40 REASONS TO PRAY, ATTEND & SUPPORT
THE 5TH GLOBAL CONVOCATION of CHRISTIAN LAWYERS
Co-hosted by Advocates International, Advocates North America
& Christian Legal Society/USA
Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington on Capitol Hill
October 6 - 12, 2008
"40" is a significant number in Scripture. It often marks the end of an event, era, or period of preparation that ushers in new blessings, opportunities, or challenges. Thus, the 40-day Flood ended with God's blessing and covenant; the 40-year wandering in the wilderness by the Israelites led to the Promised Land; Elijah's flight from Jezebel ended 40 days later with God's silent whisper to "Go back the way you came"; the 40 days the Adversary tempted Jesus preceded the launch of his ministry; and 40 days after the Resurrection, Jesus' Ascension began the Church Age.
In preparing for the challenges facing the Church, society, law and the legal profession in the 21st Century, we offer the following 40 reasons to pray, attend and support the 5th Global Convocation:
1. Bring glory to God, the Father, and his Son, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
2. Bring together 1,500 delegates from 150 nations who seek to bear witness of Jesus Christ through the legal profession locally, nationally, regionally and globally.
3. Provide a forum where law professionals from 150 nations can gather together for worship, prayer, fellowship, unprecedented networking and unmatched training.
4. Provide a forum for lawyers to hear some of the finest speakers in their profession.
5. Provide all delegates with a copy of Law Professor Mike Schutts' best-selling book, Redeeming Law: Christian Calling and the Legal Profession, and challenge them to integrate the book's message in their daily practice.
6. Provide a forum for Dr. Emerson Eggerichs to address the theme of his best-selling book, Love & Respect, and provide a copy of the book to all delegates to help couples change the ways they talk to, think about, and treat each other.
7. Provide a forum for the Founding Dean of Handong International Law School and Advocates' Board Chairman, Lynn Buzzard, to lead the Bible studies at the Convocation.
8. Challenge lawyers to embrace Advocates' L-O-R-D strategy by putting legs to Jesus' final words to his disciples in Acts 1:8 to be his witnesses by meeting locally (L) [in their Jerusalem], organizing nationally (O) [in their Judea], cooperating regionally (R) [in their Samaria] and discipling globally (D) [to the ends of the earth].
9. Provide a venue for Advocates Africa, Advocates Asia, Advocates Europe, Advocates Latin America, Advocates North America, Advocates Caribbean, Advocates Middle East, CLS/USA and CLF/Canada to hold their annual membership and Board meetings.
10. Facilitate regional and global networking among 100+ national Christian lawyer groups to provide legal aid for the poor, oppressed, imprisoned and disabled.
11. Challenge and facilitate young lawyers to "start well" in their profession and to seek out national and international opportunities to serve the Lord through law.
12. Challenge and facilitate lawyers in mid-career to "do well" in their profession and to seek out national and international opportunities to serve the Lord through law.
13. Challenge and facilitate senior lawyers to "finish well" by seeking out national and international opportunities to serve the Lord through law.
14. Facilitate strategic regional and global networking among existing national and international groups promoting religious freedom.
15. Facilitate building relationships leading to cooperation and exchanges between local CLS/USA, CLF/Canada and LCF/UK chapters with national Christian lawyer groups such as the Kenyan Christian Legal Fellowship, Rule of Law Institute of Bulgaria and CLS/Peru.
16. Provide a forum enabling churches to partner with national lawyer groups in promoting justice, rule of law, religious freedom, peacemaking and integrity.
17. Provide a forum to facilitate networking and joint venture projects among lawyer groups and global ministries, such as Voice of the Martyrs, World Vision, World Evangelical Alliance and Campus Crusade for Christ, that often need competent local counsel.
18. Provide a forum enabling Peacemaker Ministries to broaden its global movement promoting church-based conflict resolution and alternative dispute resolution programs.
19. Provide a forum enabling International Justice Mission to broaden and strengthen its mission addressing trafficking and related issues.
20. Provide a forum enabling the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and similar agencies and groups to build relationships with leading religious liberty advocates.
21. Provide a forum facilitating global networking among judges who seek to follow Christ within their profession.
22. Provide a forum facilitating global networking among law professors and other scholars seeking to follow Christian within their profession.
23. Provide a forum facilitating global networking among Christian law students.
24. Provide a forum to share with other regions the successful Continuing Legal Education program developed by Advocates Latin America.
25. Provide a forum to share with other regions the successful Law Student Moot Court Competition program developed by Advocates Asia.
26. Provide a forum to share with other regions successful national justice projects such as Advocates Africa's Project Nehemiah which encourages national African Christian lawyer groups to develop a variety of 52-day pro-active national justice projects.
27. Provide a forum to share regional advocacy strategies for religious freedom and biblical family values as done by Advocates Europe and Advocates Latin America.
28. Provide a forum groups reporting on religious freedom issues, such as Forum 18, Voice of the Martyrs, Jubilee Campaign, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Open Doors.
29. Provide a forum bringing together at least 25 organizations engaged globally in religious freedom, human rights, peacemaking and related legal issues.
30. Provide a forum challenging national and regional Christian lawyer groups to take a proactive role in promoting the rule of law and integrity by addressing the culture of corruption found within legal systems and the legal profession.
31. Provide a forum sharing effective media, communication and Internet tools, including national Christian lawyer group magazines, DVDs and Bible study materials, such as Law & Justice published by The Lawyers' Christian Fellowship of the UK.
32. Provide a forum addressing corporate governance of Advocates International and how to pass the baton of leadership from the current AI Board of Directors, dominated by North Americans and Europeans, to a truly Global Council with leaders from six continents.
33. Provide a forum to strengthen national Christian lawyer groups through training in organizing, resourcing, programming and fundraising.
34. Challenge all regional networks to be financially self-sustaining by 2011.
35. Challenge all regional networks to open a permanent regional office with a full-time staff funded by resources from within the region by 2011.
36. Challenge regional networks to link lawyers in at least 80% of the nations in their region.
37. Provide a forum for regional networks to share their experiences such as the successful model by Advocates Latin America to establish Permanent Committees addressing: a) religious freedom; b) human rights (justice); c) peacemaking; d) traditional family values; e) corruption (rule of law & integrity).
38. Update Advocates' website with current information on all nations sending delegates to the Convocation and strengthen its Internet communication network.
39. Accomplish all of the above with sufficient funds to pay all expenses.
40. Depart the 5th Global Convocation re-energized to bear witness of Jesus Christ, thanking God for making it all possible, to the glory of His Son, Jesus Christ.