International Day of PrayerInternational Day of Prayer

November, 16 2003November, 16 2003

Please Pray for Us

...IS GOD DOING?...IS GOD DOING?

WHAT IN THE WORLD...WHAT IN THE WORLD...

OUR WORLD TODAY:OUR WORLD TODAY:

• OVEROVER 6 BILLION PEOPLE 6 BILLION PEOPLE (with billions still unreached)(with billions still unreached)

• WAR AND CHAOSWAR AND CHAOS

• POVERTY AND PAINPOVERTY AND PAIN

• SPIRITUAL DECEPTIONSPIRITUAL DECEPTION

JESUS’ RESPONSE: JESUS’ RESPONSE: (Matt. 9: 35-38)(Matt. 9: 35-38)

• HEART - HEART - COMPASSION COMPASSION

““They were harassed and helpless, like They were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd”sheep without a shepherd”

• ACTION - ACTION - PRAYER PRAYER

““Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.”send out workers into his harvest field.”

II THESSALONIANS 3:1-3II THESSALONIANS 3:1-3Pray for us. Pray that the Master’s Word Pray for us. Pray that the Master’s Word will simply take off and race through the will simply take off and race through the world to a groundswell of response, just world to a groundswell of response, just as it did among you. And pray that we’ll as it did among you. And pray that we’ll be rescued from these scoundrels who are be rescued from these scoundrels who are trying to do us in. I’m finding that not all trying to do us in. I’m finding that not all “believers” are believers. But the master “believers” are believers. But the master never lets us down. He’ll stick by you and never lets us down. He’ll stick by you and protect you from evil.protect you from evil. - The Message

PRAYER:PRAYER:1. THE GOSPEL WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY1. THE GOSPEL WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY

2. PROTECTION FOR THOSE SHARING 2. PROTECTION FOR THOSE SHARING THE GOSPELTHE GOSPEL

PRINCIPLE:PRINCIPLE:

• GOD IS FAITHFUL - Strengthen & ProtectGOD IS FAITHFUL - Strengthen & Protect

PRAYER:PRAYER:1. THE GOSPEL WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY1. THE GOSPEL WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY

RAPID CHURCH GROWTHRAPID CHURCH GROWTH• AFRICAAFRICA -- --

1200 NEW CHURCHES MONTHLY1200 NEW CHURCHES MONTHLY

• INDIAINDIA -- --

NEW CHURCH EVERY 7 MINUTESNEW CHURCH EVERY 7 MINUTES

• LATIN AMERICALATIN AMERICA -- --

20,000 BELIEVERS ADDED DAILY20,000 BELIEVERS ADDED DAILY

EXAMPLES OF GROWTH EXAMPLES OF GROWTH WITH MUCH WITH MUCH OPPOSITIONOPPOSITION1. NEPAL1. NEPAL

1970 - 15,0001970 - 15,000

1990 - 70,0001990 - 70,000

2000 - 400,0002000 - 400,000

OPPOSITIONOPPOSITION

• Anti-conversion laws till ‘90Anti-conversion laws till ‘90

• 7 years prison experiences7 years prison experiences

• Contemporary discrimination Contemporary discrimination by Hindu & Maoist militantsby Hindu & Maoist militants

POWER WITNESSINGPOWER WITNESSING

• MiraclesMiracles

• PrayerPrayer

• Healings Healings

• DeliveranceDeliverance

EXAMPLES OF GROWTH EXAMPLES OF GROWTH WITH MUCH WITH MUCH OPPOSITIONOPPOSITION3. CHINA3. CHINA

1970 - 5 million1970 - 5 million

1990 - 50 million1990 - 50 million

2000 - 80 million2000 - 80 million

OPPOSITIONOPPOSITION

• Beatings, fines, harassment of Beatings, fines, harassment of house churches & leadershouse churches & leaders

• House Church pastors in prisons House Church pastors in prisons & labour camps & labour camps (I00’S)(I00’S)

• Limitation of Bibles, training & Limitation of Bibles, training & evangelism resourcesevangelism resources

POWER WITNESSINGPOWER WITNESSING

• House Church growthHouse Church growth

• Young leadershipYoung leadership

• Missionary visionMissionary vision

• Power evangelismPower evangelism

HOUSE CHURCH GROWTHHOUSE CHURCH GROWTH

• Now 20,000 new believers dailyNow 20,000 new believers daily

• 1 million house churches today1 million house churches today

YOUNG LEADERSHIPYOUNG LEADERSHIP

• 14-year-old teen planted 400 HC14-year-old teen planted 400 HC

• 70% of leadership is female70% of leadership is female

IRANAREA: 1,648,000 square kilometres

POPULATION: 64,000,000 (1995)

PEOPLES: Persian peoples (e.g. Iranian, Kurds, Dari, Pathans etc) 75.6%, Turkic peoples (e.g. Azeri, Turkmen) 18.8%, Arab 2.2%, others 3.4%

RELIGION: 99% Islam (87% Shia, 12% Sunni), 0.4% Christian, 0.6% others (Bahai, Zoroastrians, Jews etc)

IRANIslam

Shia Islam is the state religion. After the return of Ayatollah Khomeini to Iran in 1979, Iran was transformed into an Islamic republic. Sharia law was introduced in the same year. Since that moment Iran has been ruled by radical Muslims, who have increasingly put extra pressure upon the Christian church. Though the political leader of Iran wants more open

(economic) relations with the West, the clergymen continue to dominate the scene.

