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CHARIS Nordic Newsletter July 2025


In this letter: Training in evangelism for young people, full day in Rome, We are looking for a young person to go to the CHARIS Europe meeting in Krakow, Torbjörn Freij's new book about the boundary between the natural and the supernatural, Lillemor Hallin's autobiography When the walls fell, Ecumenical praise and worship in Kungsträdgården Stockholm 2 August, Cardinal Anders Arborelius participates in the OAS movement's summer meeting,  Ecumenical week in Stockholm 18-24 August, CHARIS Nordic website, CHARIS needs your support.

 

CHARIS Youth Event in Rome 30 July:


CHARIS Europe, meeting in Krakow 26-28 September, we are looking for a young person.

Three people from CHARIS NSC Nordic, from Denmark, Finland and Sweden will go.  But we are allowed to send five people and at least one should be a youth or a young adult (under 35).  We are looking for a young person who is passionate about the Spirit and understands the baptism of the Spirit who wants to go. If that person is you, or if you know someone who you think would be suitable, contact us immediately. Last day to register 31 July.

 

Lillemor Hallin: When the walls fell - My Catholic upbringing.


As the last step in the project with the republication of Lillemor Hallin's books, the autobiographical book “När murarna föll” (When the walls fell) has now been published. Lillemor Hallin (born 1934) has for decades been an influential voice in Catholic charismatic renewal with a focus on ecumenism, intercession and healing. Her books are now available, which we hope will bear rich fruit for a new generation of readers.


The book is about women in the church, their care, strength and indomitable perseverance in love despite the resistance they face if they want anything other than to passively submit, how their struggle brings their grinding and destruction, but also how it bears fruit with the help of God's grace in the form of healing and rebirth.


It tells the unlikely story of a mother from Protestant Sweden who met Jesus through a Catholic priest in Chicago, how the author and her two sisters grew up in their home in Danderyd with a Catholic upbringing. With humor and warmth, the story tells of hilarious situations that could arise in confrontation with the Protestant community. Unforgettable is the story of the bus driver who was given a lesson that confession requires both sincere intention of repentance to be valid by 9-year-old Lillemor while the bus on dusty roads rolled into town from the then rural Danderyd.


A rather happy childhood is described with many bright depictions of Christmas parties, encouraging priests who made home visits, joked and offered sweets and the everyday games and pranks with the local kids.


But there was also a darker side. The artistically inclined mother, who had a vision of a loving church where everyone's gifts came into practice, was ostracized by the Protestant environment, and the priests of the Catholic Church did not have the slightest understanding of her. Lillemor had to bear much of her mother's agony even as a child. Her health deteriorated during her high school years, she stopped going to school and became increasingly apathetic. When she was 17 years old, she contracted a fatal blood disease and had a near-death experience - a voice said to her: "Now you must return to life and seek the love that breaks through and breaks down all walls."  After that, she was miraculously healed. That was the turnaround...


 

The sins, the vices, the demons. New book about the borderland between the natural and the supernatural.


Torbjörn Freij, pastor in Vineyard, has based on his long experience written a book for Christian pastors, [The Sins, the Vices, the Demons – A Pastoral Handbook in the Spiritual Struggle]. It is about the borderland between the natural and the supernatural.


Man is deceptively entangled in a complex web of sins, character weaknesses and demonic influences that must be seen through in order to be free. Trauma makes us extra susceptible to this and healing is needed so that we do not pass on the trauma to future generations.

The book summarizes important knowledge for those involved in the church's healing and evangelistic ministry. We are warned against over-fixation on the demonic, but at the same time the importance of not underestimating the role of impure spirits in holding us captive is emphasized. We are talking about what is part of everyday life in the Christian life, e.g. in the renewal of baptismal vows when we renounce "Satan and all his delusions" or in intercession about the baptism of the Spirit in connection with the Life in the Spirit seminars. We do not ask the unclean spirit forces to leave, but we take authority over them according to the authority we have in Christ through baptism. It is important to have this rejection of evil, because Satan would have no power at all in this world if it were not for the fact that we humans borrow our bodies to practice it.


The book provides a broad ecumenical overview of the subject, and also addresses Catholic literature where Neal Lozano is a well-known name.  He has 50 years of pastoral experience through his organization "Heart of the Father Ministries" and in the book "Unbound" he emphasizes that deliverance does not have to be a dramatic exorcism, but a gospel-centered process where the individual is led to freedom through conversation and prayer. (A work with translation of Lozanos book into Swedish is underway).


Since dealing with the demonic is often associated with the more speculative such as possession and "major exorcism" which in the Catholic Church may only be carried out by specially authorized persons of the bishop and that one sometimes sees an exaggerated fixation on seeing demons in everything and exorcism as a "quick fix" of personal problems, it is important to have books like this that soberly and objectively provide balanced perspectives.


Leaders within CHARIS have recommended Neal Lozano's pastoral care program with the five steps: Repentance and Faith – Forgiveness – Renunciation – Authority – Father's Blessing. On the CHARIS International website (CHARIS is under the Vatican, the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life) there is a text from the Doctrinal Commission that provides guidance for Catholics to relate to: Can lay people be involved in Deliverance and Exorcism? - CHARIS. The Doctrinal Commission has also published a book that delves into the subject, "Deliverance ministry" which can be ordered via [CHARIS Nordic bokshop].

 

Ecumenical events in Sweden in the summer of 2025


Ecumenical Worship in Kungsträdgården, Stockholm, August 2. Sweden worships Jesus


A network of churches and organizations, including representatives from the Salvation Army, the Pentecostal Movement and neo-Pentecostal churches, evangelical churches, the Church of Sweden, EFS, EFK, Arab and African congregations and CHARIS Nordic, invite to this event on August 2, 13.00 – 21.00. [Sweden Worships Jesus - 9 hours of worship in Kungsträdgården!]


The Oas Movement: summer meeting July 30 – August 3, Gullbrannagården Halland.

Participants include Cardinal Anders Arborelius. https://oasrorelsen.se/sommaroas/sommaroas-2025/ 


Ecumenical week in Stockholm 18-24 August, arranged by the Christian Council of Sweden (100th anniversary of the Ecumenical World Meeting in Stockholm, the Nicene Creed 1700 years)


A whole week of seminars, church services, a public festival in Kungsträdgården, etc. [The full program here] Among other things: [Ecumenical worship service in Stockholm Lutheran Cathedral on Wednesday 20 Aug at 18.00]. Participation by Cardinal Anders Arborelius. (Arrive in good time!)

 

CHARIS Nordic website


Welcome to the CHARIS Nordic website. It is a resource that is at your disposal. The basic language is English but is also available in language versions for all the Nordic languages, which can be used by local groups within the different countries. There is a news blog, event booking and group pages for internal communication. There is also a book shop where Lillemor Hallin's books and other things can be ordered.


Support CHARIS

[link here] or QR-kod.

 


/Bengt Malmgren, coordinator CHARIS Nordic

 
 
 

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