DURBAN, South Africa — Thick mud clings to the shoes of Pastor Xolani (Ko-lan-ee) Klaas and his church members as they walk through an informal settlement in Newlands East.

The mud makes walking difficult, forcing the team to slip as they walk up and down the hills past tiny shacks constructed of scrap metal, tarps and cloth. Each houses an entire family, inadequately providing shelter from the cool, wet weather. Yet amid the struggle of everyday life, the smiling faces of residents conversing with one another reveal there is still joy and happiness in their community.

The evangelism in the informal settlements can be closely compared to how Jesus did ministry, because the needs of the people are so immediate. Klaas explains, “People, if they are hungry, will not listen because their primary needs have not been met.”

PRETORIA, South Africa – Unashamed, she handed Bibles to passersby. As fans walked past Mariska de Jager, some took tracts, a Bible or a DVD testimony of Kaká, a well-known Brazilian soccer player. De Jager’s husband, Marius, ran across the street to help another group pass out more materials.

Several churches have partnered together to host a “Big Screen Outreach” at Central Baptist Church in downtown Pretoria, one of the host cities of the 2010 World Cup. Yesterday, the de Jagers and about 60 other volunteers gathered to distribute materials and host a showing of the Paraguay vs. Japan game.

JOHANNESBURG — It’s not your typical Africa.

Kids – many of them Caucasian – run across a grassy soccer field, practicing their dribbling and goaltending skills. The wind is so cold it causes teeth to chatter and eyes to water.

The children are participating in an Upward soccer clinic, a popular outreach event held at many churches in the United States.

But this isn’t suburbia, USA. It’s suburbia, South Africa.

Volunteers from Kingsland Baptist Church in Katy, Texas, are following in the footsteps of Mother Theresa in Kolkata this week. They are volunteering in two of Mother Theresa’s 12 homes. In the mornings, the Kingsland team volunteers at a home for adults who cannot take care of themselves. In the afternoons, they volunteer at the [...]

We are the body of Christ. We worship sitting cross-legged on the floor, perched on stools or propped up on rattan chairs. We meet not in buildings with steeples on broad, tree-lined avenues, but in the apartment buildings of believers. We are few in number but in no way lacking in community. Our children wriggle [...]