Denmark and the Muhammad Cartoons

These are not the best of times for Denmark, a small country that little deserves the hubbub and threats resulting from a Danish newspaper's publication of cartoons with uncomplimentary characterizations of Islam's prophet Muhammad. Though publication of the cartoons may not have been the most intelligent of decisions on the part of the newspaper, it seems unfortunate and unfair that radical Islam should blame the entire Danish nation for these cartoons. Committed Christians throughout the world should pray earnestly during this stressful time for this small country of fewer than six million people. It may be that the situation will turn out to be an eye-opener for a notably calm, peaceful and tolerant country that almost overnight has become the object of scorn and threats. We fear the situation is being used by radical elements of Islam for their own nefarious purposes. We are reminded that Denmark, whether wisely or unwisely, has in recent years generously allowed extensive immigration of Muslims. Its current Muslim population is more than three times that of the number of members of Danish evangelical free church denominations (170,000 Muslims compared to approximately 50,000 free church adherents). It is a fact of history that God can use difficult times like these to awaken people to their spiritual need even as the worst of times can bring out the best in God's people.

PRAY for wisdom on the part of the Danish government as it attempts to weather the political turmoil and possible economic fallout from this crisis.

PRAY that the Spirit of God will brood over the land and revive the church in Denmark, using the current tensions to prod the Danish people to a life-changing awakening of personal faith in Jesus Christ that will turn the country away from the devastating effects of entrenched secularism.

PRAY that Danish believers with a genuine personal faith in Jesus Christ and an unyielding commitment to Him will find kind and effective ways to demonstrate the truth of the Gospel and the love of God in everyday contacts with their Muslim neighbors.

PRAY that there would be an increased interest in Christ on the part of moderate Muslims who look at the idiocy perpetrated by their radical brethren in the name of Islam and wonder about their religion.

PRAISE God that history is not--as some may think--proceeding willy-nilly and purposelessly into the future. Rather, as predicted in the Bible, it is moving inexorably toward the end times and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ in power and glory. Maranatha--even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Baptist Churches in Denmark

The Baptist Union of Denmark (www.baptistkirken.dk) had its beginnings in the work of Julius Købner and Johann Gerhard Oncken. These German Baptist pastors, who are considered to be the founders of Baptist work throughout continental Europe, visited Denmark in 1839 and made contact with some believers who were drawn to Baptistic beliefs and polity. Oncken baptized them and a church (Kristuskirken) was then organized in Copenhagen, the first "free" or non-state [Lutheran] church in Denmark. In the next few years, churches were formed in other areas of the country and these came together in 1849 under the banner of the Danish Baptist Union (Baptistkirken i Danmark or Baptistsamfund). The Baptist churches have not been without struggles and problems throughout their history and changes have come about organizationally and doctrinally. In the latest figures available, there are now approximately 5500 Danish Baptists gathered in 52 local churches. Though perhaps small in number by comparison with other countries, Baptists currently comprise the largest of the Danish free church denominations. The Baptist Union supports a very significant involvement of missionary outreach in the African nation of Burundi. Its influence in Denmark through the years has been far greater than its numbers would suggest. As with all free church denominations in Denmark, many of the churches of the Baptist Union are small and some are struggling. Denominations and churches, whether in Denmark or in other countries with a long history over many generations are in constant need of revival and renewal. There are vital Danish Baptist pastors and churches that are engaged in searching for new ways of reaching their fellow citizens in a country that like the rest of Europe is fast moving away from its roots in Christian culture. Danish Baptists greatly need and deserve our prayers and intercession for a renewed vision for aggressive evangelism and commitment to the planting of new churches.

PRAY for Jan Kornholt, General Secretary of the Danish Baptist Union, as he leads with spiritual oversight, vision and counsel for pastors and churches.

PRAY that older and larger Baptist churches in Denmark's key cities will give even greater priority in their outreach and financial support on behalf of evangelism and the planting of new churches.

PRAY that pastors in smaller churches who may be discouraged and under-supported will persevere in their calling and begin to see greater fruit from their faithful service for Christ.

