New Church Started in Nyborg

Kirken Odense Vækkelscenter (Odense Revival Center), affiliated with the Apostolic Church of Denmark, has for the past five years had a vision for starting new churches on the island of Fyn. The Odense church (www.kirken-ovc.dk/)
has now taken its first step in church planting. It all began as the result of evangelistic meetings held by evangelist Torben Søndergaard last March and April at Medborger Hus, Nørrevoldgade, in Nyborg. At the last of the services there were 60 in attendance, of whom 40 were visitors. "We couldn't even think of leaving these folks on their own," said Andreas Jørgensen, of the the Odense Vækkelscenter, "so, we decided to drive down to Nyborg every Sunday after our own service in Odense to have a service for these folks." Evangelist Søndergaard's meetings were so well attended that it seemed essential to begin weekly services in Nyborg. The first service of the Nyborg Free Church (Nyborg Frikirke) took place on Sunday, May 22 with 15 persons attending. Services are now being held every Sunday afternoon at 15.00 hrs. (3:00 p.m.), except the second Sunday of the month when there is a joint service with the Odense church. Andreas and Lene Jørgensen, who pastor the Odense Vækkelscenter, will also assume responsibility of pastoral oversight for the new Nyborg Frikirke that for now will be under the wing of the Odense church. For those unfamiliar with the geography of Denmark, the island and province of Fyn is found between Sjælland to the east and Jutland to the west. Odense is situated in the very middle of Fyn and Nyborg southeast of Odense on the island's east side. This report is based on an item that appeared recently in Domino, the new Christian lifestyle magazine published by FrikirkeNet, a network of Danish Pentecostal, Baptist, Apostolic, independent, and house churches (www.dominoonline.dk).

PRAY that the new Nyborg Frikirke will rapidly develop into a contagious, growing fellowship of believers empowered by the Holy Spirit for attractive and effective witness to townspeople.

PRAY that the new church will in its infancy attract those in the Nyborg who are truly craving for something real to fill the spiritual vacuum in their lives that we know can only be filled by a personal experience of faith in Jesus Christ.

PRAY that like Vækkelscenter, other free church congregations throughout Denmark will be awakened to the need for planting new churches.

PRAY for health, strength and fruitful results for Andreas and Lene Jørgensen as they minister for Christ in Odense and Nyborg.

Pray for Tove Videbæk

The European Evangelical Union has appointed Danish evangelical Tove Videbæk as its representative to the various institutions of the European Union. Tove was a member of the Danish National Parliament for the past seven years before assuming her new post on June 1. Before that she had a career that included church ministries and leadership in Christian media. Her role as the EEA representative in Brussels will be "to help strengthen the future of European culture, around historically agreed Christian social and ethical values." Tove and her husband Mogens served for 20 years as pastors of Pentecostal churches in Denmark. Subsequently, she has had held significant positions of leadership in Danish Christian TV and media. During the past year and half Tove has been a member of the board of Kulturcenteret, a large independent Pentecostal church in Copenhagen. Her seven years in the Danish Parliament found her struggling for legislation relative to Christian lifestyle, Christian families, children, and the poor. She also made attempts to prevent the medical industry from making use of embryonic stem cells. Tove does not think that evangelicalism in Europe is dead, though it is common knowledge that cultural Christianity and secularism are problems for Denmark and other European countries. As a committed evangelical, she says, "I have been struggling in church. I have been struggling in media. And I have been struggling in Parliament. So, I feel like the little fish going up the stream, very alive. And I feel that the evangelicals of Europe are like this fish." She believes that evangelicals are learning and willing to learn. Several churches in Denmark and elsewhere in Europe have participated in recent days in "40 Days of Purpose" with Saddleback's Rick Warren and are also learning from the Willow Creek model. (This report has been developed from information gathered from Christianity Today and from the European Evangelical Alliance website.)

PRAY for Tove Videbæk as she attempts to build strong relationships and communication with Christian politicians in Brussels so that they will dare to stand for what they claim to believe.

PRAY for the several prayer meetings being held around Brussels where Tove can meet Christian politicians and pray together with them for Europe.

PRAY that Tove will be able to work in the power of the Holy Spirit in fulfilling her task of making sure that the voice of evangelicals in Denmark and all of Europe is heard by the various governing bodies of the European Union.

PRAY that Danish and other European evangelicals will recognize the implications of disappointing European Union decisions that only too often ignore or disregard issues of Christian faith and ethics.

