Merry Christmas 2024!

 

Dear Friends, We had 9 people out for our last English conversation group before the holidays so we had a little christmas party and had great time singing christmas carols in English. At the end, after we sang Silent Night, I started to talk about how it probably wasn't very silent - with a crying baby, cows and goats and chickens, etc. One question led to another about the Christmas story and based on their questions I was able to share the entire Gospel with them! Then I sort of apologised saying that I hadn't intended to start preaching, but they said no, no, Jason. We didn’t know about so much of that. Thank you for explaining it to us. Nobody has ever told us before. Whew! It was crazy. Please pray for a, s, c, j, a, j, b, k and m - German, Polish, Swiss, Iranian and Iraqi background. Pray that they would draw near to God Incarnate - Emmanuel: God with us! Christmas Greetings, Jason and Sue

update - december 2024

 Dear Friends,

As we anticipate the celebration of Jesus’ birth this advent season, we greet you with Isaiah 40:3-5 - "A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Isaiah’s words resonate with us as we continue to declare the word of the Lord in the spiritual desert that is Germany. We are grateful to have played a small part in seeing some roads straightened and some rough places levelled out and to have had glimpses of the glory of the Lord being revealed in the lives of Germans and Internationals in our sphere. Please continue to pray for us as we share the Lord here in Cologne.

Sometimes God’s method of straightening and levelling are amazing.  We met E and E at the house of fellow ministry workers several weeks ago.  They are from Ontario, Canada, a young couple with partial First Nation heritage, a professional musician, college graduates, searching for their next steps.  A few years ago, God moved through our friends to introduce them to the Savior and now they are back, looking for further input and guidance.  They just became engaged.  After hearing this wonderful news, Jason offered them premarital counselling while they are here – all of this taking place half-way around the world from where they are from.  They are happy and eager to do this in the next month or so while they are here.

And the story gets more interesting…  We first met them and heard their story while the wonderful prayer team from Bethel Baptist Church, Strathroy, and church plant in Glencoe, Ontario, was spending an intense week of prayer ministry with us.  It was a totally serendipitous and sovereign moment.  The young couple is from the Strathroy area.  Please pray for E and E.  They are earnestly seeking God’s will for their lives as they journey together into the future.  

Praise and thank God for the Prayer team that was here.  They spent an intense week meeting with fellow GEM, national and international colleagues, listening to their stories and then lifting them up in prayer.  They were tirelessly engaged and a great encouragement to all of us.  God granted safe travels and  good health.  Thank you Bethel Baptist prayer team!

Speaking of rough places …  For several months Sue has been in an advisory role with area churches of a denomination that we have been associated with since the beginning of our time in Germany.  This denomination has long supported immigrant groups and also immigrant churches, which officially have become a part of the denomination.  Where cultures meet there tends to be tension, and this has been the case in recent events within the denomination.  It is humbling to be asked to speak into this situation in general, but also a joy that the regional leadership wants to address this and is developing a  long-term vision. Please pray for sensitivity and insight into how to pick people up where they are at.  Please pray for the ongoing consultation with the regional leadership and for future seminars and workshops.   “… and all people will see it together.”

Yesterday Jason was admiring the window display of the book seller next to the PastorenAtelier.  He has had a very friendly and neighbourly relationship with the owner, D.  She sells new, used and antique books and creates amazing window displays centred around a theme – the current theme being Advent and Christmas.  Prominently displayed this time is a large antique Bible from the 1700’s.  With her permission, Jason was gently paging through it when he asked D, “Have you ever read in this book?  Do you know what’s in it?”  She admittedly said no.  He encouraged her to take a look by reading the Gospel of John.  Maybe she could even join our small group on Thursdays!  We believe in the power of the Scriptures.  Pray for D to be curious and have an open heart.   “And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,…”.

We are very grateful for your faithful support over the years. Your partnership has been essential, and we continue to rely on you. Presently, we are in need of additional support. If you are interested, here is a link to our present missionary support need. As we near the year’s end, would you please consider joining our support team or, if you are already supporting us, increasing your giving? We want to ask you for another five-year commitment.  Here is our giving link.

Grateful Advent Greetings,

Jason and Sue

update october 2024

 Dear Friends,

Here is an update of what has been going on in our lives and ministry.

Seminary Celebration
We recently had the joy to be a part of the Giessen School of Theologie (FTH) 50 year celebration where Jason is on the board.  On Friday night there was a moving presentation of the history of the school - dating back to it's roots in GEM. On Saturday there was an open house for the general public. Hundreds of visitors enjoyed tours, mini lectures from some of the faculty, a bouncy castle and much more.  It was a great day with wonderful weather. The growth of the school and and the impact it has in Germany and beyond are unbelievable.  Praise God with us for his rich blessing on this vital institution.
 

The Eyes have it!
As many of you know, Sue had eye surgery (cataracts) last month. We are so thankful for all your prayers. She is recovering well. The whole healing process takes 6-8 weeks, so she is going to need a lot of patience as her eyes and brain adjust to the new lenses. She is amazed at how bright and vibrant the world is. Please continue to pray for optimal vision at the end of all this.

Closing a Chapter
15 years ago, along with a group of creative people, we started a church planting experiment we called the “Cologne Project” (Kölnprojekt). We felt led to start a free church incorporating liturgical worship services with modern expressions. It was wonderful to try new things and before long we built a network of local jazz musicians who played in our services. The focus was on God’s Word, simple worship with lot’s of candles, liturgy and jazz.

