Recounting His Wonderful Deeds: 10 Reasons We Thank God in 2025

God has given us many reasons to be grateful in 2025! As we pause to thank Him, we’d like to share with you 10 ways we’ve seen Him work over the past year. Please join us in praising Him!

A Legacy of Faithful Workers

Over more than 115 years of ministry we’ve witnessed many faithful servants of God dedicate themselves to seeing the gospel take root among the least-reached. But this year we’re especially humbled and challenged as we celebrate several significant milestones.

Numerous workers who are retiring this year have served their entire careers with Christar—in some cases for more than four decades. One even marked a full half-century of ministry with Christar! We rejoice in their examples of faithfulness.

Stability and Unity Throughout Transition

Over the past 18 months, Christar has seen multiple changes in leadership and shifts in roles. Amid these changes, we praise God for giving us a consistent, unified focus and stability as an organization.

A New Church in an Earthquake Zone

In February 2023, earthquakes demolished numerous communities in the Middle East. But amid their own great needs and deep loss, local believers in one of these places reached out in compassion. As followers of Christ from around the world partnered with them, equipping them with the resources to serve their neighbors, God began to draw people to Himself.

Now, on a street that two years ago was covered in rubble, a church stands tall. And, just a few miles away, a ministry center welcomes a steady stream of people craving the peace they experience there.

Resources to Upgrade

Like all ministries, Christar has behind-the-scenes needs in areas like technology and systems. We’re grateful for the resources to make several upgrades that are allowing us to better serve our workers and their support teams.

Congregations Committed to Sending Well

We believe that the local church is the entity that sends cross-cultural workers, and we’re grateful for the many congregations that are whole-heartedly embracing the call to not only send workers out but to prepare them well and support them as they serve. And we praise God for the creative ways they come alongside those they send, from organizing short-term trips to meet practical needs to furnishing dorm rooms for workers’ children.

Partnership With National Churches

In addition to our many sending and supporting churches in the United States, the Lord has raised up congregations in communities around the world that partner with us in ministry. It’s a blessing to be part of what He’s already doing through local bodies of believers in their homelands, and we thank Him for opportunities to serve alongside them.

A United Church-Planting Strategy

While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to establishing churches, we’re grateful for a framework that helps us accomplish this goal in diverse contexts around the world. We train our workers in a model known as Polaris, which gives each church-planting team a framework to form an approach in light of the culture and worldview of the people they’re seeking to reach.

More Workers From the Global South

God is raising up believers from throughout the world, including from places that were once (or are even still!) considered least-reached, to plant churches in communities with little access to the gospel. Many of them can serve in places where Westerners are not welcome, and we rejoice that the Lord is using them to make His name known.

The Grand Opening of a Ministry Hub

In April 2025, workers in South Asia celebrated the grand opening of the Barnabas Building, a hub for outreach in a community that, just over a decade ago, no one was seeking to reach with the gospel. This facility has already served as the site for numerous outreaches, and we rejoice that three young people have placed their faith in Christ.

A New Residency Program

Many of those with hearts for global and domestic church ministry lack opportunities to gain the practical experience and training that’s vital for effective service. We’re excited that Christar Church Ministry Residencies are helping to fill this gap! This new program combines experience, mentorship, theological training and cross-cultural exposure, offering local churches and recent college graduates a framework for developing effective ministry skills, all in the context of local church relationships.

As we consider all of these ways we’ve seen God at work, we say as David did, “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” (Psalm 9:1 ESV) Please praise Him with us as we remember and celebrate what He has done!