Roskilde Vineyard Church News and Prayer Needs

Solvej and David Allen, who minister at Roskilde Vineyard Christian Fellowship, need our prayers. Solvej writes the following:

"At the end of June we will be targeting the Roskilde Festival for "Servant Evangelism" and distribution of hundreds of copies of the Street Bible (the whole of the New Testament text is in the middle and garnished with real-life testimonies and poetry at the front and back, making it easier for young people to read through the entire New Testament) in Danish, Swedish and German. It is estimated that 90,000 young people from all over Europe attend this Woodstock-type gathering. So far it looks as though just our church will be doing the outreach together with the Bible for the Nations team from Sweden, but we are hoping that other churches will come alongside us. We will also be offering free boot washes if it is rainy and muddy, and handing out cold juice tetrapacks if the weather is hot. It should be fun, but we need all the prayer we can get. [Note: We at Roskilde Vineyard are the Servant Evangelism 'freaks', an evangelistic strategy that we developed and have been working with ever since we planted the church. "Bible for the Nations" is a Swedish mission organization that prints and distributes New Testaments to different target groups. The Roskilde Festival will be the first time the Swedish group has become involved in our Servant Evangelism strategy.]

"The last several months have been scary for us as both Dave and I suddenly found ourselves without secular employment. God came through just as we were going from severance pay to the much lower unemployment insurance, and the church is not yet able to provide us with financial support (we are already supporting our young worship pastor on a part-time basis). The only jobs we could get were full-time for both of us, unfortunately, so pastoring and working full time is going to be tricky. Thus far I (Solvej) have only worked part-time and have been able to do a lot of the daily ministry to people. We have had some good families come alongside us and we no longer have to do everything on our own, so we are thankful to God.

"But we are of good courage. A few people are getting saved through our bimonthly servant evangelism outreaches, and my little meticulously kept log book shows that our attendance is up 40% over last spring. That's not a very statistically valid percentage when we are still below 50, but we are optimists!

"Prayer makes such a tangible difference, and I am grateful also that God has sent a lady to our fellowship with a call to minister through intercessory prayer. We have great prayer times together. I don't mind making coffee and dragging chairs and doing a lot of the other stuff, but through prayer it is so important to have that spiritual power, as David of old, to 'slay ten thousand' (1 Sam. 18:7)! " Roskilde Vineyard home page: www.rosvineyard.dk

PRAY that during the Roskilde Festival to be held at the end of this month the joint evangelistic outreach and distribution of The Street Bible by the Roskilde Vineyard Christian Fellowship and the Swedish Bible for the Nations team will be the means of introducing many young people to Jesus Christ.

PRAY for more churches to join forces during the Festival outreach with the Roskilde Vineyard and the Swedish Bible for the Nations team.

PRAY that the Lord will help David and Solvej Allen prioritize right up until the time is right for one of them to cut back on their secular employment. They want to be good shepherds of the flock and expand their tentposts of ministry, but at the same time need to support themselves by "making tents" (as did the Apostle Paul).

PRAY for the new house group that is starting this fall in the university dorm where the Allens have been washing windows and where a couple of people have come to faith in Christ.

PRAY also for the Roskilde Vineyard's youth house group under the leadership of Adam, the Allen's 18-year-old son. Adam is also substituting for the worship pastor and his wife who are going through the experience of having their first baby. Adam and two other 18-year-olds will be renting the whole middle floor apartment of the Allens' large home so they can form a good "hang-out" base for the youth group.

PRAISE God for the coming to the Roskilde Vineyard of a lady who's focus of ministry is intercessory prayer.

Calvary Chapel Scandinavian Conference 2005

The Calvary Chapel fellowship in Denmark has asked that visitors to Pray for Denmark.com pray especially for preparations being made for the 2005 Scandinavian Conference and ministry workshops in Malmo, Sweden, August 11-14. The conference theme this year is Serving God in a Post-Christian Europe. This is an annual conference of fellowship, edification, and motivation for ministry. The annual conference gathers people from all over the world, but is especially geared to those from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden that have ties to the work of Calvary Chapel. One of the main speakers at this year's conference will be Pastor Pierre Petrignani from Calvary Chapel in Nice, France. In 1992, Pierre decided to return to France with his wife, Nancy, to plant a Calvary Chapel ministry in his hometown of Nice in Southern France. Pierre had lived for some years in Seattle, Washington, where he came to faith in Jesus Christ. For the last 13 years, he has experienced both the "ups and downs," the joys and struggles, of a new church plant as he has ministered to his European countrymen. The second guest is a Scot, Pastor Peter Will, from the Calvary Chapel in Hanover, Germany. He has served in Germany for a number of years and will be able to share some of his experiences in going to another European country to plant a new church. Pastor Kent Akerlund, of Malmo's Calvary Chapel will also be teaching at the conference and possibly, if his schedule and obligations permit, Pastor David Guzik from the Calvary Chapel Bible College in Siegen, Germany. For further information, visit the following websites: www.calvarychapel.dk/english/engindex.htm and www.calvarymalmo.se/con05.htm.

PRAY for the pastor and people of the host church, Calvary Chapel of Malmo, as they plan and prepare for hosting the August 11-14 conference.

PRAY for a good attendance and participation and that the Lord Jesus will use this conference to draw each attendee even closer to Him in commitment and usefulness in ministry.

PRAY that the ministry of the speakers, Pastors Pierre Petrignani, Peter Will, and Kent Akerlund, will make the conference a high point in attendees' spiritual growth and motivation for ministry.

