| December 03 | ARISE, SPAIN AND SHINE! | San Sebastián -Titiriteros para Cristo (Puppetteers for Christ) | Rejoice and be glad at what others are doing. (resources and opportunities) | The OPPORTUNITY which is CHRISTMAS Pray for: |

December 03

I bring you Good News of Great Joy!

ARISE, SPAIN AND SHINE!

BULLETIN Nº 10 (December '03)

The Bulletin of the Prayer Network for the Evangelisation of Spain

"For today is born to you, in the City of David, a saviour which is Christ, the Lord". (Lk. 2)

CHRISTMAS IS HERE. And with it, many family, social and church activities. Likewise, many are involved in sharing the Good News, personally and through evangelistic events, Christmas celebrations, etc.. This is a great opportunity to repeat once again the message of the angels. This is indeed happy news for all your family, friends, neighbours, colleagues and all those you meet in daily life at work, school, shopping etc.. Christmas, together with New Year, reminds us of new birth in every aspect of life, offering us the opportunity, the way and a challenge to start afresh, look anew at life, through seeing things from God's perspective. For broken relationships, this time offers the opportunity to make amends. It's also a very special time of year for children, a time when we can explain to them the reason for the season, the birth of Jesus and the need we have to be born again. Maybe it is the time of year when, once the shopping rush is over, people become most gentle and open to one another and to the Gospel. So this Christmas, let us resound in the heavenlies and make known on earth the praise to the one who became man to save us from our sin. Let us join with the heavenly choirs in His praise and proclaim though all our activities that Christ was born, that He has paid the price of sin and that he is alive once more, ever to reign. Let us proclaim that shout of praise: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men."

REASONS FOR REJOICING: To our joy and the praise of the Lord, we are able to share with you some news that has been sent in, answers to your prayers. You may say, well, others have been praying too. Of course, but the Lord has heard and answered your prayers. Firstly, however, we want to thank you for praying especailly over the Halloween/ All Saints weekend, when we had the national day of prayer. And now, with Christmas, we have new topics, perhaps more positive ones for prayer.

San Sebastián -Titiriteros para Cristo (Puppetteers for Christ)

Hi! Here is a report for all who have been praying for us. Thanks, Unai.

We thank God for what He has done in our midst. He has broken barriers (with permissions, problems) and we have been able to go ahead with our evangelistic campaigns. Keep praying to Lasarte-Oria, the town of 18.000 inhabitants close to San Sebastian (Basque Country), where we were able to preach in the main square two weekends running. Pray, too, for San Sebastian and for all the people who are seeking the Lord there. We are grateful for the evangelistic campaign last August in Narón (Galicia), where many people listened. A group of 50 volunteers from across Spain saw 40 decisions for Christ, of whom 5 are now integrated into the local church, Living Waters.

We need prayer for:
- Lasarte-Oria: keep praying for a church to be established there.
- San Sebastián: we are doing the Evangelism Explosion course, so pray for the participants and the results of the practical outreaches.
- Narón: Agua Viva (Living Waters) church
- Basque Country: in the midst of the political chaos, pray that God would mobilise His Church and that many, of all ages and backgrounds, would find Christ and a reason for living. Last Saturday the 'Evangelism in Action' churches of northern Spain met in Vitoria and a common theme was that many of the churches have begun regular evangelism this year. Through this they report encouragement and strengthening from God, together with feeling challenged to continue sharing the Gospel where they are. May God permit that His light shine among the Basque people.
Yours in Christ, Unai Arretxe

An encouraging note

(José Luis Navajo is one of the pastors of the Salem church in Madrid. His communication has encouraged us so much that we share it here.) "Thanks for sending me the bulletin. This church will be praying for all the requests you have made. Keep up the good work! Spain and the entire world need people committed to prayer, crying at the throne of God. This will make a real difference."

Rejoice and be glad at what others are doing. (resources and opportunities)

IESEF EVANGELISTIC TRAINING PROGRAMME, Seville. A training course. "This course has the goal of preparing an army of evangelists and lay preachers to present the reason for their faith, to mobilise them for the public presentation of the message of salvation. Pray for this.

New information on the neediest unevangelised towns and cities in Spain.

Decision has updated its statistics and has just published as a leaflet the latest figures for the largest unreached municipal districts in the country.
And IESEF has undated its list of churches for the southern half of Spain which is now available on CD.
Meanwhile, Pocket Testament League has begun work on the Catalan 'Comarcas', medieval districts with a number of towns, but smaller than provinces, linked together by common interests (market towns) and geography. This is already showing that while some larger towns are within reach of cities where there are several churches, some entire districts sum up a much larger unreached population with no hope of contact with evangelicals on a regular basis, uness a concerted effort is made to start new rural community churches.

MADRID RASTRO Book Table Could you imagine a 29 year evangelistic campaign? Wel, for the past 29 years there has been an evangelistic book table in the famous Madrid flea market every Sunday morning, offering Bibles, evangelistic literature and personal testimony. It's a hard work of sowing, led by Mike Godman. Right now we need to pray for more volunteers for this ministry.

The OPPORTUNITY which is CHRISTMAS Pray for:

-Campaign of witness to the Jews in Vega de Pas. An American team will work with misionaries based in Gijón to hand out New Testaments with a group of shepherds in the mountains of Santander between 27th December and 5th January Pray for fruit among this forgotten Jewish community.
-Valencia, Iglesia El Salvador, evangelistic outreach on 14th December, as every month. Thanks for praying!
-Every Church: Christmas outreach or activities. Most churches have some kind of Christmas event which is used as an opportuinty to reach out to friends, neighbours and above all family members. pray that many would come to know Christ as more than a figure who walked the earth some 2000 years ago.
-TEMA: Mission 2004 This European Missions conference, held 28th December to 2nd January, will be attended by some 80 Spanish young people. Pray that they understand and respond to the call to commit themselves to the Lord's service to reach Spain, Europe and the world with the love of Jesus.