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>Reply-To: "Pastor's Weekly Briefing" <pwb@fotf.org>

   Michael Evans, an evangelical minister based in Texas who is the author of seven best-selling books, is reviving a century-old Dutch tradition to show support for Israel and the Jewish people.
   Pastor Evans, who also directs the Corrie ten Boom Foundation in Holland, has launched the Jerusalem Prayer Team, based on the tradition of weekly prayer meetings held by the ten Boom family from 1844 to 1944. The goal of the effort is to enlist one million people in America to pray daily and 100,000 churches to pray weekly for peace in Jerusalem by reciting Psalm 122 every Sunday.
   More than 100 Christian leaders throughout America have already lent their support to the prayer campaign, including Pat Boone, Pat Robertson and Tim LaHaye.

Copyright (c) 2002, Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
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2.    FRANCE: 40 DAYS OF PRAYER
 

>From: "Achim Blackstein" <blackstein@netprayers.de>

Greetings from the international office of France 2002.  We finished our latest period of prayer and fasting for France a few weeks ago.  One of our main points for prayer this year was that God would change the political scene in France and expose the corruption in public life.  Our prayers have been answered spectacularly!

The mobilisation of prayer in France during the 40 days this year was significantly larger than in previous years.  Whilst we have no way of knowing exactly how many people took part, our estimate, based on phone calls, e-mails and orders of the prayer guide, is that there was about a 50% increase in the number of churches and prayer groups that took part, with participants coming from every major church grouping & denomination.  The variety of different ways of praying and the commitment behind the prayer in some places was extraordinary.  We heard of one church that spent 6 ½ hours in prayer EVERY DAY throughout the 40 days!  Others organised a rota of prayer and fasting to cover every hour of every day and night.   Many churches held a special week of prayer and fasting, whilst in dozens of towns and cities churches came together to organise united prayer events. At the same time, thousands of individual intercessors put aside extra time every day to pray through the themes outlined in the France Prayer Guide

When God's people pray in such a specific, coordinated, sacrificial way, you know that God is preparing to do something unusual.

It seems that there is a growing spirit of prayer coming upon much of the French church.  Even after the end of the 40 days we have received a number of e-mails from churches that are planning to continue with special programmes of prayer and fasting throughout the year

There is a growing desire in France that all those who love Jesus should put aside their differences, and pray and work together.  Last year, for example, the French Evangelical Alliance convened a summit where the leaders of all the main evangelical denominations came to publicly ask for forgiveness for their divisions and suspicions of one another.   They pledged to work together to reach France.  This is really historic in France! From this desire has come a nationwide project that is being undertaken by all the Protestant churches in France working together (a first!).  The aim is to make the Bible available to every person in France in 2003.

Many people are saying that they find a greater openness to the gospel than ever before.  During the last year we have heard reports from many different parts of the nation that there has been a noticeable increase in the number of conversions.

We plan to hold forty days of prayer and fasting for France during Lent each year for the next few years.  We believe that this outpouring of prayer is making a significant difference in the spiritual atmosphere over France, so we want to keep on praying until a breakthrough comes.  We have already started work to produce another Prayer Guide (3), which should be available in English and French from December.   Next year's book will probably develop the theme "Light up our nation".

We are hoping to be able to produce a survey of the number of regular church members in every town of 5000+ inhabitants.  We want to be able to give a detailed, national picture of the towns and regions that are in particular need for prayer and evangelism.  This is a huge task, fraught with complications and difficulties - but "GOD IS ABLE ...!!".  Please pray for a special measure of God's help in this project, which is being undertaken with the help of others.

Web Site http://www.lafrance2002.org

Netprayers - WebPrayerGuide!
To subscribe, send an empty message to netprayers-subscribe@egroups.com
(C) Copyright 2002.
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3.     PRAYER FOCUS:  NORTH KOREA
>From: Window.International.Network@vmi-ext.prodigy.net
>Reply-To: Window International Network <win1040list-return@win1040.com>

North Korea is one of the countries that President George W. Bush mentioned in his recent State of the Union address as part of what he called the “evil axis.”  Operation World calls North Korea “possibly the most difficult country to be a Christian.”

