Lausanne Movement

• Lausanne Occasional Papers
• Global Network for Reconciliation Launched
• 3rd European Children’s Ministry Director’s Forum
• MinistryNet - Budapest
• New Operation World in the Works
• Praise and Prayer

Nearly all of the new LOPs generated by Issue Groups from the 2004 Forum for World Evangelization are now available online at www.lausanne.org.

All LOPs and other documents from the 2004 Forum are being placed in an LOP Compendium, being produced by William Carey Library. The Compendium is scheduled for completion by this fall. Please be praying for the team doing the final editing and formatting of the LOPS for the Compendium.

In addition, Issue Group 8 is making their LOP immediately available in print:

Issue Group 8 - LOP 37: Towards the Transformation of Our City-Regions. (print order form)

Forum Issue Group 30, Business as Mission, is making resources available at www.businessasmission.com. There you may read and download, among other things:

• Business as Mission Report/Paper (Lausanne Occasional Paper).
• Business as Mission Manifesto in several different languages (more to be added).
• An extensive Resource Directory on Business as Mission.

If your Issue Group is also making your LOP available in print or offering other resources, please let us know by contacting us.

Fifteen people who were part of the Reconciliation Track at the 2004 Lausanne Forum in Thailand met April 7-10 in Coventry, England UK to organize and launch what we are calling the Global Network for Reconciliation.

Among the highlights:

• A mission statement was crafted: “As followers of Jesus Christ, we pursue God’s mission of reconciliation as we embody its vision in our network and inspire the global Christian community to engage a world of brokenness and destructive conflicts.”
• A membership commitment was drafted.
• A new core leadership team was unanimously elected, in the following roles, each serving up to 3 years:
  • International Coordinator: CELESTIN MUSEKURA, President, Africa Leadership & Reconciliation Ministries, Rwanda/US.
  • Administration and Communication Coordinators: LISA LODEN, Managing Director, Caspari Center for Biblical and Jewish Studies, Israel and BEATRICE MWAKA, Project Director (Africa), International Centre for Reconciliation, Coventry Cathedral, UK.
  • Resource and Organizational Development Coordinator: BILL LOWREY, Director, Peacebuilding & Reconciliation, World Vision International, US.
  • Policy and External Relations Coordinator: DAVID PORTER, Director, Center for Contemporary Christianity in Ireland, Northern Ireland.
  • Projects and Program Coordinator: CHRIS RICE, Co-Director, Duke Divinity School Center for Reconciliation, US.  Chris will also serve as liaison to the  Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization. 

Five to seven people will be added to the leadership team in the future.

We invite you to rejoice with us in the successful launch of the Global Network for Reconciliation.  We covet your prayers as the leadership team begins to serve in their new roles.

The Grain of Wheat Foundation (le Grain de Blé) Switzerland, is organising the 3rd European Children’s Ministry Director’s Forum, 13th – 15th June 2005 at La Bessonnaz retreat Centre in Lignerole, Vaud, Switzerland.

The aims of the Forum include:

• Getting to know each other through fellowship, prayer and worship
• Seeking God’s vision for reaching Europe’s children in this new millennium
• Developing common strategies
• Strengthening networks
• Building on existing synergies and working on current projects:
  • Follow-up resources to the motivational DVD on ministry to children
  • An International Year of Children’s Ministry 2007
  • International resources directory Internet site
  • Children’s Internet site project www.hikidz.org
  • Building on the recommendations of the 2004 Forum for World Evangelization
  • Exploring new synergies on national and international levels

For more information, please go to www.graindeble.org.

by Gabe DeGuia

Sixty-seven people launched into a resounding applause as Austin finally entered the room.  Like a desperate contestant on Amazing Race, Austin Okomowho was determined to make the trek from his West African home in Ghana to Hungary in Eastern Europe.  Encountering visa trouble he went from Ghana to Lagos, Nigeria to Abuja, Nigeria back to Lagos, then to England, and finally two weeks later arrived in Budapest.  All that time and effort to attend a 4-day conference which was half over by the time he arrived, seemed a little ridiculous.  But when asked why he was so committed to being there he answered, “I have the distinct sense that God has something big in mind in regard to Internet ministry, but I have no idea what it is.  This conference is the key.  It is the beginning of something huge.”

With Austin’s arrival the official attendance of MinistryNet: Budapest 2005 was 68, from 27 different countries and 5 continents.  Helping Campus Crusade staff effectively launch and grow Internet ministries around the world has been a long time dream of Keith Seabourn, Chief Technology Officer for Campus Crusade for Christ, who started planning this event almost a year ago.  The first gathering of its kind, MinistryNet: Budapest 2005 sought to help a variety of people understand the use of the Internet in ministry. There were people who knew nothing about the Internet and those with several years of experience.  According to Keith, the only requirement for those attending was to have a heart for ministry.  “The key ingredients are ministry skills and a heart to see people’s lives changed.  When it comes to internet ministry most think they have to know a lot about technology, but that’s not true.  Today the technology is simple enough and Campus Crusade has provided a good, rich tool set that anyone can use.  The cookies are on a very low shelf.”

