Heartfelt Prayer for Denmark at Eastertime

On Easter Sunday, the sun will rise in the east and make its way bringing the light of dawn across Denmark from Bornholm to Esbjerg, just at it did over Palestine and Jerusalem two thousand years ago. When the sun rose then, it was a day such as the world has never known--it was Resurrection Day! The disheartened band of disciples experienced a thrilling, life-changing moment when it dawned on them that the crucified Christ had truly risen from the dead!

Any human life that recognizes the fact that Jesus Christ the Son of God died for our sins and rose bodily from the grave can also have just such a life-changing experience. The New Testament makes that clear: “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved” (Romans 10:9, 10, NIV).” Membership in a church and putting trust in its rites can in no way guarantee eternal salvation--only personal faith and trust in Christ brings salvation.

Easter Sunday in Denmark will see many Danes making their way to church services, some out of the continuing thrill of having met and known the Risen Christ personally and others merely out of curiosity, family tradition or holiday sentiment. There are not many in Denmark today who know and have experienced Christ in a genuine personal and life-changing way--thank God, there are some. A country once evangelized is always in danger in succeeding generations of cooling off and engulfing itself in a tradition of belief about Christ without personal trust and commitment in Him as Savior and Lord. That could change in Denmark through spiritual revival and a renewal of evangelical faith. We earnestly pray that it will.

PRAY that the Spirit of God will hover over Denmark from one end of the country to the other to make Easter observances this year not merely the trappings of a traditional and sentimental holiday but a day when the crucified and risen Christ becomes a personal reality for many.

PRAY for a great outpouring of God’s revival blessing everywhere throughout Denmark this Easter with many coming “to know Christ and the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10).

A Potpourri of Prayer Requests

Pray for Denmark has continuing contact with a large number of friends in Denmark, including pastors and laypersons in local churches, leaders of Christian organizations, and a number of those who have initiated contact with us through the website. Some I have had the privilege of meeting personally. There are many needs that surface through these various contacts and the interchange of email messages. Let me share a few of these with you in the hope that you will join with us in prayer on their behalf.

PRAY for a young American believer who is currently playing professionally for one of the Danish basketball teams in Jutland. He first contacted us for assistance in finding a church or group with whom he could have fellowship. He needs prayer that he will be able to stand true to his faith in difficult and demanding circumstances.

PRAY for a young Scot lassie who recently arrived in Denmark and is attending a college in Sjæland to enhance her training and experience as a teacher. She is a believer who craves fellowship with other believers. In response to her request we have helped her by making some suggestions of possibilities of fellowship with Danish believers in Holbæk.

PRAY for a fine Danish couple in Kolding who are loving parents of two autistic children. They are believers and need prayer for wisdom and strength in caring for their children's needs day by day.

PRAY that a Christian faculty member and Campus Crusade advisor at a community college in Minnesota will have many opportunities for witness with Danish exchange students from Svendborg. We have been able to put him in touch with Anders Seekjær, a leader in Funen of the Danish counterpart of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. The prayer need is that upon their return to Denmark there will be good follow-up with these exchange students who have shown some interest in having a Christian group similar to the one they attended in Minnesota.

PRAY for a newly married couple temporarily working at a Christian facility near Aalborg in Jutland. They are concerned and a bit anxious to know God's will for their future and more permanent ministry together. He has a German father and Danish mother and has had some training at an American Bible college. His bride comes from America. Some of their plans have been frustrated by changes in visa regulations. Our hope is that if it is His will the Lord will guide them into ministry in Denmark.

PRAY for a fine young theological student attending one of the universities in Jutland. He is a strong believer intending upon completion of his studies to become a minister of the Danish State Church (Folkekirke). The liberal university environment is not especially friendly to a student who espouses an evangelical and evangelistic faith. Our prayer is that he will remain committed to his faith in Christ during his time at the university.

