Please pray for this specific needs from LPI scholars, graduated scholars, staff, board members, and supporters.
February 2010
Thank you for your prayers for the work of Langham Preaching around the world. Here are some items for this week 8 Feb 2010. This is an unusually busy week, so there are rather more short prayer requests!
Pakistan: please pray for Paul Windsor as he continues meetings in Lahore and the Punjab, meeting with LP regional leaders.
Guyana: this week, from Feb 9-12, the level 1 programme marks the launch of Langham Preaching in Guyana. Please pray for Paul Carter, who faces difficulties travelling out of snow-bound Lexington USA to reach Guyana, and for Las Newman and Grace Jervis, who are his fellow facilitators. And please pray for the local coordinating team, led by Desmond Rogers, and the pastors who are gathering in Georgetown this week.
Bolivia: Igor sends a message to thank you for your prayers for the programme last week, which went very well: 20 young leaders on an advanced training schedule of another organization worked with Igor on preaching training, and have now formed small groups to develop their study and preparation for preaching, specially in the university world but also in their cities: La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz.
Tanzania: the work of LVIMUTA/Langham in Tanzania has been growing steadily, and this February there are two regional events, the first of which is this week in Mbeya. Please pray for country coordinators Frank Luvanda and Tony Swanson as they lead the programme, specially because LP facilitator Rod Wood cannot travel to Mbeya because of family illness. Rod will travel to the next event in two weeks’ time.
Croatia: following the level 3 event last November, a small TLF (training of local facilitators) takes place in Zagreb this week, led by Mark Meynell. Please pray for Ksenija Magda, who continues to coordinate LP work, and for the small team of local trainers who hope to encourage pastors and lay preachers.
Bosnia: later this week Mark Meynell moves to Sarajevo in order to run a similar TLF programme there. Please pray that this will encourage the development of indigenous training work in Bosnia in the future.
Sri Lanka: this Wednesday and Thursday there will be a meeting of church leaders and lay preachers in Colombo to discuss the launch of an LP programme in the future. Please pray for Paul Windsor as he facilitates this discussion. There is also a meeting of the Langham Regional Council for South Asia being held in Sri Lanka next weekend.
Thank you for your prayers.
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Thank you for your prayers for the work of Langham Preaching around the world. Here are some items for this week of February 1.
Africa: we are very pleased that two people will be giving more energy to the work of LP in English-speaking Africa. Emmanuel Oladipo will be serving as the coordinator for LP across the region: he was formerly the Africa Regional Director and then International Secretary for Scripture Union, and this week he starts his work for LP. Mercy Ireri is the country coordinator for Kenya, and will now also serve as an LP facilitator for East Africa, encouraging national trainers. Please pray for them both as they embark on these new areas of ministry.
Kenya: please pray for Mercy as she helps to develop local level 1 training in Kenya this week. Pray for the small team of local trainers who now work with Mercy in developing the network of preachers clubs and regional training.
Bolivia: this week, from February 4 to 6, there will be a seminar for pastors and lay preachers in Santa Cruz. Please pray for Igor Amestegui as he continues to encourage the many groups in Bolivia.
Pakistan: at the end of this week Paul Windsor will travel to Pakistan to meet with some of the local leaders seeking to develop regional LP programmes. Please pray that his visa will be granted and that travel will go well.
Indonesia: thank you for your prayers for Jonathan’s visit to Indonesia. His meetings with church leaders continue today, before he then returns to the UK.
Thank you for your prayers.
January 2010
Thank you for your prayers for the work of Langham Preaching around the world. Here are some items for this week of 25 January.
Nigeria: LP country coordinator Gideon Para-Mallam has urged that we pray for the situation in the city of Jos, where last week there were deadly clashes between Christian and Muslim groups, leaving hundreds dead or injured. Churches have been burnt down and many Christian communities have not yet been able to calculate the exact loss of life. Please pray that the riots will cease, that peace with prevail, and Christian communities will be models of reconciliation. The LP programme continues in Nigeria, with plans for a level 3 event in March and training of local facilitators later this year.
Liberia: following the level 2 in December, members of the country coordinating team are visiting some of the local preachers clubs. Country coordinator Matthew Gonkerwon writes: ‘I will be travelling to Bong mines, a town 70k away from Monrovia where I will meet with club members. I spoke with the leader for that club several times and he has been taking those guys through the level 2 material.’ Please pray for the 12 preachers clubs across the country.
Indonesia: this week Jonathan travels to Indonesia, and would be grateful for our prayers for lectures he is giving to the faculty at Petra University, a day seminar for the churches in Surabaya on ‘Integrity’, seminars with Perkantas staff and students, and then meetings in Jakarta with church leaders to discuss the needs of pastors and preachers, with a view to a possible LP programme in the future.
Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka goes to the polls tomorrow to elect a new President, and Christians there ask us to pray for justice and peace in the election process, and for an outcome that will bring positive change for the country. (Paul Windsor will be in Sri Lanka next month to meet church leaders and plan for the future.)
Sweden: thank you for your prayers for the conference in Lund this past weekend. The event brought together nearly 50 people – theological students, preachers and pastors – and Jonathan reports that there is warm enthusiasm to launch LP Sweden with some preachers’ clubs and an annual preaching training conference in the future. Please pray for Johannes as he seeks to encourage the work forward.
Thank you for your prayers.
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You probably have heard about the violence in the Jos city of Nigeria. My Seminary is situated in Bukuru town. On Sunday during worship time, Muslims attacked two churches and killed a number of persons. We do not know the reason for the attack but there is nothing public that should have provoked the Muslims to attack Christians. Some of the friends who live in the city ran to my house and took refuge there. Many homes were razed down and many people killed. Then last night, at about 1.00 am, the Muslims in Bukuru where our Seminary is made their “worship” call which was odd because their usual time of call is 4.00am. When this happened some of natives suspected that some evil was imminent because it wasn’t the usual time of the call so they mobilized for defense. We heard some gunshots in the night and we couldn’t sleep till day break. At about 10.45am on Monday we could stand from our Seminary and see smokes from the city of Bukuru filled the air. The native did a counter attack and there were many casualties apart from the burning homes and vehicles. Our school lost a student and a staff. The security forces seemed helpless. My family was overwhelmed with fear. It was a terrible situation for me. I called my uncle who is a prominent citizen, and he sent a heavy security force that came and rescued us. Now we are home. The Muslim fanatics have burned down our Pastor’s house though there was no one there for any casualty. Many missionaries, mostly Americans and Canadians worship in our church. I didn’t hear of any of them being hurt. There was ongoing gunfire exchange between the fanatics and security forces down in the city of Jos. The state government has announced a 24hours curfew which is going to have a sever effect upon many people who were caught unawares and did not buy enough food to stay indoors. The Muslims have vowed to capture the city of Jos and introduce their Sharia law there. I may come back to Jos next week when the situation has been brought under control but I am not sure of bringing my family back immediately. Please continue to pray for us. We still want to love the Muslims and point them to the love of Jesus Christ. Thanks for your prayers and may God encourage your hearts to stand in Christ’s love in spite of the agony of evil in the world. We would appreciate your prayers. Faith, hope, love!
Langham Scholar Philip
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Kazan, Tatarstan: thank you for your prayers for the pastors who were involved in the level 3 programme last week. We await news of the programme, but can pray that they will be encouraged to establish an ongoing fellowship of preachers, and will have much wisdom in their demanding work in this part of the Russian Federation.
Myanmar: we have received good news from LP facilitator Paul Barker, who has just completed a week of training in Yangon, teaching levels 1, 2 and 3 with over 50 people. Give thanks for the very strong support and enthusiasm of the Archbishop of Myanmar. Please pray for the selection of a small group to do Level 4 training, possibly in August 2010, with Paul Barker (previously a vicar in Melbourne, now based in Asia), and a Crosslinks colleague.
Sweden: evangelical pastors working in the Lutheran church (the majority church) in Sweden face many challenges, with a growing liberalism impacting the churches. They have planned a conference in Lund from Friday to Sunday this week, to encourage biblical preaching. Sponsored by three organizations - Teofil, Credo Sweden and Filippi (the church in Lund) – Jonathan Lamb will be giving a variety of lectures and expositions throughout the weekend. Since he has 9 sessions to lead, he would be grateful for our prayers, but please specially pray for the evangelical pastors (and students in training) who will be part of the conference, and are seeking to affirm biblical truth in a demanding situation in secular Europe.
Haiti: all of us will have been saddened by the news of thousands killed and many made homeless by the recent earthquake. In solidarity with the believers in Haiti, we continue to pray for the many churches there, as they seek to respond with compassion and practical care. Recent news footage has shown Christians both providing practical help and biblical encouragement by local preachers, and people singing hymns to keep their spirits up. Please pray for the many rescue teams and NGOs now trying to coordinate a response.
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Prayer Requests from Langham Scholar Matthew Michael:
Studies:
I have began to rephrase, edit and make corrections in my dissertation for the final defense at June. My graduation is coming up and I am planning to see my supervisor next week. Please pray for divine favor as I meet with him.
Pray for the spiritual undertakings in the seminary during this semester such as outreaches, chapel programs, teachings and lectures that God himself will lead the seminary in its quest to produce men and women for his work in Nigeria.
Family:
Pray for my wife, Kolel our son, and myself that God will help us in our quest to live for him in the seminary environment.