Christianity

The number of Christians in Iran is difficult to establish, because many churches have to operate in secret. Experts say that the number of Christians in Iran is around 200,000. The largest churches are: the Armenian Apostolic Church (158,000 believers), the Chaldean Catholic Church (15,000 believers) and the Assyrian Church of the East (14,800 believers).

EthiopiaFull Country name: Federal Democratic Republic of

Ethiopia

Capital City: Addis Ababa

Land area: 1,127,127 sq km (almost twice the size of Texas)

Population: 67,7 million (2002 est.)

Religions: Ethiopian Orthodox 40%-50% Muslim 30%-40%Evangelical and Pentecostal Protestantism 10%-15%Other 3%-8%

Number of Christians: 7.4 million (and growing)

Ethiopia

Ethnic groups: Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigre 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shakella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, Other 1%

Major languages: Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guarigigna, Somali, Arabic, Other local languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools)

Persecution: Sporadic; mostly discrimination and becoming an outcast from family and society

Restrictions & Freedoms: The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice; however, on occasion local authorities infringed on this right.

THEY REQUEST FROM US:THEY REQUEST FROM US:

• PRAYERPRAYER

• BIBLESBIBLES

• TRAININGTRAINING

• OTHER OTHER SPIRITUAL SPIRITUAL MATERIALSMATERIALS

OTHER PRAYER REQUESTS:OTHER PRAYER REQUESTS:

• FOR AN END TO THE RELIGIOUS FOR AN END TO THE RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE. VIOLENCE.

•FOR THE HUNDREDS OF YOUTH FOR THE HUNDREDS OF YOUTH RECEIVING THE LORD. RECEIVING THE LORD.

• CONTINUED GROWTH OF NEW CONTINUED GROWTH OF NEW BELIEVERS IN MUSLIM REGIONS.BELIEVERS IN MUSLIM REGIONS.

PRAYER:PRAYER:1. THE GOSPEL WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY1. THE GOSPEL WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY

2. PROTECTION FOR THOSE SHARING 2. PROTECTION FOR THOSE SHARING THE GOSPELTHE GOSPEL

PRINCIPLE:PRINCIPLE:

PERSECUTION & SUFFERINGPERSECUTION & SUFFERING• Public Execution --- Saudi ArabiaPublic Execution --- Saudi Arabia

• Martyrdom of Leaders --- IranMartyrdom of Leaders --- Iran

• Slave Trade (in Christians) --- SudanSlave Trade (in Christians) --- Sudan

• Torture, Fines & Imprisonment --- ChinaTorture, Fines & Imprisonment --- China

• Burning of Church Buildings --- IndonesiaBurning of Church Buildings --- Indonesia

• Expulsion from Homes --- Chiapas, MexicoExpulsion from Homes --- Chiapas, Mexico

• Abduction & marriage of daughters --- PakistanAbduction & marriage of daughters --- Pakistan

OTHER PRAYER REQUESTS:OTHER PRAYER REQUESTS:

•Foreign Christian Workers in Various Foreign Christian Workers in Various Regions of Persecution Regions of Persecution

• Indigenous Christians witnessing during Indigenous Christians witnessing during this time of chaos this time of chaos

• Christians in other Muslim nations sharing Christians in other Muslim nations sharing their faith with those around them living in fear their faith with those around them living in fear and panicand panic

PRAYER:PRAYER:1. THE GOSPEL WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY1. THE GOSPEL WILL SPREAD RAPIDLY

2. PROTECTION FOR THOSE SHARING 2. PROTECTION FOR THOSE SHARING THE GOSPELTHE GOSPEL

PRINCIPLE:PRINCIPLE:

• GOD IS FAITHFUL - Strengthen & ProtectGOD IS FAITHFUL - Strengthen & Protect

CONCLUSION:CONCLUSION:

WHEN WE PRAY…WHEN WE PRAY…

GOD WORKS!GOD WORKS!

...IS GOD DOING?...IS GOD DOING?

WHAT IN THE WORLD...WHAT IN THE WORLD...

International Day of PrayerInternational Day of Prayer

November 16, 2003November 16, 2003

Please Pray for Us