DAWN Fridayfax 2002 #31

Germany

'Love Parade' a failure

"Christians from many churches in Berlin and throughout Germany prayed day and night for two weeks before the 'Love Parade' from 12th-14th July 2002," says Christian Social Agency's (Christlichen Sozialwerk) Winfried Rudloff. The 'Love Parade' is a Rave party - a music and dance street party - which has drawn youths from across Europe to Berlin for the past few years. "For many, the Love Parade is a pit full of drugs (many experienced drugs for the first time), free sex (the leading float was decorated with a heart with devil's horns and condom advertising) and empty slogans ('You're all sexy')," says Berlin's Kerstin Hack. "On the weekend of the Love Parade, we spent much time in worship, interceding for the youth in our nation. At the same time, Walter Heidenreich held a prayer and worship conference in the same place as the Love Parade, praying for a breakthrough among Germany's young generation," say the organisers. "Despite the attempts in the press to find the positive side of the Parade, it was actually a complete failure," says Kerstin Hack, "which is a sign that God is starting to answer our prayers for the youth in our nation. We believe that the drop in attendance is a sign of a turn-around: young people are looking for something else - someONE else - than they find in the Love Parade. The so-called 'Christopher Street Day' - a homosexual demonstration - also had only half the number of participants as last year. People are praying."
Source: Winfried Rudloff, Kerstin Hack and others, e-mail office@down-to-earth.de

Germany

One quarter of teenagers already Christians?

"In the past few years, some 24% of Germany's 11 million teenagers have professed to being Christians," according to a study by 'Focus', an opticians' magazine. The magazine (issue 5/2002) examined youth surveys, dividing the 11 million teenagers into various interest groups: ravers, occultists, homosexuals and young Christians. A quarter of the teenagers consider themselves Christians, approximately the same number as consider themselves homosexual. "Something is happening in our nation, particularly among the youth," says Lüdenscheid's Walter Heidenreich.
Source: 'Focus' magazine, www.euro-focus.de

India

Healed of Leprosy, today church planter

"Shiv is a young man from northern India, who suffered from Leprosy. His fingers and face were clearly marked by the terrible disease," reports Dawn Ministries' Ted Olson in the Dawn Report. Last year, Shiv's family prayed to Jesus for him, and he was completely healed - his face and fingers were restored. "On top of that," says Olson, "he was delivered from Hindu demons."

Thousands of Hindus find Jesus in 'Houses of Prayer'

"Many of the 300 participants in a recent church planting consultation in Uttar Pradesh state, India, can tell stories similar to Shiv's," says Olson. Many are new believers who have known Jesus for less than two years, yet constantly plant new churches. "They go to villages in their area, which is divided into Blocks (postal code areas). They go from house to house, offering to pray for the families. They almost always have 'Power Encounters', very clear conflicts between the Kingdoms of Light and Darkness, and experience healings and deliverance from demonic bondage. Many of these houses then become 'houses of prayer', and most of these houses of prayer soon become house churches which multiply. Thousands of Hindus have come to faith in Christ in this way. When Hindus see the power of God and experience His love, the local gods have lost," says Olson.
Source: Dawn Report, Ted Olson, Dawn Ministries, 5575 N.Union Blvd, Colorado Springs CO 80918, USA. Fax: (+1+)-719-548-7475

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