PRAY that the Spirit of the Lord will inspire and call those whom He wishes to use for work in Scandinavia (including, of course, Denmark), giving everyone ears to hear His calling and hearts to obey.

Global Day of Prayer on Pentecost Sunday, May 15

Believers worldwide are joining in a Global Day of Prayer this Sunday, May 15, to build a canopy of prayer over all the continents. A statement from the movement's webpage states, "Over the past five years a vision was born and is being realized that is and has been the blessing of millions of people and whole continents. This dream has been the hope of many, including the prophets, and is now being joined with a critical mass and modern technology to bless the whole earth. Certainly, this story represents a call and a movement of God. Soon the whole earth will be affected." Visit the movement's website: www.globaldayofprayer.com/ where full information and a manual may be found in many languages of the world, including English and Danish. Though we do not have the details, the movement is spreading to Denmark and we understand observance of the day is scheduled at least in Copenhagen. We urge all visitors to this Pray for Denmark.com page to participate in the Global Day of Prayer this Sunday, May 15.

PRAY that believers and churches throughout Denmark will be alerted to the Global Day of Prayer and become a part of this significant and very powerful worldwide effort.

PRAY that the prayers of God's people on this Global Day of Prayer will truly contribute to the building of a veritable canopy of prayer over all the continents and nations, including Denmark.

Peet Bekker's Prayerwalk Report

To read South African friend Peet Bekker's "Feedback" report on his recent prayerwalk around the Jutland "Spearhead" between Hirtshals and Frederikshavn, visit his website at the following Internet address:

www.afrowalk.com/feedback001.asp.

This unique prayerwalk was obviously a very moving spiritual experience for Peet personally and we continue to believe for coming spiritual victories in Denmark. God's continued best, dear brother! Pray that God will continue to show Peet what His will may be for further spiritual involvements on behalf of Denmark and the Danish people.

Ungdom med Opgave (YWAM Denmark)

Founded in 1960, Youth With a Mission (YWAM) has become one of the largest international and interdenominational mission organizations in the world. With a staff of 11,000 at work in 900 locations and 140 countries, YWAM is a multifaceted ministry-driven mission with a pioneering spirit. It has a magnificent, creative approach to getting the gospel of Christ out to the world using means and methods more traditional missions have been reluctant to utilize. The extent of YWAM's ministries boggles the mind. For example, Bill recently participated in a short-term mission project with the seniors from the church he attends at Gleanings for the Hungry in Sultana, California. Gleanings is a YWAM food-processing base that with the help of many volunteers prepares and sends tons of sun-dried fruit and dried soup mix for missionary distribution to the poor and needy in 40 different countries. Everywhere it works, YWAM uses an astonishing array of family, training, and mercy ministries along with its focal approaches in evangelization and soul-winning. YWAM (Ungdom med Opgave in Danish) first came to Denmark in 1972 in a work pioneered by Bente and Leon Have Thomsen. YWAM Denmark's mission statement reads: "To communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ in a relevant way to all areas of society--in Denmark and abroad." The central office for Ungdom med Opgave is at Sjellebro, Randervej 195, 8544-Morke, Denmark, located a few miles souteast of the city of Randers in Jutland. For further information about YWAM International and Ungdom med Opgave on the Internet, visit the following webpages: www.ywam.dk/eng/e-omumo.htm and www.ywam.org/ .

PRAY for the current Ungdom med Opgave staff, including base director Christen Lundager, his wife Merete, Lisbeth and Henrik Thomsen, Anette and Martin Leegaard, Jan Mortensen, Monika Wyss, Rua Lii, Gorm Kroeger, and Marianne and Hans Olesen.

PRAY for the leadership and teachers participating in the Den Gyldne Alders Lejr (Golden Age Camp) for those over age 50 that is scheduled this month, May 26-29, and two family camps coming in July: Sjellebro Family Camp, July 2-8 and Fjellerup Family Camp, July 9-16. PRAY too for other camps and outreaches that are planned for later in the year.

PRAY for a genuine work of the Spirit in each camper attending one of these camps, whether believer or unbeliever, and for the Lord Jesus to be exalted and the Word of God presented clearly. PRAY especially for the salvation of those who have yet to confess Christ as Savior and Lord.

PRAY that the Lord will direct those He is leading to attend the Discipleship Training School that begins at Sjellebro on September 5 and concludes on February 17, 2006. DTS is a six-month program, required of all who join the staff of YWAM, a curriculum that provides six months of intensive teaching on how to live a radical life for Jesus Christ, followed by a three-month outreach somewhere in the world. YWAM has separate DTS programs for those of ages 18-25 and for those over age 25.

PRAY that God will call men and women to fill a number of service opportunities available at YWAM Denmark and that He will lay it on the hearts of His people to provide needed prayer and financial support for all of its staff and varied ministries.

PRAY that the dynamic evangelistic and ministries vision of Danish YWAM, Ungdom med Opgave, will strongly influence churches throughout Denmark and serve as a model for what Spirit-led and committed believers can do in reaching Denmark for Christ.