The Salvation Army at Work in Denmark

The Salvation Army is an evangelical Christian church founded in England in 1865 by William and Catherine Booth. With its unique quasi-military organizational structure, this faith community now has work in 109 countries with over a million members worldwide (the Army calls its members "soldiers"). With its Christian heritage and motivation, the Salvation Army has been supremely successful in wedding evangelism with works of a social nature, based on its sense of the interdependence of material, emotional, and spiritual needs. It has never surrendered its essential biblical base, and has long fed and sheltered the hungry and homeless, ministering to the "down-and-outers" in countries around the world. It has been at the forefront of the rehabilitation and restoration of those having problems with alcohol. The Salvation Army is prepared and can be counted on always to be among the very first on the scene of any catastrophe wherever in the world it may occur. As an organization it casts spiritual vision on all of the dimensions of human need through its churches (corps), social work, crisis centers, work with children, youth, and adults, rehabilitation, thrift stores, and the like.

The work of the Salvation Army in Denmark dates from 1887 where it is known by its Danish branch name Frelsens Hær. Its purpose is one with that of The Salvation Army International: "Dens opgave er at forkynde evangeliet om Jesus Kristus og i hans navn møde de menneskelige behov uden diskrimination" (Its task is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and in His name to meet human need without discrimination). Frelsens Hær has 34 corps (churches) in Denmark with 1072 soldier-members and 172 civilian members. It operates three recycling centers and 21 thriftshops, 16 social institutions, and six "åbent-hus" centers. According to the latest available figures, Frelsens Hær provided help to more than 160,000 persons in Denmark during 2005 with Christmastime assistance offered to 6000 families. For further information, click on the following informative webpages: www1.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsf or www.frelsens-haer.dk/.

PRAISE GOD that though relatively small in number, the "soldiers" of Frelsens Hær are quietly and without compromise or fanfare providing for the material, emotional, and spiritual needs of thousands every year in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

PRAY for adequate financial support for the many social and evangelistic ministries of Frelsens Hær on behalf of needy Danish children, youth, and adults.

PRAY for the newly appointed leaders of Frelsens Hær in Denmark as they enter upon their many responsibilities. Lieutenant Colonel Erling Maeland will begin his work on July 1 following the retirement of Colonels Michael and Ina Marvell. Colonel Maeland's wife, Lieutenant Colonel Signe Helene Maeland, will work alongside him as the leader of Frelsens Hær children's division.

English Bible Study in Aarhus

Pray for Denmark.com often receives requests from people in various countries asking for help in locating a church to attend while in Denmark for a brief or longer time. Just recently a foreign student at the University of Aarhus wrote asking if we knew of English services in Aarhus. Not having that information at hand, I tried to get the information for her though it took me some time to find it. Meanwhile, the student herself had found a weekly Bible study. When I had finally located the same Bible study group and emailed her she had already been attending for several weeks and was enjoying it immensely.

As it turns out, the laid-back, non-denominational Bible study is led by Theis Broegger, a good friend of Pray for Denmark.com since its inception. Folks from various countries and church backgrounds have found the group provides excellent and focused Bible study along with fulfilling Christian fellowship through worship, prayer, and social activities. While it is an independent group, it meets in facilities graciously opened to them by the Apostolic Church in Aarhus. The language used in the Bible study is English, a language in which Theis is as proficient as he is in his native Danish. Theis is a journalist by profession, as is Brad, my partner in the Pray for Denmark.com ministry.

The website for the new Bible study group can be found at http://www.aarhusbiblestudy.dk/. Information about location, some photos, and contact data are provided on the website as are downloads of past weekly Bible study content. Currently the study is in the Gospel of John. Sessions are held each Monday evening at 7:00 o’clock in the facilities of the Apostolic Church, Nørre Allé 23, 8000-Aarhus C. Already there are 20-25 people involved in the Bible study.

Theis tells Pray for Denmark.com that his vision for this Bible study is "as simple as it gets: feed the sheep." He adds, "God has told me not to worry or concern myself with the amount of people that might come, but to focus fully on preparing meaty spiritual meals each night for those that do show up. It has been a blessing to see how God has blessed it tremendously. His Word is powerful, so as long as we serve that faithfully, we all go home edified and inspired."

PRAISE God that international students and permanent residents for whom English is their first or preferred language now have a weekly opportunity for solid Bible study and warm Christian fellowship.

PRAY for the Spirit’s wisdom and direction as Theis (and Allison) work with the Aarhus Bible study group and for the weekly preparation of study materials.

PRAY for those who are attending the Bible study, that they will delve deeply into the Scriptures as did the Bereans in the Book of Acts 17:11: "They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (NIV).

Tightening of Residence Requirements

The Danish government is tightening immigration laws and the conditions for issuing residence permits (visas) to foreign pastors, missionaries, and other religious workers. Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has implied that in the past residence permits have been able to be obtained too easily.

Among other requirements, the government is now demanding that pastors, missionaries, and other religious workers desiring to establish legal residence in Denmark be appropriately educated, be financially self-sufficient, have more than passing familiarity with the Danish language and culture, and respect Denmark's position on human rights, in particular the right of an individual to change religions. Given world conditions at the present time, it is likely that national security concerns are in large part fueling the new residence requirements.

Muslim leaders believe the new requirements are discriminatory, designed to limit the activities of imams already in the country and prevent the entry of others. Christian leaders believe that the all-encompassing law may have a negative effect on the residence of international pastors and missionaries, including those called to ministry by local congregations. As we understand it, the law will require an applicant to be recommended by an existing, legally recognized Danish denomination.

At the present time there altogether nearly 700 foreign pastors, missionaries, or religious workers of all sorts in the country (including evangelical pastors and missionaries, Muslim imams, and Mormon missionaries). Some evangelicals have been waiting several years to obtain approval of their residence permit applications, among them Lee Hanson, Tony Acheampong, and Jonas Kouassi-Zessia. In a recent issue, the weekly newsletter of the Danish Baptist Union indicated that residence permits for the three pastors are at long last expected to be approved (www.baptistkirken.dk/nyheder/Nyhedsbreve/nyeste.htm).

PRAY that the new requirements for residence permits will not adversely affect the opportunities for ministry on the part of evangelical pastors and missionaries approved the various free church denominations.

PRAY for Pastor Lee Hanson's ministry through Bethel Baptist Church in Aalborg. Lee, originally from the USA, speaks fluent Danish and received his seminary education in Denmark. He has an significant work with international students at Aalborg University. (www.bethelkirken.dk)

PRAY for Pastor Tony Acheampong's ministry with the International City Baptist Church in Taastrup. This church is oriented to English-speaking Africans and other internationals residing in Denmark. (www.tvaerkulturelt-center.dk/)

PRAY for Pastor Jonas Kouassi-Zessia of Copenhagen's Eglise Protestante Baptiste. Pastor Jonas is a former Ivory Coast diplomat. The church is oriented toward French-speaking Africans now working or studying in Denmark. (www.tvaerkulturelt-center.dk/)

Pastoral Crisis in Danish Free Churches

Who will replace aging pastors in Danish free churches? In its June 2006 issue, Church News from Denmark, reported that several free church denominations in Denmark are experiencing difficulty finding candidates to replace retiring pastors. Too few free church young people seem to be drawn to the vocational ministry, tending rather to follow other career paths even while remaining a part of the church. One University of Copenhagen sociologist finds it puzzling that free church young people are not drawn to the ministry at a time when youth in general are more interested in religion than ever.

There may be reasons why many young believers from the free churches are seemingly deaf to the call of God and are bypassing pastoral ministry as a career. Some of the free church denominations and the local churches are themselves aging and have perhaps lost some of the spontaneity, ardor and freshness of their origins. Even free churches can over time develop their own rigid traditions. Whether in Denmark or elsewhere, subsequent generations tend to cool off, lack the commitment of their forebears, and look for new religious experience or affiliations. Young people often find older church members to be inflexible and uncomfortable with change even when the times warrant it. As one young American believer put it, "It's lonely being a Christian my age in my church."

There tends to be considerable divergence in the views of older and younger church members on what the church should look like and on how to go about doing church. As the article in Church News from Denmark suggests, "For the young generation the most important thing is the social network in the congregation, and they do not understand the traditional ways followed by the older generation." Rather than fight the system, many leave. In addition, many of the free churches in Denmark are quite small and struggling to support their pastors, some having only part-time pastors who must supplement their income from other sources. For young people considering career opportunities, such uncertain modeling detracts from the attractiveness of the vocational ministry. Not a few young people are forsaking the traditional free churches to find a home in the new church plants as, for instance, Copenhagen's lively youth-oriented and thoroughly evangelical Vineyard Church and other similar churches in the urban areas.

