Strengthening Gospel Witness in Hard Places

The Easter Sacrificial Offering is a special collection received by Tenth Church during the month of April to support and seed gospel initiatives around the world. These initiatives are typically international and involve economically disadvantaged countries.

The initiatives funded are above and beyond our normal Global partner support. The Easter season celebrates the triumphal resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus and his commission to us to go into all the world.

The initiatives for 2026 are TICODE (Malawi); Santiago Reformed Seminary (Dominican Republic); Los Olivos Church (Barranquilla, Colombia); CWW; Karen Community (Thailand and Myanmar).

As a church, we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with faithful ministries around the world that are committed to the clear proclamation of the gospel and the building up of Christ’s church.

As part of this year’s Easter Sacrificial Offering, Tenth Presbyterian Church is supporting a proposed mission trip through a long time Global partner—a ministry focused on equipping Christians to bear faithful witness to Christ in regions where the gospel is difficult to proclaim and costly to embrace.

The ministry’s mission trip model is intentionally different from many short‑term mission efforts. Rather than centering on programs, construction, or large public events, this work emphasizes training and theological preparation. The proposed 2026 summer/fall trip to East Africa is designed to teach certain principles of evangelism and apologetics to local believers who live and serve in other-majority contexts.

At the heart of this approach is a conviction that the most enduring gospel fruit comes through well‑equipped local Christians. Those who already know the language, culture, and daily realities of their communities are best positioned to engage neighbors thoughtfully and patiently with the truth of Scripture. The role of the visiting team, therefore, is not to lead from the front, but to come alongside—offering biblical clarity, encouragement, and practical tools that can be used long after the team has returned home.

This emphasis on preparation is especially important in settings where Christian belief is often misunderstood or opposed. The particular training will focus on helping believers articulate the Christian faith clearly, respond wisely to questions and objections, and engage in conversations marked by both conviction and humility. In this sense, the work is not aimed at quick results, but at cultivating faithful, resilient witness rooted in God’s Word.

Why does this matter to Tenth Presbyterian Church? First, it reflects Tenth’s commitment to gospel faithfulness rather than visibility. Much of the work supported through this Global partner happens quietly and out of public view. Yet this kind of ministry—grounded in teaching, discipleship, and long‑term presence—is often where the gospel takes deepest root. By supporting this trip, Tenth affirms that faithfulness in missions is measured not by prominence, but by obedience and trust in the Lord’s work.

Second, the proposed trip aligns with Tenth’s understanding of missions as partnership, not replacement. The proposed trip does not seek to impose external strategies or structures, but to serve local churches and believers as they pursue gospel ministry in their own contexts. This posture of humility and cooperation has long characterized Tenth’s global outreach and remains central to its mission priorities.

Finally, this work matters because it shapes the sending church as well. As Tenth prays for and gives toward this trip, the congregation is reminded that the call to thoughtful, courageous witness is not limited to distant places. Supporting this ministry invites all believers to consider how they themselves speak about Christ—whether with neighbors, coworkers, or family members—and to grow in confidence that the gospel is sufficient in every context.

The proposed trip is a meaningful expression of the Church’s desire to see Christ exalted among the nations. Through careful training, faithful partnership, and prayerful dependence on God, this work seeks to strengthen the church’s witness in places where the gospel is precious—and where its advance depends entirely on the Lord who builds his church.

You may give toward the Easter Sacrificial Offering either online or via the offering collection on Sundays for the month of April. Please choose the Easter Sacrificial Offering in the drop-down menu online or note ESO on check or envelope.

Easter Sacrificial Offering – Proclaiming the Gospel to the Next Generation: Colombia and Thailand

By Karen Bryant / Mar 31

The initiatives for 2026 are TICODE (Malawi); Santiago Reformed Seminary (Dominican Republic); Los Olivos Church (Barranquilla, Colombia); Church Without Walls; Karen Community (Thailand and Myanmar). This week we feature two of the initiatives: Los Olivos Church in Colombia and Boonchu’s ministry in Thailand.

