september update 2013

Dear Friends,
We have been silent for too long and much has happened since we last wrote.

The Cologne Project
We have been encouraged with a steady flow of new faces and a deeper commitment to the church among the regular attenders. A real highlight was our weekend retreat in April at which we had wonderful times of fellowship but also good discussions about what it means to be a church. We are in the process of disbanding the start team of 7 people and moving toward a preliminary leadership team that will guide the church through the next phases of growth and restructuring. We always have the best music and are slowly becoming known as the jazz church. It has been amazing to experience God speaking to us through the creativity of jazz music within a very simple, mostly unplugged, liturgical worship service.

Cologne Project retreat

The Pastor's Atelier
I continue to make new contacts and to see how God is using the Atelier to open new doors in people's lives. In May, June, July and August I hosted mini-concerts with young musicians who brought their friends. The beautiful music in the intimate ambiance of the Atelier lends itself to simple, relaxed encounters. The men's prayer group continues to be a highlight for my friends and me. As one of them recently commented: this is becoming a small church. Hallelujah!

Please pray about a new workshop that I will be conducting in Oct-Nov called My Life Workshop. (www.mylifeworkshop.org (http://www.mylifeworkshop.org) I am excited about this new tool that was developed by our friend and colleague Dietrich Schindler to reach post-moderns with the Gospel. Please pray as we begin to promote and invite people to the workshop. Pray that God would lead 12 people who are far from God to sign up.

The Symposium for Church Planting in Germany
As part of the ongoing work with the Consultation for Church Planting in Germany, we hosted our first major conference in June in Stuttgart - but for strategic reasons decided to call it a symposium. As part of the steering committee that initiated and led this gathering, I must admit we were somewhat nervous going into it. We have no official status or organization backing us so financially it was a personal risk for the four of us. We sought to recruit the best speakers but then told them we couldn't pay them and they would have to pay their own expenses.

We needed 80 participants to sign up in order to break even. In the end we had 120 participants and a program of speakers, discussion groups, workshops and debate that was thrilling to witness. The Christian press was there and their reporting was extremely positive. Never before has there been a conference like this that included almost the entire spectrum of evangelicals in Germany to talk about church planting and the need for Germany to be saturated with new churches. We are thankful to the Lord and for your prayers and support.

Sue's Masters program
Sue has been very diligent in her Masters study in Intercultural Competency.  This summer she successfully completed a very challenging internship at the University of Cologne - creating and teaching a two-day block course for students preparing for studying abroad.  Word has gotten out and she has already been asked to teach the course at additional venues including the European Institute for Church Planting. She loves it but is also being stretched and challenged. There is no end to our dinnertime discussions over the topics she is learning about. So much of it relates directly to our lives and ministry here.

Rocky Mountain High
I am going to be in Colorado Sept. 6-23 to visit family, friends and our 5 supporting churches on the Front Range. I would love to see as many of you in Colorado that I can. I will be staying in Denver, close to our son, Sam but have plenty of weekdays open to meet for a meal, coffee, etc. I'm also hoping to meet new folks who might be interested in joining our support team. If you would like to host an informal evening get-together - please let me know. The next trip we are planning is for early 2014 to Ontario and Michigan.

The Family
In May I took a spontaneous trip to visit Roy in New York. His job as building superintendent was eliminated meaning Roy was out of a job and out of an apartment. He has been staying with friends in the city looking for work and a new living situation. Please pray for him. He is open to moving if you know of anything in your area. In July Sue's mom, Elinor (87) and her sister, Connie, came to visit us for 2 weeks. We had a great time together. One night we had my men's prayer group with their wives over and at one point I asked mom to share her story. They are still talking about her strength, wit and fluent German and her story of God's grace in her life.

Thank you for standing with us!

Jason and Sue 

March Update

Dear Friends,

Here are some of the things happening in our lives:

The Pastor's Atelier

The grand opening on February 16 was a blessing. Over the course of the evening 50 guests stopped by. In addition to our ministry networks, several of our old and new neighbors came. The atmosphere was relaxed and there were lots of good conversations and new connections made. Thank you for praying for this. Please continue to pray as this new ministry context keeps growing.

 

In the last couple months 3 different prayer groups have been initiated at the Atelier. Our church plant has begun a monthly morning prayer gathering. Kristi has started an artists prayer group that I host. And just recently, I have started an early morning mens group with a few of my friends and neighbors - some of whom are not yet believers. It was so exciting to see them respond positively and indicate their desire to meet every week (Tuesdays at 7am). One of the men commented that although he was very suspicious of the Christian faith he could envision meeting regularly like this in the Atelier, i.e. but not a church.

