Amidst the ongoing global turbulence, we have now entered 2025. As we bid farewell to last year and welcome the new, it is only natural to reflect on the past and to look ahead. Most importantly, we endeavor to maintain a heart of gratitude no matter the circumstances. Over the past decade, our ministry has been met with many challenges. Yet, the greater the difficulty, the more evident God’s grace. Our experience during 2024 was no exception.

 

This is how friends serving in East Asia summarized 2024. Even more concerning, they confess the increasing difficulties with nurturing young believers. “There are far fewer young people in the church now. This is the result of policies implemented over the past decade, such as prohibiting minors under 18 from entering churches, banning all forms of religious activity in schools, including universities, and requiring students to report their religious affiliations. These measures have created a crisis of generational disconnect in the church,” warns John, head of the Urban Team. 

“The era of rapid church growth is over. Many churches are now facing the challenge of declining attendance, particularly among young people. Due to stricter enforcement, anyone caught violating regulations faces serious consequences. As a result, there is very little that can be done at the church level. The only option is to strengthen the role of families – laying a solid foundation for children from a young age to resist systemic obstacles,” advised John.

 

A church leader noted that the worsening weather has also affected many other ministries, “More gatherings have been shut down, venues have been sealed off, and individuals are being investigated more frequently than before. Furthermore, the plummeting economy has added even more pressure on us.”

In such a climate, our work has also felt the strain. This is apparent in the increase of postponed or even canceled training sessions during the final quarter of 2024. The number of trainings in the second half of the year dropped to less than 20, and we were unable to meet our annual goal of 40 trainings. Despite these challenges, our team has remained steadfast and faithful to the mission.

 

Perhaps it is still too early to be overly optimistic about the weather conditions this year, but we firmly believe that God’s grace is always sufficient. Therefore, we set with confidence the goal of 40 trainings again for 2025. Additionally, completing the new curriculum of Philippians and supporting teachers to become self-reliant remain key areas of focus. Join us in praying for the Lord’s help and protection so that SALT’s mission can be accomplished!