Nigeria:
There are developments in Nigeria which really need your prayers. Our country is receiving a great attention regarding the Nigerian-born terrorist who attempted to blow up an American airline on the Christmas day. He came from Northern Nigeria, and not far away from the location of the seminary. We have students in the seminary who came from Katsina state where the fellow comes from…Please do pray for Islamic extremism and that its presence in Northern Nigeria doesn’t exacerbate the normal religious friction between Christians and Muslims in the North.
Pray also for the president of Nigeria. He has been in ill-health for seven weeks. His deputy is a Christian, who normally would take over as mandated by the Nigerian constitution, however, the Northern senators are not ready to allow him the role.
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Thank you for your prayers for the work of Langham Preaching around the world. Here are some items for this week of 11 January 2010.
Kazan, Tatarstan: we are pleased to be working in fellowship with Eurasian Ministries in the third Preaching seminar in Kazan. The church in Tatarstan is small (considerably less than 1% of the population), and faces many challenges in society: substantial family dysfunction, social problems of all kinds, and some loss of hope amongst the rising generation. It is also a region with a growing Islamic presence – a huge new mosque dominates the skyline of Kazan. It is increasingly seen as the Islamic centre in Russia, with more than 50 mosques in the capital alone. Yet by God’s grace a Eurasian College has been established in Kazan, seeking not only to equip church planters and church leaders, but also to reach out to the populations of the Central Asian Republics. LP has already had two preaching seminars, and the third one begins today. Please pray for the local team, for the pastors who will participate, and for Tim McMahon and Graham Herbert as they teach.
Trinidad & Tobago: thank you for your prayers for the launch of LP last week. We await news of how the week went, but over 50 pastors attended, and so please pray that they will start up preachers clubs in different parts of the islands, as they launch the preaching movement.
Malaysia: bishop Moon Hing Ng is a member of the Langham Regional Council in East Asia, and he wrote this week wrote to ask for prayer for the church in Malaysia. Three Malaysian churches have been targeted with firebombs, leaving one badly damaged, in an escalating dispute over the use of the word ‘Alla’ by non-Muslims. Bishop Moon asks that we pray for peace and harmony in a situation which could deteriorate quickly.
Thank you for your prayers.
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The growing prevalence of the prosperity gospel around the world, and particularly in Africa, has prompted a group of theologians to release a statement of concern and a call for further reflection.
While recognising that “there are some dimensions of prosperity teaching that have roots in the Bible”, the Lausanne Theology Working Group says its overall view is that “the teachings of those who most vigorously promote the ‘prosperity gospel’ are false and gravely distorting of the Bible”.
The statement was released last month through Christianity Today and is derived from a number of papers that were discussed at the group’s meetings in October 2008 and September 2009.
The theology group, which includes the Revs Dr Chris Wright and Dr John Azumah, makes clear that its intent is not to be “exclusively negative” regarding the health and wealth gospel and recognises the social realities within which the teaching flourishes. But the group finds the overall impact of the teachings on churches pastorally damaging, spiritually unhealthy and may even deflect people from the message and means of eternal salvation.
Please pray for Chris Wright (International Director Langham Partnership) and John Azumah (Langham Scholar) along with the rest of the Lausanne Group as they prepare for the very important Cape Town 2010: The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelisation to be held in October.
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Warm good wishes to you for the New Year! Thank you for your prayers for the work of Langham Preaching around the world. Here are some items for this week of 4 January.
Trinidad & Tobago: tomorrow sees the launch of the LP programme, which will run from January 5-8. Some 50 or more participants will gather from across the islands for the level 1 seminar, which has been well prepared by the country coordinating team. They have not had an easy time: we previously reported that one of team was attacked by burglars, and another had a mild heart-attack. Shortly before Christmas a third member of the team was mugged, and the computer memory stick which held the materials for the programme was stolen.
Please pray for a very positive week that will launch Langham Preaching Trinidad & Tobago and will see preachers clubs established in the 4 regions. Please pray for the three LP facilitators - Greg Scharf, Anthony Oliver and Las Newman – and for country coordinators Angela Shirley and Ruthann Ramoutar, who have done so much to prepare for this week.
Kazan, Tatarstan: we are very pleased to be working in fellowship with Eurasian Ministries, who next week will be taking forward the third Preaching seminar in Tatarstan (a republic of the Russian Federation), following LP’s involvement in the past two events. Please pray for the local team, including Seva Sarandov and Edik Hamidoullin as they make final preparations this week, and for Tim McMahon and Graham Herbert as they travel out to Kazan shortly. More news next week!
Budgets: this week sees the first of several budget discussions with the international staff team from Langham Partnership, as we look at all three programmes (Literature, Scholars and Preaching), and try to anticipate the needs and the potential income for 2010 and 2011. Please pray for wisdom, faith and insight for the skype discussion which takes place this Thursday.
