Blessing at Roskilde Vineyard

Start-up of a new church plant in Denmark is a God-sized major undertaking not for the faint-hearted. Church planting is fraught with difficulties, so much so that it has been said that two out of three church plants in Denmark do not make it.

One that has seen God’s blessing and has thrived and grown is the Vineyard church plant in Roskilde. This new work has been under the leadership of co-pastors David and Solvej Allen. It has not been easy, but the Allens say, “We are thankful now and we chalk it all up to grace and endurance, mostly God’s endurance with us!”

Just last November, this several-years-old plant had a release party from the supervision by Copenhagen Vineyard leadership. Roskilde is no longer considered to be a church in the planting stage but now in its own right is a fully independent Vineyard church. The church is still a small but growing congregation of 50 that meets in Roskilde’s Kulturhuset (Culture House). Most of the members are young people, with a good number of them having only recently come to faith in Christ. A month ago or so David and Solvej had a wonderful celebration service at which two of the young men who have recently come to Christ were baptized in the Roskilde Fjord. One of them is now a house group (small group) leader and the other a worship leader, so as David and Solvej put it, “They are already getting ‘milked for all they’re worth’ in the Lord’s service.”

Church planters make some tremendous sacrifices. David and Solvej minister as a team with David as Senior Pastor (see photo above of recent worship and group leaders retreat with Solvej third person in the front row and David standing behind her). David has had full-time secular employment but will finally begin to get a day off every week starting in September. That will release him for more time in evangelism. Solvej has been on one-third salary from the church for the past year, so the church’s giving has also increased. She still has to work half-time as a secretary to help make ends meet. The Allens state that the church has a good sense of community, even though it took a long time to get to that point. Now people “hang out” and do fun things together all the time during the week. Four house groups also contribute to that end.

An exciting new development is that Roskilde Vineyard has been invited to have some of its services at the local Music Hall, a place where youth tend to gather. The Allens consider it to be a “God-thing” that this door has opened. Plans are to have three services in that venue this Fall with the hope of attracting a different crowd by meeting in this even more public place.

Pastor David had his 45th birthday recently and Solvej wanted to celebrate the event by taking him out for dinner after church, probably to have some time together just as a couple. However, five other people also wanted to come along with them and the Allens in true pastoral fashion thought, “Oh well, the more the merrier!” There was lots of fun and laughter. Solvej had felt bad that they had not been able to celebrate Pastor David’s birthday with more of a party because Sunday is a pastor’s “work day,” filled with preparing for the service, leading the service, and debriefing after the service. But when they got back home, they realized that eating with those great friends was so much fun. But not only that, they also realized with praise to God that out of the five who had joined them for dinner four had come to faith in Christ through the ministry of Roskilde Vineyard. It is likely they are all people that would have had a hard time adjusting to any other type of church setting. That thought made the Allens so thankful and, as David said, “What better birthday gift could anyone want!”

For more information, browse around in the church’s attractive website at www.rosvineyard.dk.

PRAISE the Lord for what He has been and is accomplishing in Roskilde through the power of God’s Holy Spirit wooing and winning people to Christ and to trust in His finished work of redemption.

PRAISE God for dedicated church planters David and Solvej Allen who have stayed committed to the task through thick and thin and have seen His working in many lives as an evidence of faithful, Spirit-empowered ministry.

PRAY that the young Vineyard church in Roskilde will maintain a strong, vibrant and grace-filled evangelistic outreach that will attract many Danes who would likely never become a part of any other type of church.

PRAY that the Lord will knit the members of Roskilde Vineyard together in unity and community to create a worshjpping congregation intent on discovering and using their spiritual gifts to build up and nurture the Body of Christ.

PRAY for God’s presence and blessing in the opportunities that will present themselves this fall to reach an entirely different crowd of young people in the occasional services that will be held at the new Music Hall venue in Roskilde. (The Allens report that the first service at the Music Hall on Sunday, August 19 went very well with an excellent turnout and many seekers! Praise the Lord!)

