thirst in students and ultimately bring glory to God.
We’re praising God for how the gospel is moving forward through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Beavercreek High School. Students are boldly living out their faith, opening doors for real conversations about Jesus on campus. One of our UBC high school students has even started a Bible study in his home to reach friends who aren’t able to attend church, creating a welcoming space to explore Scripture together. It’s been incredible to see students take ownership of their faith and step into leadership. God is clearly at work, using young people to reach their peers in powerful ways.
In Huber Heights, GHC has had the opportunity to meet with the Wayne High School basketball teams weekly throughout the season. Men from the church met with the boys’ team and women from the church met with the girls’ team. The leaders shared their testimonies and led group discussions on team building and leadership from a biblical worldview.
Pray for continued opportunities to encourage the youth in local schools and for the youth from UBC and GHC to stand boldly for their faith as they grow in maturity and share the gospel with those around them.
I Timothy 4:12 “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
Mission Opportunity
Engage: Reach the Miami Valley - March 7
Engage the Miami Valley is a missional initiative to equip and mobilize Christ’s followers in gospel-centered churches around the Miami Valley to engage their families, friends, neighbors, co-workers and others with the good news of the gospel.
In the counties where our churches are located, it is estimated that only about 20% of the people have true saving faith. Or put another way, 80% of our neighbors and friends will be eternally separated from God if they were to die. One way we can impact this is by empowering our church members to live out the joy of missions!
As our faith family at UBC helps people become wholehearted followers of Jesus who know Him and make Him known, we are ENGAGED! If you feel as though you may need some help in sharing the good news of the gospel, you can register here for the training that UBC is hosting on Saturday, March 7, 2026, from 12:30 - 3:30 PM. On Saturday, March 28th UBC will be part of the city-wide Prayer Walk to put into practice everything we will learn!
For more information about the locations of the training in other areas of the Miami Valley, please contact jim.corbin@ubcbeavercreek.com or missionsteam@ubcbeavercreek.com.
Mission Opportunity
Prayer Walks Resume - March 7 & 28
The monthly Beavercreek Prayer Walk kicks off on March 7th, meeting at 10:30 am at the front of the main UBC building. We will break into teams and then walk through the neighborhoods surrounding the church. This is a simple way to start being more missional; we simply pray for the community and residents as we walk through, and if we run into someone we’ll tell them we’re from UBC and ask if they have any prayer requests. Everyone is welcome!
On March 28th, there will be a similar opportunity to prayer walk around UBC. However, this time it is being coordinated city-wide! Join us as we unite with like-minded churches all over the greater Dayton area in praying for our city.
To find out more or register for the Beavercreek Prayer Walk, click here, and for the City-Wide Prayer Walk click here.
Mission & Mercy Opportunity
Serve at One Bistro - March 25
UBC has the opportunity to serve at One Bistro on Wednesday, March 25th by sponsoring and serving the community meal. This event offers an excellent opportunity for UBC members to engage with the community, extend compassion, and support One Bistro's mission of providing healthy, affordable meals to all neighbors.
Volunteers are the heart of One Bistro's mission. On March 25th, UBC volunteers will have the opportunity to serve in various capacities including:
Taking Orders: Assisting guests with menu selections and processing orders.
Serving Food: Delivering meals to guests in a courteous and timely manner.
Bussing Tables: Clearing and cleaning tables to ensure a tidy dining area.
Dishwashing: Maintaining cleanliness of dishes and kitchen utensils.
Seating Guests: Welcoming guests and guiding them to available seating.
These roles are essential in creating a hospitable environment where all feel valued and cared for. By volunteering, UBC members will directly contribute to One Bistro's mission of combating food insecurity and fostering community unity. In Greene County, approximately 15% of residents (23,000 people) including 1 in 5 children face food insecurity. Your service helps address these critical needs by ensuring that all neighbors have access to nutritious meals in a dignified setting.
If you would like to volunteer to serve for this community meal, please let us know at mmstaff@ubcbeavercreek.com.
Mercy Opportunity
Love in Action
Love in Action is a mercy ministry with a goal of providing needed support and encouragement to those among us who are experiencing feelings of loneliness or isolation or who just don't know where to turn for a little help with the tasks of life. We want to care for those brought to our attention by being the hands and feet of Jesus, providing fellowship, emotional support, and help with daily life activities as needed.
Volunteers will have opportunities ranging from simply spending time with the recipient to doing activities like reading God's Word, helping with light housework, delivering meals, sending encouraging cards in the mail, or perhaps recruiting our fix-it team as needed. The possibilities are endless. The need is great. Our Lord is GREATER. If you’d like to learn more about this ministry or get involved, please let us know at mmstaff@ubcbeavercreek.com.
Monthly Mission Quote:
"Have you ever wondered what it feels like to have a love for the lost? This is a term we use as part of our Christian jargon...Don’t wait for a feeling of love in order to share Christ with a stranger. You already love your heavenly Father, and you know that this stranger is created by Him, but separated from Him, so take those first steps in evangelism because you love God. It is not primarily out of a compassion for humanity that we share our faith or pray for the lost; it is first of all, love for God."
- John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad! The Supremacy of God in Missions
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 several short term mission trip opportunities for 2026! There are local, national, and global trips offered. You can learn more about some 2025 UBC trips through “Stories from the Field,” a subseries of our UBC Talking Points podcast. Episodes are available now for the 2025 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 RobinsonMay 11-15, 2026
Builders for Christ
Serve in the mission field of church construction and help a church build their building in Logan, OH. During "saw week" the team will be prepping materials for the rest of the build. More information may be found here.
Contact: Dave GneiserMay 5-19, 2026
Namibia
Assist the Bahuns in their ministry. Help with their local church Mission Conference, run a day camp for local children, and complete their church library. More information may be found here.
Contact: Sharon KerestesJune 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 CorbinJune 28-July 3, 2026
Builders for Christ
Serve in the mission field of church construction and help a church build their building in Logan, OH. During this week join the team making crafts for local outreach or the construction team. More information may be found here.
Contact: Dave GneiserJuly 31-August 9, 2026
Argentina
Work with Pastor Fabian Santillan, one of UBC's mission partners, and the church plant in La Banda. More information may be found here.
Contact: Jim CorbinAugust 10-14, 2026
Builders for Christ
Serve in the mission field of church construction and help a church build their building in Logan, OH. During "finish week" the team will be tiling and putting other finishing touches on the build. More information may be found here.
Contact: Dave GneiserJuly 10-19, 2026
St Vincent
Serve alongside a ministry team from Trinidad and Tobago, joining God’s work already unfolding in the region. Vacation Bible School will be our primary focus, but the mission extends beyond the mornings. More information may be found here.
Contact: Aiden Wrigglesworth
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.