We have discovered that people seldom make a decision for Christ in an instant. Usually it is a series of mini-decisions - in other words, a process. In the near future I hope to start a discovery bible study with some of our contacts who are interested to help them along in their process.

GEM German field leadership

After 6 years of being GEM Germany field leader, I felt that God wanted me to move on. With ca. 30 missionaries (pictured below at our recent yearly retreat) and a constant flow of people interested in possibly coming to serve, it was a lot of work in addition to our work in church planting and evangelism. We are grateful for having had the privilege of working with such an inspiring, talented group of people. God has already raised up a wonderful new leadership team from within our ranks. Please pray with us for a smooth transition and for even better things to come. Pray for me to be in step with the Spirit as to how to invest my time now that I have more capacity for church planting, evangelism and discipleship. 

 

CMP Assessments

From Feb. 20-23 I took part in the yearly City Mentoring Program church planter assessments. There were 20 German and international candidates including spouses and fiancés. I was one of 9 assessors responsible for observing and interacting with these promising young potential church planters as they went through preaching, team, evangelism and conflict resolution exercises as well as intensive interviews. The goal is to identify those who are gifted and called to either lead church plants (or even initiate church planting movements!) and those who are called to be a part of a team. We are so thankful for the present wave of interest among Bible school and seminary students for church planting. Please pray that this trend would continue and increase exponentially.

MA Intercultural Competencies

After much thought, prayer and research - Sue has decided to pursue a Masters degree. She applied and was accepted at the Donau University Krems (near Vienna). She attends her first of 10, fourday modules next week. She is excited about the program but nervous about returning to school after so long. The subject matter applies directly to our ministry in Germany but also to business English training. Please pray for her as she jumps into this. Pray for strength and for the adjustment to being back in school.

As Easter draws near we are reminded once again of the hope the resurrection gives us. We pray that God will bless you with a renewed sense of that power and hope!

Your missionaries,

Jason and Sue

PS: Click here to see our current financial support needs. 

January 2013 update

Dear Friends,

The pastors atelier is up and running. (www.facebook.com/pastorenatelier) I have even started painting again! Almost every day I am there I meet new people who walk by and are curious. A couple of days ago a young couple was looking through the window as I arrived. They asked if I was the pastor. We introduced ourselves and went straight to a first name, informal basis. I explained some of the things I want to do there and in the end I said that I simply want to be a blessing for the neighborhood. That captured their imagination and Irena looked at me and said very honestly - "Wow! that's awesome. We could always use more blessing in our lives."

 

Now that the renovations are over and I am starting to spend time there, I think that I will be able to begin to form relationships with folks from the neighborhood. I put a digital picture frame in the window with text that gives people an idea of how this is much more (or much different) than just an art studio. Here are some of the things I am hoping will happen there: inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue, sack-lunch discussion groups, prayer meetings, mini-concerts, foundations of the faith courses, networking with other area artists, etc. I am praying that more and more contacts will grow from acquaintances to intentional discipleship relationships. Please pray for the grand opening planned for February 16. We're inviting neighbours, shopkeepers, fellow GEMers, church family and local Christian leaders. 

We continue to work with C & R who remain open and full of questions. C wrote us a very heartfelt new year's greeting expressing his gratitude for how God has used us and the church plant in his life this last year to help him draw closer to God. He closed his message by saying how much he is looking forward to this next year with God, the church family and us. This is encouraging to us, but at the same time we see how far he still has to grow.

We feel that the church plant is poised for growth this year. We came through a difficult year with increased unity, love and commitment to one another. In addition to our worship service and brunch, we have decided to offer a 3rd monthly gathering starting in January - a prayer service at the atelier. We are planning a weekend retreat in April with the goal of deepening our relationships to one another and the Lord.

We had a wonderful time with our kids here for the holidays. Lot's of long talks around the table. They are all doing well but continue to face the challenge of making ends meet, paying school loans, etc. Sam and Heidi are considering a move to New York where Sam wants to attend a sound design/DJ school and Heidi is hoping to get an internship with a fashion designer. A special prayer request is for funding for Roy to get new hearing aids - costing several thousand dollars. If you can help us with this special need, please let us know.

  

Gratefully yours,

Sue and Jason

PS: Click here to see our current financial support needs.

november prayermail update

Dear Friends,

As we look back at the events of our small church plant over the last 13 months, we are once again reminded of how difficult this year has been.  The start team is made up of seven people:  Ralf and Julia, Bjoern and Andrea, Kristi, and Sue and me.  Just over a year ago, Julia and Ralf were expecting their second child.  Little Louis was tragically stillborn at the end of September 2011.  In the months that followed Julia's father (age 60) and two other immediately family members also passed away.  When Julia and Ralf and then, Andrea and Bjoern, announced that they were expecting - the same due date in October! - we quietly rejoiced and were cautiously optimistic.  In July tiny Jonas was born very premature to Ralf and Julia and we all found ourselves praying earnestly for God's mercy to intervene in his fragile existence.  On September 30 Andrea and Bjoern were informed that their baby had suddenly died in the womb for unexplained reasons.  After 24 hours of very hard labor, Rebecca was still born.  She was full-term, 8 lbs, and looked beautiful. 

