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E-zine for prayer, revival and church growth |
No 504 | 7 April 2005 |
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IN THIS EDITION: 1. TYPICALLY GOD: Thousand prisons unite in prayer 2. PRAYER: The future of Lebanon 3. TREND: Significant increase in out-of-church Christianity 4. RESOURCE: Reflections on Karol Wojtyla EDITORIAL: A big thank you to everyone who encouraged us over the past months to continue our news service. It's good to hear that Joel News provides encouragement to so many people. Several of our readers requested more time to make their annual donation towards Joel News International, and administratively we also could use a few more weeks. Therefore the final date to make your donation for the coming year is set to April 22, 2005. Please wire your donation timely, as from this date on only those who support the publication of this e-zine will continue to receive it. Taking no action means you will loose your subscription! You can use one of the fast and secure PayPal or creditcard payment options on our donation page. But you can also send a check of wire your donation by bank. Check out our donation page for details. LINK: http://www.joelnews.org/donation.htm On a special FAQS page we address the most frequently asked questions about this transition. Please consult this page before you contact us by e-mail. LINK: http://www.joelnews.org/transitionfaqs.htm If you already sent us a donation over the past months, or you are a regular supporter of our ministry, there is no need to contribute again. You will receive Joel News for a full year, based on the date of your last contribution. Our heart is to keep Joel News available to everyone, independent of country or budget, and we thank you in advance for your partnership in this effort. Be blessed and be a blessing! Marc van der Woude JOEL NEWS --- 1. TYPICALLY GOD: Thousand prisons unite in prayer "Almost 170 nations are gearing up for the Global Day of Prayer on Pentecost Sunday 15 May, and the ten days of prayer and fasting preceding this event," writes coordinator Bennie Mostert from South Africa. "We hear good reports from Albania. They have divided the nation into six zones, and each zone will take a shift of four hours every day. In each zone as many churches as possible will be involved to participate." "According to the people working to mobilise prisons globally to participate, at this point in time there are already 1,000 prisons where prayer watches will be held for the ten days. In South Africa we will have at least 1,200 venues where people will pray non-stop for ten days. One pastor's wife has mobilised 24 separate watches where people will pray day and night just for young people involved in drugs. We are really seeing somewhat of a prayer awakening amongst our young people in South Africa. The so-called Boiler Rooms, permanent 24-7 prayer rooms, are springing up everywhere." John Robb of the International Prayer Council reports that recently 10,000 Christians gathered in Alexandria, Egypt, for a prayer conference. Their internet website registered about 100,000 hits over the four days of the conference. "Evangelicals, Copts and Catholics have begun to work together and will participate full-scale in the Global Day of Prayer and the 10 days, with meetings all over the nation." LINK: http://www.globaldayofprayer.com --- 2. PRAYER: The future of Lebanon Missions organisation YWAM distributed a call to prayer for the war-torn nation of Lebanon. "The assassination of ex-prime minister Rafik El Hariri on February 14, 2005, shook the country in an incredible way. Downtown Beirut has seen many demonstrations, of which the biggest one drew more than a quarter of the population. Muslims, Druze and Christians were together in an acceptance and unity that Lebanon has never experienced before. People were demanding freedom, that the Syrian army and their intelligence would leave Lebanon. Also for new honest and just elections, and real independence." "Many churches are praying for Lebanon and the new thing is that some are praying together. On Easter Sunday six different Pentecostal churches were having a united service. That's something unusual. There was an amazing unity and love. Downtown, among the demonstrators, the Evangelical Christians have put up a prayer tent, where they pray for Lebanon and hand out copies of the Word of God." Pray that the church will realize the importance of its role in intercession and stand in the gap in this very crucial time in the history of Lebanon. Pray that the walls between churches will continue to fall and believers will come together in unity. Pray that the Lord will either change the hearts of corrupt rulers or remove them from their posts. Pray for righteous rulers who will father the nation with love for the people. Pray for protection from hatred, violence and chaos. Pray that the Lord's plan for Lebanon will be fulfilled. Pray for a spiritual revival, for thirst and hunger for the