1. Data: Annual Statistics on the Status of Global Christianity
2. More Data: World Maps and Bible Translation
3. Infographics: The Unreached People in North American Cities
4. Online Classes: Welcome to the Missions Academy
5. Videos: Bring the Bible to Life with Animated Commentaries
6. Events: Inspiring Conferences, Classes, and More in February

Data: Annual Statistics on the Status of Global Christianity

Source: The Center for the Study of Global Christianity, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Do you need to know...

• How many Christians are there in the world?
• What percentage of the world population are they?
• How many live in cities?
• How many live in Africa? Asia? Latin America?
• How many denominations are there? How many churches?
• How many mission agencies are there? How many missionaries?
• How much money is given to global foreign missions?
• How many people are unevangelized?
• How many people belong to other world religions or are unreligous?
• How many non-Christians know a Christian?

Every year the staff of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity publish an annual statistical table which is their most-cited resource. It’s just a one-page summary. Check it out.

For a more detailed picture with explanations, commentary, and ministry suggestions, you’ll have to pick up the related article World Christianity and Religions 2022: A Complicated Relationship in the International Bulletin of Mission Research (purchase or subscription required).

More Data: World Maps and Bible Translation

Source: Operation World, Wycliffe Global Alliance

For help visualizing the state of world evangelization, download a free digital version of the Operation World Wall Map, available in several languages. Though the most recent edition of the Operation World book, published in 2010, may show its age a bit, some of the related resources (including the English version of this map) have been updated. For more like this, see Mission InfoBank.

Want to know how many languages are there in the world, and how many have or still need the Bible? Wycliffe Global Alliance released new data back in September. See 2021 Scripture Access Statistics and follow links for additional data, graphics, and more.

Infographics: The Unreached People in North American Cities

Source: Global Gates and Missio Nexus

Online Classes: Welcome to the Missions Academy

Source: Touch the World

Some 1.5 million American Christians serve on short-term mission trips every year, but more than 95% of them receive little or no pre-trip training. The Missions Academy hopes to help change that. Their curated selection of online courses address topics like these:

1. A biblical understanding of missions
2. Methods for culturally sensitive ministry
3. An understanding of the complexities of poverty
4. A heart focused on service

Access materials from anywhere, move at your own pace, and interact with others preparing for mission.

Materials are designed with youth (over 12) and young adults in mind, but you should be able to use them with adults as well. It all feels agency-neutral (not specific to one brand or type of ministry) and is in line with the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission.

A few mini-courses are free. Longer courses (still in bite-size pieces) range from US$17 to US$47 and are available in “bundles” of recommended training, or you can access all courses for US$9/month. You can also purchase workbooks including a 30-day devotional and a helpful re-entry journal.

Touch the World also does in-person training and they are currently developing a global poverty simulation that can give your group a taste of what it’s like to live on two dollars a day.

Learn more about Touch the World or go right to The Missions Academy.

Videos: Bring the Bible to Life with Animated Commentaries

Source: BibleProject

Looking for tools to bring the Bible to life for people today? Visual commentaries may take you further than blowing the dust off your books from seminary or Bible school. BibleProject is a nonprofit animation studio making the unified story of the Bible accessible to everyone. Their free videos, podcasts, classes, and resources explore the books and themes of the Bible.

Watch the leaders describe their new app and their online learning platform, or just poke around their website or YouTube channel for short videos you can use as you learn, learn, and make disciples. You’ll find things like the video below. Everything is well organized in playlists. Some of the videos have also been translated into more than 30 languages.

Events: Inspiring Conferences, Classes, and More in February

Source: Missions Catalyst Events Calendar

February 2, Showing the Heart of the Sojourner to Afghan Refugees (online). Peer to Peer Virtual Gathering for church mission leaders from Missio Nexus and Sixteen:Fifteen.

February 7-11, ABIDE re-entry debriefing for global workers (Joplin, MO, USA). Provided regularly by TRAIN International.

February 7 to June 12, Perspectives on the World Christian Movement (online). New online classes begin regularly.

February 8-9, Mission Agency Consultation (Atlanta, GA, USA). Workshop for organizational leaders, provided by Sixteen:Fifteen.

February 10, Studying Missions in Credible and Useful Ways (online). Webinar provided by Missio Nexus.

February 10, Regional Update: The Buddhist World (online). Part of a series of Nugget trainings from Beyond.

February 16, Apostolic Imagination: Rethinking Missionary Engagement from the Inside Out (online). Webinar from Sixteen:Fifteen.

February 10, Love Thy [Muslim] Neighbor (online). Part of a training series from AllNations.

February 17, Field Onboarding and Retention (online). Webinar from Missio Nexus.

February 17, Thriving: Missionary Care and Partnership (online). Greenhouse workshop for church mission leaders from Pioneers-USA.

February 17 to March 24, Foundations of Media to Movements (online). Develop a social media outreach strategy; course regularly offered by Media Missions U.

February 19, Telling Stories Like Jesus (Lee’s Summit, MO, USA or online). Training from AllNations.

February 17-20, Haven Retreat (Mombasa, Kenya). Provided by Azmera to provide a safe environment for women who are global workers to connect and commune with Jesus. Another retreat will be held in Capetown, South Africa, February 25-28.

February 21 to March 19, COMPASS (Palmer Lake, CO, USA). Language and culture acquisition provided by Missionary Training International. There’s a waitlist for this one, but MTI plans to offer the course six times in 2022.

February 22-23, People Raising Conference (online). Be equipped for raising personal support.

February 24, Being Sent Means You Go (online). Nugget training from Beyond.

February 24-25, Standards Introductory Workshop (Clackamas, OR, USA). Learn about the Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission.

February 25-26, Short-term Mission ConneXion (Clackamas, OR, USA and online). An annual event for mission leaders and participants.

February 25-26, Midwest Conference on Missionary Care (Bloomington, MN, USA). An annual event.

February 26, Trip Leaders Security Workshop (Colorado Springs, CO, USA). Provided by Crisis Consulting International.

View the complete calendar. Corrections and submissions are welcome.