The need:
 

Most North Koreans have never heard the name of Jesus.
The tiny Christian population is severely repressed, and more than 100,000 Christians are interned in labor camps.
As many as 3 million people died of starvation from 1994-2000.
The leader of North Korea has deified his deceased father, Kim Il Sung.

Pray:
 

for physical and spiritual safety for North Korean believers  
for aid to reach the needy population, and for wisdom on the part of foreign governments and NGOs providing aid  
for Korean Christians from China and elsewhere who are able to visit and gain opportunities to witness  
that the Holy Spirit might convict government leaders to cease their idolatry and worship the true God
that Korean families in Korea and Japan will be reunited

 

Want more information on North Korea?
 

Note:  Three of these sites are hosted by the government of North Korea, so you will have to be discerning in judging the information they present.
Citizens Alliance for North Korean Human Rights
Korean Central News Agency (North Korean government website)  
DPRK Welcomes You!  (North Korean government website)
DPRK (North Korean government website)

WIN RESOURCES

A Call to Prayer for Children, Teens and Young Adults in the 10/40 Window, by Beverly Pegues (WIN president) and Nancy Huff, $10.  This comprehensive book features specific prayer needs of young people in the Window.  Published by YWAM, it is scheduled for release in April, and is available now in pre-sale on our website, or call (719) 522-1040.

Window International Network
coordinating prayer, training & outreach to the 10/40 Window

Window International Network (WIN) is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to mobilize millions of Christians to pray for the 10/40 Window nations.  WIN was founded in 1999 to continue the international outreach segment of the Christian Information Network.   We have mobilized more than 40 million people to pray for the 10/40 Window, and helped to organize prayer journeys into the nations of the 10/40 Window.

Window International Network, P.O. Box  49127, Colorado Springs, CO 80949-9127, USA
(719) 522-1040 (phone)  /   (719) 277-7148 (fax)
WIN email: win@win1040.com  
WIN website: http://www.win1040.com 
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>From: tuangaze@umsg.org

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

I am Pastoring in Tuangaze Evangelistic Ministries where we also have a children centre serving the needy kids here in Kenya in a slum called Kawangware. I founded this Ministry on 29.3.2OOl.  We would like to be involved in your activities i.e network with other people so please keep us informed and pray for this ministry.  God Bless you as you pray for us we are also praying for you all.

Yours in Christ Jesus, Pastor Margaret
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>From: Steve Shadrach <shad@cyberback.com>

I represent a ministry called The BodyBuilders- dedicated to building up and mobilizing the Body of Christ. We help local churches and ministries all over the country. We have two tools that may be of interest to other pastors. Here they are:

1. Day of Discovery World Missions Seminar- a one day, fast paced, multimedia event that ignites vision and passion for the World Christian Movement. They can get more info at www.DayofDiscovery.org 

“The Day of Discovery is the best condensed missions vision and perspective seminar that we have experienced. The teaching is Biblical, visionary, and sprinkled with great stories. Our people were very excited about the content and how it led to immediate life application. The Day of Discovery augmented our efforts to build missions vision and passion by giving our people Biblical, historical, cultural, and strategic foundation for world evangelization. We endorse the Day of Discovery seminar without reservation."
Chuck Barber, Global Outreach Pastor of Hill Country Bible Church <http://www.hcbc.com/>  Austin, TX

"...a powerful message of our opportunity to reap a staggering harvest worldwide. Schedule Steve. You'll find God working deeply in hearts."
Dr. Waylon B. Moore, Pastor, Author, Missionary, President of Missions Unlimited <http://www.mentoring-disciples.org/>   Tampa, FL