PRAY for continued passion and wisdom on the part of the church’s leadership, for effective grounding and discipling of new believers, and for new and fresh, Spirit-led ideas for fruitful evangelism.

PRAY that in the Lord’s timing the church’s increase in numbers and giving will allow Senior Pastor David and co-pastor Solvej to leave secular employment in order to engage full-time in ministry.

Tønder Festival 2007, August 23-26

Once again, Jutland’s southern border city of Tønder (pronounced TON-er) will be hosting its internationally known summer music festival, August 23-26. As it does every year, Tønder Festival 2007 will showcase many secular music groups, both traditional and folk.

Each year during the Festival the Tønder Frikirke, the small city’s only evangelical free church, makes a major effort to offer a vibrant and attractive musical witness. This year popular Christian singer-songwriter Hans Jørn Østerby, known as West Jutland’s Troubador, will be the Friday evening, August 24 headliner musician. On Saturday, August 25 the featured musicians will be the Danish southern gospel group, ABC Gospel Quartet. These fine Christian brothers, whose repertoire is in the style of the Gaither Vocal Band and The Imperials, will add to the variety of music that will be heard in secular venues during the Festival. The members of ABC Gospel Quartet are tenors Jan Stern Johansen and Ejvind Lohse; baritone Jens Bracher; bass Paul Sander Hansen; with pianist Øvind Lillemæhlum.

Tønder Frikirke is ideally situated in the central business area of the city with hundreds of excited Festivalgoers of many nationalities milling about. Sounds of music will be heard everywhere in the city whether through ticketed concerts in the cultural hall as well as informally on the streets. The hope is that many will be attracted to the sounds of music coming from the church’s worship center and be drawn inside. There they will be greeted warmly by the pastor, Rene Nielsen and members of the church. Coffee will be served (what would a Danish event be without coffee and a “little something” to go with it!). Friendly one on one conversation will go along with the coffeetime.

Zechariah 4:6 reminds us that it is “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord almighty.” Plans and programs will fail without the might, power and presence of the Holy Spirit. As He provides the opening in the coffee and conversation-times, the visitor may be ready to accept a low-keyed, non-pressured and winsome witness to Christ and the gospel. Christian literature will also be made available. The church will be open from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. on Friday the 24th and 3:30 to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday the 25th.

Prayer partners of Pray for Denmark.com, as you think about the wonderful opportunities Tønder Festival 2007 presents for an evangelistic outreach, in the next several weeks please

PRAY that the faithful efforts of Pastor Nielsen and Tønder Frikirke will be rewarded by many visitors to Tønder Festival 2007 accepting the invitation to come into the church’s worship center to hear the featured musicians.

PRAY that the Holy Spirit will use the style of music and earnest testimonies of Hans Jørn Østerby and the ABC Gospel Quartet to stir the hearts of visitors who may be spiritually hungry seekers.

PRAY that visitors who come to Tønder Festival 2007 only to hear a variety of secular music will have hearts open to the life-changing claims of the gospel and come to faith in Christ as Savior and Lord through the efforts of the Tønder Frikirke believers and the guest musicians.

PRAY that the Holy Spirit will be in control and use the ministry of every guest musician and every believer on Friday and Saturday, August 25-26 to the glory and praise of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Summer 2007 - Schedule of Selected Danish Conference/Camps/Bible Schools

Once again, denominational and revival movement conferences and Bible camps will be meeting throughout Denmark this summer under tents, at resorts, in school buildings, or even in the open air. The larger share of these conferences and camps will take place in July. A sampling of them appears below, though the list reflects only those of which we have thus far become aware. Such summer activities are important avenues for inter-church fellowship, for evangelistic contacts, and for believers' spiritual growth and development and training for ministries. Many of the conferences and camps include a full program and activities for children and young people.

