National
Pastors'
Prayer
Network
G L O B A L N E T W O R K - 03/23/2004
Chronicling The Worldwide Prayer Movement
...So That One Day
...We Will Live On A Prayed For Planet!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I N T H I S U P D A T E ... and
for our prayers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* A Word From Pastor Phil...
1. SPECIAL REPORT FROM NPPN AFRICA
2. 236% GROWTH
3. GHANA: BRING PASTORS TOGETHER
4. THE LATEST NEWS FROM YOUR NATION...
5. WALES
6. SOUTH AFRICA & FIJI ISLANDS:
"COMPELLING"
7. CANADA:
EXCELLENT WEBSITE
8. COLUMBIA: DAILY PRAYER FOR PASTORS BREAKS
BARRIERS
9. 2004 FORUM FOR WORLD EVANGELIZATION
10. 24/7 FROM LAS VEGAS TO NEW DELHI
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* A Word From Pastor Phil...
As usual, I am encouraged and humbled by the reports of God-at-work across the
nations. Certainly our NPPN reports represent a tiny fraction of our Lord's
activities. But they all remind us of how faithful God is to His promises, His
Word, and to His faithful servants.
As many of us are seeking God for our cities and petitioning for the nations of
the world, we should stop for a moment to give thanks for God's global response
to those prayers. We should declare how good God is as He empowers His Church to
take the Gospel to nations large and small, near and far.
It is my hope that several American initiatives and resources will soon benefit
the worldwide Church and be strengthened by the involvement of Pastors, Prayer
Leaders, and CIty Reachers from many other countries.
Which is why I ask you to pray for, to participate in, to publicize:
Citywide Prayer Leaders Consultation
http://www.prayertransformation.com/brochure
City Impact Roundtable
http://www.cityreaching.com
Church Prayer Leader Network
http://www.prayerleader.com
Strengthening & Shielding Pastors' Prayer Lives
http://www.prayingpastor.com
Working with you for a prayed for planet,
Pastor Phil
___________________________________________>>>
1. SPECIAL REPORT FROM NPPN
AFRICA
>From: Apostle Aaron Mwale <aaronmwale@zamtel.zm>
Dear Pr Phil
Greetings. The following is part of our last year network work.
NATIONAL PASTORS PRAYER NETWORK AFRICA
The last half of last year (2003) was one of the exciting ones because we were
able to hold different meetings in many different places within this nation
(ZAMBIA) and outside our nation.
WOMEN PRAYER CONFERENCE
We had one of powerful women's prayer conference in one of the provinces within
our nation. This was attended by over 700 women from all over Northern Province.
It is during this conference that we taught on deliverance, and many of them had
to go through deliverance. I believe that in order for us to see our cities
transformed the people praying be transformed first. We had to deal with things
that stand in our lives as hindrances to God power in us and through us. In the
area of deliverance we touched on Generational Iniquities and Curses. Praise God
we saw people set free by the power of God. From deliverance we taught on the
need of Godly Mothers and Midwives (spiritually) for the cities. The importance
of understanding TRAVAILING PRAYER and COVERING PRAYER.
And it is during this time that we took an opportunity of praying for province
and one of schools in the town which was well known of a lot of Satanism
actives. AND AS WRITES REPORT THINGS HAVE COMPLETELY CHANGED at the school.
Every weekend one of the churches have adopted this school as place of
evangelism and prayer. God is still moving in this school in that we still
hearing of powerful testimonies. God is at work.
We are looking forward to having one again this year may be in the same place or
different towns arrangements are still going on.
PRAYER/ SPIRITUAL WARFARE SCHOOL OF MINISTRY
We had a 3 months (only weekends) Prayer/ Spiritual warfare school and we had
chance of training over 35 Pastors and Key Prayer leaders within one city. A
number of topics were covered during this same time. The main subject was
STEWARDSHIP OF OUR LAND ( THE HEALING OF THE LAND) 2 CHRONICLES 7:14.