The church grew slowly but steadily. We didn’t attract many believers - probably due to our approach - but that was fine with us. We hoped to reach unbelievers and people who grew up in a traditional church, but had lost their way. Then came the corona lockdown. People left the church. We tried to win them back but to no avail. Those that remained were faithful and we all loved gathering together. But alas, the challenge of continuing the experiment became something that we all began to question. And so, after much prayer, we decided to close the church down. Our last celebratory worship service was September 29.
 

 

We are sad but also thankful for all that the Lord has done. The investment in people’s lives remains eternal. A German Christian leader told Jason recently that they are so thankful for people like us that are willing to take risks and try creative new things - many of which may not be long-term, but through which we all learn and many are reached with the Gospel.

Opening a New Chapter
Jason will continue doing outreach and discipleship through the Pastorenatelier, where he has become an accessible pastor and counselor for a large part of Nippes, the quarter of Cologne that we live in.  His pastor’s heart will not be stilled, so starting October 6 he will be offering a biweekly reflective hour at the Pastorenatelier on Sundays, with Scripture readings, impulses, prayers and music as an outreach ministry to the people of Nippes and greater Cologne.  Please pray that many would be spoken to, who would normally not consider attending a regular church service.

Additionally, he is again taking an active roll in mentoring German pastors and church-planters in the region.  He has been invited by the Ev. Free Church of Germany to take on this roll, but he will also offer his services beyond to other denominations.  His many years as a pastor and church planter, along with his extensive network and contacts make him especially suited for this roll.  He will also continue his participation on the board of the seminary.

The Current 8-year Plan
We’re not getting any younger! These ministries will continue for the next 4 years in Germany. We are then planning to move our household and ministry back to the US and settle in the Denver area, close to our oldest son, Sam. From there Jason will continue the mentoring remotely with at least 3 trips per year to Germany to visit church planters - coinciding with the Seminary board meetings. He will also get involved with the Friends of the Giessen School of Theology in the US, helping to raise funds and promote the school and also help out the GEM mobilization department - with a focus on Germany.

We are very grateful for your faithful support over the years. We thank the Lord for using us in the lives of so many people. Your partnership has been essential. We are in need of additional support. If you are interested, here is a link to our present missionary support need. We are eager to see how this next chapter will unfold.

Thankfully yours,

Jason and Sue

update july 2004

 Dear Friends,

Jason was invited to attend this year's Evangelical Free Church Inland Mission staff conference at the end of May. He had been asked to simply make himself available to the 30+ German church planters in attendance as an unofficial mentor and coach. There were times of learning, reflection, sharing, worship, prayer and fun together. He had a great time and was able to get to know several of them and share stories and lessons learned. It is so encouraging to see their passion and creativity. The Lord is definitely building his church in Germany!
 

Starting the english conversation group last fall has proven to be a wonderful way to meet new people and get to know them. The conversations on Sunday afternoons are never planned and end up covering a wide range of topics although we do try and steer clear of politics and religion. That being said, Jason has been able to share the gospel many times - in small doses - in a very relaxed way. Now he has felt led to start a second group on Tuesday mornings for seniors. Please pray for a good start and even more relationships to be started as we continue sharing about the hope that is within us.
 

Jason has had the Pastorenatelier for almost 12 years and God has blessed that ministry location many times over. But we want to share with you about a difficult challenge he has had from the beginning - the neighbors who live directly above him. They have complained about a variety of things that have happened there - but mostly about the “noise” that sometimes happens when there are ministry events. Early on, Jason had to block their email address because of their nasty words. He has tried to meet with them to talk, but they refuse and even decline to reciprocate a simple, polite “guten tag” at random encounters on the sidewalk or when taking the garbage out. The landlord, who is very supportive of Jason and his work in the Atelier, finally started suggesting that they look for another place to live as they tend to complain about all the other neighbors in the building with whom Jason has a good relationship. Recently he posted the words “is forgiveness possible?” on the side of his mailbox where everyone can see it as they enter the building. Please pray that the Lord would intervene and bring some kind of breakthrough with this couple.
 

Thank you for standing with us.

Jason and Sue

update may 2024

 Dear Friends,

In January, we had a great start of the English conversation group up after the new year, with 7 in attendance. After talking about what we did over the holidays, someone asked Jason about his feelings (prediction) about how 2024 will play out. He started out by saying that he thinks we always need to have hope. He then said that hope is more than wishful thinking and proceeded to tell them about the hope that Christ gives us. (Lesson from Evangelism 101: provide a service. invite people. let them ask you questions. answer them.)

Jason was asked to do the funeral for the friend of yet another neighbor. It was a freezing cold, clear, crisp day in January. He really doesn’t know them very well and didn't know the deceased at all, so he simply told them about the Lord and shared His word around the grave.  Pray for the seeds of the Gospel to take root in people's hearts and that God would comfort them in their grief.

Through Michelle, our local catholic priest and friend, we have found a new place for the church to meet, which we are presently testing. It is the fellowship hall of one of the nearby churches. The cool thing is that it is very close to the PastorenAtelier and all the contacts we have made over the last few years. We recently had our first service there.  To start with, we will only be there twice a month - but there is the possibility that this could increase as time goes by.  This is a great answer to our prayers, and we are hopeful for a long-term situation.

Jason cooked a big pot of lamb stew on Maundy Thursday for folks from the English conversation group, our small group, and our church - along with our special guest, Jon Burns, president of GEM. We had a blessed time of conversation and fellowship at the table in the PastorenAtelier closing with communion as we reflected on the last supper of Christ with his disciples. Please pray that God would continue to work in the lives of all who were present.