Meanwhile, the problem of free church pastoral vacancies persists and begs a solution. Dare we say it--were genuine spiritual revival and a new wave of the Spirit to occur in Denmark, it would go a long way toward remediating what is now a challenging situation threatening the future and possibly even the continued existence of some local churches.

Happily, there are several fine training institutions in Denmark where young people who do respond to God's call to vocational ministry can receive sound theological education and pastoral training. Among these are the Danish Pentecostal Bible College at Mariager (www.pvhcollege.dk/danish/english.asp?ID=1); the International Apostolic Bible College at Kolding (www.biblecollege.dk); the Skandinavisk Akademi for Lederskab og Teologi (SALT) in Copenhagen (www.salt-akademi.dk/SALT_english_version.pdf); and the Dansk Bible Institut/Copenhagen Lutheran School of Theology (www.dbi.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=168).

PRAY for young believers in the Danish free churches, who are idealistic and committed and wanting to serve Christ in ministry, but who find it lonely and frustrating being a part of a church more oriented to the needs and perspectives of its older members.

PRAY that older believers in the free churches will become less concerned about maintaining church and denominational traditions and more understanding of and receptive to the passions and perspectives of younger believers.

PRAY for an increase in the number of students preparing for pastoral ministry in the Danish Bible colleges and evangelical theological faculties noted above.

Evangelical Alliance Prayer Week (Bedeuge)

In concert with its continent-wide counterpart, the European Evangelical Alliance, the Evangelisk Alliance i Danmark sponsors a week of prayer each year in the first full week of January. The Alliance's 2007 Bedeuge begins tomorrow, January 7 and continues through Sunday, January 14. There will be scores of prayer groups meeting all over the country and it is hoped that more than 30,000 Danes will be participating. While much of the announced focus is on prayer for evangelical work in Eastern Europe, and rightly so, we believe this week also gives Danish believers a significant opportunity to agree in prayer for revival and renewal throughout the nation's parishes and congregations.

Pastor Rick Warren said at the December 27-31, 2006 Urbana Conference that, "God's timing is perfect. I see a spiritual hunger, I see a spiritual readiness, the willingness to commit, and a willingness to sacrifice; and all of these things coming in together ... has created a 'kairos' moment--the right time for a reformation to take place." As one pastor has reiterated, prayer and worship go hand in hand. He writes: "I believe the pathway for the Church's moving into its full destiny in God's counsels, while retaining a practical sanity and spiritual balance on earth's surfrace, lies in our ability to perceive the true purpose and spiritual dynamic in worship. What has been defined for too long as an hour's exercise on Sunday, packaged by enculturated tradition and preserved in doctrinaire posturing is being redefined, unwrapped, and unsealed today. Worship is being redefined in terms of its form and focus. It isn't that valid traditions must be scorned or discarded but that newness must refill them with meaning." (Jack W. Hayford, Worship His Majesty, Gospel Light Productions, 2000).

That is what happens when revival and renewal occur. Wouldn't it be wonderful were such revival and a new Reformation, bathed in prayer and worship, to break out all over Europe in 2007 and for it to begin in Denmark this coming week! The website for the Evangelisk Alliance i Danmark is http://evangeliskalliance.dk/.

PRAY that the the Spirit of God will move graciously and powerfully among the many prayer groups meeting in Denmark next week with Christ-exalting worship and fervent, believing prayer. Thirty thousand people so engaged could turn Denmark and the whole of Europe upside-down in a mighty demonstration of God's power and blessing.

PRAY for the hundreds of parishes and pastors of the Danish State Church (Folkekirke), as well as the scores of free evangelical pastors and congregations, that they will experience a life-changing spiritual encounter with Jesus Christ through this coming week of prayer throughout Denmark. (For a list of participating prayer locales, see the following website: http://evangeliskalliance.dk/index.php?mainid=6&subid=39.

PRAY that there will be a rebirth of aggressive but culturally relevant and sensitive evangelism throughout Denmark and the Faroe Islands.

PRAY that God will reverse the downslide of Christianity in Europe as believers are stirred to their depths with the urgency of evangelism and revival.