The emphasis was laid on the following:
STRATEGIC LEVEL SPIRITUAL WARFARE; INTERCESSORY PRAYER; SPIRITUAL MAPPING and
COMMITMENT TO THE LAND; THE DEFILEMENT OF THE LAND and THE CLEANSING OF THE
LAND.
It was at the end of this school that we were led to finish with having LORD'S
SUPPER and pray for the city that God will come down in His power to change
things in this city. The miners in this city had not been paid their salaries
for the past 7 months and those that had been discharged from work had also not
been paid their terminal benefits for past 5 years even more, the widows had not
been given what was due to them. So it was against this background that we felt
laid to pray that night. Beside just the money issues the COPPER MINE itself
had not been given over to the new buyers because of few complications, the
agreements would signed but nothing would be done, so the people were suffering
and the whole city was in desolation.
God showed us a spirit that was in control over this city and it was this same
spirit that we confronted that night with all the people that had been part of
our school. So we prayed that money should be released for all to be paid, and
that the mine should given over to the new buyers. Thank God that just that same
night one of our ladies, God showed lots of money falling from heaven, and
assured us that God had taken care of it.
Praise God as I write this report the government has released money which been
paid out to all those that needed to be paid. And just this past weekend on the
24th January 2004 our President visited this city and official handed over the
whole operations of the copper mine to the new buyers. This is God's doing and
the hand of man. This is what is uplifting our Pastors and Key Prayer Leaders,
to see answers coming forth as a result of our praying.
MINISTRY TO BIBLE STUDENTS
In the course of last year(2003) just in December a door opened for ministry in
one of our big bible colleges. I was asked to speak on Prayer for our cities
those who were graduating. The them was HAVING A PIONEERING SPIRIT. Out of this
one week of ministry we saw these challenged to take prayer serious and that if
things have to have they will need to reexamine their prayer life and prayer
life of the church now.
It was from this one week that even the school now have asked me to go back this
year. I have already been there the first week of January and I will going back
again for more teaching on PRAYER FOR THE CITY. This is good to see how God is
working in the lives of his people.
BISHOPS'/REVERENDS'/PASTORS' WIVES RETREAT
One of biggest denominations in this nation had us (my wife and I) talk to them
on Prayer, Mothering a family, city and nation. We had also a lot of teaching on
deliverance and saw them get set free by God's power. We are still receiving
reports on how their prayer lives changed and how they impacting their cities.
We are looking forward to another one this year.
SOUTH AFRICA
Many ministry doors have opened up in South Africa. I was one of main speakers
in one conference and I was sharing on CITY FATHERS/ELDERS. Their roles,
function and position in every city in order for the city to be transformed.
This is attended by over 200 key leaders. This year we already have set up
places where God wants us to go and have meetings with CHURCH LEADERS on city
transformation. God is opening wide ministry doors and we thanked Him for that.
SOUTH KOREA
This was one of the biggest conference I was speaking in last year. Everyday we
had over 2000 in attendants, Church Leaders/ prayer leaders and just members.
This was a WORLD MISSION CONFERENCE, so we had also Church Leaders from outside
South Korea, this was U.K; USA; AUSTRALIA; TONGA INLANDS; SAMOA INLANDS; AFRICA;
INDIA; PAKISTANI and many others. I was asked to teach on PRAYER/SPIRITUAL
WARFARE/ SPIRITUAL MAPPING.
It was during this time that we have doors that have opened up for ministry in
India, Australia and Pakistani.
In conclusion I would to say that God is working in His own way and the church
is been challenged to pray more and do more spiritual warfare. The Pastors are
beginning to take prayer for cities seriously. We are seeing more city Pastors
taking the challenge of wanting to see that their cities are better place to
live in. The challenge of rebuilding our cities is becoming more clearer.
This is our vision:
To see a highway of holiness and righteousness built through networking,
church planting and resourcing, so that we take possession and inherit the
nations.
