Chine Mbubaegbu, Head of Media with the Evangelical Alliance and editor of their magazine IDEA has kindly permitted me to copy a couple of its current issue’s excellent articles. The magazine is always replete with informative 1-2 page articles on contemporary topics; eg. singles in church; inside a Chinese church in London;  projects for inner city young people; male suicide; the changing face of worship music; and even asks, do babies go to heaven? Click on the magazine’s image for much more information >

Following previous items in this blog, here’s EA’s Gethin Russell-Jones look at exciting news coming out of the United Kingdom.:

An outpouring in Wales

Finding the correct word is virtually impossible. In living memory Christians have resorted to blessing, refreshing, renewal and of course revival to describe a sustained and unusual period of intense communal Christian experience characterised by rapid growth. Where hundreds if not thousands of people are affected. Where a dormant and largely hidden church seemingly erupts into the public domain.

Such periods are often evidenced by mass conversions, healings, the return of backslidden believers and rapid church growth.

These phenomena may not happen simultaneously but when they do we are lost for words.  In recent months a town in the county borough of Torfaen, an area famed for heavy industry and radical politics, has witnessed powerful and strange occurrences. Since 10 April Victory Church in Cwmbran has seen more than 200 people become Christians, baptised nearly 80 new believers, received news of multiple healings and is gathering in excess of 500 people every evening for worship and prayer.

Dubbed the Welsh Outpouring, it all began on 10 April during a midweek prayer meeting in this independent Pentecostal church. A man who had been wheelchair-bound for 10 years received prayer, began to move muscles long since wasted and ran around the hall.

This was not the norm for this church. But it is now. At every meeting first-hand accounts are read out about transformed lives. A sceptic might conclude that this is an isolated example and not representative of mainstream evangelical Christianity. Allow me to puncture that comfortable myth. Nestling in the Berwyn range of hills in north Wales lies Coleg y Bala (The Bala College). With an historic pedigree stretching back to the foundation of the British and Foreign Bible Society, it now serves as the Presbyterian Church of Wales’ youth centre. In the last 12 months there have been numerous reports of many Welsh and English-speaking teenagers becoming Christians at various events and conferences. Coleg y Bala has also had a profound influence on a now annual event called Llanw (Fill). The nearest equivalent in England would be Spring Harvest.

Although this gathers tens of thousands, Llanw also aspires to model contemporary Christian through the medium of Welsh. Such an event would have been unthinkable 20 years ago. In fact it was the received wisdom until recent times that the game was up for Welsh-speaking Christianity.  The last taffy should turn the lights out. And all the surveys and statistics indicated that Europe’s oldest surviving language would soon cease to witness to Christ in this ancient tongue. There are many who still hold to this view. But there’s fresh air blowing among the Camry.

“It’s beginning to feel like a new day for the Gospel in Wales.”

In addition to Llanw and Coleg y Bala, Capel Gomer in Swansea is the first Welsh language church plant in generations. Furthermore the church planting network, Waleswide (Cymrugyfan in Welsh) is facilitating a number of new church plants in the nation through the medium of both Welsh and English. It’s beginning to feel like a new day for the gospel in Wales. Less than 20 miles from Cwmbran is the old steel town of Ebbw Vale. Famed for its heavy industry and hard men it has also bred legendary preachers, long since forgotten. But here again there are spiritual stirrings.

Church on the Rise is a Baptist church in the Beaufort district of the town. A few years ago the church was stirred by a sense that God was asking them a question:  “Are you thirsty for me?” This resulted in a weekly pattern of prayer and fasting that is still continuing.  Another major consequence was the establishment of a CAP (Christians Against Poverty) Centre in the church, reaching out to dozens of financially-distressed families in the area. Four families have now become debt free through this programme and the church has doubled in size. Twelve months ago, its Sunday gatherings numbered 35. Today there are more than 70 and the church is looking to relocate to larger premises. Fresh air from heaven is blowing across Wales. All the examples cited are different to each other and yet they all point to the timeless power of the gospel to change lives and communities.

NOTE: for further information and latest update click on image below: