Lausanne Movement

• 2004 Forum leaders from more than 30 countries so far
• Strategic gathering in Korea in May
• Thai Church welcomes the 2004 Forum
• LCJE meet in Dallas
• Prayer Bulletin

"Leadership for the Issues which will form the core of the 2004 Forum on World Evangelization has been drawn from over thirty countries," says Robyn Claydon, Chair of the Program Committee. The unique focus of this Forum, which sets it aside from other conferences, is the formation of 24 Issue Groups consisting of  30-70 people working on a particular Issue for eighteen months leading up to the Forum in September/October 2004. The leadership of these Issues has been drawn from as far a field as Denmark, India, Germany, French Canada, Argentina, Rwanda, Ghana, China and Malaysia. The result of the whole process will be the publication of outcomes which will give practical suggestions to the church worldwide as to how these Issues--many of which are current blockages to the gospel--can be addressed. Robyn adds, "Practitioners and theologians will engage in this work and exciting outcomes are expected that will move the church forward in clearly defined ways as we all seek to reach our fractured and hurting world with the Good News of the Lord Jesus."

In May the leaders of each of the 24 Issue Groups will meet in Korea to start the process which will lead to the final documents and action plans to be presented at the 2004 Forum in Thailand. The issue group leadership will start building the whole group out of the names,  which by the end of May will have come out of the nomination process.  The communication starting among the leadership of the groups will soon spread across the globe as people from every corner of the world join the issue groups to hammer out strategies and action plans. Most of the communication will happen via Internet on the 2004 Forum portal, but for those members who live in areas where the web is not accessible, other means of communication will be made available.

The leadership of  the ongoing World Inquiry will meet for consultation at the same venue at the same time.  Says Dr. Roger Parrott, Chair of the 2004 Forum:  "In God's wonderful timing, we are thrilled that the leaders of the 2004 Forum have joined together with the leaders of the World Inquiry for the Korea meeting. I am enthusiastic about the World Inquiry process that is being undertaken in collaboration with Lausanne and the 2004 World Evangelization Issues Forum as a front-line effort to hear directly what God is saying to His people all around the world through extended dialog with leaders at all levels to glean the best and most significant revelations God is releasing to his people all around the world. I believe that as the results are synthesized God will give insights which will dramatically change and shape the nature of evangelism for the future. Bringing together the leaders of both these efforts allows the cutting edge voice of the Church to be heard as we begin to define the focus of each Issue Group, and also enables the Issue Groups to get a strong start on their year long process of dialog and discussion leading up to the Forum in September 2004."

The Conference Operations Director of the 2004 Forum, Gary Barnes, and the International Director of Lausanne, David Claydon, met with the Thai Church Evangelism Committee and other representatives of the various Churches in Thailand. A host committee was formed and this Committee will provide Volunteer workers and help in many practical ways to enable this Forum to work well in Thailand. At least one local Choir will make a presentation at one of the evening sessions.

Barnes and Claydon also met with government officials and gained their support in providing a strong security team and visas for those from countries where there is no Thai Consular representation. The Thai Tourist Authority will possibly provide a welcome dinner on the first evening for the Forum participants.

The hotels and Conference Centre were inspected and it became clear that the site chosen provides excellent facilites for the Issue Groups and plenary meetings we will have at the Forum. The Management team were very co-operative and are well experienced in caring for major events. David Claydon comments  that the Thai Church and government officials were very welcoming and keen for us to come to their country and we look forward to working closely with them.

The 20th annual LCJE North America conference was held at the historic First Baptist Church in downtown Dallas February 24-26, 2003. Soon after the conference was called to order with the ceremonial blowing of the shofar by Rev. Fred Klett, former LCJE NA coordinator, a freezing rain began to fall on Dallas. A night of sleet left all streets coated with ice virtually shutting down the city. Nonetheless the conference went forward. Only a few of the local registrants were unable to make their way to the conference site.

Jim Sibley, coordinator of Jewish Ministries for the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board (NAMB), welcomed the 55 conferees with a brief history of the long ministry of First Baptist's pastor, W. A. Criswell, highlighting Criswell's love of the Jewish people and his firm commitment to taking the Gospel of their Messiah to them. Under Sibley's leadership a number of messianic congregations have been planted around the USA. Several of those congregational leaders were in attendance for the first time at this LCJE NA conference representing congregations in Oklahoma, St. Louis, and Chicago.