To broaden individual / churches/ministries purposes to fulfill the great
commission of Christ(matt 28:19) towards very clear goals which are:
RESTORING VILLAGES, TOWNS, CITIES AND NATIONS BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL BEAUTY GOD
INTENDS
EQUIPPING THE PRIESTHOOD FOR MINISTRY
RAISE AN ARMY OF LOVE TO POSSES THE WORLD
Thank you for standing with us in the past year 2003 in prayer.
We are still in need of office equipment as follows:
NETWORK VECHLE
COMPUTERS
PHOTOCOPY/FAX/ SCANNER.
May you pray and give as the Lord leads you.
FOR DETAILS YOU CAN GET IN TOUCH:
APOSTLE AARON MWALE
aaronmwale@zamtel.zm
Tel :260-96-946471 (cell)
Tel: 260-2-510003 (res)
___________________________________________>>>
2. 236% GROWTH
>From: Friday Fax <FridayFax@bufton.net>
From church growth to multiplicative movement: "like from the typewriter to the
computer"
"'Thomas', an Indian church planter, lies in a dilapidated hospital after
being severely beaten for preaching the Gospel. He has only one thought: 'How
quickly can I get out of here to preach again?'" writes Jim Montgomery, founder
of the Dawn Movement. "One of the highlights of my life was meeting Dr. Donald
McGavran, the father of the church growth movement. He taught me to measure the
growth of churches, and to find out how to accelerate that growth in a healthy
manner. Not long ago, ten percent growth per year was exceptional - for example
a church growing from 100 to 110 or from 600 to 660 in one year. Today, though,
we're experiencing something which far exceeds that, like throwing an old
typewriter away, replacing it with the newest computer," he writes. "In
traditionally unreached nations, but also in evangelised nations, we're seeing
movements in which that which used to take decades is happening in years, months
or even weeks. One recent report from Thomas' region, for example, tells of 32
missions teams which started with 2,616 house churches on 1 January 2002. By 31
December that year, there were 8,784 house churches - a growth of 236%! The
number of Christians grew from 43,676 to 128,665."
Montgomery looks for the causes of this phenomenon, and finds five aspects
which show the church around the world to be in 'one of the greatest paradigm
changes in history': firstly, the fruit of two centuries of missionary work is
that growing numbers of national Christians are taking the Great Commission in
their own hands, developing their own strategies. It seems that massive growth
is most possible where (secondly) the Christians are prepared to make
sacrifices, and (thirdly) laypeople are strategically trained and sent out.
Fourthly: the supernatural dimension; Steve Steele, President of Dawn
Ministries, says "In India and many other parts of the world, you can regularly
experience every one of the miracles described in the New Testament." Fifthly,
"more and more church planters are working with models and tactics which can be
multiplied endlessly, leading to a growth which is ten or twenty times as great
as we ever dared to think. Even though the Western model of church, with pastors
trained in Theological Seminaries, gathering Christians in expensive church
buildings, is of value and will not simply disappear, it is the 'simple
churches' - simple, house church-like forms springing up around the world -
which have the potential for rapid multiplication and exponential growth. This
all comes together in a time when war and warmongering, spreading diseases,
collapsing economies and governments, empty religions with unfulfilled promises
and other insecurities and dangers are sending people on a quest for answers
which can be found only in the Gospel."
Source: Dr. Jim Montgomery, Dawn Report 51/2003, www.dawnministries.org
The Friday Fax is a
newsletter sent only to subscribers. To subscribe, send a message with the
subject subscribe English to fridayfax@bufton.net.
___________________________________________>>>
3. GHANA: BRING PASTORS TOGETHER
>From: matthew offiah <mattsalvaoffiah1@yahoo.com>
Compliment sir,
Praying for God's wisdom, Joy all round fulfillment this year and the year
ahead. Sorry for late in reply, I was at the camp planning and putting things
together.
The last meeting we are just four (4) we share TIME IN A SECRET PLACE Psalm
91 Vs 1 the text: THE FUTURE BELONGS TO INTERCESSORS.
We will be reaching the Sub region within the 8, 10 months. Sir we have an
idea to bring the pastor together in the region reach. First to have a
conference, a prayer for the pastors/ intercessory. Please let me know your
suggestion.