PRAY that Danish Baptists will militate against compromise with the nation's overwhelming secularism and that the Holy Spirit will help them discover the most effective ways to reach Danes individually and impact Danish culture with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

PRAY that God would move among pastors and churches in a powerful, penetrating, and unifying spiritual revival greater than Danish Baptists have ever known at any time during their 157-year history

FrikirkeNet's Church Planters Day at Kolding

This Saturday, January 28, a number of older and newer church planters will be gathering at the Church Center (Kirke Center) in Kolding, southern Jutland, for a day of inspiration and networking. Church Planters Day initiators Svend Løbner and Bent Bjerring-Nielsen, themselves both experienced and successful church planters, will be among those who will help shed light on starting new churches. The day's gatherings will offer inspiration for established churches to concentrate on starting new churches throughout the country. Pastors Løbner and Bjerring-Nielsen have much to offer those new to church planting ministry. Opportunity will be given for questions and the sharing of experiences and new ideas. This is just the sort of initiative that this Pray for Denmark wbepage is committed to support in prayer and we heartily commend the January 28 gathering to our readers and their prayers for its success. We are persuaded that evangelism and church planting go hand in hand. We also believe that the growth of evangelical free churches in Denmark depends upon the Spirit's working through aggressive evangelism and new church plants.

PRAY that the Church Planters Day at Kolding will ignite a new spirit of enthusiasm and commitment among Danish believers to evangelistic outreach and the planting of new churches.

PRAY that the experience of church planting pioneers Svend Løbner and Bent Bjerring-Nielsen will set the tone for the day and assure attendees that the planting of new churches is not as impossible a task as some might imagine.

PRAY that the opportunities of the day for networking and for free sharing of experiences and ideas on processes and procedures will provide affirmation and encouragement to new church planters to do their ministry in the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

PRAY that the impetus and inspiration of this important gathering will flow into all of the free church denominations in Denmark in a way that will contribute to revival and renewal in the older established churches.

PRAY above all that the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Head of the Church, will be honored and glorified through this wonderful networking opportunity, and that the Holy Spirit will preside in power over all that takes place.

Note: The writer, Bill Hunter, apologizes for the delay in posting timely prayer requests. He is recuperating from major surgery that he had on December 29. The Lord our Healer is good and faithful as always. We appreciate our faithful prayer partners. We are always encouraged when we hear from you who have joined with us in this prayer ministry on behalf of God's work in Denmark.

Christ and Christmas in Denmark

Church buildings are an important aspect of the landscape of Denmark. They are found everywhere in the large cities and in hundreds of small towns and villages. The churches of the Danish State church (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark) predominate. Increasingly, however, "free churches" of several denominations are to be seen as well and God is working through them in powerful ways. In spite of the country's large number of church buildings, it is a well-established fact that the number of Danish citizens who attend church regularly is pitifully small, some say as few as five to eight percent of the population. However, for many Danes church attendance on Christmas Eve is part of the country's time-honored Yuletide traditions and they will flock to the churches in great numbers. Sadly, these same people may not darken the door of a church at any other time throughout the year. Christmas should be a time to reinforce the meaning of the incarnation of Jesus Christ and the Gospel story that calls men and women to repentance and a living faith in Jesus Christ as Son of God and Savior. Reaffirmation of the virgin birth of Christ and His journey toward Calvary should be the supreme and overriding consideration of this period of celebration. The editor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church's email publication, Church News, has recently emphasized the importance of an overall biblical perspective on the birth of Christ in his literal translation of a hymn by the Danish poet N. F. S. Gruntvig:

In the midnight he was born,
sun's and moon's Creator.
He who owns the whole wide world
finds a stable only.
He who high above the skies
walks among the stars
now is put in swaddling clothes.
He will at the day of doom
speak with words of thunder!
Listen...hear a baby crying.

PRAY that the Spirit of God will breathe new life and vibrancy into Danish Christmas celebrations and the the people of this wonderful country will come to personal faith and trust in Christ and uncompromising commitment to Him.