Dr. Kai Kjaer-Hansen, LCJE's international director from Denmark, delivered a report which included information and an invitation for all involved in Jewish evangelism to attend the every-fourth year international LCJE conference to be held in Helsinki, Finland August 7-12, 2003. Elections of national coordinators in North America, Latin America, Europe, Japan, Israel, and Australia/New Zealand take place at the International conferences. Dr. Kjaer-Hansen also presented a paper on the early 19th century missionary work of John Nicholayson, a Dane, in Jerusalem. Several other papers on Jewish believers, their lives and ministries dating from as early as the 1700s, were presented. Dr Rich Robinson spoke on Hermann Warszawiak who ministered at the end of the 19th century. Judah Monis, possibly the first American Jewish believer in the 18thcentury, was the subject of a paper presented by Sibley. A Biblical paper on a description of a Jewish evangelist taken from a study of the Book of Acts by Dr. Barry Leventhal, of Southern Evangelical Seminary, Charlotte, NC, highlighted the vitality of the scriptural witness in the early days of the church. This Biblical witness is a model for those who are taking the Gospel to the Jewish people of today, Leventhal said. A video titled "Joined Together?" on the subject of mixed marriages between Jews and gentiles and approaches which can be used evangelistically with this growing number of couples was presented. Tuvya Zaretsky, whose doctoral work is centered on the topic of intermarriage where one partner is Jewish, presented a report of his findings as well. Over 50% of Jews in America are married to non-Jews, Zaretskey pointed out. The video is available through Chosen People Ministries, New York.

Susan Perlman, Communications Director for Jews for Jesus, focused in her media report on several areas from the past year: the Jewish-Roman Catholic statement on the lack of need to take the Gospel to Jews which came out in August 2002, reports in the media on demographics of Jews in the US, and write-ups which appeared about JFJ's five-year "Behold Your God" campaign being conducted in all major cities of the world with Jewish populations of over 25,000, both those favorable and those written by anti-missionary groups. Derek Leman, author and pastor of Hope of David congregation in Atlanta, reported on "What are Jewish Gen-Xers Saying?" which gave insight into the spiritual  trends among those under 30 today with suggestions on how to ministry among them effectively.

Reports from the field were received from: David Rothstein with an update on "Behold Your God" campaign for 2003; Vladimir Pikman who oversees work in Europe from his Berlin headquarters; and, the work of congregational plants under the Southern Baptist Convention ministry.

Dr. David Sedaca, second generation Jewish believer and pastor from Argentina and director of the International Messianic Jewish Alliance (IMJA) in Virginia Beach, VA, traced the history of Jewish evangelism being done through messianic congregations. He concluded that in past generations Jewish evangelism was a higher priority than among some of today's messianic congregational leaders. Better training in evangelism for congregational leaders of messianic congregations should be incorporated in their pastoral preparations was one proposal, said Sedaca.

The dates and venues for the next two annual LCJE-NA conferences were agreed on at the conference business meeting. Those are: April 26-28, 2004in Toronto, Canada; and  March 7-9, 2005 in San Francisco, CA.

"I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." John 17:26

One of the intriguing and wonderful aspects of being a Christian is that there is always more to know about and experience of God and his extraordinary love "within us and among us" through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and his indwelling Holy Spirit. The 2004 Forum with its God-given desire for "a New Vision, a New Heart, and a Renewed Call" for the task of World Evangelisation was birthed out of his love in us and among us as we grappled with the issues facing the church worldwide. The Lord continually draws us back to the primacy of the greatest commandment “ "˜Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" and ˜Love your neighbour as yourself."

Let us come again and again into his Presence and be renewed in the wonder of his love for us and with the astounding truth that he loves the whole world with that same nondiscriminating, nonnegotiable, unconditional, infinite love.  May his love be the springboard of our prayer, work and planning for Forum 2004, and of the many faceted work of Lausanne.

FORUM 2004

• Praise for the Lord's over-ruling in early February when David Claydon, Gary Barnes and Ted Yamamori were able to spend time in Thailand in preparation for the Forum
• Pray for the 48 theologians we are now inviting to be involved at the 2004 Forum.  There will be two theologians allocated to each of the 24 Issue Groups.
• Praise the Lord that we have all but about three positions filled for the leadership of the Issue Groups. The Issue Groups are the backbone of the Lausanne Forum.
• We pray that these Issue Groups will produce material that will enable the church around the world to address the blockages to evangelism.  We are trusting God that this material will strengthen the Church in its desire to make the Good News known and in its ability to care for new believers.
• Pray for the Convenors of each Issue Group as they make decisions with their Co-convenor and Facilitator as to the direction and scope of their Issue.
• Pray for those who are considering nominating someone for a particular Issue that they will be guided by the Lord.
• Please continue to pray and trust God with us for the provision of all the financial needs of the Forum.  David Claydon has been talking to one group in England and another in Germany who, we hope, will be able to make substantial gifts. We are wanting to cover the travel and accommodation costs for those from the very poor countries so that they can participate in every aspect of the Forum.
• Pray for preparations for the World Inquiry to be held in Seoul, Korea and for the work that will begin on the Issues.
• Please pray for God's providential directing of the nomination and invitation process:
  that the Lord would facilitate awareness of the 2004 Forum throughout the global Christian community, that He would draw individuals of His choosing to submit applications on their own or stir ministry leaders to submit applications on their behalf, that the nomination process would exemplify Christ-honouring cooperation and mutual service in the global Christian community,  that He would continue to supply, sustain and protect the online technology throughout the invitation and nomination process,  blessing all those who have had a vital role in establishing the technology, and that He would guide David Claydon and the Issue group leaders in the selection and invitation process.

