For your prayers…

February 2012

Praise God

• Langham Scholar Qaiser Julius’ Australian student visa was granted! He arrives in Melbourne from Pakistan February 1st to begin his postgraduate studies at MST (Melbourne School of Theology). Qaiser is sponsored by Langham Partnership Australia and is being supported also by MST and CMS (Aust).
• Thank God for good temporary accommodation and please pray for good long term arrangements close to MST.
• Thank God for great support from the staff at MST.
• Please pray too for him establishing himself in a caring and supportive church

Praise God

• for the numbers now being trained to train others to faithfully, relevantly and clearly preach the Word of God across the Pacific region with Langham Preaching.
• for the gatherings in the Solomon Islands in February, Vanuatu in May and PNG later in the year. Men and women from across the islands and denominations in these countries who will be initiating training in their own regions.
• Please pray for the movement of God through these brothers and sisters, so that biblical faith and obedience continues to grow in these Nations through the preaching of the Word.
• Please pray too for the local co-ordinating teams in each place and for Wendy Toulmin and the team from Australia and New Zealand who so graciously give of their time to help facilitate this strategic programme.

Langham Preaching and Langham Literature personnel

• are meeting with colleagues in China in early February to look at plans for work in the mainland in the years to come.
• Please pray for the wisdom, resources, and key leaders to enable the work within this huge country to continue.

Please pray

• for many Langham Scholars submitting their theses and preparing for their oral examinations in the next few months (Alfred Olwa, studying here in Sydney is one of these). These are crucial times in their study programmes.
• they all will walk closely with Jesus over these days.

January 2012

Give thanks for the opportunities developing for Langham’s ministry in the country of Burma (Myanmar).

• Please pray for Colin MacPherson and the Literature team working with publishers and writers to produce much needed resources for pastors and seminaries in that country.
• Praise God for the expanding of the Preaching programme in Burma gathering pastors and leaders from many denominations and States.  Please pray for the programme taking place in Yangon mid January 2012 – that the participants may all arrive safely and together learn more about clearly and faithfully expounding the Word of God, in order to teach their people well.
• Give thanks for Ronald (Langham Scholar from Burma) and the opportunity he has for PhD studies here in Australia to better equip him in his role as Old Testament lecturer at the evangelical seminary in Yangon.  Please pray for him and his family as they celebrate Christmas in Melbourne.  Praise God Ronald was able to meet Ma’afu Palu (Tonga) when he was recently in Melbourne for the Langham Preaching Pacific gathering.  Give thanks for the encouragement this was for Ronald to persevere in his studies.

Please pray for the country of Papua New Guinea

• 2012 is election year for PNG.  Please pray for justice to prevail and for upright men of God to be elected to positions of leadership.
• Give thanks for the men and women who have been a part of the Langham Preaching training these past 3 years, and please pray they will continue to bear much good fruit in their lives and their communities as they faithfully study and preach God’s Word.
• Please pray for the smaller group that will now be trained to train and encourage others to faithfully, relevantly and clearly preach the Word of God.
• Praise God for the many Bible Colleges there in PNG and pray they will train well their men and women for ministry.

Please continue to pray for scholar Alfred Olwa finalising his thesis in Sydney and please pray for Qaiser Julius (from Pakistan) and his application for a visa to begin his postgraduate studies at the Melbourne School of Theology.

November-December 2011

Langham Scholars:

Please pray for Alfred Olwa (from Uganda, studying in Sydney) finalising his thesis – for wisdom for him and his supervisors – for his family back in Uganda – for them all that daily they walk close to Jesus.

Qaiser Julius (from Pakistan) has been accepted as a Langham Scholar to begin at Melbourne School of Theology 2012.  Please pray for a successful outcome to his student visa application with Australian Immigration.

Langham Literature:

Praise God for the numbers of Theological Libraries in the majority world that accessed Langham Library Grants this year.  Please pray that books will arrive safely and be well used! and that this coming year we may have the funds to continue to grow this valuable part of the Literature ministry.  Please pray for the continued writing and editing of the South Asia Bible Commentary.

Langham Preaching:

Please pray for the level 3 LP programme in PNG early December – for safe travelling for the 90+ participants from all denominations and Provinces – for good preparation & clear presentation by the facilitators (includes Andrew Reid & Tim Johnson from Aust); and for God’s gracious hand to be over all!

Thank you for your prayers and support for Langham’s ministry this past year!

September-October 2011

Please pray for Langham’s Francophone African country programmes – for the development of Langham Preaching work across these nations. They represent some of the most difficult countries for the development of the work, because of limited resources, challenging economic and social issues and fewer trained leaders.

Pray also for the Africa Bible Commentary – for the Malagasy translation project, and for the continuing distribution of the Swahili and Portuguese versions.