Another good question from the English conversation group recently: So why in the world did you come to Germany in the first place, Jason? He then told them about coming here as a young man to go to Bible School and in the process getting to know Germany as he travelled around with a music outreach group. He saw lots of amazing and beautiful church buildings but also the dearth of churches that were once vibrant, alive, and growing. He explained to them how we felt God calling us to come and be a part of changing that situation by starting new churches. A couple of them shared about their negative church experiences here as the others nodded agreement. When that happens, we always try to keep it personal and not take part in any church bashing. We didn't come here to criticize the existing church but rather - to offer an alternative and to share the gospel in word and deed.

Jason has been invited to attend this year's Evangelical Free Church Inland Mission staff conference, which will take place at the end of May. He has been asked to simply make himself available to the 30+ church planters in attendance as an unofficial mentor and coach. There will be times of learning, reflection, sharing, worship, and prayer together. The theme of this year's conference is a play on German words that translate to: ”He builds”, which are based on a quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer: "No man builds the church, but Christ alone. Whoever wants to build the church is certainly already at work destroying it; for he will build an idolatrous temple without wanting to and without knowing it. We are to confess - HE builds. We should proclaim - HE is building. We should pray to him - HE is building.” Please pray for good connections at this conference for the sake of the Gospel and the church Christ is building in Germany.

Your Servants,

Sue and Jason

christmas update

 Christmas in the midst of loss

Dear Friends,
This Christmas has been one of farewells and loss for us. After a long struggle, a colleague of Sue's died of a brain tumor. As far as we know, he had not made peace with God and was carrying a lot of regrets to the grave with him. Sue was able to share the gospel with him over the last few months, and our prayer is that he surrendered his life to the Lord in his last days.

This week we said goodbye to dear friends and missionary colleagues who the Lord has led to another part of Germany. We send them on with God's blessing, but we will dearly miss them in life and ministry.

The next day, we laid to rest our friend Kalle. There was a very large crowd of mourners who gathered for the funeral. Jason fought for control as he began to speak, but the Lord helped him get a grip as he started into the story of the resurrection of Lazarus. Kalle wanted the gospel preached and that is just what Jason did.  It was a very meaningful time of celebrating Kalle's life and offering comfort and hope to the mourning even as we mourn with them. We will miss Kalle greatly.

The comfort of knowing that Kalle entered into glory when he died, reminds us of what Christ left behind when He came to earth that very first Christmas -"emptying himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men." (Phil. 2) It was a painful sacrifice for Him to leave the riches of glory behind to be born in humble surroundings. His sacrifice for us began then and continued through his death on the cross. Jesus knows our pain like no other - and that is a great comfort for us.

 

We need your help! We are truly grateful for the Lord’s provision for us over this past year. Many of you are a part of that blessing. We try not to talk about our financial needs in these updates, but as the year draws to a close we would like to encourage you to give generously toward our ministry. In order to fund the Pastorenatelier for another year we need $14,400. It costs $1200 per month for rent, utilities, supplies, etc. So much of our ministry happens there. It is the place where our relationship with Kalle began.In order to fund the Pastorenatelier beyond this next year, we need 12 people who will commit to giving $100 per month. In addition to that, we are lacking $800/month in personal support. Here is a GIVING LINK.

 

We wish you all a blessed Christmas celebration and a happy new year!

Gratefully,
Jason and Sue

December '23 update

 Dear friends,

We had a great worship service on the first Sunday of advent. 3 days before, our pianist had to cancel because of sickness, but was able to find an awesome substitute for us - an amazing young jazz pianist in his early 20's who grew up in east Germany. Paul had never been to church before in his life. He definitely heard the gospel as we went through our liturgy and I preached from 1 Corinthians 1. After the service he told us that what impressed him most was the loving fellowship that we all were having before, during and after the service. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35)

Jason is part of a whatsapp group of 18 people who are looking after Kalle. Most of them are not believers but have gathered around him in a wonderful way. Last weekend he decided to read some scripture and pray with Kalle and the whole group via an audio message. Beside Kalle himself, there were all kinds of thank-yous and emojis with hearts and praying hands in the group chat. One woman said: "Thank you from me too. Even as a non-believer, your words do something to me. PEACE." Please continue to pray as Kalle's days among us draw to a close.

The window of the Pastorenatelier is decorated. Check out this short video for a close up look at the bottom ledge - eye level for all the toddlers who walk by with their parents. Here is the link.

We need your help! We are truly grateful for the Lord’s provision for us over this past year. Many of you are a part of that blessing. We try not to talk about our financial needs in these updates, but as the year draws to a close we would like to encourage you to give generously toward our ministry. In order to fund the Pastorenatelier for another year we need $14,400. It costs $1200 per month for rent, utilities, supplies, etc. So much of our ministry happens there. In order to fund the Pastorenatelier beyond this next year, we need 12 people who will commit to giving $100 per month. In addition to that, we are lacking $800/month in personal support. Here is a GIVING LINK.

We wish you all a blessed advent.

Gratefully,
Jason and Sue

november 2023 update

 Dear friends,

Jason has come to understand himself as the pastor of 2 churches. We have our small Evangelical Free Church - Cologne Project - which we love. But during the week we engage with the neighborhood where the PastorenAtelier is. We engage with and care for people who are far from God but also for many who are seeking the Lord and involved in helping us help people. On Thursdays is our small group and he cooks up a pot of soup and we read the Bible together and discuss what God is trying to say to each one of us.  We end by praying with and for each other. Because it is just off of the farmers market, there is a steady flow of folks passing by and we have seen God use the daily encounters with both new and existing contacts to draw people to Himself. Please continue praying for this strategic ministry.

