As I write this I am facing a week of back-to-back meetings in the US. Already this has been a remarkable year, and I only recently returned from India after what I have to say were some of the most exciting meetings in all the years I have spoken there. My colleagues Stuart McAllister and LT Jeyachandran were there speaking as well. Michael Ramsden has just completed meetings in Rome. Next week, I will team up with John Lennox, who is scheduled to debate atheist Christopher Hitchens in a few weeks, for an evangelistic open forum here in Atlanta, themed, "Is Faith Delusional?" Tickets are still available, so if you're nearby the Atlanta area please do come and join us.

Below you will read the reports of the team. Each one, as they send their updates to us, is offering reports of large numbers coming to Christ. In over three nights of meetings in India, to say there were thousands who came forward at the invitations would not be overstating it. Friends, be encouraged that even in these very trying times around the globe, ministry is taking place that is truly changing lives. When I see such response to the Gospel and such desire to walk more deeply with God, I send a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for placing us in such a calling. We as a ministry are facing some enormously trying times. I know these are difficult times for many, and we thank God for you and pray for you that He will meet your every need. We only ask that as you are able and as the Lord lays us on your heart, you will step forward to partner with us. And most importantly, we ask you to pray with us that the Lord will give us wisdom in any decisions we need to make and that this work may continue undeterred so that many more hearts and minds are all over the world will know the beauty of the Gospel. We believe this is the Lord's ministry, and we thank you for how you stand with us in this calling.

Engaging Today's Culture with RZIM:

• Last Chance for "Is Faith Delusional?" tickets!
  
  There is still time to purchase tickets for "Is Faith Delusional?" featuring Ravi Zacharias and John Lennox at the Atlanta Civic Center on February 26, 2009. Join RZIM for a thought-provoking evening as Ravi Zacharias addresses the intellectual assumptions of atheism while contrasting the validity of the Christian faith in his special message "Is Faith Delusional?" This unique message promises to inspire, answer questions, and provide an opportunity to dialogue about today's most important questions. Question & Answer session to follow this message. Visit http://www.ticketmaster.com for your tickets or visit Atlanta Civic Center event for more information.
• Summer School and Summer Institute
  
  
  • Summer Institute at Wheaton College The Apologetic Life: Consistent Living, Credible Witness
    
    

    June 14-19, 2009

    Our goal for the 2009 Summer Institute is to encourage, equip, and inspire the participants to embrace the full meaning and implications of truly living the apologetic life. The Summer Institute is an in-depth week of study conducted by RZIM speakers and multiple adjunct lecturers. The week is a series of five sessions broken out by topic/emphasis, as well as daily corporate worship and devotions. Speakers include Ravi Zacharias, John Lennox, Margaret Manning, Stuart McAllister, and others.

    Early Registration: There is a $200 discount for registrations made before April 30, 2009. For more details regarding the schedule, speakers, and registration information visit http://www.rzim.org/USA/Events/EventDescriptions/Institutes/WheatonSummerInstitute.aspx.

  • Summer School at Oxford University War of the World Views
    
    

    June 28 - July 3, 2009

    The Oxford Summer School is an intense week of training in evangelism and apologetics. The program will focus on a number of the major challenges that Christians face today in a world where different worldviews compete with one another in the larger marketplace of ideas.

    Speakers include Ravi Zacharias, Michael Ramsden, John Lennox, Amy Orr-Ewing, and her husband, Frog, and others.

    For more details visit the website at http://summerschool.rzim.eu/.

• Eight-Week Apologetic Course in Oxford
  An invaluable investment for businessmen and women
  
  

  The much-praised eight-week Business Program at the Oxford Center for Christian Apologetics (OCCA) is all set to begin on May 11 this year. For those from the USA looking to enjoy the incredible Oxford UK experience, there has never been a better time given the current exchange rate!

  This course is designed for those with a passion to make Christ known in the workplace and with a desire to learn more about the key role that apologetics can play in your daily life. Many participants say that it is a life-changing experience.

  For further details and to apply for this course click here http://www.rzim.org/USA/Events/BusinessProgramattheOCCA.aspx.

• RZIM Classics Series: A Celebration of 25 Years of Ministry
  
  

  Continuing the celebration of our 25th anniversary, we are offering the next product, Deliver Us From Evil by Ravi Zacharias, as part of our "RZIM Classics Series." This product will be available at a 20% discount during the month of March.

  RZIM Classics collection is a unique anniversary series showcasing Ravi and the team's most memorable messages and celebrating the wisdom and wit that has come to characterize RZIM. Look for a new discounted product each month of 2009!

• Sarah Zacharias Davis's Books Now Available through RZIM
  
  

  Transparent: Getting Honest about Who We Are and Who We Want to Be
  by Sarah Zacharias Davis

  It's hard for women to admit to each other that they've failed, or even that they may have shortcomings. They easily admit these things to themselves and then try relentlessly to improve themselves, but rarely will they let on to others the kind of personal struggles they are facing day to day. In this candid book, women share their heartfelt confessions about what keeps them from being the unique women that God made them to be-such as insecurity, jealousy, perfectionism, doing the right thing for the wrong reasons, and more. Every woman will find herself in these pages. Through the kind of unflinching honesty that women are often afraid to have with each other, readers will discover the value of sharing their struggles and faults with their community of sisters, friends, and mentors. In the end, they will find the wisdom to grow into that person that God had in mind all along. So, no matter who you are or where you are in life, this book will provide hope and encouragement for the journey. Sarah Zacharias Davis, daughter of Ravi Zacharias, is the vice president of marketing and development for RZIM.

