Dear Friends,
Yesterday the door to our parking garage got stuck. This changed the day for us and most of our neighbors as well. Our cars were held captive underground. Either we had to alter our plans, or at the very least our mode of transportation. Luckily we have excellent public transportation here. Some of us had to get creative. Others had to just do without. Fortunately the repairmen came today and were able to open the door and order the parts to get it permanently fixed.
Often in our ministry we have had the door get stuck and have had to get creative and change our plans. We often pray that God would either open or close doors for us so that we can know how He is leading us. But I am not sure that we are always very sensitive to the fact that He is closing the door. Instead we react by getting frustrated or looking for ways to get through the door by force. Ministry by force is probably never a very good idea. How often have we made plans, believing that God was in them, only to eventually see Him lead us in a completely different direction?
Actually, we do possess a force that can open closed doors. That force is persistent prayer. Jesus even admonished us to keep knocking at the door of heaven until the Father responds and gives us what we are asking for. We would like to ask you anew this year to join us in persistently praying for God to break through the spiritual darkness in Germany and grant us much spiritual fruit. Please pray with us:- for our current church plant, Cologne-Project. Pray that our guests would go from being attenders to committed, reproducing disciples of Jesus. Pray that the networking we are doing with influential people from the art, design and business scene in Cologne would bear fruit. Pray that God's word would take root in people's hearts through our liturgical worship services and our small group ministry. Pray for unity and grace in our start team.
- for the GEM German field retreat March 12-14. Pray for me (Jason) as I lead this. It is mainly a time of sharing and praying and encouraging one another. We also will be doing some strategic planning.
- for the Consultation for Church Planting meetings on March 15-16 with special guest, Øivind Augland, from Norway who will be telling us about an actual church planting movement there. We want to learn from what God is doing in Norway and discuss and pray about principles that could apply in Germany. It is exciting to hear stories of movement occurring in modern Europe!
- Pray for God to provide in an astonishing way financially for two exciting, vital, cutting-edge ministries our GEMers are leading in Cologne. Cafe 362 is located within walking distance of 4 different schools and from the day they opened this last fall the kids are coming - many of them hearing about God's love for the first time in their lives. Pray for provision and the blessing of fruit. DBKunst is the new studio of Dave Byers, artist. He is a gifted potter and photographer and has opened his doors to all who would enter - telling stories of restoration and the gospel through his work. Pray for the needed funding for keeping this shop open.
Thank you so much for standing with us at God's door and knocking!
Yours,
Jason and Sue
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