Los Olivos Church: A Visible Gospel Presence in Colombia

For many years, Tenth has partnered with Los Olivos Church, supporting their efforts to bring the gospel to their surrounding community. Their ministry focuses especially on reaching children and their families, opening doors for evangelism and discipleship across entire households. At the same time, Los Olivos has been working to establish a permanent gospel presence through the construction of a church sanctuary. This project is now nearing completion.

Recently, the church also has received permission to remove the wall separating the building from the neighborhood. This allows the sanctuary to be open and accessible, inviting the community to come, hear the Word of God, and worship.

This space will serve as a center for ongoing evangelism, discipleship, and the strengthening of the local church for years to come.

Boonchu’s Ministry: Reaching Villages in Thailand

In Thailand, our partner Boonchu is engaged in tireless gospel work—traveling to villages, sharing Christ, and supporting the growth of local churches. In 2025, Enrique visited and saw firsthand how the Lord is at work: churches are growing, leaders are being developed, and the gospel is advancing.

A key focus of this ministry is reaching children. Boonchu is working to build dormitories that will provide a safe place for children to live while being consistently taught the gospel. These dormitories will allow for long-term discipleship, impacting not only the children, but also their families and communities.

One Mission, One Gospel

Though these ministries are in different parts of the world, they share the same focus: clear proclamation of the gospel, intentional investment in the next generation, and strengthening of the local church.

An Invitation to Participate

Through this year’s ESO, we have the opportunity to participate in what God is doing in Colombia and Thailand. May we be a church committed to seeing the Word of the Lord “speed ahead and be honored” here and among the nations.

You may give toward the Easter Sacrificial Offering either online or via the offering collection on Sundays. Please choose the Easter Sacrificial Offering in the drop-down menu online or note ESO on check or envelope.

Easter Sacrificial Offering – Equipping the Church to Nurture the Whole Child

By Karen Bryant / Mar 19

The initiatives funded are above and beyond our normal Global partner support. The Easter season celebrates the triumphal resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus and his commission to us to go into all the world.

The initiatives for 2026 are TICODE, Malawi; Santiago Reformed Seminary, Dominican Republic; Los Olivos Church, Barranquilla, Colombia; Church Without Walls; Karen Community, Thailand and Myanmar. For each of the next several weeks, we will feature one of the initiatives.

You may give toward the Easter Sacrificial Offering either online or via the offering collection on Sundays. Please choose the Easter Sacrifical Offering in the drop-down menu online or note ESO on check or envelope.

TICODE (Transformational Initiative for Community Development)

Lilongwe, Malawi

Malawi is a young African country which received its independence in 1964. It is in Sub-Saharan, Africa. Financially, it is a poor nation with a per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $534 (2024 estimate).

William Nyasulu was a member of Tenth International Fellowship in 2003-2004 while serving at Urban Promise School in Camden, New Jersey. William is one of the founders of TICODE. Tenth has been involved in Malawi previously, by supplying $10,000 of seed money in 2004 to found YouthCare Ministries.

TICODE (Transformational Initiative for Community Development) is an initiative that addresses the urgent needs of vulnerable children (ages 0–5) and their caregivers in a rural community affected by poverty, food insecurity, and limited access to early childhood services. TICODE seeks to equip churches to serve as faithful agents of gospel-centered mercy.

The components of this initiative are:

The building of the Mazuwa Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centers: The Mazuwa Early Childhood Development Center will be completed. This is a church-owned facility that will serve 120-150 vulnerable children annually with early learning, nutrition support, and spiritual nurture. TICODE will also expand Early Childhood Development and holistic ministry to two underserved communities in the Mphomwa Church Empowerment Area, thus strengthening the presence and capacity of the local church in areas with little to no access to early childhood services.

Farming God’s Way and Church Empowerment/ Food Security: This program trains stewardship and farm management by seeking to equip 200 households with biblically grounded, low-cost, sustainable farming practices.

Village Savings & Loan Associations will strengthen economic resilience of not less than 200 households which will enable them–especially women-led households–to build savings, respond to emergencies, and support their children’s education.

Integrate 20–24 additional churches into TICODE’s existing network of churches, thus increasing the total number of participating churches from 46 to approximately 66–70 through Vision Seminars (mind-set training), and Leadership trainings.