Our youth leadership summit. "West Africa sub region youth leadership
conference comes up 25th to 29th of May 2004 Accra Ghana. Sir please pray along
with us. We need your prayer and all your encouragement in this regard. God
bless you, Matthew Offiah
--->NPPNote: Matthew, When you gather Pastors for training may
I suggest that you provide three distinct experiences: Inspiration (praise,
prayer and preaching), Instruction (practical teaching) and Interaction (small
group, roundtable discussion on applying and implementing what has be
presented). Make sure you request future contact information, then make sure you
begin/continue to initiate communication
___________________________________________>>>
4. THE LATEST NEWS FROM YOUR
NATION...
___ Report on how Pastors are praying in your region or nation:
phil@nppn.org
___ Put your nation on the map! Register Pastors' Prayer Groups at:
http://www.nppn.org/ppg/
___ Archived Global Updates - Download / Photocopy / Distribute
http://www.nppn.org/Global.htm
___________________________________________>>>
5. WALES
>From: Marc van der Woude <mvdwoude@xs4all.nl>
New streams of prayer are coming from Wales and England. It's wild, prophetic,
creative and liberating. It's out-of-the-box and it's on the move. It's
expressed corporately and personally. It breathes Celtic spirituality. It comes
from prayer chapels in hard-to-get-to rural places and from boiler rooms in the
heart of the city.
No more boring prayer meetings - we're entering a time of 'prophetic
flashmobbing'. Flashmobs are sudden gatherings of people at a predetermined
location at a predetermined time, who basically do something wild and creative
together, and then continue their journey. A sort of postmodern version of a
Blitzkrieg. In prayer terms it means that someone receives an assignment from
God and sounds a trumpet call in his/her network. Whoever senses God speak to
them joins in and brings others along. A prophetic-creative synergy develops.
Not something to talk about, but something to experience.
Read the full report of our trip to Wales at:
http://marcsmessages.blogspot.com/#wales.
Be blessed and be a blessing! Marc
News and resources on prayer
and church growth - subscribe at
http://www.joelnews.org
___________________________________________>>>
6. SOUTH AFRICA & FIJI ISLANDS:
"COMPELLING"
>From: JackD@CitiReach.org
Hi Phil,
I thought you might enjoy this update from several recent CitiReach trips ...
the experience was powerful and the learning was compelling.
Jack Dennison
South Africa
I have just returned from two of the most amazing weeks of ministry travel that
I have had. The first week was in South Africa and the second in the Fiji
Islands. You will really want to take the time to ready this brief update.
5 years ago one of South Africa's most prominent business leaders became a
Christian and his life was radically changed. Soon after conversion God gave
Graham Power a vision for stadium events that would serve as the catalyst to
draw the Church together around a vision for community transformation.
Transformation 2001 was held in the Newlands Stadium in his hometown of Cape
Town. 45,000 Christians gathered for this event and pledged themselves to
biblical unity, social reconciliation, and community transformation.
Transformation 2002 led to stadium events in eight South African cities
gathering 300,000 believers and each venue was linked to the others by a
simulcast that was later edited by the government into a one hour presentation
and aired on national television several times at no cost to the Church.
Government officials were stunned by this compelling call to unity, the many
examples of racial reconciliation and community service, and by the
unprecedented number of Christians who participated.
Transformations 2003, held on May 1, 2003 included 135 stadium events in
27 African nations. 1.7 million Christians gathered in these venues and more
than 5 million joined by television whose airtime was provided free by national
television. Graham Power has emerged as the most powerful catalytic voice for
the Church in sub-Saharan Africa. The goal for Transformation 2004, the final
event in Power's initial vision is expected to host events in every nation on
the African continent.
Nearly every conversation with leaders during the four days I was in Cape
Town included the mention of "process." These leaders, along with Graham Power,
understand that these events lead to a change of heart by the Church but must
also include a process that will guide the Church's efforts in becoming
externally-focused and community-based in its ministry to transform the
spiritual and social climate of cities across Africa. Power and the
Transformation leadership have turned to CitiReach for help in establishing a
Continent-wide process to achieve their transformational goals.