Sandu Onu from Moldova is taking advantage of that low shelf, gathering as many cookies as he can carry.  “I joined staff in 1996,” he said, “but I’ve never done anything with the Internet.  I came here with a clean slate and now have a lot of ideas, direction and vision.  I’ve learned that the tech part is easy and that the Internet can have a vital role in helping reach the 100,000 students on our campuses.  If I didn’t come here, we would not be able to launch this year.”

Those with no experience like Sandu benefited from the collaborative sharing that took place from countries such as France, Spain, the United States and even the Middle East. 

Eric Célérier was a pastor for twelve years without any knowledge of running an Internet ministry, but with a heart to reach French speakers with the love of Christ.  He launched his evangelistic site, topchretien.com in 1999, and it has since become the number one Christian portal for French speaking sites.  With a vast network of nearly 2,000 volunteers from 40 countries, Eric’s web ministry sees an average of 15,000 people visit every day.  Since March of 2002, over fifteen thousand have indicated a decision to receive Christ as their Savior.

WorldLinc, a ministry of Campus Crusade based in Orlando, Florida, introduced ARC (Assist Response Center) that helps follow up those who come to Christ over the Internet.  Conferees were able to see how it works and adopt it into their own ministry.  The sophisticated system forwards “decisions” to trained volunteers anywhere in the world to personally reply to new Christians, helping them grow in their relationship with God.  The program makes it possible for German speakers to follow up German speakers, or athletes to respond to athletes, or any way a ministry chooses to set it up.  If a volunteer can only handle one new person a week, then they only receive one email a week.  It’s an amazing tool being used to help minister to the thousands of people finding God via the Internet.

“Internet ministry is limitless!” became a repeated phrase as excitement about reaching the unreachable grew.  News about a website for Arab students indicated that 298,100 had visited since November and 3,200 of them had become Christians.

Yván Pinto from Spain summarized an interesting pattern among young people, a trend that seems to be true across cultures.  “We have a generation that thinks with their hearts and listens with their eyes.”  Several at the conference agreed with this, recognizing that teenagers in their respective countries are turning to the Internet as their primary source of truth.  That makes Internet ministry necessary to effectively reach the young people of today.

At the beginning of the conference Keith Seabourn asked, “Are you just building a website or are you reaching the world?”

During these four days, coaching was provided in the areas of design, marketing, branding, and technology.  At the end of the conference, Toni from Albania commented, “I didn’t want to come here.  I thought, ‘Why do I have to be there?  I know nothing about the Internet.’  But now I know.  It’s not about high technology and great design.  It’s about our call to go and make disciples of all nations.”

For a “Budapest Retrospect” from Rob Williams, please go to http://orangejack.blogspot.com/2005/04/budapest-retrospective.html or here   http://www.orangejack.com/ministry/ministrynet.htm

A new edition of Operation World is being planned by United Kingdom-based Worldwide Evangelisation for Christ (WEC International).  Cumulatively, in all of its editions, over 2 million copies of Operation World have been printed in 10 languages.

Full Story from Assist News
Operation World Online

By Glenda Weldon, Chair, Intercession Working Group

Pentecost Sunday has just passed.  The never-to-be-forgotten events recorded in Acts 2 describe the beginnings of the Church.   We read of a group of men and women who were bound together by a life transforming encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ and by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them.
 
From that day on, they demonstrated a passion to share the Gospel, a deep hunger to know more of Jesus and His teaching, a unparalleled generosity of spirit and joy, faith filled prayer that resulted in miraculous signs and wonders and “the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved.”

As a new era begins in the history of the Lausanne movement, may we experience, like those first disciples, a miraculous outpouring of His Holy Spirit upon us giving birth to a new and significant advance in the task of World Evangelisation.

Praise God for:

• Continuing evidence of God’s blessing on the work of Lausanne.
• The gifted men and women that the Lord has provided for the new structure of Lausanne around the world.
• The renewed commitment to the task of world evangelisation that has resulted from the Forum.
• The recent financial gifts to the work of Lausanne.

Please pray for:

• The meeting of Working Group Chairs in Boston on May 25 with Doug Birdsall.  Pray that the Holy Spirit will be present with power and wisdom as they discuss the roles of the Working Groups and explore and plan future strategies.
• The LCWE Administration Meeting in Hong Kong in June.  This will be an important time to pray together, to seek God’s continued blessing and guidance as we re-examine our role in the task of World Evangelisation, share the implications and strategies that have emerged as a result of the Forum and the renewed vision and call that flowed from it.  

Lausanne Oceania
Please pray for:

• The development of their website
• Wisdom in deciding which Issue Groups findings they should run conferences on.
• Ways to grow the LCWE network in Oceania.
• Opportunities to encourage those in the more remote areas of Oceania.
• Wisdom in working in countries where it is difficult to share the Good News.
• The encouragement of Young Leaders as they plan towards the 2006 Younger Leaders Gathering.

