A celebrity comes to Christ

“I was 52 when I suddenly realized there was something bigger than myself,” said Casper Christensen from the stage at Copenhagen’s Hillsong Church. While you may not immediately recognize the name, nearly everyone in Denmark does. He’s a popular entertainer, known for his comedy. And now his outspoken testimony of faith in Jesus Christ has raised eyebrows and invited an entirely different kind of spotlight. 

His public baptism in the evangelical church has also raised eyebrows and stirred up a bit of controversy, since he had earlier been baptized in the state Lutheran church. Even so, Christensen is growing in Christ. Pray for him, and for his high visibility witness. 

“Because even when I speak in Danish,” he told the Hillsong crowd (in English), “I find it hard to learn the language… talking about your faith… I feel childish, because it came so late in life. I didn’t grow up talking about Jesus…. But suddenly, at the age of 52, I have to talk about it. I believe in it… So bear with me if I sometimes struggle to find the right words to express my inner feelings, my hope, my joy in finding Jesus. Will you do that for me, please?”

The crowd listening to him applauded at that time, offering support for a new believer, a high-profile Danish celebrity. It’s not often people like this come to faith in Jesus, especially not at this age. And it’s unclear what advantages his platform may offer him. But pray that Casper may be given grace to grow as a new believer, that he will not fall into the trap of being seen as an instant Christian leader. He is not. Even so, he has people’s attention, and much good can come of that.

Watch Casper’s testimony (in English) here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXK5SPaWG1s

PRAY for protection for Casper Christensen, that he would grow in faith as a new believer should, in God’s timing.

PRAY that he would see the need to be discipled by mature believers, and that God would open the right doors for him. 

PRAY that people who have enjoyed him as an entertainer would also now consider for themselves the faith that he has embraced.

PRAY that Casper would find favor in both the Lutheran and other evangelical churches, that God would use him to unite Danish believers more and more. 

PRAY that God would revive Denmark using the bold testimonies of celebrities like Casper Christiansen and non-celebrities like taxi drivers, farmers, beauticians, and so many others.

Freefall, or change?

Is the venerable Inner Mission (IM) renewal movement in “a freefall,” as Danish state media reported recently? Depends on who you ask.

“Time has run out for the Inner Mission,” claimed Brian Arly Jacobsen, a professor of religious sociology at Copenhagen University. “The Inner Mission is having a hard time because it is a movement that arose in the 1800s, when church services were a certain way. (But) they haven’t stood the test of time, to remain attractive to young people.”

The same report pointed out that demographics are also a factor. Young families have moved away from many of the rural areas and small towns where the Inner Mission movement was particularly strong, and where mission houses were once built to hold revival meetings. The hair color of those who still visit many mission houses for meetings is often predominantly gray. 

In the town of Kloster, for example (pop. 634), Inner Mission revival meetings once attracted standing-room-only crowds. But that was 125 years ago. Today they’re wondering if the mission house will close, as others have.

But that’s not the whole story, says Asbjørn Asmussen, communications director for the IM movement. He points to the growth of IM-affiliated alternative Lutheran churches, many of which have been planted in recent years. IM-sponsored family camps are also going strong, and attracted just as many participants this past summer as in 2019. What’s more, giving to IM ministries has remained steady over the past five years. 

So Asmussen sees the IM movement changing, not necessarily retreating. “In the past, the vast majority of IM activities were carried by over 1,000 local IM communities. Today, it is to a greater extent the nationwide events and activities that bring IM friends together and carry IM's mission.”

Not that he doesn’t notice when a local mission house declines or closes. “It's good that we can still gather in large groups for things like Bible camping and festivals,” said Asmussen, “but the less contact we have with local communities and neighborhoods, the less Christian mission comes out of IM. And that's the real threat for the future. Fewer people come to know Jesus and find peace and salvation in him.”

What’s left to do? Asmussen is still optimistic. “We have to ask God to intervene and create new revival,” he said. “We’ve seen it before in history. We believe it can happen again.”

PRAY for the hundreds of IM mission houses still open, that God would touch lives across generations.

PRAY that the national IM outreach would continue to grow, that many would come to Christ through them. 

PRAY for IM-affiliated churches to thrive and grow.

PRAY for God to intervene and bring new revival through a reinvigorated Inner Mission movement.