Various weeks in July and August - Indre Missions Bibelcamping 2007 is a large and multifaceted camping program with 18 different camps for different ages at a number of locations throughout Denmark, including Bornholm, Fårevejle, Haderup, Hadsund, Hurup, Lystruphave, Myrhøj Pinsecamping, Mørkholt Strand Camping, Sdr. Felding Å Festival, Skovgårde Bibelcamping, Sundeved, Sæby, and Tullebølle. Indre Mission is the oldest of several revival/renewal movements in the Lutheran Folkekirke. The full schedule for Indre Mission’s extensive 2007 camping program may be viewed at www.bibelcamp.dk/oversigt.html.

Various weeks in July – Luthersk Missionsforening (a Folkekirke revival movement) has scheduled youth, family, and children-juniors camps at two locations: Haderslev Næs in Mid-Jutlland, south of Kolding, and Virksund, near Skive in northern Jutland. Full schedules for both campsites may be found at www.bc-haderslev.dk/bc/index.php (Haderslev Næs) and www.bibelcamping.dk/index1.php (Virksund).

July 2-8 - Oaselejr Sjællands Sommerlejr 2007, a regional family camp associated with Dansk Oase, meets the week prior to the national SommerOase 2007 (see below). This family camp will be held at Odsherreds Efterskole, in Fårevejle, northwest Sjælland. This theme selected for this year’s camp is “Noget om nåde” (Something about grace). www.oaselejrsj.dk/

July 7-13 - The Apostolsk Sommerstævne 2007 of the Danish Apostolic Churches will again be held on the campus of the Internationale Apostolsk Højskole in Kolding, Jutland. The theme of this year's conference is "Autentisk kirke" (The authentic church). www.staevne.dk/

July 14-20 - The Pinsekirkernes (Pentecostal Churches) SommerCamp 2007 will meet on the expansive campus of the churches' Højskole (High School and Bible School) in Mariager, 36 miles north of Århus. This year's theme is "Drevet af en passion" (Driven by a passion). http://sommer-camp.sequelsite.dk/default.asp?id=8693

July 8-15 - Dansk Oase, a charismatic-oriented revival movement within the national Lutheran Folkekirke, will hold its SommerOase 2007 conference at Rudehøj Efterskole in Odder, Central Jutland. The conference theme is "Reformation." A number of Danish church leaders will be featured speakers together with several pastors and Christian workers from other countries. www.danskoase.dk/index.php?id=406

July 8-15 - Nyt Liv (New Life), a revival movement within the Lutheran Folkekirke, has again scheduled its Familietræf 2007 family camp at Djurslands Efterskole, northweast of Århus.. www.nytliv.dk/Nyt%20Liv%20april%2006(9).pdf

July 22-28 – Baptisternes Missionsstævne 2007 (BaptistChurches’ 2007 Annual Conference) will once again take place at the Pinse Højskole in Mariager. This year's theme is "Nyt live I tro” (New Life in Faith). www.missionsstaevne.dk/

July 21-27 - Det Danske Missionsforbund (Danish Mission Covenant Church) holds its multigenerational "Sommerkonference 2007) on the campus of the Internationale Apostolsk Højskole in Kolding (south Jutland). The theme of this year's conference is "Værktøj for livet: När tro bliver til livsstil" (Tools for the Life: grace belief gives birth to lifestyle").

www.missionsforbundet.dk.staevne.portal/portal.asp

July 23-29 - Vineyard Norden churches from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Finland will gather for a week of SommerCamp, this year at Liljehomen's School in Rimforsa, Sweden. The theme for the week is "Att vara en Jesu Fäjunge idag--vad betyder det?" (To Be a Disciple of Jesus today--what does that mean?" The visiting speakers will be Peter and Kathy Downs, national directors of Vineyard in Australia. A wide range of seminars will also be offered. www.vineyard.se/summercamp/index.asp

August 2-5 - The 8th Scandinavian Calvary Chapel Annual Summer Conference will take place at Sommerhjemmet , near Roskilde. Invited speakers are Pastors David Guzik of Calvary Chapel Bible College in Siegen, Germany, and Bob Pecoraro from the Calvary Chapel in Turku, Finland. Calvary Chapel ministry specializes in verse-by-verse biblical exposition and this year's conference study will focus on the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. www.calvarychapel.dk/english/indexeng.htm