2. Personal Support Raising Boot Camp- Two days of intensive training on how to raise your personal support. Thousands of churches across the U.S. are personally sending and/or funding missionaries. Most churches (and many mission agencies) don’t know how to train their missionaries to be successful in this critical area. Our goal is to get new Christian workers and veterans (who are underfunded) to their assignment quickly….and fully funded. There are only two Boot Camps in the U.S. that any Christian worker can attend: August 14-15 in Atlanta in conjunction with the ACMC/Finishers Project National Conference and November 19-21 in Dallas in conjunction with the Ivy Jungle Network National Conference. They can registration info at www.TheBodyBuilders.net <http://www.thebodybuilders.net/>

Mr. Scott Morton, Vice President of Development for The Navigators <http://home.navigators.org/us/>   and author of seminar textbook Funding Your Ministry <http://www.gospelcom.net/navs/navinfo/resources/dawson/main.htm>  
"It is with great enthusiasm that I commend Steve Shadrach to you as your personal "drill sergeant" for this training. Steve and I share a commitment to help you reach full funding. May God bless you as you launch out. Have a great seminar!"

Mr. Curt Harlow, National Leadership Team of Chi Alpha Ministries USA <http://www.chialpha.com/> 
"This training is not just about budgets. It is about tackling the attitudes that keep us from excellence in ministry."

Mr. Ellis Goldstein, Director of Ministry Partner Development for Campus Crusade for Christ <http://www.ccci.org/>  
"There is a vicious rumor among Christian workers and missionaries that God has run out of money to fund His work. Nothing could be further from the truth. What the Lord wants accomplished, He will make provision in a way that brings Him honor and glory."

Mr. Jim Killgore, President of ACMC <http://www.acmc.org/>  (Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment)  "Your Boot Camp was a great encouragement to me and to our staff. It was solid, thought provoking, practical and relevant to life situations... Personally, I've already picked up four new major supporters and I'm nearly 50% of the way toward my goal. Thanks!"

Steve Shadrach, 2012 Martin Street, Conway, Arkansas 72034
Office/Fax 501-450-9931
(Student Mobilization) www.stumo.org 
(Day of Discovery Seminars) www.dayofdiscovery.org
(Personal Support Raising "Boot Camps") www.thebodybuilders.net 
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>From: "Crosswalk.com" <newssummaries.UM.A.3.24237@lists.crosswalk.com>
>Reply-To: "Religion Today Summaries" <newssummaries.UM.A.3.24237@lists.crosswalk.com>

East Germans Flock to Churches Following School Massacre

A shooting spree at an East German school has left Germany in shock and grief. While final exams were in progress April 26, a 19-year-old ex-student entered Gutenberg High School and gunned down 12 teachers, two female students, one secretary and one policeman before taking his own life. In the Thuringian city of Erfurt, thousands have been flocking to churches and Christian counselors and police psychologists are helping the bereaved.

According to "idea," a German evangelical news agency, about one in five citizens of Erfurt is a church member. Shocked by the massacre, many non-Christians have been attending services at Protestant and Catholic churches. The town, which is where Martin Luther studied, has a population of 200,000.

An evangelical students mission has called on all pupils and students in Germany to observe minutes of silence for the victims and hold daily prayer vigils.  Evangelicals have passed out flyers in Erfurt with words from the Bible Psalm 23 or John 14:1. The flyers were gone within an hour, according to Pastor Ruediger Zander. -- http://www.idea.de
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>From: John_Robb@wvi.org

You have been patiently waiting for the report of what happened in southern Sudan. After our team left Nairobi and spent a night along the shores of Lake Victoria in northern Uganda, we journeyed by prop plane and then sturdy Land Rovers into Yei, a small town in South Sudan. The bone-jarring road we traveled (eight hours for about 70 miles) was reputed to be "the worst in Africa," and we can now vouch for that. It was more a path than a road, filled with rocks, potholes and streams to ford. After several hours of delay due to the pesky requirements of  border officials who seemed to have nothing better to do, we arrived at the grass thatched Presbyterian compound of Yei under cover of darkness yet thankfully safe and sound.

