Displaying items by tag: Indonesia

Four leading Christian humanitarian organisations are joining forces in a fundraising campaign to try and help survivors of the Indonesia earthquake and tsunami, as authorities fear the number of fatalities, casualties and people displaced will rise in the coming days. See Tearfund is also working with Indonesian churches still looking for whole families and congregations and burying their dead. Rev Krise Gosal said, ‘Survivors are hungry, babies are crying for milk. We asked church networks to share the burden by donating food, tents and funds and they are uniting with one heart to express their solidarity with Palu, Donggala, and Sigi.’ Christian agencies have deployed emergency doctors, nurses, an orthopaedic surgeon, and a team with a midwife to affected areas. A possible 1.5 million people could have been affected. The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has also opened an Indonesia appeal.

IS has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings in three Indonesian churches, killing at least 13 people and injuring dozens of others. According to police, the suicide bombers were all members of the same family: a mother and two daughters aged nine and 12 detonated their bombs in one church, while the father and two sons, aged 16 and 18, targeted two other churches. The Santa Maria Catholic Church was attacked first, then the Surabaya Centre Pentecostal Church and the Diponegoro Indonesian Christian Church. The fact that a family, including children and teenagers, carried out these attacks is part of what makes them so shocking. A family should be a place of love and safety - and yet this one was used to inspire hatred and violence. But there is another family that we are a part of: God’s worldwide family of the church. Our brothers and sisters in Surabaya need our prayers and support today. Many are grieving, many are injured, many are scared.

Members of the IPC Leadership Team joined Pastor Jerome and Mrs Abel Ocampo and the organisers of regional United Prayer Rising events in Jakarta on 23rd and 24th January 2018 for a summit.

The purpose of the meeting was to report back on the recent events and plans for forthcoming gatherings. In particular, the group prayerfully explored the possibility of organizing a Global Uprising event in Jakarta during October 2018. The vision is to see 2,000 Indonesian young people meet up with a further 2,000 youth from the other nations of the world.

Pictured below are all the attendees with Pastor Niko from the Sentul ICC.

A recurring theme during the times of prayer and worship was Isaiah 43: 9-10 - “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” During a visit to the Sentul International Convention Centre Prayer Tower, the leaders had a sense that something extraordinarily new and exciting was about to happen that would blow our minds!

The group of young leaders agreed to form part of an Indonesia Dream Team that would input to the program planning processes for the Global Uprising. The provisional date of October 24-26 and the venue will be confirmed shortly.

Please pray:

> For protection, wisdom, and for the right doors to continue to open for these young people who have dedicated time, energy and skills to the United Prayer Rising Events.

> For Pastor Andy Tjokro (Jakarta) as he co-ordinates the various planning teams for the Global Uprising.

> For substantial funds to be released to undergird the regional and global events planned for the next few years. (Mal 3:10)

> For the Manilla based team who support and direct the events under the leadership and guidance of Pastor Jerome Ocampo.

Over 700 languages are spoken in Indonesia and people are scattered across 6,000 islands varying in composition from rural fishing villages to highly metropolitan mega cities. Persecution is a reality for many believers in the most populous Muslim nation in the world. Although only 15% of the population follow Christ, the Indonesian church is experiencing profound unity as a result of the persecution, and mission organizations are growing in number. Indonesian believers also face a unique challenge as many of their neighbours are in geographical transition due to large-scale resettlement projects, migration, and forced relocation after natural disasters. However, the emergence of Indonesian (a form of  Malay) as the national language has allowed the Gospel to be communicated across ethnic and geographic borders as never before.

Since 23 September, 122,500 people have been evacuated to locations outside a 7.5-mile exclusion area around Bali's Mount Agung volcano. The magma has been rising closer to its surface, as indicated by hundreds of daily tremors. The volcano, two miles above sea level, usually attracts hikers, tourists and pilgrims. Hundreds of volunteers have been deployed, according to the International Red Cross; they, and officials, are combing the area, urging villagers to evacuate, and raising warning banners around the exclusion zone. Additionally, on 27 September Mount Sinabung exploded, spewing ash 2.5km into the air over the island of Sumatra, and Vanuatu has ordered an island to be evacuated because of another volcano threat. See and

The Commission on International Religious Freedom has issued a report on blasphemy laws globally. The five worst-scoring nations are Iran, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Qatar, while 71 of the world's 195 countries penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment and death. In Indonesia the influence of radical Islam is being felt, with some districts adopting highly restrictive bylaws; but, praise God, a Jakarta Baptist pastor reports that Christianity is growing there. Pakistan’s Christians fear a rise in persecution after the removal of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Pray for God to cover them with His canopy, particularly the growing 24/7 prayer cells. The Iranian government is particularly concerned about the rise of Christianity, especially among youths. Islamic seminary officials are calling on the government to ‘stop the spread’ of the faith. Ask God to release even more of His angels into the battle between dark and light over Asia.

“Jakarta's Christian governor has been sentenced to two years in jail for blasphemy, a harsher-than-expected ruling critics fear will embolden hardline Islamist forces to challenge secularism in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation.

Tuesday's guilty verdict for Basuki Tjahaja Purnama comes amid concern about the growing influence of Islamist groups, who organized mass rallies during a tumultuous election campaign that ended with Purnama losing his bid for another term as governor.”

“Ahok” as he is called decided to resign his position as governor on May 23.

Reuters, May 10 and May 23, 2017

Let’s pray that God will bring good out of this evil as he did in the unjust imprisonment of Joseph. May multitudes of Indonesian Muslims have their eyes opened by this blatant injustice perpetrated by radical Muslims and corrupt politicians so that the Gospel continues to speed on and triumph in this far-flung island nation.

