| Lausanne Connecting Point - May 2005 |
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NO TRANSLATION AVAILABLE In This Issue:
Lausanne Occasional Paper (LOP) Update
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:
If your Issue Group is also making your LOP available in print or offering other resources, please let us know by contacting us. Global Network for Reconciliation Launched By Chris Rice
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:
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. 3rd European Children’s Ministry Director’s Forum
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:
For more information, please go to www.graindeble.org. MinistryNet: Budapest 2005
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 NEW EDITION OF “OPERATION WORLD” IN THE WORKS
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 PRAISE AND PRAYER
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. 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:
Please pray for:
Lausanne Oceania
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.
Younger Leaders Gathering 2006
Children at Risk 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
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
Unreached People Groups
Global Day of Prayer
Intercession Working Group
Research
Empowering Women and Men to use their Gifts together in Advancing the Gospel
Prayer request from Uganda
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