450 participants from 15 denominations came together the next morning for three days to seek the Lord for the healing of their land. As in the North, we had the favor of the authorities, and one of the highest ranking officials of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement took part in the initiative, praying along with everyone else. Like Khartoum the initiative was characterized by both weeping and dancing. People on our team repented on behalf of their nations for colonial manipulation, exploitation by multinational companies and largely doing nothing to help end the war and suffering of  the Sudanese people. Participants repented for denominational and tribal divisions. Again, deep brokenness gave way to times of jubilation and dancing as faith rose to apprehend that the fact that God was answering prayer and would bring peace.

We had already gotten word of the Nuba Mountains ceasefire that was announced in Switzerland on January 19, the last day of the northern initiative. This agreement calls for a six month ceasefire in one of the most war- ravaged areas of the country and gives humanitarian agencies access for the first time in 20 years! During the northern initiative on January 18, over 300 of us had felt led by the Spirit to cry out in unison, "Breakthrough in Switzerland!" The following day's headlines proclaimed what the Lord had done with your prayers and those of the Sudanese and our team. A breakthrough had occurred in only a few days of negotiation, a very unusual event in peacemaking efforts.

In the South, a few days later, I held up the same Khartoum headlines to encourage them to believe God that this ceasefire would be extended throughout the whole nation and for a comprehensive peace to result. Friday, January 25, was the last day of the southern initiative and also a day of prayer for the northern churches. Southerners and northerners, therefore, joined their prayers and faith together for the healing and deliverance of the nation, praying the same day for the same things with heartfelt unity across the divide of the civil war. Later, to the vigorous, incessant beat of drums, adults and children exuberantly sang "Jesus Number One". Then, hundreds of us processed from the meeting place and danced in formation round and round the compound.

Church leaders in both the North and South said they had never experienced anything like this prayer initiative before and that they would remember it as long as they lived. It was a great highlight for our team and as usual an enormous privilege to see the Lord at work with thousands like you around the world making it happen through your faithful prayers.

Here are some continuing prayer concerns:

1.   That the Nuba Mountains ceasefire will hold and be just the first fruits of a comprehensive peace agreement that will end the war and bring healing and prosperity to Sudan as a whole, hopefully reunited nation.
2.   Remarkably, since the prayer initiative, some Muslim leaders in Khartoum are now saying it is time for reconciliation and that they should apologize for all the suffering they have caused the southern Christians. This is not easy for them. Pray they will follow through and that it will be the beginning of true reconciliation and religious freedom. Protection and freedom is especially important for those who come to Christ out of Islam such as the man I wrote to you about.
3.   The removal of an extremist elite from the government who are controlling the nation and benefiting from the current situation of war.
4.   The ending of Islamization of Christian children in schools and the Islamic control of the churches in the north.
5.   Unity of the churches along with faithful leadership and the development of a strong united prayer movement in both north and south.

Thanks for keeping Sudan in your prayers.
Warmly and gratefully, John Robb
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>From: Usprayercenter@cs.com

In the fall of 2000, hearts were moved in Africa to launch Every Home Word, and more than 400 pastors and evangelists responded to the call, gathering for a week long training. Many of the rural pastors are desperately poor; walking for days on bare feet to reach the conference--they can't afford shoes. Pastor Pascall was one of them.
    When other pastors began to arrive, Pascall felt ashamed. He had no shoes his clothes were rags and he was beginning to feel ill. At the afternoon meal, Pascall nearly collapsed and was taken to a hospital. He had cholera! The next day, alone in an isolated room, with only Jesus by his side, Pascall died.
    News of Pascall's death shocked the conference. There were tears of repentance that no one had offered shoes or clothing to this pastor. As a result of this experience the Christian leaders caught the EHC vision with a passion and wasted no time sharing the Gospel home-to-home, in towns and isolated villages in some of the most remote regions of the country.
     Many set off into the bush, without any means of transportation except their own bare feet to carry them. Within weeks, at least 20,000 homes and villages in 90 regions had been touched with the Gospel. An amazing 10,000 people made decisions for Christ! Forty home fellowships called Christ Groups were also born in villages where a church had never existed before.
    Source: Every Home for Christ

