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Aglow International is an interdenominational organization of Christian women and men. Formerly known as Women's Aglow Fellowship, it has more than 200,000 members meeting together each month through local Aglow groups in 171 nations.〔〔() (Aglow's Web Site) 〕 More than 21,000 Aglow leaders worldwide minister in their communities.〔 An estimated 17 million people each year are ministered to through over 1,250 community, neighborhood and workplace groups in the US, as well as 3,101 local groups internationally.〔() (Aglow's Web Site)〕 The organization was born in 1967 out of the charismatic movement that swept the US in the 1960s. The name ''Aglow'' is taken from the book of Romans 12:11.〔() (Aglow's web site)〕 Although Aglow has an overarching mission and identity, each local group is allowed to develop ministries which are best suited to the immediate needs and social characteristics of its community. Aglow is concerned with every aspect of believer's lives, and this is reflected in a diversity of ministry programs.〔(MinistryWatch.org's Summary Report on Aglow International )〕 Aglow's activities include small group studies, care (support) groups, retreats, and annual conferences. Aglow groups also offer practical gifts of clothing, food, house cleaning, and babysitting, as well as the mentorship of young people. They impact their communities by reaching out to people in prison, in senior homes, inner city neighborhoods, and mental institutions; to single moms, as well as to the next door neighbor. Aglow International is a non-profit organization and is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA).〔(MinistryWatch.com's Summary Report on Aglow International )〕 It is headquartered in Edmonds, Washington. ==History== Aglow began in 1967 with four women who expressed a desire to meet together as Christians without denominational boundaries.〔"Aglow Spreads Faith, Community of Women Conference set for Milwaukee" Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 29, 2006〕 The four women were wives of members of the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International. The women wanted a similar women's devotional association, "one where 'those coming into the charismatic renewal could meet to pray, fellowship, and listen to the testimonies of other Christian women.' In a few months the women had formed the Full Gospel Women's Fellowship which spread rapidly."〔''God's Daughters: Evangelical Women and the Power of Submission. ''R. Marie Griffith, University of California Press, 1997 〕 The first general meeting in Seattle drew more than 100 women to the Meany Hotel close to the University of Washington campus. It did not take long for women who attended that first meeting to invite their neighbors and friends to regular meetings in other communities surrounding Seattle. Word spread, and new groups began springing up around Washington. By 1972, more than 60 local groups held monthly meetings around the U.S.,〔 and the Full Gospel Women's Fellowship was incorporated as the Women's Aglow Fellowship International.〔''God's Daughters: Evangelical Women and the Power of Submission'', R. Marie Griffith, University of California Press, 1997〕 Within the next year, groups began in Canada, New Zealand, and The Netherlands, making Aglow an international "network of caring women." In 1981, Aglow's President, Jane Hansen, began to speak and write about the restoration of women according to the significance of their created role as outlined in the Bible. This grew into Aglow's teaching on the importance of male/female reconciliation in the Church.〔''Fashioned for Intimacy'', Jane Hansen with Marie Powers, Regal Books, 1997〕 In 1991 and 1995, Aglow began focusing on ministering to Muslims.〔("Aglow International: Still Shining Bright After 40 Years" ) A. Larry Ross Communications, March 15, 2007〕 Aglow tries to bring awareness about Islam to Christians and also sponsors an Arabic Language television show that is geared specifically for Muslim women.〔 Women's Aglow Fellowship changed its name to Aglow International in 1995. This change was instituted to encompass the growing global nature of the organization. In 2001, Aglow decided to stand with and support the nation of Israel and the Jewish people in the following areas:〔(Why Aglow and Israel ) (Aglow's Web Site)〕 : *To expose anti-Semitism and false doctrines which seek to destroy the Jewish people such as Replacement Theology or Supersessionism, calling for repentance in the Church at large; : *To love, support, honor, and esteem the Jewish people as the root from which Christianity has grown (Romans 11:18)〔(Romans 11:18 )〕 Aglow marked its 40th year in 2007. More than 200,000 Aglow members celebrated worldwide, and many attended commemorative events including an international conference September 20–23 in the organization's founding city, Seattle, and a tour of Israel - the group's seventh such journey to the Holy Land since 2000.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Aglow International」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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