TICODE supplies training and oversight to local participating churches. Under this model local churches contribute:

Collaboration with communities to get land for Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers.
Volunteer labor for ongoing operations and some components of construction.
Local governance and oversight to the schools, plus caregiver support.
Spiritual nurturing and discipleship support.

Worship and Missions

By Karen Bryant / Oct 14

Worship

The story of human history is a story of worship. In Eden, God called his son Adam to worship him alone as Father and King—by not eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. At Sinai, God called his son Israel to worship him alone as Father and King—by not putting other gods before him. In Jerusalem, God called his son David (and David’s sons) to worship him alone as Father and King—by walking before him in faithfulness with all their heart.

But Adam, Israel, David, and his sons all rejected God’s call to worship. They chose to worship created things instead of the Creator. In each case, they abdicated their roles and were led astray by women: Adam by Eve, Israel by foreign women, Solomon by his many wives. The Old Testament develops in such a way that we are left hoping for a son of God who will be devoted to one woman whom he will lead in pure worship of the one true God. That expectation is met in Jesus Christ—the second and last Adam, the true and faithful Israel, great David’s greater son.

At Jesus’ baptism the Father affirmed him as his beloved Son, with whom he was well pleased. But that affirmation had never truly been tested. So, the Spirit drove the Son into the wilderness. The ancient serpent, Satan himself, was allowed to test God’s Son to see what was in his heart—to see if he would faithfully worship God as Father and King.

Where Adam, Israel, and David (and his sons) all failed, God’s final Son succeeded. Where the first Adam remained silent and bowed before the serpent, the second and last Adam rebuked the serpent and refused to bow: “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” (Matthew 4:10; cf. Deuteronomy 6:13). Where Israel and David (and his sons) promised they’d worship God with heart and soul and mind and strength, but didn’t, Jesus as the true and faithful Israel and great David’s greater son worshiped God wholeheartedly: “Zeal for your house will consume me” (John 2:17; cf. Psalm 69:9). Jesus was no idolater; he was no hypocrite. God finally had a Son who worshiped him alone. Now all the Son needed was a bride.

This is why God’s Son left heaven: to woo for himself a bride who would worship the Father. We see glimpses of this in Jesus’ ministry. At a well in Samaria, Jesus met a woman—one who hadn’t able to find the right kind of husband all her life—and called her to worship the Father in spirit and truth. But such a woman was not fit for such worship—she first needed to be cleansed, along with all who would become part of Jesus’ bride.

Jesus died to present the church to himself “in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, so that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25–26). He then rose and ascended and sat down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty on high. He became a minister of worship (Hebrews 8:1–2), so that the worship of his bride might be acceptable to his Father.

Around the world today, God’s Spirit—through God’s people—is calling sinners to renounce idolatrous worship and join the bride of God’s Son. One day, the bride’s evangelism will cease, but her worship will not. In the new heavens and new earth, an innumerable multitude from every tribe and language and people will declare, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:10). On that day, the bride will be ready, the marriage will commence, and the processional hymn will begin: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the omnipotent reigns” (Revelation 19:6).

Missions

Now, what has all this got to do with missions? Well, as John Piper has stated, “Worship is the fuel and goal of missions.” Put differently: “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” This is the connection between worship and missions. As a church, we are not committed to missions as an end in itself; rather, we are committed to missions as a means to a greater end—the end of the worship of our great Triune God.

Since 1938, Tenth Presbyterian Church has been committed to encouraging and supporting worldwide worship of God the Father through his Son Jesus Christ in the grace and power of his Spirit. The church has sought to do this through promoting, supporting, praying for, and sending people on missions around the globe. This year at Tenth we have another wonderful opportunity to hear reports of such worship-inducing mission works at our annual Global Outreach Conference, October 26–November 2. We will hear from various mission partners, be encouraged to continue praying, and to be motivated to continue giving toward such vital works in the missional endeavor of the church. I hope you will join us, as we call on the nations to come and bow down and worship the Lord our God with us. Psalm 67:5: “Let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you!”

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