We also want to update you on our brother Kalle who is dying from lung cancer. He is not doing well. He has lost a lot of weight, and his strength is waning. He is on morphine for the pain which is tricky for a recovered drug addict so he asked the neighbor lady to keep the meds with her and just give him his daily dose. Jason visits him regularly and always brings him leftover soup from our Bible study group - sharing scripture and praying with him. Please continue to pray for Kalle as he continues down this difficult road. He recently told Jason that he is so looking forward to seeing Jesus. Jason replied: He is looking forward to seeing you too, Kalle!

The english conversation group continues to go well and we are so glad we decided to do this. We have new people every week. Without prompting, they are asking great questions that give us the opportunity to share the Gospel in small doses. One guy even came to church several weeks ago!

We are truly grateful for the Lord’s provision for us over this past year. Many of you are a part of that blessing. We try not to talk about our financial needs in these updates, but as the year draws to a close we would like to encourage you to give generously toward our ministry. In order to fund the Pastorenatelier for another year we need $14,400. It costs $1200 per month for rent, utilities, supplies, etc. So much of our ministry happens there. In order to fund the Pastorenatelier beyond this next year, we need 12 people who will commit to giving $100 per month. In addition to that, we are lacking $800/month in personal support. Here is a GIVING LINK.

Gratefully,
Jason and Sue

september update

 Dear friends,

In June the first church plant that we helped start in Cologne-Porz celebrated their 30-year anniversary! Our two successors along with their spouses were also present. We are so grateful for these couples who have continued to invest much in this church. It was such a joy to share in this celebration.  As we watched a presentation of all that God has done in the last 30 years we were overwhelmed by the impact of the DNA (evangelism, discipleship, and church-planting) that we implanted back then, which has been and still is at the heart of this church.  There are multiple people who have gone out from this church to become pastors of other churches or planted new churches – in Germany and other countries.  Many have come to faith and been baptized, including a number of Iranian immigrants.   To God be the glory!

Many of you have been praying for our friend Kalle, who has lung cancer. He reluctantly started chemotherapy. It was really rough on him, and he decided to stop after a third of the treatments. He is slowly recovering from the nasty side effects. He knows that he is in the Lord’s hands and is trusting Him with his life. We are still praying for healing but ultimately that the Lord would show His power in and through Kalle and be glorified.

Please continue praying for Emrahil, our Turkish brother who we baptized 6 years ago. He has had chronic back pain for months. He is reluctant to have the surgery doctors are recommending but he does receive shots to manage the pain. In addition, he has been extremely sad lately as the major earthquake in the spring destroyed so much in his hometown of Antalya - including the family home.  Although most of his family was spared, and uncle and cousin were killed. A big bright spot in his life is that the German justice system has recently expunged his records of all his previous crimes, freeing the way for him to pursue various jobs that were out of the question with his earlier record. Praise the Lord with us for this and pray that God would now open up new possibilities for Emrahil.

I spent an hour or so recently getting to know Tom, an actor who stumbled upon my shop. We had a very interesting chat. He opened up to me about some things and I was able to share the Lord with him in small doses. We also talked about him doing an evening of readings here on the subject of grief. His mother, a devout catholic, committed suicide when he was 12. That traumatic experience left him not just with overwhelming grief, but also jaded in regard to church and God. Pray that the Lord would draw him to Himself. He has expressed interest in visiting our church.

Finally, please pray for the startup of the English conversation group in the Pastorenatelier on Sep. 10. As we serve the community by offering this, we also hope to make some new friends with whom we can gradually begin sharing the gospel.

Gratefully,
Jason and Sue

May update 2023

 Dear friends,

We have shared with you from time to time about our friend Kalle, neighbor to the pastorenatelier. For years, he was addicted to drugs and alcohol and was a drug dealer. About 12 years ago he met Jesus in Berlin and was miraculously saved. He has been clean ever since. He moved back to Cologne and right into our lives. Kalle is not shy about his faith. He talks to anyone and everyone about Jesus. Hardly a day goes by without the words “Jesus lives” coming out of his mouth. In his winsome, disarming way he doesn’t seem to have ever met a stranger.

With all that Jesus has done in his life, unfortunately he was never able to stop smoking. Recently, he was having some heart issues which were causing dizziness. While getting that checked out, they found a large tumor in his lung. It wasn’t a surprise as he has smoked his whole life - but the news is still difficult to hear. The tumor is inoperable. They could remove the entire lung, but he is already missing half a lung on the other side - so that is not an option for him. He is hesitant to do chemo but is checking into alternative medicine.

Please pray for Kalle. Pray that in His sovereignty, the Lord will show his power and strength in and through Kalle.

I recently invited the new parish priest for a cup of coffee and had a delightful visit with him. Michele  is from Rome so we share the fact that we are both foreign pastors in Germany. But that’s not all. He told me about how he heard the call to be a priest in Denver while on a catholic youth pilgrimage to the USA when he was 16!  We both chuckled as I told him that I went to Denver Seminary. Although we don’t share the same theology, as we chatted, his love for Jesus and for people became apparent to me. One more thing in common that we discovered: we both loath administrative work!  Pray for Michele in his work and that we would be a mutual encouragement to each other.  