August 5-12 – Den Dansk Metodistkirke (Danish Methodist Church) will hold its annual Sommerhøjskole at Solborgen ved Sejerbugten, near Holbæk (a short distance northwest of Copenhagen). The Sommerhøjskole theme is "Livsglæde og kristent fællesskab" (Christian fellowship/community and the joy of life). http://hjem.get2net.dk/ed/hs2006/hs06.htm

There are evidences that God is truly working in Denmark. Let us join Him in His activity through our fervent intercession on behalf of these 2007 conferences, camps, and Bible schools. "Revive us, and we will call on Your name" (Psalm 80:18b, NIV).

PRAY that the Holy Spirit will use every leader and speaker mightily in each of these conferences, camps or Bible schools.

PRAY that every camper, of whatever age group, will come to these summer events expecting God to bless graciously and powerfully in meeting their individual needs. When they return to their families and congregations, may it be evident that "they have been with Jesus" (cf. Acts 4:13).

PRAY for the musicians as they lead the people in praise and worship. When it comes, revival will surely be borne along on the wings of Spirit-led praise and Spirit-empowered singing. No revival ever comes without God's people breaking out in songs of high praise and worship.

PRAY that every conference, camp, and Bible school will offer a fearless and dynamic presentation of the human need for salvation and a positive response by the unsaved to the Savior who has so graciously, through His once-for-all sacrifice at Calvary, made possible our salvation.

PRAY for a sense of ministry to pervade the actions and activities of the supporting staff at each of these conferences, camps, or Bible schools.

PRAY for God's protection from accidents and injuries and the possible intrusion of demonic influences at every summer campsite.

PRAY that as a result of these summer conferences God will give such a spirit of unity and love for each other that the various denominations and organizations will be able to deal effectively with whatever problems, antagonisms, dissensions and spirit of competitiveness there may be between themselves and other denominations, local churches, and church members.

Preparing for Danish Summer Camps and Conferences

Once again this year, the months of July and August will see the gathering of hundreds of Danish believers in summer camps and conferences sponsored by the various free church denominations and Folkekirke revival movements. This website will shortly begin to post the dates and places of the summer camps and conferences of which we have been made aware.

Because many of these camps usually bring together large numbers of people from all over the country, the spiritual implications are tremendous. Many of the free churches in Denmark are rather small. There is a dynamic and excitement often present in the singing and worship of large assemblies that is rarely experienced in smaller local churches. There is also an appreciation for fellowship in the larger Body of Christ that comes from worshiping together with fellow believers from throughout the country. Enduring friendships are often made at these summer events.

PRAY for the intense preparations going on now for the many July and August summer camps, including the final details for each camping event, the setting up of the camp grounds, the orientation and training of camp helpers, and the ministries of camp administrators, musicians, seminar leaders and speakers.

PRAY for God’s protective mercies as camp workers and campers travel by bus, train, and auto from the far corners of the country. Some of the speakers and seminar leaders will be coming from other countries. PRAY that campers at each of the scheduled camps will be spared serious injuries or illnesses.

PRAY that the power of God’s Holy Spirit will be felt in every camping event and that speakers will confidently proclaim the Word of God with His anointing in every teaching and preaching sessions.

PRAY for revival to break out in many of the camps with numbers coming to faith in Christ and every camper, whether child, youth or adult, strengthened and encouraged toward growth in their Christian life and walk.

Urgent Need in Burundi

As a matter of policy, Pray for Denmark.com does not generally become involved with matters of funding or fund raising and does not expect to do so often in the future if at all. However, Thomas Spanner of Baptistkirken i Danmark (Danish Baptist Union) has notified us of an urgent request pertaining to the African country of Burundi, where Danish Baptists began mission work in 1928. As the work grew, and because of the need for medical care for converts and families related to the indigenous churches as well as ministry to the general local population, the Danish Baptists early on financed and constructed a hospital at Musema in Burundi’s Kayanza Province. With the cooperation of local Burundis, the hospital was long administered and staffed by dedicated Scandinavian doctors and nurses, among them for some years my dear friends Dr. Torben and Rita Rouland., now retired in Viborg.