WORLD INQUIRY

• Praise God for twenty-one World Inquiry events that took place to launch Phase Two of the World Inquiry through February 16th of 2003 in South and South East Asia as well as the Middle East.
• Pray for city-based initiatives that have emerged spontaneously in most of these cities.
• Praise God for the prayer in Indonesia for the transformation of cities that is taking place. After speaking at the Concert of Prayer at the 5000-capacity crowd of Christians at the Jakarta Convention Centre 13th February 2003 and observing the tears of joy of so many at an historical moment of reconciliation among leaders of Christian groups that evening, it appears to me that the streams of revival may be starting to flow in Indonesia where prayer networks for the transformation of the cities have been established in more than 200 cities.
• Pray for city-based transformation initiatives emerging in the three largest cities of Jakarta, Medan and  Surabaya.
• Pray for the national prayer initiative across the country in May 2003.

WOMEN IN EVANGELISM

• Praise God for Robyn Claydon's extensive ministry among women. 
• Please pray for the new contacts that were made at a recent luncheon in Sydney.

On March 19 - 23, Robyn will be ministering in Mildura and Boort (Vic) speaking at  Women's Conventions.  Please praythat every day she will be strengthened and refreshed by the Lord for her demanding schedule not only with speaking engagements but also with her responsibilities in the organization  of the Forum.

CHINESE COORDINATION CENTRE OF WORLD EVANGELISM (CCCOWE)

• Praise God for a successful "Seminar on Strategic Leadership" held from Feb. 17 to Feb. 18 for Pastors and Christian leaders from Hong Kong and Macau.  Pray that this seminar specially designed to enhance and vitalize leadership ability for Chinese Pastors in leadership positions could be held in other regions.
• Pray for the upgrading and expansion of the Internet ministry of CCCOWE. We are entering the completion phrase of the installation  and pray that the testing and transition process would not cause too much disruptions and trouble to our ministry.
• Pray for the progress of "The Third Overseas Chinese Churches Census and Research Project".  The aim of this project is to collect basic data about the Overseas Chinese Churches for the purpose of church expansion and world evangelism.  Praise God that two highly qualified individuals have joined the project as research staff.  Please pray that the project could progress according to schedule and competent research advisers could be recruited.
• Rev. John Kao, our General Secretary, will have ministry tours in the Philippines, Malaysia and Australia in upcoming March and April.  Please pray for God's protection and empowerment for him.  Pray that the Chinese churches in the above regions could catch the vision of unity in Christian love and world evangelisation

TENTMAKING

• Please pray for the Tentmaking business gathering in Jakarta 29 April to 2 of May arranged by Iman Santosa ( GCRT) and where Berit Helgøy Kloster, Chair of LCWE Tentmaking is speaking.

CHRISTIAN RESEARCH

• Please pray for energy of Heather Wraight as she begins the task of producing the next edition of the UK Christian Handbook and for me as I put the finishing touches to the next edition of Religious Trends, both major resource works in the UK
• Please pray for wisdom for Peter Brierley as he begins to write a book provisionally entitled "Building Vision; a Guide to Strategic Thinking," which a number of people have requested and which hopefully will be published in the autumn of this year.

INTERCESSION WORKING GROUP

• Praise God for the growing number of people committed to praying for the Forum.
• Please pray that the Lord will provide faithful intercessors for every Issue Group.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. (Rm.8:26)

"Mediator and Saviour, we ask that You will teach us how to pray in the power of Your Holy Spirit. We pray that when we do not know what we ought to pray, that Your Holy Spirit will intercede for us. Teach us to be sensitive to Your voice, speaking to us by Your Holy Spirit, and give us a revelation of things for which we can pray “things of which we do not even know." (From "Pray Today," Jericho Walls Prayer Network, South Africa)

For further information:
LCWE Communications Chair Kaare Melhus