We had a great weekend at our annual GEM Germany field retreat in March with almost 90 adults plus kids! Lots of great fellowship. I had the privilege and joy to work with a team of volunteers to plan the Sunday worship service with one of the GEM core values as our theme: “PASSION - GEM workers are passionate about seeing the lost saved and disciples multiplied.” As part of the service I delivered a monologue which captures the dream that we have for Germany. If you have a few minutes, check it out here.

In May we went on our annual church retreat. We chose the theme of wisdom: God’s vast wisdom and the wisdom that He wants to impart to us. Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Gratefully,
Jason and Sue

 Dear friends,

Here are a few things to report on and for you to pray for:

Alpha Course Visit
Our dear friends, Phillip and Jules Kunhardt, have invited Jason to participate in and Alpha course they are currently leading for 20-30 friends of their 4 children. The whole thing is taking place online as their kids are scattered and all their friends even more so. They are approaching the part of Alpha where many people commit their lives to Christ. Along with 2 other “experts” they want us to come to 2 sessions. The first one will just introduce us and let us take part in the session with them as normal participants. The following week, there will be the opportunity for us to meet with participants one-on-one. We are thankful and honored for this ministry opportunity. Please pray.

A Torchbearer Connection
Through a friend, Jason was contacted by a young engaged couple with an unusual request: they met last year at the Torchbearer Bible School in New Zealand. He is American and studying now at Liberty University. She is German and currently finishing up her studies in Germany. Her pastor in Germany did not feel up to the task of doing bi-lingual, cross-cultural, long distance, online premarital counselling and so they were wondering if I would do it. Because of our common Torchbearer background, I have agreed. We will be meeting several times over the coming months.  Pray for me as I invest in these young people’s lives.

Cologne Area Leadership
After serving a number of years as the GEM German Field Leader and then the Cologne Area Leader, Jason felt led to step out of this leadership position and turn over the responsibility to a younger leader. We are pleased that the Lord has provided just the right person who also came to the same conclusion. We are co-leading over a 2-month transition period before Jason steps out. We will still be involved with our younger colleagues as the senior missionaries in the area and look forward to our continued input of experience and guidance in the lives of our team in Cologne.

Giessen School of Theology
The next board meeting will take place later this month. As you may recall, we dedicated a large addition to the campus last fall, expanding the capacity to train up to 250 students. The building turned out to be beautiful and creates an awesome vibe for the students. Jason was honored when the chairwoman of the building committee asked if he would be willing to loan a piece of his artwork. While on campus for the dedication, we looked at some of the walls that could come into question, and he was inspired to create a new piece to donate. It is the biggest canvas that Jason has transformed - 180cm X 180cm (almost 6 feet square!). Now we are facing the challenge of transporting it to Giessen 100 miles away.
 

Training in Bucharest
Next week we are flying to Bucharest for the annual GEM Leader Meetings. Sue has been asked along with a colleague to do a Multi-Cultural Leadership Training as the training portion of the conference. As GEM has become intentionally international, the need for this kind of training has become acute. Please pray that the training would be inspiring, effective, and well received.

Financial Update
As you may recall, last fall we were in need of some additional funding. We are thankful and pleased to say that our need for special gifts has, for the time being, been eliminated. Also, we are grateful to report that our monthly support shortfall has been reduced by $1000. Praise the Lord. However, we still are in need of $1600/month. If this isn’t reduced significantly, we will soon begin to slip back into a deficit situation. Please pray that the Lord would provide through His people.

Health
Our second bout with covid, just before Christmas, has apparently weakened our immune systems - especially Jason, who has had a series of short unrelated illnesses since then. Please pray for our health, especially as we have ministry travels coming up this month.

Gratefully,
Jason and Sue

 Dear friends,

Thanks for your prayers in September as we visited our friends, supporters and supporting churches in Michigan and Ontario. It was a very busy and God-blessed time.  We are thankful for God’s protection and provision.  Two of our supporting churches are in the process of planting daughter churches. It was great to meet with those young church planters to talk about this special ministry and encourage them. One Sunday morning we were at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Cobourg and their church plant in Port Hope. Here is the link for the recording of one of the services. At 38:14 minutes you can hear our report and Jason‘s sermon from Ephesians about reconciliation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkhHk958Ehk

On October 8, shortly after we returned, it was a great joy and privilege to be at the dedication of the new campus of the Giessen School of Theology. After years of wrestling with the plans and financing, we have seen the Lord provide in amazing ways. The board and school leadership worked well together through the whole process and God provided donations that almost completely covered the cost of 9+ million Euros. The new students are in the thick of the fall semester. These young men and women are all part of God's plan for Germany and beyond.
 

October 17-23 we had an intense but blessed time with a wonderful prayer team from Calvary Church in Longmont, Colorado. Jason was on staff at Calvary many years ago when he was studying at Denver seminary. We prayed through the streets of Cologne and met with ministry partners to hear their stories and pray with them. We are so thankful for the support and encouragement of these folks and this church family.
 

We recently had our first concert in  2+ years in the pastorenatelier with Lisa, Ian and Martin. It was so wonderful. They did beautiful interpretations of covers from the last few decades. All 3 of them are incredible artists. There were about 20 guests - several of them new to us. Please pray that God would bless the seeds that were planted.
 

In our last update we spoke of our financial need.  Due to rising costs, some donor attrition and a long overdue support adjustment, we are in need of additional funding in order to continue building on the foundations we have laid.  Praise God that we have made some significant progress in this need (see the graphic below).  Please pray that God would move more people to partner with us, for increase in existing support or a special gift. Perhaps God is calling you to be a part of the answer to this prayer!

