PEF NEWS PEF CHAIRMAN VISITING OUR PEF MEMBERS OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PENTECOSTAL EUROPEAN FELLOWSHIP 2017 SUMMER EDITION

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1 PEF NEWS OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PENTECOSTAL EUROPEAN FELLOWSHIP 2017 SUMMER EDITION PEF CHAIRMAN VISITING OUR PEF MEMBERS In the last few months, PEF Chairman has been traveling extensively across Europe visiting different countries and ministering in a variety of events and conferences, representing PEF in official gatherings and encouraging Pentecostal leaders across the continent, including Italy (Elim Conference), Bulgaria (Pastors' Conference), Ukraine (Missions' conference), various Balkan countries, such as Montenegro on the occasion of the recent Impact outreach. In the early part of 2018, PEF Chairman also was awarded a royal distinction in Sweden as an honored leader of the Pentecostal movement in Sweden. Thanks for your continued prayers for Pelle Hörnmark in his ministry to PEF! CONSULTATION WITH LEADERS IN WEST BALKANS MISSION CONFERENCE IN KIEV (UKRAINE) MEETING WITH SAŠA NIKOLINOVIĆ, PASTOR IN SARAJEVO AND LEADER OF THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA MEETING WITH BISHOP MYKHAILO PANOSHKO IN KIEV (UKRAINE) REPRESENTING THE PENTECOSTAL WORLD FELLOWSHIP IN HISTORIC MEETING WITH WORLD CHRISTIAN COUNCIL, ORTODOX AND CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE WORLD EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE IN BOSSEY, SWITZERLAND SHKRODAR (NORTH ALBANIA) RUNS A CLINIC FOR POOR PEOPLE

2 WHY PEF? FAMILY HELPING PROTECTING CONNECTING BRINGING (Outline from the keynote message given by PEF Chairman Pelle Hornmark at the last PEF Conference) 1 - Family love Relationships are our glue as European Pentecostals - A testimony (given by Jacob Zopfi) about the very first Pentecostal European gathering in 1969: In the woods around Nyhem, a large tent was set up with a lively crowd of perhaps brothers and sisters in Christ. The Bible Week reflected the Swedish model: Not always a national, but an ad hoc elected committee was responsible for the leadership of the current conference. It was at the initiative of Lewi Pethrus that the European Pentecostal movements were invited. Experiencing the dynamics of the Swedish Pentecostals was refreshing. Especially the prayer times were like the sound of many waters, yes almost like thunder. ( ) - A Biblical example: Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here. My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my coworkers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. p.2

3 He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. Tell Archippus: See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord. (Colossians 4:7-17 NIV) 2 - Helping one another Carry each other s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2) 3 - Protecting one another "Now you are the body of Christ,and each of you is a member of it." (I Corinthians 12:27) 4 - Correcting one another As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) 5 - Bringing Jesus back to Europe "When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. What a huge harvest! he said to his disciples. How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!" (Matthew 9:35-38) Networking WHAT IS PEF? PEF is a natural meeting place for everyone who has a heart for Europe and God's Kingdom. PEF does not establish the vision; it s a platform for visions and hard work, crossing borders and cultures. It is nationally and regionally driven. Its head office is small enough to be flexible. Big enough to serve the needs of its members and European society s need for Pentecostal dialogue. p.3

4 WHY PEF? 6,847 groups unreached with the Gospel 1 billion people unreached unevangelized Christian 430,000 missionaries There are 743,500,000 good reasons... only in Europe... Of the 7.4 billion people in the world, 3 billion are of the unreached people groups of the world and 1.6 billion are completely unevangelized. There are 16,562 people groups in the world. Of these people groups, 9,715 have been reached with the Gospel message. 6,847 people groups are still unreached with the Gospel. 86% of all unreached people groups lie within the region called the 10/40 window, which is between 10 and 40 degrees north and from the west coast of Africa to the east coast of Asia. And yet... There are 430,000 missionaries from all branches of Christendom. Only between 2 and 3% of these missionaries work among unreached peoples of foreign mission funding: 87% goes for work among those already considered reached with the Gospel. 12% goes for work among already evangelized, but Non-Christian. 1% goes for work among the unevangelized and unreached people. Christians spend more on the annual audits of their churches and agencies ($810 million) than on all their workers in the non-christian world. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, Here am I. Send me! (Isaiah 6:8) p.4