December 2009
Thank you for your prayers for the work of Langham Preaching around the world. Here are some items as we look into 2010.
Trinidad: LP launches in Trinidad & Tobago on January 5th, and the country coordinating team asks for prayer as they are in the process of selecting group leaders. But please also pray for the coordinating team themselves: one suffered a mini-stroke two weeks ago, and another was held up by burglars with a cutlass to his neck on entering his house. His family was terrorized, but God delivered them safely. Pray for the 50 pastors and preachers whom we hope will attend the level 1 event, and for the final preparations now being made.
A new project: under God’s gracious hand, LP works to change the culture of preaching in partnership with churches, colleges and mission groups present in each country. In order to do this well there is a need to impact the teaching of preaching in the theological colleges of the majority world. With this in mind a Consultation is being planned for such teachers. It is timed for June 2010, in partnership with Wycliffe Hall in Oxford. Please pray for the staff team as they work this week to identify the people from every world region who need to be present, and over the coming weeks seek to raise the funding needed to make the event happen.
Asia in 2010: The work of LP in Asia is gaining momentum. To ensure a strong and secure commencement in a country we now conduct what is called a ‘line-up’ visit. The opportunity is taken to assess both the state of preaching in a country and the possible partnerships with those already in the country. Cambodia, North-East India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka are all at different stages with respect to this ‘line-up’ visit. Pray for Paul Windsor as he relates to people in these countries, primarily through email, on the way to seeing the work established among them this coming year.
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Please join with us in thanking God for his blessing throughout 2009. We have seen his provision and enabling for preaching programmes in many different countries. He has blessed our staff with safe travels. There are exciting Literature projects which continue to move forward and 3 new scholars started their studies in September.
We want to thank each one of you for your partnership with us. Your prayers for the work of Langham Partnership are very much appreciated.
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Thank you for your prayers for the work of Langham Preaching around the world. Here are some items for this week of 7 December.
Argentina: Igor reports that the level 1 seminar held in Jujuy, Argentina last week was very well received by the 28 participants, made up of pastors and leaders from the city, as well as students from ABUA (the IFES movement). Time was given for training the mentors, who not only lead the groups during the seminar but will now be responsible for sustaining the group activity in the months ahead. Please pray for them, so that ongoing work in city can be established.
Papua New Guinea: thank you for your prayers for the seminar which finished this past weekend. Paul Windsor has just arrived home in New Zealand and reports that the event was very worthwhile. Please pray for the launch of preacher’s clubs as a result of the level 1 launch. Paul has also written the following about the work in the Pacific …..
Pacific: largely through the initiatives and efforts of Langham Partnership Australia, Langham Preaching has established a base in the Pacific over these recent months. Give thanks for the work in Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea. 2010 will be a big year for all three countries as the work progresses. Pray that the training will lead to a change in the culture of preaching at a local church level and that building unity across the churches will continue to be a by-product of Langham’s work.
Langham Preaching worldwide: over the next two weeks our team will be working on budget plans for the programme in 2010 and 2011. In the light of the global financial challenges, please pray for wisdom as we seek to allocate resources carefully, generosity on the part of God’s people to help support the work, and insight concerning what should be the key priorities.
Thank you for your prayers.
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Thank you for your prayers for the work of Langham Preaching around the world. Here are some items for this week of 1 December.
Papua New Guinea: this week sees the launch of the training in PNG, with the LP programme officially opened yesterday at CLTC. Please pray for the 120 participants and for the 3 LP facilitators Andrew Reid, Tim Johnson and Paul Windsor. Wendy Toulmin of LP Australia has been very involved in line-up activity and will be part of the team.
Liberia: thank you for your prayers for the level 2 event in Liberia recently. Country coordinator Matthew Gonkerwon reports that 60 people attended, and there are now plans underway for 13 preachers clubs across the country. The country committee has agreed that they will meet the leaders of the clubs once a month, seeking to encourage them forward in their work. Please pray for them in this ministry of encouragement.
Croatia: thank you for your prayers for last week’s seminar in Croatia, led by Ksenija and Toma Magda and Dominic Smart. The group – made up of several from Croatia and a group of five from Serbia – were very positive about the training. One level 1 participant said: ‘It’s the first time I’ve understood how important the Word of God is!’ Please pray for the small preachers clubs which will begin as a result of the programme last week.
Latin America: we were saddened to receive news last week of the death of Catherine Padilla, wife of missiologist and theologian René Padilla (who is involved in Langham Literature’s work in Latin America), and mother of Ruth Padilla DeBorst (who is a leading member of the Langham Partnership Regional Council). Please pray for the whole family, and give thanks for the wonderful legacy of Catherine Padilla through her example, her writing, her influence amongst pastors and lay leaders, and through the ongoing work of her family.
Thank you for your prayers.