Hundreds of delegates from 154 countries will meet in Krakow, Poland, not to discuss politics or finances, but to discuss Jesus. Three or four student and leader delegates from each of 150 student movements in the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) meet every four years as part of the week-long World Assembly. IFES was founded in 1947 as a way to gather student ministries together into one world mission. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship is just one of the dozens of student movements involved in IFES and represented at the World Assembly this week. ‘Everybody goes home with new ideas and strategies for ministry and evangelism on their campuses,’ explains Grahm Bob Grahmann, director of the IFES ‘So the end result of this World Assembly will be more, and better, and deeper, and more effective evangelism to students in universities around the world.’

Pray: that this conference would be led by God’s Spirit to be more effective in evangelising university students. (Jn.17:23)

More: http://www.christiantelegraph.com/issue13391.html

This summer, some 100,000 young people from around the world – mostly between the age of 15 and 30 – will gather outside a village in the middle of France. They've been arriving here since June, to pitch tents, strike up friendships, enjoy plenty of music, and they'll continue to come until September. But this isn't some Gallic Glastonbury – it's a Christian community, and the crowds will sing psalms, not pop songs. At the heart of Communauté de Taizé, named after the small village near the site, are over 100 monks, who live together very simply, in a life devoted to prayer, singing and silence. Drawn from over 30 different countries, the community is ecumenical, with Catholics and Protestants worshipping together. When asked why so many young people come, Brother David said ‘It's not to tell them what they should or should not do, it's to let them have that time of meeting with themselves, with others, and with Christ.’

Pray: for the Taizé community and the many visitors that they may learn more about and grow closer to Christ. (1Co.14:26)

More: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/feels-like-teen-spirit-thousands-of-young-people-flock-annually-to-a-christian-camp-in-rural-france-2339347.html

Faith leaders gathered in Brussels have expressed their readiness to work with the European Union institutions to promote fundamental freedoms. This was the seventh in a series of annual meetings aimed at keeping dialogue open with churches and communities of conviction. The President of the European Council spoke of humanity’s shared historic march toward freedom and justice, values rooted in the European Treaties. It was underscored that cooperation with religious groups in an effective EU neighbourhood policy has a vast scope — from education and health to rebuilding post-conflict societies.

Pray: for the continued cooperation and understanding between religious groups. (Ac.2:44)

More: http://www.euronews.net/2011/05/30/eu-faith-leaders-reconfirm-cooperation/

Church leaders from 12 major European dioceses who hope to re-evangelize their cities during Lent 2012 met this week in Rome to finalize plans for a new initiative called ‘Metropolitan Missions,’ reports Catholic News Agency. ‘The climate of unity among the cities that share same project was very strong,’ Auxiliary Bishop Jean Kockerols of Mechelen-Brussels, Belgium told CNA at the conclusion of the Jan. 9 meeting. ‘It was very interesting to hear from the other 11 cities who are working on the same priority,’ he added.

Also represented were the Metropolitan Archdioceses of Barcelona, Budapest, Cologne, Dublin, Lisbon, Liverpool, Paris, Turin, Warsaw and Vienna. The meeting was hosted by the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, which is headed by Archbishop Rino Fisichella. This year’s ‘metropolitan missions’ are the first of their kind. If deemed successful, they could be introduced elsewhere around the world, including the United States, in the coming years.

Pray: for the Metropolitan Missions and that through the power of the Holy Spirit they will bring revival to their cities. (Mk.13:10)

More: http://www.christiantelegraph.com/issue15148.html

The European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says Serbia and Kosovo are close to a deal to end the ethnic partition of the former Serbian province. She spoke after the leaders of both nations expressed optimism about an agreement as early as this week. In a significant U-turn, Serbia offered to recognize the authority of Kosovo's government over the north, in exchange for autonomy for Serbs living there. The two sides were at odds however over the powers any Serb institutions in the north would have. But Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic now says they are in his words ‘never closer’ to settling their differences. Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci told reporters earlier they were at what he called ‘the beginning of the end’ in reaching an accord to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia. The two men spoke after separate talks with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton in Belgrade and Pristina.