North Africa and Middle East

A large conference will be held in Cairo entitled the "Young Leadership Training Conference" from 16-18 August.  This is the first time to hold a leadership training conference for the youth from the age of 16 to 22 years old.

• Please pray that this conference will influence and train this young generation to lead and serve the Lord.

Younger Leaders Gathering 2006
Please pray:

• For the Organising Committee of this significant event.  Pray for the Lord’s wisdom, discernment and for sensitivity to the changes in society and within the church around the world.
• That the Lord to give clear direction for the choice of speakers, issues to be addressed, program details, musicians etc.
• That the Lord will identify those of His choice to be participants and that all their needs will be supplied for them to attend the Conference.

Children at Risk
10th World Wide Day of Prayer for Children at Risk: Saturday June 4th 2005
This year is the 10th World Wide Day of Prayer for Children at Risk – a time to thank God for His faithfulness in hearing our prayers and bringing change in children’s lives… and a time to keep praying for the 1.2 billion children around the world who continue to suffer.
God calls us to “lift up our hands to him for the lives of our children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street” (Lamentations 2v19).

Today, millions of children are orphaned by AIDS, trapped in exploitative labour, sexually abused, forced to fight as soldiers, or living in desperate poverty - we need to respond in prayer. Please join with up to a million Christians in over 90 countries, who will be praying on that day for children.

See http://www.viva.org for resources and details of prayer events.

Holistic Mission
Please pray for:

• The North American Consultation on the Role of the Church in the HIV/AIDS Pandemic to be held on November 10, 2005.
• Please pray that the Lord will bring together those whom He can use to fulfill this purpose.

This Conference is being hosted by Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization and the Global Missions Health Conference.  Co-sponsors include Food for the Hungry and World Vision United States.  This conference is targeting Christian leaders in both the church and medical professions, living in the United States and Canada, "to get informed, to get involved, and to give hope to HIV/AIDS victims."

Global Aids Prayer Partnership
The focus for prayer this month is on the children affected by the HIV/AIDS Pandemic. May the Lord stir our hearts to prayer and action!
Please pray:

• For the children who suffer unimaginable trauma and psychological pain as they witness the prolonged suffering and eventual death of one parent and then another.
• That God’s compassion and love for these children will be demonstrated by our response of God’s people to their needs physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  

Unreached People Groups
Please pray for:

• The Strategic Planning Session for the UPG’s of Indonesia for the five Year period 2005-2010 of the National Research Network in Indonesia (NRN) on May 24–26, 2005.
• Ethnê06: A Global Gathering of UPG-Focused People, Churches, and Organizations.  Ethnê06 preparation and planning is moving forward with a convening group meeting coming shortly in June.  Please pray for the process of finalizing the convening group, invitation list, logistical arrangements for security and the venue, and program decisions, that in all things leaders flow in unity and with the mind of Christ.  The Ethnê06 5-minute overview video is in production.  Pray for God’s enabling and for His heart to be imparted through the video and for it to be spread far and wide and be used by Him to thrust forth many new laborers with connected intercessory teams who labor together to see fruitful harvest among every tongue, tribe and nation across the globe.”

Global Day of Prayer
Praise God:

• Around the world, on every continent and in 152 countries, Christians gathered on Pentecost Sunday to pray for our world.  The theme for the Global Day of Prayer was Habakkuk 2: 14, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

Intercession Working Group
Praise God:

• For the numbers who gathered at the Transform World Indonesia and the awesome sense of the Lord’s Presence and power as people interceded for that great nation.
• That the material in the LOP on “Prayer in Evangelism” is being accessed and used to educate, encourage and equip Christians to pray for those who do yet know Jesus as Saviour and Lord.

Research
They have just organised the fourth English Church Census.  A form was sent to each of the 38,000 churches in England for completion on 8th May of those attending broken down by age, gender, ethnicity, etc. 
Please pray for:

• A good response.  They have already had several thousand forms back, but need thousands more!
• The research Team as they follow up churches and analyze the data over the next 6 months.  The aim of the entire exercise is to get a "big-picture" of church life in England, with important strategic info for leadership.

Empowering Women and Men to use their Gifts together in Advancing the Gospel
This group will be meeting for a follow up session in Colorado Springs November 6-9, 2005.

• Please pray for wisdom and guidance as they discuss how men and women can work together to advance the Kingdom in spite of different biblical interpretations of what women can and can’t do in ministry.

Prayer request from Uganda
Please pray for-
John Konyi and his wife serving in Lugazi and Mpererwe, Uganda are preparing for evangelism in Lugazi from 13th to 18th June 2005.  We shall  have open-air evangelism, door-to-door evangelism and Seminar for all believers.

• for the evangelists to have good preparation, that God will use them for that harvest
• that God will bring people to accept Christ and get committed
• for Lugazi (Namengo) government officials to accept this crusade to take place and let it be their  joy
• for provision toward this gospel work
• for Pastor Konyi John Aluwe with his team to healthy, prepared and having favor before the people in Lugazi.