In the acquisition, which is expected to close by the end of the calendar
year, IVP will obtain 170 current and nearly 30 new Biblica Books titles. This
includes Operation World, the definitive global prayer guide that's now in its
seventh edition.

The acquisition agreement between IVP and Biblica was made possible when
Biblica recently made a strategic decision to narrow its focus solely to the
Bible. A search for the right strategic partner with which to place their
book-publishing portfolio led them to IVP.

"The addition of Biblica Books is a significant strategy for IVP. This will
help us further serve and equip the church in its witness of grace and truth in
the world," says Bob Fryling, publisher of InterVarsity Press. "With this
acquisition, IVP becomes an even stronger publisher for biblical and
missions-oriented resources. We are grateful for this expansion opportunity."

The two publishers readily agreed that IVP is in a very strong position to
effectively carry forward the vision of Biblica Books. Through its
missions-focused publishing program and networks such as the Urbana Student
Missions Conferences, plus its broad reach in both trade and academic markets,
IVP will now be publishing an even greater selection of books to help
Christians throughout the church better fulfill their kingdom calling.

Scott Bolinder, president of global publishing for Biblica, says that "there
could not be a better fit for our authors and their wonderful content that
makes up our unique book-publishing portfolio. The mission of IVP and Biblica
resonates deeply with seeing lives around the world transformed through the
Bible and biblical resources. We are delighted with the outcome of this
transition and the potential to continue working closely as partners in global
ministry."

IVP plans a strong sales and marketing focus for current Biblica Books
titles starting in January 2012. This will include "Operation World," as well as
the recent release, "The Future of the Global Church" by Patrick Johnstone. The
official launch of the new line of Biblica Books at IVP will begin in March
2012.

Published by Biblica, the author of "Operation World" is Jason Mandryk. "The whole purpose of 'Operation World' is to inform Christians about the rest of the word, to mobilize them for prayer and for ministry in the neediest places on earth."

It's the first update in 9 years. Mandryk says this is the first full version completed from start to finish in the electronic age. He also says, "It's also been a much more collaborative and dialogue-oriented process through which we have come to our conclusions about the state of Christianity in all the countries and ways in which Christians can pray."

This new volume is five years in the making and is being made available in paperback and digital formats.

In an interview with "Christian Today," Mandryk said, "We pray that through this book the unevangelized will be evangelized, the suffering will find relief, and the church will be mobilized in fulfilling the great commission."

Since the world is more connected electronically than ever before, Mandryk says, "As we get increasingly connected to the global church, we're going to have to more frequently be revising our information."

One thing is clear, says Mandryk: "We see the church growing more rapidly than ever before. We see people groups being reached more rapidly than ever before. And we see the challenges that the churches are facing becoming globalized more and more."

To help launch "Operation World," Mandryk says, "We're doing a live global prayer event on the 9th of November, and we're running that twice that day. You can see that at the Web site itself, and we're going to have other guests as part of that event. "

You can participate in the prayer effort by going to OperationWorld.org and sign up.

You can get your own copy of "Operation World" and help Mission Network News at the same time. Click here.

Wayne Pederson with HCJB Global has been there during the conferences. He says the congress closed with "prayer for Christians in China Sunday morning, an emphasis on global partnering in the proclamation of the Gospel in the afternoon, and the closing celebration with communion — sending the 4,300 delegates out to the world."

This week the conference focused on biblical truth. John Piper, author of "Let the Nations Be Glad," says, "The worst problem in the universe is that people are lost without Christ. They're going to hell without Jesus. We have the one message of a Savior — a Mediator — that can save people from destruction. I'd like the whole global church to embrace it, believe it, and then die to spread it for the good of His people and the glory of God."

The conference also focused on other religions, priorities, and relations.

Chairman of the event, Doug Birdsall, says, "I think for many people who come from places where the church is smaller–perhaps a small minority in the country, the sense of connectedness provides great strength and confidence in the Gospel. Maybe the most important thing is the church regaining its footing and its nerve for world evangelization."

Pederson says, "Sunday afternoon, the 400 U.S. delegates met to discuss how the church in the U.S. will respond to the call for global evangelization. The U.S. group is planning a follow up gathering in Orlando next April to create the evangelism strategy for America, and America to the world.

The highlight for Pederson: "A meeting with Christian leaders from North Africa who continue to share the Gospel despite heavy persecution. This is my final report from Cape Town, an experience in cross cultural unity that has changed lives and will continue to change the church and the world."

Pray for the Lausanne delegates as they head home. Pray that God will give them wisdom as they implement what they've learned and committed to during Cape Town 2010.

Richard Coleman with
The Mission Society says the church in the West has lost sight of suffering. "There has been a desensitization to suffering because everything about church is comfortable. We drink coffee in the sanctuary. We wear jeans and flip flops in church. And everything has become so casual that you forget that there are brothers and sisters who are beaten for their faith."

Coleman says our faith isn't something that should be comfortable. He says Lausanne has given him a new "passion for the lost and a passion for the body of Christ around the world."

Nancy Sturrock with The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) says for her, Lausanne was a time of celebrating what God has done in Nepal, a country in which she served. "60 years ago there was not a single Nepali Christian. And now, today they have a delegation of 31 Nepali brothers and sisters at an international congress like this. It's just an incredible sign of what God is doing in the world."

Sturrock says TEAM's goal is to reach the unreached. She says, "We're wanting to connect, especially with organizations from Asia, Africa or Latin America that are wanting to send people from their churches that we can team up with and reach the people who have not yet heard."

According to President of Russian Ministries Sergey Rakhuba, this Lausanne was different for him than the last congress. "I didn't have a chance to go. At that time I lived still in the Soviet Union, and it was right on the brink of the Soviet Union collapse."

