| JOEL-NEWS-INTERNATIONAL-473 * 19 APRIL 2004 * WWW.JOELNEWS.ORG IN THIS EDITION: JN473-1. TYPICALLY GOD: An office in the centre of the city JN473-2. PRAYER FOCUS: Day of Prayer for European Union JN473-3. NEWS: Charismatic leaders discuss ethical crisis JN473-4. NEWS: Global AIDS Prayer Partnership launched JN473-5. TREND: The man with the purpose JN473-6. TREND: Will TV advertising save the church? --- PASSION - http://www.passionofchrist.nl DAILY NEWS - http://www.passionofchrist.nl/blog.htm --- PRAYER - http://www.joelnews.org/prayer.htm --- SPAM - We noticed that some readers don't receive Joel News anymore because their spam filter (or their provider's spam filter) is blocking the xc.org domain. If you don't receive Joel News for more than three consecutive weeks, contact our administrator Rob Piket at rob@joelnews.org. --- JN473-1. TYPICALLY GOD: An office in the centre of the city Youth prayer movement 24-7prayer was looking for office space in the centre of London, one of the most expensive cities in terms of rent. UK base leader Phil Togwell reports: "Once again, God's blown our little brains giving us free office space in the very heart of London right by the River Thames." During a get-together of 24-7 prayer leaders from the UK, a blind lady who coordinates 24-7prayer in the Salvation Army, received a vision. It was about "a net being laid over London, restricting the city and particularly the church". She described seeing the net being cut and she could see St.Paul's Cathedral. Unaware of this, in another part of London, Togwell was sitting in front of a computer screen in stunned silence, reading an email (over and over a few times, just to make sure) from one of the directors of a London-based company who offered 24-7prayer a 3-4 person office in Sir John Lyon House, High Timber Street, for free, provided they would pray for his business! And guess what - this office is just a minute's wander from St.Paul's Cathedral. LINK: http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q27411018 --- JN473-2. PRAYER FOCUS: Day of Prayer for European Union Christians in Europe adopted the first Sunday in May (this year 2 May) as a day of prayer for the European Union, and invite Christians and churches worldwide to join in. On 1 May the EU will be extended with ten new nations. Let's pray that the Lord will have His way with the European Union. Pray for true spiritual unity in the Body of Christ in Europe, and for reconciliation between nations and people groups. Pray for opportunities, creativity and boldness to preach the Gospel, plant new churches and raise up new leaders. Pray for Spirit-inspired partnership and synergy between ministries all over Europe. Pray for justice and integrity in politics, and the election of capable politicians that will honor God. LINK: http://www.europeanea.org (European Evangelical Alliance) LINK: http://www.euprayer.com (prayer information) --- JN473-3. NEWS: Charismatic leaders discuss ethical crisis Citing transgressions and indiscretions among a growing number of church leaders, prominent charismatic ministers in the United States decried what they called an 'ethical crisis' in the Church. They drew a line in the sand at an historic meeting in Orlando, Florida, in January. Their message: "It's not about power or titles, it's about winning the lost." They addressed topics such as the use of titles (particularly apostle and prophet), leadership abuse, financial integrity and ministry ethics, and endorsed a document that has been dubbed the 'Orlando Statement'. They attributed the moral breakdown to an increased prevalence in ministry being seen as a profession "in which the importance of success and power outweigh the demands of servanthood and integrity." LINK: http://www.ministriestoday.com/specialreport.html LINK: http://www.ministriestoday.com/OrlandoStatement.html --- JN473-4. NEWS: Global AIDS Prayer Partnership launched Several Christian leaders from across the United States met recently in Tempe, Arizona, for a strategy session to launch the Global AIDS Prayer Partnership. The Global AIDS Prayer Partnership (GAPP) has as it's mission mobilizing united prayer globally toward an epidemic of compassion for the end of AIDS and the devastation being caused by this pandemic. The global AIDS pandemic has been called the worst humanitarian crisis in history and daily takes another 6,000 lives and leaves many thousands of children orphaned. The Global AIDS Prayer Partnership seeks to build a 'coalition of the concerned'. "This is just the beginning of our response to AIDS, but we must begin with united prayer. We cannot allow another day to pass by without seeking the Lord for the healing only He can bring," says Brian Considine, founder of the Global AIDS Prayer Partnership. Plans for GAPP include a global day of prayer to coincide with World AIDS Day, which is annually held each December 1st. A global prayer consultation on AIDS is being planned for the Fall 2004. Resources are being developed for informed intercession. LINK: http://www.gappartnership.org --- JN473-5. TREND: The man with the purpose Rick Warren's plan for spiritual fulfillment is making him one of America's most influential ministers, reports TIME Magazine. Over the past 17 months, 15 million copies of 'The Purpose-Driven Life' have been sold. Nearly 300,000 ministers from 50 states and 120 nations have participated in Warren's pastor-training seminars and internet classes. His church Saddleback has become a bustling megachurch, with an annual operating budget of more than $19 million, and now sits on an immaculate 120-acre campus south of Los Angeles. On weekends the 15,000 members and about 5,000 visitors choose from services at six different times and 10 different venues around the campus. The ultimate 'American pastor's dream'? Maybe, but there's another side to this story. Mindful of the checkered history of high-profile evangelists, Warren stopped taking his $110,000 annual salary from Saddleback and refunded all the money the church had paid him over the years. He says he keeps only 10% of the book royalties and gives the rest away to projects fighting poverty, illiteracy, and disease - especially AIDS - in America and abroad. Warren wants each of Saddleback's 2,000 small groups to adopt a village in a developing country, make mission trips there and send educational and medical supplies, along with spiritual and financial support, to its residents. Eventually, he hopes to expand the program to the more than 10,000 other Purpose-Driven churches around the nation. LINK: http://makeashorterlink.com/?O14631AD7 --- JN473-6. TREND: Will TV advertising save the church? There's a new kind of preaching on television. But this time the preachers are seeking their own salvation. Faced with little growth, or in some cases decades of declining membership, America's mainline denominations are set to pour hope and millions of dollars into TV advertising. A technique once regarded as distasteful self-promotion has become an accepted necessity to save aging buildings, costly pension plans, and the increasingly rare work of missionaries. An article by G. Jeffrey MacDonald in The Christian Science Monitor. LINK: http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0316/p01s03-ussc.html --- COLOPHON Joel News International is a leading special interest bulletin on prayer, church growth and revival. We offer a keen selection of the most encouraging news reports, the most challenging developments and the best resources from over 100 reliable sources in six continents. Joel News International is a great help and time-saver for thousands of Christian leaders and intercessors in over 120 nations. Editor: Marc van der Woude. You can contact the editorial office at joel-news@xs4all.nl. Joel News International is distributed weekly by e-mail on the basis of an annual donation. For more information see http://www.joelnews.org/donation-jni.htm#options. Has this bulletin been forwarded to you? Then subscribe directly by sending an empty e-mail to: subscribe-joel-news-international@xc.org. |
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