Fiji Islands
As if this wasn't enough I then joined George Otis (Sentinel Group), Kevin Palau
(Palau Evangelistic Association) and Ken Eldred (Living Stones Foundation) as
part of a partnership agreement among the four groups to collectively serve the
spiritual revival and transformation vision that is sweeping across Fiji.
The President, Prime Minister, and many top government officials have
become deeply committed Christians and have led the way in calling the Church to
repentance and rededicating the nation to God. Local Church leaders describe how
even the military who led the 2000 coup, and are now imprisoned, have turned to
Christ for forgiveness. In Suva, where many of the military leaders are jailed
local leaders describe the "roaring sounds of worship" that fill the streets
from inside the prison as these former leaders worship Jesus in a spirit of
reconciliation and hope for their nation's future.
One of the most noted phenomenon of Fijian revival is God's miraculous
regenerative powers over nature. Coral reefs are being regenerated following
decades of disintegration, teeming schools of fish are returning to local seas
and to fresh water streams, schools of crab are walking up onto beaches after
being absent for scores of years, fruit is growing on trees and vine where it
hasn't for years, and other such signs are occurring on many of the Fijian
Islands.
I spent an entire day in the highlands village of Niku with Otis and a
film crew recording the village miracle. Our guide was Pastor Vuniani Nakauyaca.
Niku is the village where "Vuni" grew up as a child. He told us that while very
young the village chief began to war with surrounding villages, He forced out of
Niku villagers from other tribes than his own. Death, despair and fear filled
the valley. One day during the height of conflict while Vuni played in the 5
foot wide and 18 inch deep stream that ran through the center of Niku the water
suddenly clouded up and became bitter. Government officials have tested the
water over the years and found arsenic, tar and other foreign and harmful
substances. Drinking the water would lead to madness, blindness and other
disabling problems.
While attending a conference in Toowoomba, Australia Vuni learned about
city reaching in the context of national repentance and healing of the land (2
Chronicles 7: 13,14). While in Toowoomba Vuni, much to my joyful surprise had
received and read my book on City Reaching it was such a wonderful and
serendipitous discovery. He came back to the villages of this highland valley
and began calling the leaders to repentance and they responded. Through a month
long period of prayer with fasting the villagers of Niku reconciled with one
another, and began reaching out to other nearby villages seeking forgiveness for
the sins of their fathers. Relationships were restored and entire villages (many
were nominal Christian) made a deep and sincere commitment to follow Christ in
all their ways.
Talking with village elders and villagers, with the aide of an interpreter
we learned that one month ago while in the midst of a week long period of
consecration several village women discovered that the cloudy water had suddenly
become clear. One courageous villager drank from the stream and discovered that
the bitter water had been turned sweet. It had been bitter for more than 40
years and was once again drinkable the entire village was awed, and then
rejoiced with great rejoicing before the Lord. Today they continue to meet daily
for corporate prayer, Bible study, and community building. We even had the
privilege of meeting the "village prayer coordinator" who mobilizes the village
for ongoing prayer and consecration. One woman described before the listening
ears of half the village that grass is now growing alongside the stream again,
flowers have begun to bloom again, small fish have begun to reappear in the
stream, and produce is growing faster and larger in this past month than ever
before.
Though there are more details that could be shared I think the point is
this God really is serious about repentance and reconciliation just as He
describes in 2 Chronicles. He does in fact "command His blessing" where brothers
dwell together in unity. This is one of the clearest evidences of Divine
approval for corporate repentance I have witnessed with my own eyes and heard
with my own ears. It was exhilarating!
This is what God is doing throughout the Fiji Islands where Niku is part
of a much larger and dynamic spiritual and social experience. Our group met with
the Minister of Women, Poverty and Welfare who just that very day had made a
presentation to Parliament, which she shared with us, of a proposal to break the
cycles of poverty, anger, abuse, and disease with a untied Church acting as the
primary delivery system for spiritual and social services. Revival always
carries with it a social dimension. Getting right with God and with one another
invariably increases our appetite for holiness and our determination to care for
the needs of others.
