Special Children and 4/14 Window Focus at the World Assemblies of God World Congress, Chennai, India February 6-9, 2011
Report by Luis Bush on Feb. 11, 2011
Pastor Nam Soo Kim returned from India where the Assembly of God national superintendents from 80 delegations totaling 1,000 pastors and national general secretaries from around the world, and 3,000 pastors from all over India representing 7,000 churches gathered for a magna celebration. 70,000 people came together for the last meeting of the Celebration.
The Assemblies of God now have 350,000 churches worldwide with a total congregation of six million. Many pastors and leaders indicated that they had begun or participated in the 4/14 events such as a 4/14 Seminar in Mongolia. From South America almost ten superintendents from Brazil, Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador and other nations indicated they have begun, most taking a good start in the 4/14. In Tanzania 2,800 churches will be encouraged to start a children's church.
In a one-hour talk to congress Pastor Nam Soo Kim challenged every pastor to add 50 children to their local church every year which would add an additional 40 million to their congregations in the next four years.
Pastor Nam Soo Kim was elected for a second term to the executive council of the World Council of the Assemblies of God as one of three people to represent the United States. In the heart of Pastor Nam Soo Kim this position would catalyze the 4/14 Window Movement.
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4/14 Window Children in Transformational Ministry Africa Event
Report from Jonas Robert Sawadogo, Africa-Advocacy Director, Compassion International
I really want to thank you again for all the efforts you undertook to hold the children’s event recently in Sendafa, Ethiopia. The centrality of the children in the ministry and the mission have been re-affirmed. It was a refreshing retreat for me, with children TRULY IN THE MIDST.
It was really humbling to go through Jane Mackie's Eight Steps of Powerful and Effective Prayer. One really needs to become child-like to enjoy this refreshing and effective prayer process. On Sunday the 20th when Jane gave the children the opportunity to tell what they heard from the Lord, I got the evidence that the Holy Spirit spoke thru them. I woke up early that Sunday and meditated on a devotional paper stating faith as a key, a weapon and a tool. That very day, Vida (a 14 year old from Ghana) received from the Holy Spirit that she had been given a key. She asked us what that key would mean. I was trying to keep quiet and resist an inward pushing to share my devotion earlier that was an answer to Vida's question, but couldn't. Jane was led by the Spirit to insist on responding to that question for the benefit of Vida and the other children. Yes, children's faith is like a key within their hands to open God's store of blessing for their life and future.
We really need to let children speak and listen to them for the Holy Spirit speaks thru them when we give them the opportunity to do so. I will keep encouraging child ministers to take this model. God bless you!
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4/14 Window Sessions in Ecuador
Reported by elder Jong-Young Kim
We were invited to the National Leader’s Conference of AG Ecuador during March 9 - 12, 2011. Twenty-one men and women from Promise Church joined the team, and prepared for the trip. Our main focus and prayer was for the participants to open their hearts, so that they may understand the importance of the 4/14 Window movement as Pastor Nam Soo Kim shares the vision and strategy of the 4/14 Window.
During the trip, we visited Peninsula Church in Salina, Centro Church in Guayaquil, Centro Cristiano Church in Cuenca, and the General Assembly of AG Ecuador in Loja. In each gathering, thousands of people came, and worshiped together. Each time we performed the Korean traditional fan dance with Ecuadorian music 'My Country, Ecuador'. Every time we performed it many participants were moved by the harmony of Ecuadorian music and Korean traditional dance. Pastor Nam Soo Kim’s speech afterward challenged participants that children are most valuable members of the church, and shared the vision of the 4/14 Window movement.
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A New Global Reach Track
Arranged by Ricardo Luna of One Hope and rewritten by Tracy Stillman of Compassion International
The key needs identified include the need for research, asset mapping, consistency in networking, and a centralized digital repository. Luis Bush shared with a target leadership group that, "A prophetic word that becomes a transforming word will awaken the Church to wanting to be a part of this catalytic movement. Research is this prophetic message." OneHope has laid the foundation for a shift to outcomes based measurement. They understand that the holistic nature of our ministry requires a bolstering of internal capacity and that it will take intentionally working together to catalyze this movement.
It is essential that the 4/14 Global Initiative stands on platforms rather than programs or products. Platforms allow everyone to participate. We are working toward a central platform where ministries and resource providers can upload their programs and products, and then a wide variety of end users will be able to download them for use at the local level. The goal is for expert consultation and content development to be made available to the pastors, teachers and leaders who work with children daily.
As we challenge the church to focus on the needs of children, we must understand the challenges we face in today's society where Christian parents often care more about the education of their children and don't pay attention to their children's spiritual development. Children on the other hand are focused on media and entertainment. Serious thought and effort needs to be applied to our methods of communicating with both parents and children in order to produce tangible results. While the 4/14 Initiative is successfully doing Advocacy events, there is still a need for Advocacy products with templates for developing character education that can be tailored to specific countries. For example, how do we best answer the question, "What should Christian character and values in public schools look like?" It is important that Regional direction be given to Tracks so that any content produced is consistent with the 4/14 Initiatives mapped out theory.
As we move forward in this incredible journey to develop and mobilize a new generation of Christ followers, it is vital that we continue to focus on the Bible admonition of Deuteronomy 6:4-7 and diligently teach the Word of the Lord to children. The needs, nature and challenges of raising up this generation of 4/14 requires the ongoing bold processes of collaboration and mobilization. While the wonderful innovative efforts of leaders worldwide has already born much fruit, let us encourage each other to continue to act decisively to reach, protect, inspire, and equip this generation of 4/14ers to transform the world.
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Indonesia, a Dynamic of Missionary Movement
Report by Eun Moo Lee
Asia Missions Association (AMA) conference was held from November 3-7 in Jakarta. 1,450 delegates from 30 different countries, mainly from Asia witnessed the dynamics of the Indonesian church in their task for global mission. The ten thousand-seat sanctuary, a symbol of this dynamic of the Indonesian church, was dedicated at the same time. Eun Moo Lee, General Secretary, prepared this conference, and pastor Nam Soo Kim spoke about the new dimension of missionary work in Asia, which is the 4/14 window movement.
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