PRAY that Danish preachers will be so overcome and empowered with the meaning of Christ's incarnation and Saviorhood that Christmas services will be transformed into powerful evangelistic proclamations of the truth of the Gospel.

PRAY that influences that have contributed to deadening secularization in Denmark will be routed and that Christ the Savior born in Bethlehem's manger and crucified on Calvary's cross will have primacy in the country's life and culture.

To all who join with us in prayer on behalf of evangelism, revival/renewal, and church planting in Denmark, we wish you a Joyous and Christ-honoring celebration of the birth of Christ and a New Year filled with God's extravagant grace and blessings. Let us continue to pray fervently for the working of God's Spirit in awakening the Danish people to the claims of Jesus Christ on their lives. Glædelig Jul og Godt Nytår!

Follow-Up on the Danish Global Leadership Conference

As our faithful prayer partners are aware, Ruth Cilwik Andersen is the leader of Willow Creek Church's ministry in Denmark, called Willow Creek Danmark (Denmark). We appreciate Ruth's follow-up messages about the outstanding results of the September 30-October 1 Danish Global Leadership Conference for which prayer was requested in our August 24 posting. "We are so amazed and thankful," she writes. The organizers are convinced that the conference has produced some remarkable and long-lasting results for the Lord's work in Denmark. Conference attendees were genuinely touched and moved by the truth of the Word of God and encouraged to continue ministering with boldness and love. There were 450 attendees and 100 volunteers at the conference. God answered the prayer concerns as the needs for almost split-second timing in the audio-visual area went well and without interruptions (some of the presentations were viewed via DVDs from the earlier Chicago Global Leadership Conference); Allis Helleland and Helge Standal were outstanding in their "live" presentations; and, there was a very satisfactory sale of relevant books, CDs, and DVDs which help extend the impact of the gathering. Ruth says further, "We really think that the conference has been God's gift to our country and the leadership of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Denmark. Willow Creek Denmark now faces some crucial decisions and planning for its ongoing work as reflected in the prayer requests listed below. National meetings such as this recent Danish Global Leadership Conference require the use of considerable resources and continued funding.

PRAISE God that the Danish Global Leadership Conference was a successful faith-venture for the Danish Willow Creek Committee that with continued prayer and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit will lead to revival and renewal and an increased thrust of evangelism and church planting throughout Denmark.

PRAY for the discovery of new people willing to join the board of Willow Creek Danmark. What is needed are godly believers who have the right character, gifts and abilities, and above all genuine commitment to Willow Creek's spiritual goals and ministries for a serious and effective work for God.

PRAY that God will provide new sources of funding for the work of Willow Creek Danmark. Income from the recent Conference did not reach the needed level, so the need is very urgent.

PRAY that God will lay it on the hearts of believers and churches to offer financial support for the work of Willow Creek Danmark and willingness to become involved in it in other ways as well.

PRAY for Ruth Cilwik Andersen's all but overwhelming leadership role for someone who at present is employed for only two days a week. Other workers are urgently needed but can be employed only if and when God provides the needed resources.

PRAY that the Lord will by His grace give special grace and encouragement these days to Ruth and to the members of the Willow Creek Danmark official board who feel their responsibilities so keenly.

Spreading the Word of God in Denmark

A copy of the Bible may be found in many Danish households, but for many if not most Danes the Bible is a a neglected book, an artifact with little or no relevance or meaning for life today. Very few Danes appear to have even an elementary idea of the basic theme and message of the Bible and less of an idea of how to conform their lives to its message. The first complete Danish translation of the Bible appeared in 1550. An updated translation of the Bible, published by the Danish Bible Society (Det Danske Bibelselskab) in 1992, replaced a previous version of the Old Testament (1931) and the New Testament (1948). Work on a translation in contemporary Danish was begun in 2001. The Danish Bible Society (www.bibelselskabet.dk), located in Copenhagen, was formed in 1814. Scripture distribution in 2004 consisted of 38,964 complete Bibles; 37,739 New Testaments; and 1,442 portions. The reevangelization of Denmark, the Holy Spirit's work of church renewal and nationwide revival, as well as new church planting efforts hinge on dynamic, Spirit-filled preaching and teaching of the Word of God that gets the Bible off of dusty shelves, out cupboards and attics, and into the hearts and minds of Danish men, women, and children. "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, NIV). Can there be any doubt that a renewed focus on fearless, relevant-to-life, true-to-the-Word expository teaching and preaching would revolutionize the work of the Gospel in Denmark.