Gratefully,
Jason and Sue
 

september support update

Due to rising costs, some donor attrition and a long overdue support adjustment, we are in need of additional funding in order to continue building on the foundations we have laid. Pray for us as we travel in Michigan and Ontario this month to visit friends and supporters, seeking new and increased support.

August Update

 We got the word from her daughter while we were on vacation. Christine, one of our extra-grace church members had died alone in her apartment. It wasn’t a big surprise. She had been in and out of the hospital more times than we could count. For most of us, her passing left us with a confusing mix of relief and sadness. She constantly challenged the limits of our love and patience. She loved Jesus but sadly died without being reconciled with her own family. And Jason was her pastor for over 20 years - not always an easy job.

It turns out, being a long term pastor opens many doors to speak the Gospel into people’s lives. Many have no connection to a church, but they do have a connection to us. The idea of going to church is foreign to them, but dropping by the Pastorenatelier is no problem. The trust that has been built over time makes Jason the go-to guy when they need a pastor - as the recent weddings and funerals attest to. Although weddings and funerals might not be considered classic evangelism events, it has allowed us to speak hope and the good news of the Gospel into hundreds of people’s lives in the last few months.

Jason’s platform of “pastor at large” (not large pastor ;-) has taken time to develop. Building trust is a process that bears more and more fruit as we pastor more people outside the church than inside.  

Please pray for us as we continue to share the Gospel and seek to make disciples who make disciples. Pray for wisdom and creativity as we lead and encourage others in their lives and ministries.  We are in critical need of a youth “pastor” for the growing number of teens in our church.  Please pray with us for God’s provision.

Due to rising costs, some donor attrition and a long overdue support adjustment, we are in need of additional funding in order to continue building on the foundations we have laid. Pray for us as we travel to Michigan and Ontario next month to visit friends and supporters, seeking new and increased support.

Over the years Sue has developed a number of training seminars on the topic of intercultural communication and competency for various ministry contexts.  On Wednesday, September 21, at 7:00, she will present the seminar "Unity with Diversity".  The Seminar will take place at Calvary Baptist Church in Oshawa (300 Rossland Road East, L1G 2X1).  You are welcome to participate, if you are in the area. Feel free to contact us if you would like more information.

Gratefully,

Jason and Sue

July update

 Dear Friends,

In our last update in March (oh my, how time flies!) we asked you to pray for the refugees flooding in from the Ukraine. In the mean time the flood has become a smaller but steady stream, most of whom are able to find housing themselves or through German government agencies. Many of our missionary colleagues are helping directly in serving these people and sharing the gospel. Please continue to pray that God would bring peace to the Ukraine.

A heartfelt thank you for praying for our church retreat April 9-10. We had a good group including a refugee family from central Asia that we have been working with for the last 5 years. God was present and blessed us. We talked about peace and what that means to us and what God has to say about it in his word. Please continue praying - for God's peace to dig deeper into the hearts of us who have been following Him for a while, and into the hearts of those who don't yet know Him.

Many prayed for me as I did a funeral in April for the mother of a friend of ours. I spoke words of comfort and shared the gospel clearly for all those in attendance. Shortly after, a dear neighbor’s mother passed away and she asked me to do the burial as well. Pray for God’s continuing comfort and that He would draw the family and friends to Himself.

I recently read that "Something does not need to be perfect to be wonderful, especially weddings.” That was a good reminder for me and for the 2 happy couples that I have recently pronounced man and wife. Starting with the pre-marital counselling, weddings are very personal, and the expectations can be high. But they are also an opportunity to share the gospel and Christ’s love.
 

We had a wonderful weekend with all of our colleagues at our annual GEM Germany field retreat in April. We are grateful for how the Lord continues to send new workers to Germany. We have grown. In fact, half of those there, were at there very first field retreat. Here is the report I gave from our Cologne area: https://youtu.be/c2kDDcBaE6k

We asked you to pray for our Alpha course that started in April. We almost cancelled it because we were having trouble recruiting participants - but then we suddenly had 5 who joined us for our first evening in the pastorenatelier. We ate together, had everyone introduce themselves, and then watched the input video which gives a clear presentation of the Gospel through people who share their own journeys to Christ.

The philosophy of the Alpha course is that, after the lesson, you allow people to say what they thought and how they felt about it in an open and inviting atmosphere, allowing the Holy Spirit to work. There were many different opinions shared. We marvelled to see the Holy Spirit guiding the discussion. By the end of the evening, they were talking about other friends that they wanted to invite!

However, the next week there were four instead of more. The week after that, unfortunately 2 of the participants got into a tiff during the discussion and it got personal. One of them decided to stop coming. After week four, 2 more participants dropped out, leaving us with just one and so we ended the course prematurely. Fortunately, he has remained connected with us and even spent a whole day with our church on our bike trip recently. Pray for D as we continue to speak into his life. I also have continued contact with one of the other participants.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support on which we are so dependant.

Blessings,

Jason and Sue

March Update

 Dear Friends,

The war is definitely being felt here. In our talks with neighbors and friends, there is a lot of fear and very little hope. We pray constantly that God would intervene so that any further death and suffering will stop. The refugees are pouring into Germany. Through my extended network, I have been able to connect several women and children with christians in Cologne willing to take them in. One of our colleagues and his church have taken in a family;  Another one spent a week on the Polish border with Ukraine helping refugees.