This was the real deal oh, by the way, the Church of Fiji has
enthusiastically invited our partnership to continue serving them over the
coming years. This means that the Sentinel Group will provide vision materials
and training events, Palau will begin the fifteen month preparation for an
evangelistic Festival, Living Stones Foundation will work to mobilize the
business sector for transformational economic initiatives, and CitiReach will
coach the long term process for the next three to five years as together we each
contribute to the work that God has begun. Think of the learning, the
experience, and the joy of serving a nation where God's visitation has already
begun.
Jack Dennison
CitiReach International
5801 N. Union Blvd., #101
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Phone: 719.528.5770
Cell: 719.332.0382 / Fax: 719.548.9619
http://www.CitiReach.org
___________________________________________>>>
7. CANADA:
EXCELLENT WEBSITE
SouthSide Church is a non-denominational church located in Chilliwack,
British Columbia, Canada. It was planted approximately 10 years ago, and has
been growing ever since. SouthSide's website does an excellent job of
highlighting the key components of their church. In a clear and fun way, the
site offers a tour of the church, testimonies by members, information about
their local community, daily devotionals, a "Get Connected" tab with how to get
involved at SouthSide, and much more.
The site emphasizes that SouthSide is a place where people can feel comfortable
and newcomers are always welcome, regardless of your background or past church
experience. Check it out at
http://www.southsidelife.com/
Evangelism Online exists to
equip today's church leaders with the knowledge and resources to effectively
share the Gospel in a Postmodern world. To subscribe, send an email to
magazine@epicnow.org with the word 'subscribe' in the subject line.
Nelson Searcy, Publisher nelson@epicnow.org
<mailto:nelson@epicnow.org>
Jason Hatley, Co-Editor jason@epicnow.org
<mailto:jason@epicnow.org>
John Troy, Co-Editor john@epicnow.org
<mailto:john@epicnow.org>
(c) 2003 The Epic Group, Inc - http://www.EpicNow.org
___________________________________________>>>
8. COLUMBIA: DAILY PRAYER FOR
PASTORS BREAKS BARRIERS
>From: "Peggy Wallace" <nicodemo@cbc.prserv.net>
My name is Peggy Wallace and I serve, along with my husband, Karl, as a Southern
Baptist missionary in Bogot, Colombia. We praise God for the open
door to the gospel that we see in this city.
Over the years we have experienced division, rivalry, and simply a lack of
fellowship among our Baptist pastors in Bogot. About two years ago Karl and I
began to pray daily for the pastors of Bogot - Baptist and other evangelical
pastors. We are excited about how God is answering these prayers. The Baptist
pastors of Bogot meet once a month for a time of prayer. What used to be a
group of 3-4 pastors has grown to a group of 10-15 over the last year. In March
these same pastors had their first spiritual emphasis retreat in YEARS. Karl
was able to participate with about 20 pastors from the region. It is exciting
to see God bring these pastors together in unity. On April 13, 2003 we had an
associational kickoff service for our third annual emphasis of prayer for
spiritual renewal in Bogot with about 200 Baptist pastors and laymen in
attendance.
Though other evangelical groups continue to grow faster than our Baptist
churches, we are excited about how God is breaking down barriers, opening doors,
and giving renewed vision to these pastors. Beginning in June 2003 pastors will
form Lighthouses of Prayer to pray for one another. Each pastor will pray for
five other pastors. In turn each pastor will have five other pastors praying
for him also. We feel strongly that prayer is the key (more the tool than the
key. The key, power, wisdom, etc. are all from God) which will unlock this city
to the power of the Holy Spirit in a true time of spiritual awakening and
growth.