PrayerNet is a bi-weekly e-mail newsletter containing prayer reports, requests, and instruction from the US PRAYER CENTER. PrayerNet, designed and edited by Alice Smith, is offered free of charge. Circulate it freely. (c) Copyright 2002, U.S. PRAYER CENTER    /   SUBSCRIBE: Send a blank email message to <prayernet-subscribe@usprayercenter.org>
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>From: "Crosswalk.com" <newssummaries@lists.crosswalk.com>

'Operation Go' Taking Gospel into 28 Million Central America Homes

A volunteer team of Southern Baptists and other Christians, under the leadership of Bob W. Roberts, a Great Commission Network Center director, is part of a very ambitious project, in taking the gospel to the millions of homes in Central America.  This test case for Operation GO (Gospel Outreach) is in El Jicaro, Guatemala, as explained in Baptist Press.

The short-term missionaries prayerwalked the area first, and were surprised to find the Guatemalans opening their homes to them – partly out of curiosity, but also to ask them to pray with them or for a sick child. Their church had been padlocked.

According to the report, it is difficult to reach some isolated villages and then discover the people do not speak Spanish, but one of over 260 dialects.  "The low rate of literacy makes printed materials useless," Robert said, and so the Gospel of John, for instance, is available in audio format for the missionaries to use. "Where God's message goes, it does not return void."

http://link.crosswalk.com/UM/T.ASP?A3.15.4909.1.277678      
Religion Today News Summaries are a compilation of articles from various media sources.  We do not necessarily endorse nor personally adhere to the views represented within them. We simply want our audience to have an understanding of and be alert to what others are saying about matters of religion and faith.     

To subscribe, send an email to:  < SUBSCRIBE-newssummaries@lists.crosswalk.com >  or go to   < http://www.crosswalk.com/lists  > for a complete list of our newsletters. Copyright © 2001 Crosswalk.com, Inc. and its Content Providers. All rights reserved.    
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>From: "Mert Hershberger" <mertaka@everybody.org>

 On February 4th we finally had the signature with the Mayor of the city of Frosinone for an "Inter-religious" document which guarantees us a time to go to the public schools and share with the students and teachers about our beliefs! Not that we are happy that "non-evangelical" religions have the same rights, but since one way or another the Catholics have their weekly hour already, and the "press" is already giving the Muslims their time, at least this way we are not left out.  Yet the little children will not be affected by other religions other than the one their parents had them grow up with.  We still need your prayers in this regard because we know that the enemy will concentrate his attacks mostly on us! He knows that all the other "religions" will lead the people to the same ...place, so he will try to bother us the most. So, please cover us with your prayers.  -- Operation Italy operitaly@tin.it

Mert Hershberger, 4211 Lynn Drive, El Dorado, AR 71730, USA
870-862-1649
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>From: Missions Insider <insider@christianaid.org>

A town in Namibia was delivered from fear of repeat attacks of Angola terrorists--not by guns but by a conference on intercessory prayer.

The conference was held October 12-14 by a Namibian evangelistic and church-planting ministry. "We have had some regional conferences on intercession, especially in remote places where the occult and satanic powers still terrorize the people," the leader said. During this conference participants "prayed for peace and the dismantling of any systems that support the attack on innocent civilians."

"The following day, people began confessing and surrendering as accomplices in evil acts," the leader told Christian Aid. "Many were then rounded up. Peace has come back to the city and people move freely now."

The meeting was an outgrowth of a larger, interdenominational prayer conference held in Otjiwarongo in April. That meeting was attended by 583 intercessors from 28 different ministries. The city's mayor, after attending for the last four years, made a decision for Christ.