In 1989, the property and management of Musema Hospital was taken over by the Burundi Ministry of Health. The hospital was all but destroyed during the civil war years between 1993 and 2000. The World Bank provided financial support for its renovation between 2001 and 2003. As a temporary measure, Musema Hospital has been managed since early 2005 by Médicins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders) which has very recently ended its participation. The local population had great doubts that the Burundi government could or would maintain proper hospital standards. The Burundi Minister of Health has now asked the leaders of the Baptist Union of Burundi (UEBB) to assume the burden of management of Musema Hospital.

It is essential that this Hospital continue its medical services and caring ministry for the obvious reason it is one of only two hospitals in the entire Province of Kayanza, an area with a population of nearly 560,000. There are high costs involved in managing such a large hospital operation and the Burundi Baptist Union has limited resources. Danish Baptists have continued over the years to give generous support to missions endeavor in Burundi. In a cooperative effort on behalf of the Burundi Baptist Union, the Danish Baptist Union program coordinator Thomas Spanner has launched an urgent project and appeal to churches and Baptist organizations worldwide, as well as other entities, to consider lending support to the Burundi Baptist Union in its management of the Musema Hospital project. That support is expected to take the form of medical teams of volunteer doctors and nurses; financing for specific projects such as fences and security around the hospital; provision of a building to house a radiology unit; upkeep of paths and roads on the hospital grounds; and new surgery facilities and equipment. Also needed are funds for daily running expenses for a period of at least three years. The Burundi government has been asked to contribute support, though it is not all certain that such support will materialize. In the aftermath of the civil war, the nation’s resources are still decidedly inadequate and limited. The country is still in transition from civil war to peace and reconstruction.

Those concerned for this urgent need may contact Musema Hospital project coordinator Thomas Spanner, Secretary for International Missions, at Baptistkirken I Danmark, Lærdalsgade 7, st.tv., DK 2300 Copenhagen S. He may be reached via email at spanner@baptist.dk.

PRAY that the urgent appeal for support of the Burundi Baptist Union’s management of Musema Hospital will result in widespread interest and generous response in the hospital’s ministry for Christ on the part of many individual donors, churches and other Christian organizations.

PRAY for wise leadership by Danish Baptist Union's cooperative program coordinator and Secretary for International MissionsThomas Spanner in concert with the Baptist Union of Burundi’s General Secretary Isaac Bimpenda as the needs of Musema Hospital are disseminated amongst concerned believers and churches throughout the world.

PRAY that the mercy ministries of Musema Hospital will be the means of introducing the Gospel of Christ to many unreached Burundis in Kayanza Province.

Global Day of Prayer, Pentecost Sunday, May 27

On Pentecost Sunday, May 15, 2005, Christians from 156 of the world’s 220 nations came together across denominational and cultural boundaries for the first Global Day of Prayer. The movement had its origins in South Africa in July 2000 but has now rapidly spread world-wide year by year. Believers from 199 nations, including Denmark, participated in the 2006 Global Day of Prayer.

I would like to encourage those throughout the world who regularly or even occasionally view this Pray for Denmark.com website to check the Global Day of Prayer international website for information on their country's gatherings this year and to become a part of this Christ-honoring prayer movement. See www.globaldayofprayer.com/) for further information. It will take awhile for the idea of the Global Day of Prayer to ignite the hearts and actions of Danish believers, but it is beginning to happen under the leadership of volunteer coordinator Kirsten Nielsen of Copenhagen.

In Denmark, at least three major public gatherings will be held on Pentecost Sunday, May 27, 2007: at Rådhuspladsen in Copenhagen; at Rådhuspladsen in Århus, and at Signalbakken in Aalborg. Details (in Danish) may be found on the Internet at www.globaldayofprayer.dk. We understand that thirteen local churches in Aalborg have banded together to participate in the Global Day of Prayer. May there be similar unity and participation all over Denmark.