Thank you , Peggy Wallace
Project Nicodemos: Reaching the Professionals of Bogot
Prayer Coordinator
___________________________________________>>>
9. 2004 FORUM FOR WORLD
EVANGELIZATION
>From: "Naomi A. Frizzell" <nfrizzell@bellsouth.net>
Hundreds of Christian leaders from around the world will gather in Thailand next
year for the 2004 Forum on World Evangelization, being convened by the Lausanne
Committee for World Evangelization (http://www.lausanne.org).
Key to the Forum are targeted issues groups that will come together this fall in
preparation for the 2004 Forum. These issues groups will spend one year
researching, dialoguing and praying together as they form strategic plans to
meet the challenges facing global evangelism (see a complete list of the issues
below). Most of the issues groups will not meet face to face until September
2004, but will instead use email and a specially designed web site to help
facilitate discussion and sharing of information.
We're asking for your help in encouraging Christian leaders to apply online (http://www.lausanne.org)
to be a part of the Forum. Would you share this information with your audience?
Please feel free to call me at 904.262.5202 if you have any questions or would
like to do an interview concerning the 2004 Forum.
Thanks!
Naomi A. Frizzell
Director of Communications, Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization
naomi@lausanne.org
www.lausanne.org
www.missionamerica.org
www.nationalleadershipforum.com
www.cityreaching.com
www.larrylighthouse.com
Phone: 904.262.5202
Fax: 904.262.4556
______________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release Contact: Naomi Frizzell, 904.262.5202
Global Christian Leaders to Gather in Thailand in 2004
Deadline Approaching to Participate in Discussions On World Evangelization
(August 12, 2003) The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization (LCWE), best
known for its major world congresses in 1974 and 1989, is convening a
comprehensive global gathering in Thailand in September 2004 to address the key
challenges facing the church in the cause of world evangelization. While the
Forum is a year away, the deadline for applying to be a part of the Forum is
just days away - August 31, 2003. Lisa Tucker, Invitations Chair for the 2004
Forum for World Evangelization, says participants are being chosen this far in
advance in order to facilitate a full year of discussion surrounding issues
impacting global evangelism.
The 2004 Forum will be the fourth time in the past thirty years that the LCWE
has convened such a comprehensive gathering and organizers say that never before
has such a gathering sought to develop specific action plans to combat
challenges to world evangelization. Throughout its 26-year history, the LCWE has
served the global Church as a network of leaders and a catalyst for evangelism
(with theological agreement exhibited by the Lausanne Covenant -
www.lausanne.org/covenant.html).
ROADBLOCKS TO EVANGELISM
"Global meetings in the past have focused on networking and inspiration. As
important as that has been, our focus this time is different," chair of the 2004
Forum, Dr. Roger Parrott emphasizes. "With the theological foundation of the
Lausanne Covenant and the ability to speak with authority on the issues of
evangelism and mission, Lausanne recognizes that recent global political and
cultural shifts have presented an opportune time to come together to develop
strategies addressing the
most critical roadblocks to effective evangelism."
In concert with Lausanne's mission of "the whole church taking the whole gospel
to the whole world," the 2004 Forum will address 30 issues that were identified
through a comprehensive worldwide research effort headed by Dr. Peter Brierley
of Christian Research (United Kingdom). The issues include:
- Globalization
- The Uniqueness of Christ in a Postmodern World
- The Persecuted Church
- Holistic Mission
- Hidden and Forgotten People and Those Who've Never Heard the Name of
Jesus
- The Impact on Global Mission of Religious Nationalism and 9/11 Realities
(See a complete list of issues below.)
Teams of 30 to 70 persons will focus on each issue, working a year in advance
researching, collecting best practices and preparing to articulate an
issue-based action plan that the Church can implement through denominations,
local churches and focused ministries. At the 2004 Forum, each issue group will
present a draft of its strategy to the other issue group participants for
feedback and refinement. During 2005 and 2006, Lausanne will work relationally
around the world, encouraging leaders to prayerfully incorporate ideas generated
by the 2004 Forum issue groups into the active agenda of their ministries and
denominations.