Some of us from the IPC spent several delightful days last week with others from the international children and youth prayer movements making plans for the future development of those movements during meetings in and near Jakarta, Indonesia. Praise God for all the good things happening in our day as He, working through the efforts of perceptive, supportive adults, raises up the Next Generation of men and women of God through engaging them in a life-long encounter through prayer. Here are some brief highlights from the meetings last week for rejoicing and our further intercession:

• India- we heard how hundreds of thousands of children and youth are being helped and trained to pray in that vast land with its enormous diversity of peoples and that a national Children in Prayer consultation is being planned for later this year.
• Indonesia- the National Children’s Prayer Network now has 67 networks and will host a national CiP conference this May, bringing together up to 200 children’s prayer coordinators from across this expansive island nation.
• Myanmar has many thousands of children praying and has seen amazing political and economic transformation as the kids pray for their nation.
• China- 500 gathered from 24 provinces to raise up a CiP effort throughout their land. A city-wide Hong Kong training event is in the offing to evaluate and strengthen CiP.
• 4-14 Window Movement- this effort has developed a good infrastructure of regional coordinators and wants to help ministry leaders see that children are on a mission for God in order to nurture them in their unique callings to serve Him.
• We were challenged by the call of the Lord in Psalm 2:8 to ask Him for the nations and the uttermost parts of the earth as our possession in the Body of Christ and that the way to see this happen is through Psalm 8:2 –it is through the prayers of babes and children that the enemy of Christ’s global mission will be silenced and stopped.
• We envisioned the “New Wave of Glory” (Habakkuk 2:14) from the World Prayer Assembly of 2012 that involved so many youth and children becoming “new waves” plural and unending, flowing out to impact the nations through the Next Generation. “Empowering children in a lifestyle of prayer and service to transform our world” is a new vision statement we propose for the international CiP movement. We also suggested other more detailed directions for the future that will be reported on soon.
• We reflected on scripture passages such as Isaiah 11:6-9 which envisions a new world where children will help lead. They will be bold, unafraid and will take His authority to become agents of His transformation.
• We prayed and dreamed together for a CiP and youth prayer movement in every nation on earth in the next 10 years. We estimate about one third of the 220 nations have such networks and movements by now. Please help us in this huge enterprise by prayer and by connecting us with other CiP efforts and leaders we are not yet aware of.
  
  (For more information about getting involved in CiP or if you already are involved in a CiP ministry or can connect us with others who are, please contact Jeffrey Chew This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Onassis Jeevaraj This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)
• In the youth prayer movement meetings that followed, we heard about how the UPRISING event held in South Korea was such a deep blessing to the youth leaders that participated and how other nations now want to have similar gatherings in the future (Mongolia, Brazil, Germany, South Africa). Also, most significantly, the decision was made to hold a World Youth Prayer Assembly in Indonesia next year in July (17-20). It is anticipated that several thousand youth and also children from across the world will take part.
  
  The goal is not another event but igniting a world transformational movement organized and led by the youth, now that half the world’s population is under 30 years of age. As we were in prayer, one saw a flask of oil representing the Holy Spirit that would be poured out on the participants. Another saw a volcanic explosion with rivers of fire flowing out to the nations as Jesus baptized the youth with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11). We believe that the WYPA will be a highly supernatural experience that will equip many from the Next Generation to do exploits for the Lord, finding and fulfilling their unique callings and destinies and raising up many new leaders for the Body of Christ in all walks of life.
  
  (For more information about the World Youth Prayer Assembly or youth prayer movement, please contact the UPRISING/WYPA administrator, Sarah Torres This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

Please pray for the unity and clarity of the Spirit for the international CiP team as it seeks to build a more coordinated effort that will connect the various strands for a worldwide CiP network of national movements and that we could see CiP be planted and practiced in every nation on earth in the next 10 years.

Pray for the youth leaders in Indonesia and the International Dream Team of the UPRISING as they seek to work together to organize the World Youth Prayer Assembly to be held in Jakarta, July 17-20, 2018) that they will have His guidance, unity and protection and that all the resources needed will flow in a timely manner. 

Pray also for the Indonesian national election happening February 15 that the first Christian governor of Jakarta will be vindicated amidst the current attacks by radical Muslims on his candidacy and will win another term of service. This will be important not only for the WYPA but especially for the blessing and welfare of Indonesia and His people there.

Kong Hee, City Harvest Church Pastor, wants to ignite a revival among Muslims in Indonesia. ‘What a big harvest field Indonesia is. The number of Christians has grown from 1.3 to 24 million in the past forty years, making up around 10% of the country's population. Christianity is Indonesia's second-largest religion and second-largest Christian population in Southeast Asia. With such a ripe harvest field, it is so necessary for church-building work to be done in this wonderful nation, and that is why I love doing missions in Indonesia,’ the pastor posted to Facebook. Kong Hee has been travelling throughout Southeast Asia recently - seeing miracles and healings break out as he laid hands on people. With his sights set on Indonesia, he is fervently praying for Muslim conversions. "During my 5 days at Bandung last week I ministered at El-Shaddai Creative Community (ECC). The pastors are Revs Nala and Evie Widya. In the 1980s, Nala was a champion cycling athlete, but an accident almost cost him his life and he had to retire. The loss for sports was a gain for God's kingdom when Nala became a pastor. I first met Nala in 2003 when ECC had only 150 members. Now, they are 2,000 strong and rapidly growing through actual soul-winning!" Kong wrote. Muslims are rapidly converting to Christianity around the world, according to several reports.