The conference was held amid growing concerns about economic instability and more terrorist attacks in Europe this year, with the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist organisation exerting more efforts to widen its campaign of terror.
Amid the uncertainties in the continent, the conference was called to urge European Christians to develop a stronger relationship with God. Held under the theme "Mercy triumphs over judgment," the gathering declared God's ability to heal and restore Europe.
Read moreI'm a great fan of James Engel's Whatever Happened to the Harvest? and how he defines evangelism on a "scale" or spectrum. So, for instance, if we find someone at the far end of the scale as a hardened atheist and through loving conversations about Jesus help them move to becoming an agnostic who admits the possibility of the existence of God-well, that's evangelism! It's moving people towards a personal commitment to follow Jesus isn't it?
Read moreWhen he spent time in our offices recently, I recorded a podcast with him on the Charisma Podcast Network, which will air next week. I am interested in what is happening in England because I am going there in a couple of weeks to attend Empowered21 in London. I'll be speaking there and will be involved in some other interesting activities, which I will report later.
Read moreLast month I was at AT&T stadium in Dallas, with a capacity crowd of over 100,000 people (and thousands listening outside who couldn't get in) to hear a call for personal renewal, and a new passion for taking the plain Gospel to the world; a call for authentic Christian witness.
Read moreAt one time, the Rev. Spencer was vicar general, diocesan standing committee president and media officer of the Quincy Episcopal Diocese. He recently completed "Solarium Trilogy" stories about researchers sealed inside a science complex to see if life can survive in a completely closed, man-made environment.
The Rev. Spencer said he opted to return to being a "simple parish priest" after the politically charged church split.
Read moreBy the time he had wrapped up the Lord's Prayer, loud explosions were echoing through the town. "Deliver us from evil," he said, finishing with an "amen" just as a shell exploded in the distance.
Maryinka, a Ukrainian-held town of apartment blocks and one-story homes outside the rebel capital of Donetsk, has become a hot spot not only for fighting, but also for saving souls.
Read moreThe small team of lay people including Paul Tester and Anna Sims, both working in Peru with CMS, and Peruvian lay workers Lizbeth Varillas and Sonia Chambi, have spent the past year working with a whole range of parishes from shanty towns in the city of Lima to remote rural parishes in the Andes.
Read moreWe tend to go to seed on one truth at a time. You attend one seminar and hear that the key to growth is small groups. At another, it's volunteer recruitment, or dynamic worship, or creative outreach, or strong preaching.
The fact is, they're all important.
When a church emphasizes any one purpose to the neglect of others, that produces imbalance--it's unhealthy. And being unhealthy stunts a lot of churches.
Read moreLast January, Christianity Explored Ministries (CEM) linked up with Prison Fellowship International (PFI) to develop the Prisoners Journey, a version of the course for use in prisons. Over the past 12 months it has been used in 103 prisons in 11 countries, including Nigeria, Australia, Singapore, Spain and Brazil.
Read moreThere was an electricity in the air that was palpable and it was clear to all present that something special was happening. Simply put, this was no ordinary workshop. God was very present among us and moving in a powerful way. As the workshop drew to a close, the Rev. Jay Baylor, co-host of the event, was moved to ask if there were any present who would like to work with him to form a diocesan-wide Evangelism committee. One-third of those present volunteered.
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