Meet Paul and Anna Klassen – a big part of God’s answer to our prayers in regard to the church plant in Hennef. Paul is a high school physics teacher and Anna a certified midwife. Paul is in his last semester of a two-year bible school program in Ireland. Not long ago their name was presented to me as couple eagerly looking to become involved in a new church plant in this area of Germany. I put them in
touch with Wolfgang and Petra Stolz in Hennef with whom they have connected beautifully. They quickly agreed that if Paul were able to get a teaching position close to Hennef, they would be willing to move there. This last week Petra called us with the awesome news - Paul had just signed a contract with a high school in the area. Petra was so exited! She said that when they first got the news they started dancing. We personally got to know Paul and Anna on Good Friday and were greatly encouraged by their serving and energetic hearts. Praise God for his leading and provision. Please pray for them as they finish up in Ireland and move to Hennef. Pray for the church plant which now can move forward once again.It is exciting to see young Germans like Paul and Anna whose hearts beat for Church planting, but unfortunately they are a rare case. If we are going to see a second reformation occur in Germany we need hundreds more like them. To that end, God has given us a new vision that our entire team of GEM missionaries in Germany is pursuing. We see the need for a new, multi-denominational, Center for Church Planting Development and are in the process of inviting the denominational leaders of several evangelical denominations to a round table discussion about this vision. We sense the time is right to initiate this as it seems that some of them are beginning to realize they can no longer afford to think so territorially and are seeing the need to begin working together in order to foster a true movement of church planting in Germany. We envision this center to be a kind of incubator where young church planters can be inspired, trained, and then mentored as they launch new churches across this country. Please pray that God would open the hearts of the denominational leaders we are contacting and that we would indeed be able to meet with them soon. The first meeting will take place at our home on May 5 with the hope that a second one will follow the beginning of June.
Your missionaries to Germany,
Jason (and Sue)