The church I and my family attend here in California will also be participating in the Global Day of Prayer on May 27. The church’s large choir and orchestra will be singing Tommy Walker’s hauntingly beautiful and heart-searching contemporary anthem, Calling Out to You, picking up the theme of 2 Chronicles 7:14 in these words:

“Lord, You have told us;

Lord, you have promised,
That if Your people will pray,

You will hear from heaven
And you will send Your mercy,

And touch us with your strong, healing hand.
So, we’re calling out to You, crying out to You,
Forgive us of our sins and heal our land.
As we seek Your holy face

And turn from all our wicked ways,
Hear from heaven even now,

Hear from heaven even now.”

It is especially important in these troubled and dangerous times that God’s people come together in repentance and prayer for the glory of Christ and the healing of the nations. The formula for genuine revival has remained ever the same from Old Testament times to our present day: “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

PRAY that Danish believers, pastors and churches will gladly and enthusiastically unite with their counterparts worldwide in massive, passionate repentance and intercession on the Global Day of Prayer, Pentecost Sunday, May 27.

PRAY for Spirit-empowered vision, ability, and wisdom for volunteer coordinator Kirsten Nielsen as she plans and promotes the 2007 Global Day of Prayer throughout Denmark.

PRAY that as Danish pastors, churches and born-again believers unite for the Global Day of Prayer it will lead to repentance and unprecedented spiritual revival in Denmark’s churches and in turn spread with blessing and healing to all the nations of Europe.

Denmark's Island of Bornholm

Bornholm, the most eastern part of Denmark, is situated in the Baltic Sea 94 miles southeast of Copenhagen and 24 miles south of Sweden. The island has a land area of approximately 227 sq. miles and a coastline of approximately 87 miles. The current population estimate is 45,000. Rønne, the largest town and the island’s capitol, has a population of 16,000. Smaller towns include, Nexø, Gudhjem, Allinge-Sandvig, Aakirkeby, Svaneke, Listed, Hasle, Snogebæk, Dueodde, and Arnager. Bornholm has been called Denmark’s “Crown Jewel.”

The landscape of Bornholm includes rolling wheat fields and thick forests in the center of the island. The coastline is rugged with many small fishing villages and dangerous cliffs that dip down into the sea. Two thirds of the island is granite. The northern sector is very rocky while in the south the landscape changes to gently rolling and fertile farmland. The southern coastline has powdery white sand beaches. Fishing is a major industry.

The Lutheran State Church (Folkekirke) is the most prominent of Bornholm’s churches with 22 parishes located throughout the island; many of the Lutheran churches are centuries old. Bornholm is famous for its four whitewashed Round Churches (Rundkirke). The Danish Lutheran revival movements Indre Mission, Evangelisk Luthersk Missionsforening, Luthersk Missionsforening are active and have mission houses and ministries at various localities on the island. Significantly, Luthersk Missionsforening had its origins in 1868 on the island of Bornholm.

Though relatively few in number, a free church presence is maintained by Baptist (www.baptistkirkenbornholm.dk/), Methodist (www.roenne-metodistkirke.dk/), Missionskirken/Mission Covenant (www.missionskirken.dk/), Pinsekirken/Pentecostal (www.pinsekirken-tejn.dk/ and www.pinsekirken-bornholm.dk/) churches, mainly in the capitol city Rønne. A Syvende Dags Adventistkirke/Seventh Day Adventist Church is located in outlying Tejn (www.tejnadventkirke.dk). Frelsens Hær (Danish Salvation Army) has ministered on the island for many years. Further information regarding the history of Christianity on the island may be found on the website at http://www.kma-bornholm.dk/kultur/ (in Danish only).

PRAY, as for all of Denmark, for a sweeping spiritual awakening on the island of Bornholm.

PRAY that believers and their pastors and leaders will be committed to aggressive but culturally sensitive evangelism to reach every town and hamlet on Bornholm for Christ.

PRAISE GOD for the Christian radio network (BKN, Bornholms Kristne Nærradio) that operates on Bornholm with the participation of several of the Lutheran revival organizations and free church denominations (see www.bkn.nu/).