Rakhuba says much of Lausanne focused on the unreached in countries in Asia, especially the Muslim world. He says we can't forget about the so-called "reached" nations, like Russia. He says Russia still has challenges. He says it has "120 different ethnic groups. And Russia still has power to dominate in that part of the world. So Russia without Christ is dangerous."

Rakhuba says the future of Russia is in the hands of the Next Generation — a generation they're training to reach the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Time will tell what kind of impact Cape Town 2010 had on God's Kingdom. Pray that from these 4,000 leaders, millions of lives will be touched with the Gospel.

President of HCJB Global Wayne Pederson is there. He says, "The sad part of the gathering: some 230 delegates from China were not allowed to leave China when they came to the airport to leave for the Lausanne conference. They were denied exit. Their passports and luggage were confiscated. Another group of house church leaders were also blocked from leaving from Shanghai."

Pederson says, "It's interesting that this is happening because the conference is focusing on evangelism in the developing world, such as China, India, and Bangladesh, and some of the least-reached areas of the world. "

Lausanne will also focus on poverty, HIV/AIDS, and other faiths throughout the week.

Pederson says everyone's anticipating today's activity. "Monday's focus is on Asia. And Monday's focus is also on apologetics — making the case for truth in a pluralistic society. Monday evening, we'll be focusing on the suffering church and religious freedom around the world."

Mission Network News will have coverage on Lausanne all week long.

The first congress was held in Lausanne Switzerland in 1974. The second was in Manila, Philippines in 1989. These congresses helped shape the theology and strategy for global evangelism in this century. The Third Congress in Cape Town South Africa–the first such congress in the digital age–will deal with changes in technology, religions, culture and growth of the emerging world.

President of HCJB Global Wayne Pederson says, "The reason I want to be at Lausanne as president of HCJB is to be a part of a group that creates a strategy for missions and world evangelization for the coming decade."

Pederson says sharing the Gospel today is high tech. "We feel that global media–that includes the new media of social networking, digital and mobile communications, sending text, video and audio to smart phones around the world–is one of the most effective ways to reach unreached people in closed countries with the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

Pederson says, "In addition, thousands around the world will participate virtually through internet and satellite."

He's asking you to pray for the influential leaders at Cape Town 2010 as they respond to God's call to proclaim the message of Christ to a contemporary world.

Biblica is bringing prayer back to the forefront with the 7th edition "Operation World." Biblica's Mike Dworak says, "We all feel like we need to pray more, but we don't know how. And sometimes, praying for the whole world is overwhelming."

"Operation World" contains hundreds of pages of helpful information. "It takes every nation, island, group, and it breaks it down by prayer needs, geography, religion, unreached people groups. It gives you a snapshot of what God is doing around the nations, as well as ways you can strategically pray using the content, so you can join God in what He's doing."

It's probably the best book you've never read. "It really is a resource to equip the global church to pray for people in every nation to come to know Him. And it really kind of guides you through it, which for me, I need all the help I can get so it doesn't feel so overwhelming."

It's ironic that "Operation World" is being launched this month. Why? Cape Town 2010, which is the Third Lausanne Congress for World Evangelization. Biblica is hosting an event Monday to celebrate the release, which will be a great tool for many in attendance. Dworak says, "There will be 4,000 to 5,000 people from every nation around the world coming together and talking about, 'What is God doing? How do we strategize? What do we do with that?'"

Following Lausanne, Dworak says they'll be holding a Global Prayer Movement webcast at OperationWorld.org on Tuesday, November 9 at noon and 7:00 pm (Central time). "We have people like Anne Graham Lotz, Max Lucado, Joni Eareckson Tada, David Platt who wrote 'Radical,' and then global voices like KP Yohannan, Lindsay Brown from Lausanne, and others. They'll be sharing with us why we need to pray and what will happen when we do."

Dworak hopes this launches a prayer movement similar to that of more than a decade ago. "There was a whole prayer movement for a long time for the 10/40 Window where the unreached people groups are located — especially Muslims who are not reached. There are more Muslims coming to Christ in droves."

Dworak says the end result is this: "We want to see God move. We want to see Him glorified. And we want to see Him change hearts and then change nations."

If you'd like a copy of "Operation World," you can receive it before it's in stores. Biblica is providing a limited supply of "Operation World" to MNN supporters. With your gift of $10 (or more) per month, or your one-time gift $100 (or more), we'll send you a copy of "Operation World."

To get your copy, click here: https://www.MNNonline.org/donate/support.

"Operation World," published by Biblica, is making it possible to pray specifically for various countries through their 60-Day Prayer Movement. On November 9th, two live global webcasts celebrated the announcement, and people are joining to pray for the many countries around the world.

Those who join in the movement will receive daily e-mails with a specific country to pray for that day. The e-mail gives a snapshot of the nation's prayer needs, information about the country, and a video produced by Prayercast–a Web site dedicated to online media resources that highlight needs of the world and prompt Christians to pray.

The 2010 edition of "Operation World" was just released last month. The book continues to be a primary global resource that encourages those who read to pray for evangelism in the world. It promotes awareness of global missions as well as involvement. The book specializes in summaries of every nation with specific ways to pray; answers to past prayers; updates on church growth, population, people group and language statistics; charts and maps; and explanations of major trends in economics, politics and society.

"God has used this book to open my eyes and the eyes of the church I pastor to the needs of the world and the greatness of the God who desires to make His glory known in the world," says Senior Pastor David Platt at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, AL, "I eagerly welcome this new edition and wholeheartedly recommend it."

To join in the 60-day prayer movement, or to find out more about the 2010 "Operation World," you can visit operationworld.org.