Lord. Pray that the Lord will send a spirit of humility to the church and the nation, that will break the strongholds of pride and division. LINK: http://www.ywamlebanon.net --- 3. TREND: Significant increase in out-of-church Christianity A nationwide survey conducted by the USA based Barna Research Group indicates that the number of unchurched adults in America continues to grow by nearly a million people annually. Interestingly, many of these unchurched people are spiritually active. One out of every five reads the Bible in a typical week; six out of ten pray to God each week; and nearly one million unchurched adults tithe their income - that is, donate at least 10% of their annual household revenue to non-profit entities. The religious media play a part in their spiritual life, too, with four out of ten absorbing Christian content through television, radio, magazines or faith-based websites during a typical month. In addition, one-quarter of them have conversations with one or more friends who held them accountable for carrying out their faith principles. Having studied church attendance patterns for more than twenty years, researcher George Barna suggests that the consistent resistance to church life in recent years is indicative of a historic shift in the nation's spiritual vision. "A large and growing number of Americans who avoid congregational contact are not rejecting Christianity as much as they are shifting how they interact with God and people in a strategic effort to have a more fulfilling spiritual life. This suggests that we are on the precipice of a new era of spiritual experience and expression." Barna expects the percentage of adults who are unchurched to grow during the coming decade. "However, the emergence of a national body of spiritual leaders who are assisting unchurched people in their quest for spiritual depth through means and relationships that are outside the usual institutional vehicles is significant. We anticipate substantial growth in the number of people who are not connected to a congregational church but who are committed to God and to their faith." LINK: http://www.barna.org --- 4. RESOURCE: Reflections on Karol Wojtyla "We don't have to agree with all Karol Wojtyla stood for to acknowledge that he was one of history's giants," writes YWAM Europe's director Jeff Fountain in his tribute to John Paul II, who passed away last weekend. "He was the first pope to visit a synagogue, the first to visit Auschwitz, the first to give diplomatic recognition to Israel, the first to celebrate mass with an Orthodox leader, the first to apologise for treatment of dissenters like John Hus and Martin Luther, the first to confess the sins of the Roman Catholic Church." Fountain also calls to pray for the new pope. "Catholics the world over will be praying for the election of the new pope, aware that the outcome could carry great consequences. Surely, in the light of John Paul II's impact on world affairs, that is a matter of prayer for all believers." LINK: http://www.ywameurope.org/news/word/readWord.asp?word=163 Agnieszka Tennant, associate editor of Christianity Today, also wrote a tribute to Karol Wojtyla, in which she relates how the pope turned her into an Evangelical. "I thank God for his ecumenism, which gave me permission to explore the religion of Billy Graham - whom the pope, while he was still a cardinal, invited to preach in his pulpit in Krakow, against the annoyance of the Polish Catholic establishment, in a sign of things to come." LINK: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/114/12.0.html Thomas Oden, Christianity Today's executive editor, remembers John Paul II as one who brought greater unity between Catholics and Evangelicals. LINK: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/114/24.0.html |
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 C O L O P H O N Joel News is an international e-zine with news reports and articles on prayer, revival and church growth. It aims at leaders, intercessors, church planters and other Christians who carry a vision for the advance of God's Kingdom in every sphere of life. The reports are meant to encourage, challenge and inform. A keen selection of only the most relevant entries from over a hundred reliable sources in six continents, make Joel News a great help and time-saver for Christians in ministry. Joel News is published weekly on the basis of an annual donation. For more information visit our donation page: http://www.joelnews.org/donation.htm. Joel News partners with a wide range of international networks and ministries in the area of prayer, saturation church planting, revival and world missions. News reports (no regular mailing lists) can be sent to our editorial team at info@joelnews.org. Has this edition been forwarded to you? Then get yourself a free 2-month trial subscription at http://www.joelnews.org/subscribe.htm. (c) JOEL NEWS, 2005 | republication only with full creditline www.joelnews.org |
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