Please pray for the second round of the consultation on doctoral programmes in the Majority World being held in Bangalore, India on 11-14 October. Ian Shaw from Langham Scholars UK will be attending.

Please pray for the team in PNG and Australia as they prepare for the Level 3 Langham Preaching Programme to take place early December.

Give thanks for the lives that have been influenced by John Stott. Give thanks for the 1100+ entries in the Remembrance Book on the John Stott Memorial website, and the memorial events held in Australia and around the world.

Give thanks for the visit of Langham Liteature’s Colin Macpherson to the Fount of Wisdom Publishing House in Phnom Penh.  Please pray for their manager, Tim.  Pray for wisdom in understanding their readers and choosing appropriate titles.  Pray that God would bless their efforts to nurture Cambodian writers.  Please pray for God’s blessing to be above and beyond our limited vision.

Give thanks for the Preaching Programmes in Solomon Islands and Indonesia held over recent weeks and pray for the ongoing training of local facilitators in Solomons and the continued growth in Indonesia.

Give thanks for the team of Antipodean Facilitators involved in Langham Preaching Programmes throughout Asia and the Pacific region.  Please pray for the team and for Paul’s leadership and guidance in the work.

Give thanks for the line-up meeting held last month to plan for preaching seminars for indigenous Australian churches, and for the visit of Langham’s International Director Chris Wright to Perth this month. Please pray for wisdom working through the best way forward in partnership with the various indigenous ministries and church leaders.

Please continue to pray for Alfred Olwa finalising his thesis and Ronald as he continues his research and writing.

August 2011

Give thanks for Paul Windsor’s strategic role in Langham Preaching in Asia & the Pacific, and please pray for him as he comes to speak at Reachout 2011 in Katoomba.

Please pray too for the gathering while Paul is here in Australia to explore a Langham Preaching Programme partnering with Australian Indigenous Churches and Ministries.

We would ask you to please pray for Alfred Olwa, supported by Langham Partnership Australia, in his PhD studies in Sydney, for good focus and clarity as he writes the final chapters of his thesis. Alfred is hoping to return to Uganda before the end of this year to his position of Dean of Theology at the Uganda Christian University.

July 2011

Praise God Ronald’s wife and children have been able to join him in Melbourne from Myanmar. Ronald is being supported by Langham Partnership Australia in his PhD studies at Ridley Melbourne. Please pray for their adjusting to life here and for Ronald to be able to focus on his study and so be able to strengthen the Church in Myanmar on his return.

Please pray for the continuing good support they are receiving from churches and individuals here in Australia – both pastorally and financially.

We ask you to please pray for the level 3 Langham Preaching programme taking place in the Solomon Islands this month – that the 90+ participants may have safe travel from the outlying islands, – for good preparation and clear presentation by the facilitators – for God’s gracious hand to be over all.

June 2011

Give thanks for the wise and faithful leadership of Langham Australia’s Board Chair, Trevor Cork.

Please pray for him as he, like many in his position, juggles this responsibility alongside work, family and other ministry commitments.  Trevor is also at this time Chair of Langham’s International Council.

Please pray and give thanks for Langham’s International Staff Team – Chris Wright, Jonathan Lamb, Paul Windsor, Pieter Kwant & Steve Hardy, scattered around the globe as they coordinate and facilitate Langham’s Preaching, Literature & Scholars Programmes.

Pray for wisdom as they together prioritise and plan under God’s gracious guiding hand.

Pray too for Wendy Toulmin, Langham Australia’s Executive Officer, as she coordinates the ministry here in Australia.

May 2011

Scholars

We are delighted to honor the Langham Scholars who have completed their degree programs in recent months! Please join us in praising God for these Scholars and praying for their future ministry under His gracious hand.

Kostake Milkov (Macedonia), Lydia Mwaniki (Kenya), Robert Merecz (Poland), “C” (South East Asia), Marcelo Vargas (Bolivia), Fabulous Moyo (Zimbabwe), Gennadi Sergienko (Russia), Abraham Kovacs – Habilitation (Hungary), Vincent Ooi (Malaysia), Robert Thang (Myanmar) and Myrto Theocharous (Greece).
[More information and photos]