5 ALL AROUND EUROPE... AN INSPIRING PEF GATHERING FOR PENTECOSTAL LEADERS IN STOCKHOLM Moments of joyful worship led by the Filadelfia Praise Team The Pentecostal European Fellowship (PEF) held its annual conference on March 8-10, 2017 in Stockholm, Sweden. Hosted by the historic Filadelfia Church, this was a joint conference of PEF and the Pentecostal European Mission (PEM), with a distinctively clear missional purpose reflected in its theme: JESUS FOR EUROPE AND BEYOND. Some 250 Pentecostal leaders from 35 countries in Europe, representing national movements and missions organizations, enjoyed the precious times of worship and fellowship during the plenary sessions. The many interactive round tables offered on a host of current topics related to missions and leadership were inspiring and informative. The keynote message brought by PEF Chairman, Rev. Pelle Hornmark, centered on the vision of PEF, which is to unite Pentecostals in bringing Jesus to a secularized Europe, with a special focus on the spiritual needs of the Balkans. The General Assembly of PEF delegates welcomed the Italian Assemblies of God (ADI) as a new member and adopted an official Statement on the Christian family. Participants look forward to the 2018 PEF Leadership Conference is scheduled to be in Warsaw, Poland, on March 7-9, Lord willing, focussing on the NEXT GENERATION. A moment during the 2017 General Assembly of PEF members' delegates ROMANIAN MISSIONS CONFERENCE 2017 God abundantly blessed us at Romiscon 2017 in the splendid surroundings of the Bucegi Mountains! We were once again overwhelmed by the abundance of spiritual resources that He granted us during the three day conference. Over 250 pastors, church leaders, students or young people focusing on external mission were profoundly ROMISCON 2017 touched by His presence. Special thanks go to the guest speakers who shared the Word of life: Moise Ardelean (president of the Pentecostal Church of Romania), Tim Hill (leader of Church of God, USA), Daniel Costanza (executive director of Pentecostal European Fellowship), David Leatherberry (missionary to restricted areas), David Griffis (CoG director for World Missions), and Tony Lane (bishop of the Romanian churches of CoG, USA). Thanks also to my colleagues on the board of APME. By God s grace, we will see each other at Romiscon 2018, May 8th-11th. Gheorghe Ritisan, President, APME - Agenția Penticostală de Misiune Externă.

6 SPECIAL REPORT FROM IMPACT MONTENEGRO 2017 Local pastors and missionaries sharing their impressions This was the first time in t h e h i s t o r y o f Montenegro that our people had such a good opportunity to hear the direct and clear Gospel. The openness of our people on the streets of our capitol was a real miracle. Another miracle was that we did not experience any problems. On the contrary, the doors of our city were wide open. Hearts of people were touched and local believers were so encouraged. For many years we felt isolated, and then suddenly, many Christians from different churches and places in the world, came to our country to do God's work. We are so blessed, encouraged, and are so grateful to God and to all of you who were willing to obey God and came to do His will. - Jovica Bacvanski, pastor in Podgorica Participating in PEF's Impact Montenegro 2017 was a fantastic experience. As a result, we as a church have grown and matured so much and have learned many new things. It was very encouraging and empowering for our church members to be a part of such a massive project. All of them felt a part of the larger Christian community and family. The challenge that IM 17 brought to them was truly a positive and blessed experience. Another positive aspect for our church was that the team that was with us included two former Muslims. Having in mind that all of our members are former Muslims and that the communities we serve are exclusively Muslim, it was very encouraging for them to see that "they are not alone" and that God is working among Muslims throughout the world. Finally, the IM 17 team served as a great catalyst for the ministry that took place even after they left. The important thing was that they came to demonstrate the love of Christ, share their testimonies, encourage local believers in their faith in Christ and preach the Word of God to many. The team left much behind them that we were able to build upon. - Sinisa Nadazdin, pastor in Montenegro among gypsies p.6

7 Impact Montenegro 17 played a key role for the spread of the Gospel. It was the first large scale evangelistic activity. The organization included local pastors and missionaries working and collaborating together a key factor to its success. The distribution of thousands of leaflets indicated the people's openness to the Gospel. Although the results varied by cities, we perceived that the areas we were in are ready to receive the Gospel. This is confirmed by: the dozens of telephone contacts that interested people provided to us the contacts we gave to various people we met the availability of people to listen Thanks to IM 17, some people with whom we shared the Gospel have begun to attend our church. With others, we are trying to establish a relationship of friendship and trust. IM 17 has been a means of growth, not only for our nation, town and church but personally as well. It made us experience faith beyond our church walls, and also allowed us to participate in activities on a larger scale. We were encouraged as we realized the support of brothers and sisters in Christ who joined us from many nations for the same purpose: "TO ANNOUNCE HOPE IN JESUS". Montenegro is a tough and difficult land for the Gospel, but we now see that it is not impossible! - Egidio Gabriele, AG Italian missionary pastor in Podgorica IM17 was a blessing as the church in Kotor had hit a plateau. So it was a beautiful blessing to have six people receive Christ as well as six young people receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit during IM17. One of our members, Doctor Sandra, was so encouraged and emboldened to attend and participate daily! We were so happy to have the team with us. - Joel and Nicola Baker, US/UK missionary pastors in Kotor