Johannesevangeliet 3:16: "For således elskede Gud verden, at han gav sin enbårne søn, for at enhver, som tror på ham, ikke skal fortabes, men have evigt liv." (John 3:16)

PRAISE God that the Bible is available in an acceptable Danish translation as well as in Greenlandic and Faroese.

PRAY that Danes who hunger for truth and a personal relationship with God will be led by the Holy Spirit to pick up the Bible and read it daily (Psalm 1; Joshua 1:8).

PRAY that as Danes read the Bible the Holy Spirit will wake them up with concern about their spiritual state and eternal destiny, calling them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. (2 Chronicles 34; John 3:16).

PRAY that believers and unbelievers alike would come to recognize the value and meaning of the Bible for everyday life (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

PRAY for the success of the Danish Bible Society's efforts to encourage Danes in daily Bible reading.

PRAY for those throughout Denmark who are truly committed to Spirit-empowered, Bible-based, and life-changing teaching and preaching.

Christian Radio in Denmark

Twenty-four hour Christian radio every day of the week, as it is known in the U.S. and other countries, is not an option at present in Denmark. This does not mean, however, that Christian broadcasts are not available throughout the country. Most of the air-time for Christian radio emanates from low-power "lokalradio/nærradio"" studios that transmit only a few hours a day, among them Arkens radio, Esbjerg; Helsingør Kristne Radio; Københavns Nærradio; LUMI-radio, Bornholm; LUMI-radio, Nordvestsjælland; LUMI-radio Syd; LUMI-radio, Aalborg; Norea Radio, Haderslev; Kristne Lokalradio/Lumi Radio, Århus; and Radio Adalen. LUMI-radio is an important project in the evangelistic and renewal outreach of the Luthersk Missionsforening. Per and Kirsten Nielsen work with a small radio station (actually two small stations) in Copenhagen under the banner of UCB Denmark, affiliated with the charismatic UCB Europe network. Currently, the Nielsens' UCB Denmark station is on the air from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 9:00 p.m. to midnight. They are now working full-time in Christian radio, but they are not satisfied with reaching Copenhagen alone. They want eventually to be able to reach all corners of Denmark. They hope soon to be able to cover the whole of Sjælland. The Nielsens are people with a vision for what Christian radio can accomplish, a long-range vision that aims for a license for the very first national 24/7 Christian radio for Denmark. On the air in a number of locales in Denmark is the Bible-teaching program, Vejen gennem Bibelen, a version in Danish of J. Vernon McGee's Through the Bible broadcast that has long been aired by stations in North America and now has an international outreach in 84 languages. Vejen gennem Bibelen is a series of 2,267 13-minute broadcasts covering all 66 books of the Bible. The first 395 broadcasts are the work of Lektor Jens Olsen, while the rest were completed during the years 1994 to 2001 by J&oslashrgen Olsen. Pray for Denmark will attempt in future postings to stay on top of developments in Danish Christian radio. Bible teaching through the media supports this website's vision for evangelism, revival/renewal, and church planting throughout the country.

PRAY for the opening of greater opportunities for Christian broadcasting in Denmark that will contribute to and support evangelism, revival/renewal in all of the churches, and result in the strategic planting of new evangelical churches.

PRAY for Per and Kirsten Nielsen and their work of "telling the story of Jesus" through UCB radio in Copenhagen and for God's direction in pursuing and funding their vision for 24-hour Christian broadcasting reaching all of Denmark.

PRAY for the Holy Spirit's empowerment through the life-changing outreach of Vejen gennem Bibelen broadcasts that so ably provide sound teaching to help believers comprehend the unity of the Word of God and His saving purpose for all of mankind through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.