There is a large tent welcome center set up right in front of the main train station in Cologne where hundreds of people a day are being welcomed, given immediate necessities including SIM cards and being assigned to temporary housing around the city. I ride by there on my bike almost every day and pray.

I saw a report on the German news about a 12 year old Ukrainian girl who had to choose what to bring with when her mom said that they were fleeing. She decided on bringing her violin and her pet ferret. She is a talented musician and was immediately given a spot in a music school for talented kids in Berlin. It moved me to see just a snippet of her giftedness and see this little bright spot that comes out of such a dark place. Please pray with us for Ukraine and for God's intervention. Pray for us and many others as we respond with Christ's love to the traumatised refugees showing up here. Pray for wisdom in how to help them beyond their immediate needs.

Also, please pray for me as I do a funeral for the mother of a friend of ours on Friday. Pray that I would be able to speak comforting words but also share the gospel clearly for all of the not-yet-believers who will be present.

Please pray for our church retreat April 9-10. We are thankful and excited for the many who will be attending, including a refugee family from central Asia that we have been working with for the last 5 years. The theme for our weekend is peace.

And finally, check out this 2 minute video from GEM’s president Jon Burns about “Why Europe, Why Now?" There you will find a further link on the page that shows exactly what GEM is doing in response to the war.

Thankful for you,
Jason and Sue

November update

 The Unplanned Adventure – An Exercise in Thankfulness  

Thursday, September 9: we flew to beautiful, sunny Colorado, one mile higher than where we live (huff huff, puff puff).

Sunday, September 12: We visited Calvary Church in Longmont, where I was once on staff while studying at Denver Seminary. We shared briefly in their two morning services and more at length in one of their most dynamic Sunday School groups called “Rounding Third”! That afternoon, friends of ours hosted a little open house for us. Had supper with our kids in Denver on our way back to Colorado Springs.

Saturday & Sunday, September 18-19: preached twice at 1st Evangelical Free Church in Colorado Springs and met with their missions committee. We are so thankful for this church and their support. They made their wonderful “hospitality house” available to us for our entire stay.

Tuesday, September 21: started coming down with cold symptoms.

Wednesday, September 22: the drains backed up at the hospitality house. It took the plumbers and the angel from 1st  E. Free church (you know who you are ;-) all day and over 100 feet of “snake” to free them.

Thursday, September 23: despite persisting cold symptoms we drove up to Longmont to have lunch out in a park with dear friends (we are only here for a few weeks every few years…). It was a special time. We would have loved to had coffee with another dear friend (you know who you are ;-) but we cancelled because of health concerns. Then we had supper outdoors with, other super cool friends before heading back to the springs.

Saturday, September 25: shared a tasty pot-luck lunch with the folks at Grace Community Bible Church in Pueblo and then shared about our ministry. They have been with us from the start, and we are so thankful for them.

Unfortunately, my cold symptoms just kept getting worse which led to the following:

Sunday, September 26: I stayed home because I was too sick, so that Sue went alone to share about our lives and ministry at Faith Evangelical Free Church in the Springs. She came home and during the course of the afternoon, started to get sick.  By late evening felt like she had been run over by train.

Monday, September 27: We both tested positive for Covid.  

Covid week.  Isolation.  A practice in thankfulness:  He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”  Psalm 50:23

jason's corona ipad art

Saturday, October 2: We both tested positive again for Covid.

Sunday, October 3: We had to cancel our visit with our amazing supporters at Crossroads Bible Church.

Slowly recovering and no longer contagious, we were able to spend a few blessed days in the Rockies with our kids.

Sunday, October 10: Took yet another PCR Covid test; mandated by Lufthansa before permission to fly is granted. 

Monday, October 11: Test results - negative. Just in time to fly as scheduled.  Nothing but a miracle!

Tuesday, October 12: Flew back to Germany.

Wednesday, October 13: Arrived back home in Cologne. Whew!

Proverbs 16:9 - We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.

Our trip certainly did not go according to our plans. We are thankful to the Lord that we didn’t get hit harder (we are both vaccinated). We are also so grateful that we could hunker down at the hospitality house. What a blessing that was! We wanted so much to connect with all our friends and supporters in Colorado. We are sad that we couldn’t see many of you.

So now that we are back in Cologne, we are trying to understand what the Lord may have had in mind as we went through this. It certainly wasn’t the trip we had envisioned. We are also keeping our eyes open as to why we were able to test negative just one day before we were scheduled to fly back to Cologne. We want to be open to whatever the Lord is doing as we begin re-engaging with some of the refugees and anticipating new ones arriving from Afghanistan. Also, as we plan for ways to jump-start our little church plant which has lost some ground during Covid.

In the end though, we can definitely say that we are grateful. In this Thanksgiving season - we are so thankful for the Lord’s protection, provision, and mercy. We are thankful for so many of you who are a part of His provision for us - through your prayers and encouragement, practical help and financial support.

As you begin to plan your own year-end giving, would you please consider directing a portion to our ministry. Currently, our monthly shortfall is $385. We are also in need of appr. $15,000 in special gifts to cover a deficit due to some fallout from Covid and a generally weak dollar the last couple of years.

Gratefully,
Jason and Sue

September update

 Dear Friends,

The Corona restrictions for worship services were rather strict in the spring, so when the weather started to get nice, we began meeting outside in the spacious garden that our colleagues, Dan and Elly, had recently leased. Most of our services are interactive and unplugged and don’t rely on technology - so it worked out just fine. One of the themes we chose for this year is creation, so that when we met, the garden surrounded us in techno-color and surround sound as we dug into God’s word: birds, bugs, warm breeze, sunshine, clouds, fruit trees, flowers, veggies… You get the idea! This solution to one of issues of the pandemic has been a gift from our amazing Creator.
 