• Spring Offer 2009
  
  

  Look for our Spring Offer available beginning the first week of March and featuring the latest products from the RZIM team including Ravi Zacharias's latest message, "Having a Triple Strength to Your Life," and resources from Arun Andrews, Michael Ramsden, and more! As always, you will receive a free CD with purchase. This time you will receive Michael Ramsden's message delivered at the University of California at Berkeley in October 2008, "Is Faith Delusional?"

Where in the World is RZIM? Highlights from across the globe...

Ravi Zacharias
On January 24 Youth for Christ launched a series of three meetings to celebrate their 50th anniversary in Hyderabad. Forty-four years ago this May Ravi preached his first sermon in Hyderabad at the YFC Youth Preacher contest-which he ended up winning! When Ravi spoke this time there were seven to eight thousand young people in attendance. By the time Ravi was scheduled to speak, the audience had spent over three hours listening to music and dancing. In fact, it took the host ten minutes to get them to sit down before Ravi could begin. Margie Zacharias, in attendance that evening, reported that she wondered how the audience would be able to quiet their minds and lower their adrenaline levels enough to listen and concentrate. However, ten minutes into Ravi's message they were listening very intently. He preached for about an hour on Jesus's temptation and then he gave an invitation for salvation. Margie reported that she couldn't believe what she saw next. At first she thought the audience didn't understand what he was asking or that they were just curious for it looked like half the audience came forward. The first one leading the way was a young girl. In fact, she started forward before Ravi could even finish giving the invitation and then the multitude followed. It was like they couldn't wait for him to give them the opportunity. At the end, more than a thousand people had come forward to give their lives to Christ and they were matched by a similar number of counselors.

On the evening of January 25, for the second meeting, there were several thousand more in attendance. Ravi spoke on Jacob and again when he gave the invitation, more than a thousand people responded.

On the final night of the series, YFC reached their target goal of 15,000 in the audience. Ravi preached his message, "Who Are You God?" The night was long and late but the Lord was with him. And again, there was a great response. Praise God for his faithfulness to RZIM!

Ravi is back in the United States and traveled to Gastonia, NC on Monday, February 16, with Stuart McAllister to speak at an Engaging Today's Culture event held at Forestview High School. They then traveled to Colorado Springs, CO on Wednesday, February 18, to participate in another Engaging Today's Culture event being held at Woodmen Valley Chapel. Ravi gave the message Defending the Faith We Live and Stuart spoke on Living the Faith We Defend. If you would like to learn more about our church events or how to host one at your church, please visit http://www.rzim.org/usa/home.aspx, click on "Events" and then "Event Descriptions" in the left hand menu. There, you'll be able to drill-down further and learn about RZIM Institutes and Seminars.

Next, Ravi will speak alongside John Lennox on "Is Faith Delusional?" at the Atlanta Civic Center on February 26. You can find out more information about attending this event and purchase tickets here http://www.rzim.org/USA/Events/CivicCenter2009.aspx

On February 7 the Zacharias Trust hosted a one-day conference entitled, "Uncertain Times, Certain Hope" at St. Aldate's Church. The team reports, "The conference was sold out with 450 delegates attending, and there was a tremendous atmosphere as people gathered. Alister McGrath, John Lennox, Michael Ramsden, and Michael Green spoke at the four main sessions. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Two comments really sum up the day: 'The graveyard slot (after lunch) became the resurrection slot-outstanding.' Another said, 'I feel I have dined at the Ritz today in terms of speakers and relevant content.' It was a great team effort with the whole staff working really hard to make the day a success."

Michael Ramsden was then the main speaker at the Europartners Leadership Retreat held in Rome, Italy from February 11-15. This retreat was for Christian businessmen from around Europe.

Vlad Criznic has conducted a succession of important meetings in Romania. First he spoke at a Christian high school in Arad. Although this high school is known as a public Christian high school, many of the students are non-believers. Vlad was asked to defend the Bible, miracles, and the person of Jesus. In all of these meetings he was allowed to give invitations for the students to receive Jesus Christ and was met with a wonderful response. Vlad also met with the MAMI Organization to discuss future speaking engagements in defending the sanctity of life in non-Christian high schools in Romania.

Vlad then spoke on evangelism to about seven hundred people at two church services. He used the opportunity to present what evangelism and apologetics means. The organizers were amazed at the amount of people who attended the services.

Vlad will travel to Timisoara (where the revolution started in 1989) at the end of the month to meet with several missionary organizations and ministries in the area to discuss the potential for RZIM to assist them with their initiatives.

Vlad will begin translating the RZIM promotional materials to be used on March 9 at a national conference for leaders (BIG - Church with Global Impact: see )http://www.bigimpact.ro.