BALANCED REPRESENTATION
Planners are diligent about making sure the broad scope of the global Church is
represented at the Forum with a goal that the majority of participants be from
the developing world, according to Tucker. "Balanced representation by
geographic region, gender, age and ministry expertise is critical to the
development of effective strategies for these issue groups," states Tucker. "We
are striving for a young forum
with 70% of the participants to be age 49 and under with 20% age 35 and under.
We also want women well represented at the Forum, with a goal that 35% of the
participants be women," she adds.
DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING
Since the announcement of the consultation in July 2002, Lausanne has networked
through international evangelical ministry organizations, universities and
denominations to receive applications from ministry leaders throughout the world
who want to participate. Leaders of the issues groups will review the
applications, with a target of 1,250 individuals to participate in the strategy
development for these key issues.
________________________________________
2004 Forum on World Evangelization Issues Groups
.Globalization
.The Uniqueness of Christ in a Postmodern World
.The Persecuted Church
.Holistic Mission
.At-Risk People
.Hidden and Forgotten People and Those Who've Never Heard the Name of
Jesus
.Non-traditional Families
.Transformation of Cities
.Partnership and Collaboration
.The Local Church and the Great Commission
.Marketplace Ministry
.Future Leadership
.Prayer in Evangelism
.The Realities of Changing Expression of the Church
.The Two-Thirds World Church
.The challenge to Christians in a postmodern world to meet new religious
spirituality and non-religious spirituality (New Age)
.Redeeming the Arts
.Evangelization of Children
.Media and Technology
.Understanding Muslims
.The Impact on Global Mission of Religious Nationalism and 9/11
Realities
.Confronting racial, tribal and ethnic conflict within the Christian
community
.Reaching the Youth Generation
.Empowering Women and Men to Utilize their Gifts Together for the Spread
of the Gospel
.Making Disciples of Oral Learners
.Reaching the Diaspora Present in Our Own Lands
.Funding the Evangelism and Mission
.Effective Education for Evangelization
.Medical Ethics and the Impact of Ethical Stance on the Relevance of the
Gospel in Today's World
.Business as Mission
___________________________________________>>>
10. 24/7 FROM LAS VEGAS TO NEW
DELHI
>From: Usprayercenter@cs.com
>At: www.usprayercenter.org
24-7 PRAYER REVOLUTION
What began just three years ago as a 'stupid idea' has mushroomed into a
worldwide movement that is revolutionizing the way churches pray and changing
lives in local communities with the power of the gospel, reports Charisma News
Service. Congregations from Las Vegas to Delhi have joined the 24-7 Prayer
initiative, in which they commit to round-the-clock prayer for anything from a
week to a month at a time. At a former pub in England now converted into a
'Boiler Room' for continuous prayer, around 200 people each week turn up to
pray, expressing themselves through artwork, poetry and songs. The Web site that
links the different 24-7 projects around the world claims more than a million
hits a month, but according to leader Pete Greig: "It was never meant to
happen."
One of the leaders of Revelation, a charismatic church on England's south
coast, Greig learned about the historic Moravian
prayer meeting (which ran unbroken for 100 years) while researching ways his
congregation might go deeper in its prayer life. He thought if the Moravians
could keep going for a century, his church might manage a week. "It seemed like
a really stupid
idea. But we kind of felt there was something in it. And we figured that if we
could pray nonstop for a week, it would still
be better than nothing."
The experiment was more successful than he had hoped. "God turned up,
prayers got answered, creativity exploded all over the walls," he recalled.
"Non-Christians were coming in, saying they could really feel God in the place.
One girl heard an angel
praying. Just amazing things happened." A few months later Greig mentioned his
church's effort at a national conference, and other congregations joined in.
Soon the idea was being replicated around the world. One hundred prayer rooms
have since been started in the United States, and in Australia, The Salvation
Army plans to pray nonstop for a year along the country's East Coast.
LINK:
http://www.24-7prayer.com
(c)
Copyright 2003, U.S. PRAYER CENTER
___________________________________________>>>
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___Copyright 2004. However, permission is granted to freely redistribute to
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