Pray: for the success of these discussions and pray for a breakthrough that will bring reconciliation. (Eph.4:13)

More: http://www.bosnewslife.com/27189-news-watch-eus-ashton-expects-breakthrough-in-kosovo-dispute

European markets have fallen sharply as investors look to offload riskier assets amid fears that the eurozone debt crisis is spreading. Britain's FTSE-100 dropped 1.5 per cent while Germany's DAX-30 and Paris CAC-40 were both down more than two percent in mid-session trading on Tuesday. The euro also fell to a four-month low against the US dollar. Asian stocks also tumbled on Tuesday, with the Nikkei closing 1.43 per cent lower in Tokyo, Sydney losing 1.90 per cent, Hong Kong 2.19 per cent and Shanghai 1.48 per cent at the close of the day's trading. The losses come off the back of a steep sell-off on Monday. ’Things in Europe just seem to be going from bad to worse; you get the feeling that authorities are merely trying to plug the holes in a sinking ship. At the end of the day, they're just delaying the inevitable’, said Ben Potter, strategist at IG Markets.

Pray: for the financial situation within the eurozone that a solution will be found to halt the slide into further recession. (Pr.22:2-4)

More: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2011/07/20117126241121921.html

The unemployment rate across the eurozone hit a new all-time high of 11.8% in November, official figures have shown. This is a slight rise on 11.7% for the 17-nation region in October. The rate for the European Union as a whole in November was unchanged at 10.7%. Spain, which is mired in deep recession, again recorded the highest unemployment rate, coming in at 26.6%. More than 26 million people are now unemployed across the EU. For the Eurozone, the number of people without work reached 18.8 million said Eurostat, the official European statistics agency. Greece had the second-highest unemployment rate in November, at 20%. The youth unemployment rate was 24.4% in the Eurozone, and 23.7% in the wider European Union. Youth unemployment - among people under 25 - was highest in Greece (57.6%), followed by Spain (56.5%). Overall unemployment was lowest in Austria (4.5%), Luxembourg (5.1%) and Germany (5.4%).

Pray: for the ability of the authorities to increase the workplace levels across the Eurozone. (Ps.90:17)

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20943292

Unemployment in the eurozone reached its highest level in almost 15 years in February, with more than 17 million people out of work, and economists saying they expected job office queues to grow even longer later this year. Joblessness in the 17-nation currency zone rose to 10.8% - in line with a Reuters poll of economists - and 0.1 points worse than in January, Eurostat said on Monday. ‘We expect it to go higher, to reach 11% by the end of the year,’ said Raphael Brun-Aguerre, an economist at JP Morgan in London. ‘You have public sector job cuts, income going down, and weak consumption. The economic growth outlook is negative and is going to worsen unemployment.’ February's level - last hit in June 1997 - marked the 10th straight monthly rise and contrasts sharply with the United States where the economy has been adding jobs since late last year.

Pray: that the unemployment figures would begin to reduce. Pray that governments would be able to get to grips with the economic situation.

More: http://www.euractiv.com/socialeurope/eurozone-unemployment-reaches-near-15-year-high-news-511926

Unemployment in the eurozone hit a record high in October, with more than 170,000 extra jobs lost and youth joblessness at almost 24 per cent, as the economy slumped into recession. Overall, the eurozone had a jobless rate of 11.7 per cent in October, up from 11.6 per cent in September, with the numbers out of work rising to 18.7 million from 18.49 million, the Eurostat data agency said. Year-on-year figures from the agency showed a particularly bleak picture for under 25-year-olds, with almost one in four out of work both in the 17-nation eurozone, and 27-nation European Union - against one in five a year earlier. Compared with October 2011, an extra 279,000 young people were out of work in the EU, and 350,000 in the eurozone in October this year. The youth unemployment rate rose to 23.9 per cent in the eurozone and to 23.4 percent in the EU compared with 21.2 per cent and 21.9 per cent respectively a year earlier, Eurostat said.

Pray: that the authorities across the eurozone will be able to find a solution to the unemployment problem.

More: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/11/20121130121846588948.html