Preaching

Give thanks…

• Nigeria: LP facilitator Emmanuel Oladipo writes: ‘We concluded the seminar in Abuja… I was very pleased with the performance of the local facilitators we had trained for the task.’ Please pray for all of those who participated in the regional programme, that they will sustain their learning through local groups.
• Colombia: give thanks for the pastors who have been participating in the LP programme in Colombia. This month was the level 3 event in Bucaramanga. Give thanks for country coordinator Dionisio Orjuela, and for the facilitators, Alex Chiang, Igor Amestegui, and Jorge Atiencia. Pray that the pastors will form local groups and sustain their fellowship and training, and please pray for further growth across the country.
• Cote d’Ivoire: thank you for your prayers for the believers in Abidjan. We have also heard from our LP colleague Younoussa Djao, who reports that there is considerable killing, and a shortage of food. ‘Our biggest challenge is the kids. How to help them think about different things than what is happening. The stress has increased as they see their friends being evacuated.’ Please pray for a swift resolution to the crisis.
• Zimbabwe: Harare pastor Gary Cross has sent us a report following the recent preachers’ retreat: ‘We give God praise for the 4 days. Please pray for the participants as they go away with the Langham level one preaching tools and also some books, that they will assimilate all they have received into their preaching of God’s Word. Please continue to pray for level 3, and for John Bell as he facilitates this group. Level 1 and 2 start at the beginning of May.’
• Pakistan: one of the LP country team, Qaiser, has sent news of the recent training: ‘The Langham expository preaching seminar went well and 45 participants attended. It was very exciting experience because people really appreciated the method and we are now receiving requests from other areas for a Langham seminar. Four OTS staff took different sessions, and I am trying to develop a team of Langham facilitators who will be able to help in leading the seminars in the future.’ Pray for the development of this team, and for Qaiser’s present work and his plans for future studies.

And…

• Please pray for a number of our Australian facilitators preparing for upcoming programmes in Vanuatu, Indonesia & the Solomon Islands; and for the local teams coordinating and contacting the men and women in each of those places.
  

• Finally, give thanks for John Stott reaching his 90th birthday, and the impact he has had on the Church throughout the World. Please continue to pray for John Stott in his increasing frailty, and also for those who lovingly care for him.

March-April 2011

Scholars

• Give thanks that visas have been approved for Ronald’s wife Mary and their 3 children to join him in Melbourne for the middle section of his study here in Australia.  Please pray for Mary and the children as they prepare to come to Australia; for Ronald that he might focus well over these next few months to get as much done as possible before they arrive; and for all the arrangements—giving thanks for the provision of a granny flat for them.
• Ma’afu Palu writes … We praise God for the opportunity to minister in Tonga. We Praise Him for faithful financial supporters who keep us afloat. Please pray that the Tongan church may be enabled to raise a generation of faithful Bible teachers for Tonga, the Pacific and the world. Please pray that God may raise up a Mission Department in Sia’atoutai Theological College. Please pray that Elizabeth and I may live disciplined lives so that we too in the end will be saved (1 Cor. 9:27 & 1 Tim. 4 :16)
• Please continue to pray for Langham Scholars in Egypt at this time. Wageeh Mikhail from Cairo reports, “It is amazing to see Egypt going through such change so quickly! I do not think that anyone (even the demonstrators themselves) expected that things will develop as they did”. There remains huge uncertainty about the future, and fear that extremists will take advantage of the situation.
• Please pray for Langham Scholars (current and former) in Beirut. Pray that peace, order and stability is maintained, and that the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary can continue its important work.

Preaching

• Praise God we have seen His blessing and provision for the continuing impact of Langham’s Preaching Programme in close to 60 countries in the Majority World.  It has been humbling to see this first hand in our Pacific and Asian regions.  Please pray for the many hundreds of men and women who are a part of these indigenous training “movements” that they continue to study and apply faithfully, clearly and relevantly the Word of God to their people.
• Please pray for a number of our Australian facilitators preparing for upcoming programmes in Vanuatu, Indonesia & the Solomon Islands; and for the local teams coordinating and contacting the men and women in each of those places.
• Please pray too for Jonathan Lamb, International Director for Langham Preaching, as he comes to minister at the Belgrave Heights Easter Convention.

Literature

• Please pray for the hundreds of Bible Colleges and Seminaries throughout the Majority World that will have recently received the Langham Literature Catalogues.  Pray that Librarians and staff of these colleges will act speedily to take advantage of the Library Grants available, and that funds will be available for this vital part of Langham Literature’s ministry.
• Please continue to pray for the team working on the Vanuatu Bible Commentary and other much needed Bislama resources for the pastors and churches in that country.

• Langham Partnership New Zealand ask us to pray for New Zealand and the Christians there at this time: Tony Plews of Langham New Zealand writes following the Christchurch earthquake: ‘We ask for prayer for the affected people of the Christchurch / Canterbury region—about 400,000 people directly affected’. This is NZ’s worst ever natural disaster.  It is likely to be the greatest loss of life—likely to be 300+. It will cost the NZ economy up to NZ$20 BILLION.  Thirty or more church buildings in Christchurch are wrecked, including the iconic [Anglican] cathedral, the Roman Catholic cathedral, the historic Methodist church, and the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church—a Langham-supporting church. One third or more of the entire Christchurch Central Business District will have to be demolished and rebuilt.

• Finally, please pray for John Stott in his increasing frailty, and also for those who lovingly care for him.  Give thanks for the impact he has had on the Church throughout the World.