The leader believes that prayer is what empowers the ministry for success. The ministry, which conducts two evangelistic outreaches per month, saw over 40 people confess Christ and join the group's two churches in the Otjiwarongo area.

While the ministry's work is mainly in rural areas, its missionaries also planted a church in the capital city of Windhoek last August. "It's a major breakthrough," the leader said.

To learn more about this ministry write mailto:insider@christianaid.org and put MI-308 590-LWM on the subject line.

The content of Missions Insider is Copyright 2002.
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>Reply-To: "Religion Today Summaries" <newssummaries.UM.A.3.31761@lists.crosswalk.com>

Poll Finds Canada May be Experiencing a Period of Spiritual Renewal

(ENI) A recent survey by a Canadian pollster suggests that the country may be experiencing a period of spiritual renewal--one not limited to churchgoers. A survey of 3,500 Canadians revealed that weekly church attendance had increased, the core membership had stabilized, and those who attend church infrequently were not "deserting the ship." The trend was particularly obvious among mainline Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, United Church of Canada, and Roman Catholic churches, reports Ecumenical News International (ENI).

Reginald Bibby, who teaches sociology at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, has monitored religious trends in Canada every five years since the 1970s. His most recent survey suggests that a 30-year downward trend in church attendance has been halted and that attendance of youth has rebounded.

Bibby admitted he was surprised by the recent results, according to ENI, because earlier surveys had pointed to a waning religious influence in Canada.  "Groups like the United Church and the Anglicans may be joining the evangelicals in experiencing revitalization," he said. The renewed interest among youth may be the result of direct efforts by the churches to reach out. "Religious groups are doing a much more aggressive job of targeting and ministering to young people," according to Bibby. "Churches are making youth ministry, ministry to young adults and to children, a much higher priority than in the past."

Copyright © 2002 Crosswalk.com, Inc. and its Content Providers. All rights reserved.
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13.    PRAY FOR THE IRM PRAYER SUMMITS
>From: irm <irm@multnomah.edu>

Prayer Summits and Conferences this month

May 13-16, 2002    Blenheim, New Zealand
May 13-16, 2002    Conservative Baptist Northwest
May 14-17, 2002    Japan, Eastern Area (Tokyo)
May 20-23, 2002    Japan, Western Area
May 20-23, 2002    Adelaide, Australia
May 24-26, 2002    El Salvador, Central America Women
May 27-30, 2002    El Salvador, Central America Men

Testimonials, Prayers & Praises
    "As a young pastor coming to his first Prayer Summit, I have been blessed over and over. The presence of so many men truly seeking to
just know the Lord in a greater way has been refreshing to my very soul. Role models of the Christian faith have been few and far between in my life, but God has led me to three men in two days who truly are men of prayer and character. I have made friendships here that I truly believe will last a lifetime. All of these visible things have been outstanding, but pale in comparison to the growth of my spirit to God. God has drawn me to Him and has shown me things I would nave never seen anywhere else.  It has been awesome!" - Knoxville, Tennessee
    "This was my first prayer summit.  I found it to be extremely helpful to me as a new pastor.  Godly pastors from many backgrounds, led by the Holy Spirit, spoke into my life.  I believe I have received some keys for effective ministry." - Lincoln/Tillamook/Clatsop Co, Oregon
    "Father, I appreciate so much the openness of everyone who participated.  No titles, no competition, no boasting, just an openness before you.  A real sense that we are needy and prone to sin and wishing to have you empower and encourage and strengthen us.  I especially appreciated the admission that we sometimes preach from 'an empty bucket'- without your power or direction.  That we need you to first work in us and that we will minister from the overflow or what you are doing in our own personal lives." - South King County, Washington

If you would like to receive specific updates about how to pray for IRM, please contact us at <irmintercession@multnomah.edu>.  We would love for you to be one of our intercessors.
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___ Send us a 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:
        http://www.nppn.org/Global.htm
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