#02 REVIVAL IN VENEZUALA, INDIA, CHINA, KENYA ...

Source: IRN - http://www.openheaven.com

1. THE REVIVAL IN VENEZUELA

Between 1992 and 1998 Venezuela experienced spectacular church growth. The number of churches and members more than doubled in the 6 years, to 11,489 churches, and in the 1989-99 time frame, the number has multiplied: the growth rate has increased to 11%, and the membership grew to 1,247 million. In 1997 and 1998 alone, some 2,000 new churches were planted: 3 per day. The leaders attending a DAWN conference in May 1999 decided that an almost spectacular average growth of 15% per year is possible. 20,000 new churches will now be planted instead of the targeted 15,000. Today, most of Venezuela's churches and denominations have their own church planting aims and leadership training courses, plan to reach the unreached (the country has 18 unreached people groups) and particularly target the under-45's, who constitute 70% of the population, with the aim of having one active church per 500-1,000 of the population in order to reach the entire country with the gospel.

2. THE REVIVAL IN INDIA

The pressure on Indian Christians, such as in Madhya Pradesh, continues. Daniel (name changed), a church planter, has been beaten up several times and still receives threats from radical Hindus. At the same time, the spiritual openness in the nation is almost unprecedented. "A year ago, we had 35 house churches," Daniel reports, "Today, we have more than 100. In the first few months of 1999, we baptised 340 people despite threats of imprisonment." The Swiss strategy network 'Kingdom Ministries', which supports 140 Indian church planters, reports that Daniel is not an exception. "Last year alone, hundreds of new churches were planted, mostly house churches."

3. THE REVIVAL IN CHINA

Some of China’s tribal people are experiencing a Christian revival. Many members of the Naxi tribe, who live in Southwest China near the city of Li Jiang, have become Christians in a short period of time, an American pastor who recently visited the region told Religion Today. Mostly Buddhist people live in hundreds of villages spread out in the mountainous region. Two men in the tribe became Christians and were trained to preach through the work of evangelists in Li Jiang, the pastor said. They brought the Gospel to their tribe, which had never heard about Jesus Christ. The evangelists met another Naxi several months later and learned he was a Christian. "They were amazed when he told them that there were now 1,000 Naxi Christians living in a valley in the region," the pastor said. The pastor and another worker visited several Naxi villages. They walked to three villages in the mountains surrounding Li Jiang distributing tracts because they did not speak the language. There are "thousands and thousands" of unreached villages in China, the pastor said. "You could miss one just miles outside the city, because there are so many others to go to." He and his associate visited the country to make contacts with church leaders and work with them to help evangelize the country.

4. THE REVIVAL IN VENEZUALA

"This country is experiencing a revival. In contrast to the revival in Argentina, it is a revival through church planting, in which all levels of society are being shocked by the gospel," writes Berna Salcedo, a Colombian member of the DAWN staff. "It is a revival in cooperation. As a result of the current political tension between the Congress and President Hugo Chavez' civilian government, the country is open as never before," he said during a special strategy conference in Barquisimeto from 12-15 May. Strikes, delayed flights and even the fact that Barquisimeto had been cut off after the bridge into the town was swept away by floods could not keep the 80 leaders of the country's most important Christian movements from attending the conference. "Venezuela had previously been viewed as the poor relative of Latin America's evangelical Christians," says Salcedo, "because the country had such a low rate of church growth." In the 90's, that has changed: Venezuela now has the highest rate of growth because of church planting.

5. THE REVIVAL IN KENYA

NAIROBI - More than 22,000 people received Christ as Savior during the Eastern Kenya Baptist Evangelistic Effort in late June and early July. The outreach drew 332 volunteers from churches throughout the United States and saw 132 congregations started. The month-long project was divided into two phases, each lasting two weeks. Volunteers worked hand in hand with local Kenyan church members to spread the news of Christ's love. Kenyan pastor Samuel Katana worked closely with the volunteers and team leaders. He not only saw many of his neighbors trust in Christ, but he also saw church members become active evangelists as they worked with the Americans. "It feels so good to work and do what God commanded all Christians to do -- to go teach and baptize," the Kenyan pastor said. "The people here are very open and receptive to the gospel right now. Our goal is to start enough churches so that everyone is within walking distance, and we are getting a good start on that now."

6. JEWS AND ANTI-SEMITISM IN RUSSIA

Jews in Russia need more protection from anti-Semitic attacks, Jews in Israel and the United States say. They are concerned about the Russian government’s lack of reaction to incidents of anti-Semitism, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem said. Israel’s foreign minister called on the Russian government to condemn the stabbing of a Jewish community leader by a confessed anti-Semite and the attempted bombing of a synagogue this month. New York-based Anti-Defamation League Director Abraham Foxman said the government is not doing enough to protect Jews. "Through its silence the Russian leadership is sending a message – the wrong message – about the protection of minorities in Russia," he said. Israeli immigration officials said that more immigrants are coming from Russia than in recent years. Most cite rising anti-Semitism as a key reason they are leaving, the ICEJ said.

7. RUSSIAN JEWS FINDING THE MESSIAH IN ISRAEL

Tony Black reports from Israel (Tel Aviv): "I’m delighted to tell you of the harvest that is being reaped here. But please pray for more workers to be sent out into this harvest field. It’s not just ripe, it’s over-ripe, and to be honest I’m concerned. We already miss many due to lack of workers and resources ! It breaks our heart to see someone make a commitment and then have to go back to the streets. In the last few weeks several Russian immigrants have given their lives to the Lord, one of them previously a medical surgeon who’d been living on the streets for several years. His story is amazing. He left Russia as a fully qualified Surgeon, but failed his exams here due to an insufficient grasp of the language. Then his wife left him, taking his children – and he subsequently hit the bottle. Seven years later he looked like any other tramp on the streets. Now God has restored him. Hallelujah ! Many “street people“ have similar stories. We learn not to judge.There are various reasons why a person might become homeless. Maybe an accident that has left them dazed or demonised, perhaps they have been beaten, robbed or (in once case) raped. Each has a different story, and often their condition is a consequence of drug or alcohol abuse. But Praise the Lord He is a God of reconciliation and restoration."

8. FIFTY MILLION TARGETED TO PRAY

Dear Friends

We are desperately attempting to make this last Praying Through the Window effort in October of this year the largest ever. We believe that if 50,000,000 Christians pray for the same nations of the 10/40 Window each day of that month, that the Lord will move His hand to bring breakthrough for the cause of World Evangelization. Nearly 20,000,000 have already made a commitment to join us at that time. The prayer calendars are now available in many languages (such as Albanian, Arabic, Braille, Burmese, Cambodian, French, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Swedish, and more!). Please contact Beverly Pegues of the Christian Information Network at CIN10_40@compuserve.com She can help you with this if you have not yet received the calendar in a language that you need. Please take the time to read the attached information and fill out the form on page three. Our prayers will make a difference in the salvation of the precious people for whom Christ died. Please join us! Until all have heard!

Peter and Doris Wagner

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This page sponsored by Bluewater Bay Community Church
last updated 15 August 1999