Please pray for him in these efforts and for God to open up opportunities for RZIM to minister in Romania.

Stuart McAllister's meetings in Shillong from January 22-25 went extremely well. The team reports, "The participants thoroughly enjoyed Stuart's sessions and their responses were very encouraging to all of the RZIM team. One of the immediate results of the seminar was the formation of an apologetics forum for Northeast Christian Thinkers with all the participants as members. This forum will launch a website in the near future. The main objective of this forum is to encourage Christian thinkers and also to edify one another."

The sixth batch of the three-week certificate course on Christian apologetics at the Ravi Zacharias Centre for Learning in Chennai concluded on February 14. Twenty-six delegates from different professional backgrounds and from different cities of India enjoyed their three weeks and are looking forward to applying all they've learned. Pray for God's touch on the delegates to help them to internalize what they learned and become effective communicators of the Gospel.

On January 23 the diocese of Tuticorin and Nazareth, one of the largest diocese of Church of South India, had its first annual conference for members of the men's fellowship in the city of Tuticorine and invited Prakash Yesudian to be their main speaker. There was great expectation among 500 delegates who represented their churches. The bishop of the diocese inaugurated the conference and Prakash gave two messages on the relationship and responsibilities of men at home, at church, and in society. At the end of the second message most of the delegates stood up and responded to the invitation to give their best to the Lord and do their best for the Lord.

LT Jeyachandran spoke at three open forums in Delhi and Lucknow on the topic, "Confidence Amidst Uncertainties." The forums went well, and the forum at Lucknow was well attended-and nearly half of the audience included friends belonging to other faiths. A Muslim friend commented, "I came to learn a lot from Mr. LT's lecture which was quite practical in nature." A lieutenant colonel belonging to the Christian faith said, "A very clearly presented truth.... He steered questions to highlight the reality of the utmost solution-an identity and relationship in Christ Jesus."

Cyril spoke at the Kingdom International Church on February 8 on the topic "Confirming & Defending the Gospel."

The team also participated in a few Valentine's Day series. Rev. Arun Andrews spoke at a Valentine's Day program at Chennai and Neil was interviewed for a TV program "Uncensored: Truth Exposed" organized by LoCo Ministries at Thiruvananthapuram on February 14.

The Canadian team reports, "You'll all be glad to know that the snow and cold has not let up in our part of Canada. However, neither has the determination to be effective when it comes to the mandate to train and equip people so that they can engage in critical conversations of faith."

The Canadian RZIM office is excited to announce the commencement of a world religions course offered through the School for Urban Biblical Studies. It is an eight-week course taught by Alex Philip and Rachel Tulloch. The first class commenced on Monday, January 19 with fifteen students in the class. The team reports, "This is exciting because this course is not just about more knowledge for Christians, but will have a direct impact in the lives and communities of its students. The first class generated a lot of lively discussion, and as the course unfolds students are looking forward to more discussion on how to interact intelligently and sensitively with adherents of other religious traditions."

The Canadian team is now working on shaping the next few Believing Is Seeing weekend training events that will occur throughout the year.

lease pray for the team as they connect with local people who are looking at what RZIM training materials are available to assist them in their spheres of influence. Also, please pray for wisdom as they plan their events, that they be effective and useful to the participants.

LT Jeyachandran was in India from February 1-4 for meetings and times of ministry. He spoke at the Sunday service of Cornerstone Community Church in Singapore on February 8 before going to Maui, Hawaii from February 12-19 to conduct leadership training at the Haggai Institute.

On February 6, I'Ching Thomas was invited to speak at the Indonesian Graduates' Christian Fellowship on the topic "Christian Lifestyle: Faith and Relationship."

Jose taught at the RZIM Academy in Chennai from February 4-6 before speaking at the National University of Singapore on February 11 on the timely theme of pluralism.

At the beginning of February, Senem attended the second Strategic Planning Institute meeting organized by SRG and held in Istanbul. This series of meetings aims to form a mutual vision and mission of God's work in Turkey for the next ten years. Ministry leaders and pastors participated in strategic planning to determine the way for a revival. They experienced two deep and rich days of seeing a broader picture of how God is bringing things together in Turkey. Senem was asked to share the morning devotion for the event.

Senem was also invited to speak at Campus Ministry's monthly youth meeting called "The Deeper Life" in Istanbul. At her first meeting, held on Valentine's Day, she spoke to university students and new believers on the most appropriate subject for the day--love.

Grace Lee needs prayer for the upcoming April gathering to be held in a wonderful local Chinese church. She has also been asked to co-lead a weekly workplace Bible study for women, using the RZIM Critical Questions series (http://store.rzim.org/product/tabid/61/p-93-critical-questions-series.aspx). The response is more than anticipated and there is now a waiting list. Based on the email responses, it should be a dynamic and diverse mix of businesswomen! Please pray for this study, which will meet for eight weeks beginning February 26.

Please know that we are here to serve you in any way that we can. Feel free to contact us by phone at (770) 449-6766 or via our website, www.rzim.org.

God bless you,