Church Planters, Festival of Lights & Baby in the Womb

It’s the only Baptist church in town. Church planter Michael Goforth considers it purely a work of the Lord that Mercy Hill Church is thriving where three previous congregations shut down.

When he and his bride Shannon sought a network to undergird their work in rural Michigan, the North American Mission Board’s Send Network caught their eye.

Meanwhile, Will Browning has served one-and-a-half years as the Send City missionary for the multi-county greater Los Angeles area of nearly 18 million residents. In 2022, he shepherded church planters to plant 19 new churches and has assessed 30 church planters to start new works in 2023.

Goforth and Browning agree that God is at work through the local church.
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Late October in the Upper Plains of India brings the five-day celebration of Diwali, the Festival of Lights.

Mentioned in early Sanskrit texts, it’s the most celebrated Hindu holiday around the world and is observed by many Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists, as well.

Missionaries from the U-S are at work across India sharing the good news of Jesus Christ even as people there participate in Diwali.

Would you pray for the missionaries at work during this important time?
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Good News for Today is sponsored by The Voice of the Martyrs

Good News for Today is made possible through our friends at The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to inspiring believers to deepen their commitment to Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission — no matter the cost. Find out more and sign up for their free monthly magazine at vom.org/goodnews.
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Is the baby in the womb a human life? If so, there are number of protections that must be put in place, and many voters have significant opportunities to do so in November.

What does medical science say?

According to a 2011 article from the Journal of Prenatal Medicine, the fetal heartbeat begins at the end of the fourth week of the gestation.

According to a 2005 article from the New York Times, fetal brain activity begins by week five, and there is brain and head formation by week eight of gestation.

In an article by the National Institutes of Health, researchers found that most women discover they are pregnant between weeks five and six of gestation.

Finally, in an article released Sept. 13, by the Lozier Institute, they report, “The basic anatomical organization of the human nervous system is established by 6 weeks.” It goes on to say that new research indicates a baby reacts to “invasive procedures” as early as eight weeks’ gestation.
Does that sound like the beginnings of human life to you?

States such as California, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana and Vermont all have ballot initiatives this November to protect human life. Pray for voters as they go to the polls in those states.

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