The Gießen School of Theology, which was founded by GEM missionaries in 1974, is one of the largest evangelical theological seminaries in Germany today. Currently, about 180 students from many countries of the world are taught by sixteen full-time faculty members and various excellent guest teachers. More than 1000 alumni are serving as pastors, teachers, or missionaries around the world, in over 40 countries. The FTH is an exciting place for people who love the Lord and his word. I currently serve as the GEM representative on the Board of Directors. Check out my recent interview with Stephan Holthaus, the president here. Please pray for the students, staff and leadership of the school.

Thanks to those who have been praying for E who finally got a good job with the German Train company in the spring. Many of you have prayed for him in the past, and this was truly an answer to prayer.  Because of his immigrant background, past failures, and struggles with depression, it has been many years since he was able to obtain a solid job. Unfortunately, he now has to deal with a very serious and challenging problem regarding his youngest son.  Please continue to pray for E and for his family. 

In light of the recent heartbreaking events in Afghanistan, we are expecting more traumatised refugees in Cologne. The mayor has let it be known that the city is ready to take in hundreds more. Please pray for God’s mercy and that He would use us and the other churches and ministries here to care for these people and share Christ’s love with them.

Please pray for Alex, who arrived recently from Canada to join our team here in Cologne.  He has a heart for refugees and has ministered in Lesvos several times. He is staying with one of our colleagues until he finds his own place. Pray especially that he would find just the right apartment soon. It's a challenge these days in Cologne. Also, the bureaucratic hurdles for registering and getting a visa are much higher because of corona.

We are coming for a visit! We will be in Colorado from September 9 to October 12. Here is our schedule of the church gatherings we will be at: 

September 12: Calvary Church, Longmont
September 18-19: First Evangelical Free Church, Colorado Springs
September 26 (am): Faith Evangelical Free Church, Colorado Springs
September 25 (11:00): Grace Community Bible Church, Pueblo
October 3: Crossroads Bible Church, Aurora

Blessings!
Jason and Sue

Download our new prayer card here!

June Update

 Dear Friends,

I’ve had some little visitors at the Pastorenatelier lately. I’ve noticed that one of the barbers next door has recently been bringing his kids to work with him. They play in the shop, in the car and out on the sidewalk. So I invited them in to color and play. Awiwan (8) said that their mother hasn't left them, she just wanted to take their baby brother and live in another house. They are very cute and well behaved. Schirach (4) doesn’t speak German very well but that doesn’t keep him from babbling on and on to me. Please pray for this immigrant family in crisis. They fled Aleppo, Syria 5 years ago and have suffered so much loss already in their lives. May the Lord have mercy on them and draw them to Himself. 

What a joy it is to celebrate Pentecost at the end of  the Easter season - the coming of the Holy Spirit (Emanuel, God with us, 2.0) and the birth of the Church.  This is the underlying theme of the diversity training and workshops that Sue leads.  Through the Spirit we are united, although not the same, and through the Spirit our differences our reconciled.

When the day of Pentecost came they were all together in one place … All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.  Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under Heaven … each one heard them [the Apostles] speaking in his own language.  Utterly amazed, they asked:  “how is it that each of us hears them in his native language?  Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the part of Libya near Cyrene; victors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs – we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”  Acts 2: 5 - 11.  

Many thanks to those who prayed for the Intercultural Team Building workshop in May.  As Greater Europe Mission staff, not only do we work interculturally, but we are increasingly becoming intercultural in our membership.  Within the Frankfurt staff there are about 8 broad cultures represented.  It was an intense, lively, and constructive conversation.  Please continue to pray for Sue’s involvement in these workshops.  Pray that as GEM staff we would be models of the  Spirit’s unifying and reconciling work.

Considering diversity, we want to share a video interview with our close colleagues, Dan and Elly. They have been working alongside of us and also within our church, primarily with refugees.  Please pray for their many contacts, relationships and conversations.  They will be returning to their sending country for a one-year home ministry assignment.  We will sorely miss them.  Pray that they would be refreshed and blessed during this time. Video interview link.

Praise God with us that E. has begun a solid long-term job.   Many of you have prayed for him in the past, and this is truly an answer to prayer.  Because of his immigrant background, past failures, and struggles with depression, it has been many years since he was able to obtain a solid job.  Pray that God would grant him success and draw E. ever more closely to himself. 

Blessings!
Jason and Sue

April Update

 Dear Friends,

As we face another and possibly more severe lockdown here in Germany due to the pandemic, I thought of the phrase, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross.”  This phrase is imbedded in a grand theme of endurance stretching from the saints of old all the way to the glorification of Christ.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of Witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow wear and lose heart.    Hebrews 12:1-3

Who could have known the race of endurance that had been marked out for us even a year ago.  It is indeed tempting to lose heart.  The writer’s admonishment is to continuing running with joy (!) as we steadily gaze into the face of Christ.  

As we take another deep breath and start the next lap, we are grateful for God’s reminder to us of the work that he has authored and perfected through the ministry in Germany, that we have been privileged to be a part of the last 30 years.  Take a look and listen to the interview with a cherished colleague, Sasha Ritzenhof.  Here's the link.

We wish you the persevering hope and joy of our crucified and risen Savior for the race yet to come.

Jason and Sue