8 We were blessed by evangelism teams from Kosovo, Albania, Belgium, and the USA. As leaders, we were thinking that only God could bring order to such a combination of groups and HE DID. Glory to God! The team of 34, wearing the same T-shirts, walked and prayed in the streets, speaking with individuals, and giving them literature with the contact information of our church. Receiving permission for an open air program from the municipality was a challenge and a miracle. Normally we would only be allowed to have programs inside our own premises or, if allowed, we would need to pay 300 per night. But the Lord, through a friend in these offices, made it possible without cost. A pastor met someone from the Municipality who encouraged us to spread the Protestant Church here as much as you can! We met someone from Kosovo living in Germany who said he was a Muslim but worshipped Jesus Christ. We gave a New Testament and look forward to finding him a Church in Germany for him. He stated, Jesus did some miracles for me. Along with the evangelism, there were activities such as a kids program, face painting, songs and drama, and evening programs in the city. - Ms. Bukurije Nikqi, missionary from Kosovo in Ulcinj. Dmitry Poliansky, missionary pastor from Belarus, serving in Bar and Budva, states that he had been concerned how such a large event could be organized in such a small and closed country like Montenegro but is now praising God for the great success. He continues, It was so encouraging to see young people boldly proclaiming the Gospel in the streets. For a long time we have worked alone under difficult circumstances. Now see the blessing of combining our efforts with leaders and teams from abroad. The teams of youth were anointed with the power of God for evangelism. Many youth experienced God s presence as never before. A team member was baptized and another young lady was called to serve as a missionary. We have heard good reports from locals about the evangelistic and kids activities, especially in Bar. Our church in Budva was blessed by Finnish and Swedish teams. As a pastor of a local church, we are now ready to be more involved in big events, here in Montenegro and elsewhere. We are grateful for IM17 and the teams for great work you have done. p.8

9 IN MEMORIAM Pastor Dr. Lambis Sidiropoulos ( ) Lambis Sidiropoulos was born in the Protestant area of Katerini (Greece) in His parents were dedicated Christians and joined the Pentecostal church in Katerini since its inception in They were poor people but happy and very generous. Lambis was an active member of the local church and, while being a teenager, he ministered as a Sunday school teacher having more than 30 kids. Later on he became the youth leader and organized the first youth conferences among the Pentecostal churches. In 1969 his parents left Katerini and moved to Kavala, under the Synod s guidance, in order to take over the ministry, a small group of believers, which later on became the church of Kavala as we know it today. After finishing high school, he went to Messina, Italy, to start his studies in medicine. He was warmly received by the Italian Pentecostal believers in Messina and he had connections with the Italian churches for the rest of his life. A year later he came back to Greece to continue his studies in Thessaloniki s Medical University. After concluding his studies, he then joined the army to do his national service and even during that period Lambis evangelized many people and, actually, he pioneered a church in the island of Phodos. He organized six choirs and played musical instruments since he was a teenager, in fact he was a member of the philarmonic orchestra in Katerini. While being a student in Thessaloniki he organized a students work with other students in 1976 and many heard the message of the Gospel. We formed a team of students and travelled throughout the whole nation evangelizing people and visiting prisons, orphanages, old people homes and refugees. He, with the help of a committee, issued a Christian paper and also the Pentecostal magazine Paraclete. He led a team of Pentecostal believers which for almost 25 continual years visited churches and had different evangelistic activities offering humanitarian and medical help in the Balkan countries. He was a member of the Médecins du Monde Greece and worked with them in different areas and especially since the refugee crisis broke up, from September 2015 at the Greek border (Eidomeni), Lesbos and in other refugee camps, offering food and medical support. He planted four churches in north part of Greece and he supported Synod s churches being the president. He was not only the pastor of the Pentecostal church in Kavala but our mentor and spiritual leader and president of the Pentecostal Synod. He also worked very hard for the unity of the churches in Greece. Lambis worked as a medical Doctor (Cardiologist) in various hospitals but he finally had his own medical clinic and worked in Kavala for many years until his death. He was married to Joy and has a seventeen year old daughter, Joanna. He has an older brother who is also a doctor in the island of Thassos. Pastor Lambis was also a faithful and generous supporter of PEF and PEM. He served as a member of the Presidium of PEF ( ), representing Southern Europe. He left us a great legacy, because he was a good Christian loved by many, had a great impact on our lives with his example and he had good reputation in the society, as a person and a doctor. Ilias & Effie Chatzieleftheriou, Pastors in Katerini

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