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December 3, 2025

Merry Christmas!

In this season of celebration, we pray that you find joy, hope, peace, and rest in the truth that Jesus is still Emmanuel, God with us.

There's a lot to cover this month, so let's jump right in.

In this issue:

🎉 Explore our NEW Website
🙏 Resources for our 2026 Week of Prayer and Fasting
🙌 African BIC Conferences Look Toward Cross-Cultural Ministry
🗓️ BIC Foundation 2025 in Review

Scripture Meditation

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Explore the New BICUS.org!

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our newly designed website!

Join our content editor, Salynda, for a quick video tour of the new site, including the goals, outcomes, and exciting new features of the redesign.

Visit the New Website

Elements of Discipleship

Week of Prayer and Fasting | January 4-11

You’re invited to join the 2026 Week of Prayer and Fasting, January 4-11. Designed to help you pray, reflect, and seek God at the start of a new year, this eight-day devotional series will explore four key elements of discipleship:

Wholehearted commitment and loyalty to Jesus Christ above all other allegiances.
Embracing Jesus' life and teachings in daily life, leading to a changed mindset and lifestyle.
Pursuing holiness of heart and life.
Participating in a community of believers, where mutual accountability and support for spiritual growth are fostered.

Start the year with a focused emphasis on your discipleship to Christ.

Resources can now be accessed on our website, including web and printable devotional guides. You can also subscribe to receive the Week of Prayer and Fasting devotionals daily via email.

Join us in Exploring Discipleship

African Conferences Look Toward

Cross-Cultural Ministry

A historic gathering took place in southern Africa this fall.

Nearly 50 BIC Church leaders from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa, and the UK gathered to identify cross-cultural ministry opportunities.

In each of these countries, congregations are largely mono-ethnic, a natural part of church growth. (It’s easier and often quicker to share the Gospel with someone of your own cultural or ethnic group.)

And yet, these BIC Church leaders understand that there are opportunities to share the Gospel with other ethnic groups.

Jesus has called his children to overcome boundaries – because he is worthy.

Jonathan Lloyd, director of World Missions, was at the gathering. He sees this movement among BIC conferences in Africa as part of a growing trend: multi-ethnic, multi-cultural ministry teams partnering together to proclaim the gospel in clear, compelling ways.

In our latest article, he shares where we are already seeing these kinds of partnerships in action and invites the broader BIC family to invest in this ministry.

Read the Full Letter from Jonathan

2025 Year in Review

Looking back on 2025, it’s easy to simply look at the numbers because they give us much to celebrate!

Seventeen new investors began their BIC Foundation (BICF) journey, accounting for $1,964,512 new invested dollars, bringing the Foundation to a total of just over $49 million.
BICF issued eight new loans to congregations and ministries this year, valued at nearly $4.4 million, bringing the total loan portfolio to $36.6 million.
Additionally, six congregations received Matching Grants to support and launch new ministries in their communities, collectively totaling $10,000 in new ministry funding.

But for the BIC Foundation, investments and loans are about so much more than the numbers. They’re about financially empowering transformative ministry through diverse investment options, competitive loan offerings, ministry funding, and more.

Look beyond the numbers to see testaments of God’s hand at work through his faithful followers:

A New Mexican congregation that ministers to families and individuals impacted by incarceration purchased their building, giving them a permanent ministry hub.
Teens in Kansas ran a kids’ program to help new families connect with their congregation.
A Pennsylvania business owner and his wife used their assets to give sacrificially, donating $167,000 dollars to U.S. and global ministry.
A small congregation in Ohio transformed a run-down property into a place of resurrection, new life, and hope for people experiencing homelessness.

These examples showcase the true impact of the BIC Foundation.

“Thank you for your support and involvement this year,” says Jim Reynolds, executive director of BICF. “We look forward to new partnership opportunities in 2026.”

Read the full stories and more in the “Stories” tab at bicfoundation.org.