DAWN Fridayfax 2002 #13

China

Women the more effective evangelists?

"Young women evangelists in China are bringing thousands to Christ," reports evangelist Randy Clark in 'Charisma News'. Teenagers and even children are China's most effective evangelists, fearlessly travelling from village to village despite growing persecution, often evangelising only one step ahead of the Chinese security forces desperately trying to eradicate the growing underground church. Clark tells of two 16- and 18-year-old girls who leave their families for a month-long evangelistic tour twice each year. "The pair are typical of the new evangelistic wave in China," says Clark. With less than US$25 in their pockets, they travel from town to town, explaining the Gospel until people are saved. The new Christians often invite the evangelists to their home, so that friends and relatives can also hear about Jesus. Once a church has been planted, the pair travel on to another town or village, and often have to sleep outdoors because they find no accommodation. They returned from their latest mission journey with bloody feet after 40 days of walking - but they had planted 18 churches with around 40 members each. "Although all age groups are evangelistically active, the number of young women sent out is growing," says Clark, "because villagers are less likely to be suspicious of them than of two unknown men who suddenly turn up one day." Although many people experience healing, the Chinese Christians don't claim any special titles. Clark asked whether they call particular people 'apostles', and was told "No. We don't think like that. We're simply brothers and sisters. And even we leaders are simple people with minimal education. We believe that this is all the work of the Holy Spirit..."
Source: Randy Clark, www.charismanews.com

Russia

Young people accept missionary challenge

Stephen J. Little, author for Religion Today, reports of a missionary initiative called 'Project 250' which has already started 35 training centres for young Russian church planters. They are currently training around 300 people, according to Sergey Rakhuba, Vice President of Russian Ministries. Most of the church planters are under 30 years old, some have only been Christians for a few years, but are determined to bring the Gospel to their nation. 26-year-old Peter Gubyena, for example, had been a Christian for 5 years when he planted a new church in Spirovo, a village 160 miles northwest of Moscow which has been without a church since 1917. After three years, 35 families belong to the church, and since a Baptist Union helped them buy a church building, the Sunday services have been full. The young missionaries typically remain in one place for 5 years before moving on to a new church planting project. "Our missionaries are very dedicated," says 23-year-old David Gabrielyan, Regional Director in Tver - an area as large as France, with 10 towns, 1.5 million inhabitants and only 800 Christians in 20 evangelical churches. "We encourage each other, meeting each month for discussion and prayer," he says.
Source: Stephen Little, Religion Today

USA

From drug party to missions centre

In the upcoming issue of House2House magazine, church planting mentor and author Neil Cole reports about what some 20 people in a Californian house church have achieved since starting three years ago. "This church started in a house known for its drug parties. The party continues, but the reason is Jesus Christ, not drugs," says Cole. This house church planted another church, which has itself planted another. This 'grandchild' of the first house church has already planted 10 daughter churches and sent missionaries to South America, France, Spain, North Africa, the Canary Islands and many places within the USA. In the next few months, more short-term missionaries will be sent out to Canada, Cuba, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Germany. Many of these church planters 'come from the harvest' - they came to believe in Christ through the work of the house church which now sends them out. "According to my observations, the best church-planting projects are started in the houses of the new believers, not in the church planter's house," reports Cole.

"Close to the market"

"House churches' future and greatest chance," writes C. Peter Wagner in Larry Kreider's recently-published book "Planting Housechurch Networks", "is that they are closer to the market than any other church form." Neil Cole speaks of 'simple churches', which have formed in offices, small shops, classrooms, study rooms, the beach in summer, in parks, canteen tables, restaurants, houses, apartments and even in the training room in an existing church.
Source: www.house2house.tv . The (free) magazine can be ordered there or by post from 1019 Meredith Dr., Austin, TX 78748, USA.

This Web version of the DAWN Fridayfax is maintained by the Jesus Fellowship Church (Jesus Army) as a service to the Christian church. Please visit our web pages which feature the e-zine Streetpaper and its special Revival section.