We have mourned as a church family with Ralf and Julia and Andrea and Bjoern.  With a start team of 7 and a church family core of only a dozen, you can imagine what an impact these things have had on us.  This has been a time testing for us veterans in the faith, not to mention those among us who are new in their faith or still seeking.  We realized that the hope of the Gospel is all we have in the end.  We have shared the Gospel with each other and with relatives, friends, neighbors and work associates as we have gone through this dark time together.  Many tears have been shed, but the hope of the Gospel and the resurrection are what we cling to and were the themes that were preached at both memorial services - ironically, some of our most well attended services.  Please pray with us that God would continue to comfort both families, filling them with hope, and that God would use the pain and loss we have shared to draw us closer to himself and to each other.

The Pastor's Atelier is really beginning to take shape. The last several weeks I have been very busy renovating. The dropped ceiling, insulation and 3+ layers of wallpaper are gone. The electrical system has been entirely replaced and paid for by the landlord and the walls and ceiling newly plastered and painted.  I am overwhelmed with the generosity of so many friends (many of them not yet believers) who have come and helped or are donating toward the cause. One friend, a lighting consultant in the hotel/restaurant market, recommended a professional commercial track lighting system which I never could have afforded but which he decided he would simply donate! Another neighbor has given me a high-end stereo system. Ralf, from our church plant and an architect, hasadvised me on how to design the space and has been able to get some of the materials for free or way below list price. Others have come to scrape wallpaper, clean, paint or make trips to the dump. I have already met many of my new neighbors. Even the Turkish locksmith across the street, who made a key for me, waved me off when I went to pay and said that I could just say an extra prayer for him. The conversations have started!

Please pray about the funding ($6000) still needed for the first year. Perhaps there are those who would like to make a year-end gift to support this project.

We are very excited to tell you that Roy, Sam and Heidi were finally able to clarify their schedules so that we could arrange for family time between Christmas and New Years.  The last time we were all in Cologne together was three years ago.

As we reflect on the year gone by and look ahead to the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, we are keenly aware of our dependence on God's mercy and grace and his of goodness in all that we do and are.

"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

Thank you so much for faithfully standing with us.

Gratefully,

Sue and Jason

 

 

PS: Click here to see our current financial support needs. 

prayermail September 2012

Dear Friends,

Recently I had an encounter with a woman while doing our street outreach that was so intense and bizarre, it actually left me feeling physically sick afterwards. This woman was obviously intelligent - speaking a mix of both perfect british English and perfect German. She was also insane - spewing  a disjointed tirade of humor, anger, praise, blasphemy, hurt, spite, hate and indignation. Sometimes she was in my face. Sometimes she was on her knees in front of me. At one point she started singing parts of church hymns then she would switch and start cursing Jesus.

She did almost all the talking. She was so disjointed I never really could follow her and didn't know what to say. I just looked her in the eye and tried to show her respect and Christ's love. A couple of times I told her that I wish her everything good that God wants for her. The rest of the time I prayed for her (and me!) This is a very busy shopping street and there were lot's of people observing this whole thing. Kristi was standing nearby praying for me and Jim was in a nearby restaurant supporting us in prayer as well. When she finally moved on (it was so intense that I really don't know how long it lasted - 10, 15, maybe 20 minutes) I felt completely drained and queezy and broke off the outreach and went home to lie down.

I know we are in a battle. We pray every time before we start the outreach that God would send us the people He wants us to connect with. Maybe time will tell why He sent me that lady. Please pray for Kristi, Tobi and I as we continue our street outreach - that God would protect us and also break through barriers in a mighty way.

My search for a storefront to rent continues and the process of looking has been a great encouragement to me as I interact with realtors and property owners about my vision. I intend to call the shop "Pastor's Atelier". Besides getting my office and painting out into view I also can envision offering various workshops and discussion evenings and inviting area musicians to do mini concerts and even inviting other visual artists to display their work there. As I mentioned in our last update, to begin with, I would like to have a trial period of a year to see what God does and if we think it is worth continuing. To that end we need to raise an additional $7,000 for the rent and utilities for one year. If you would like to help us with this project, please let us know. Here is a link to a gallery of some of the things I have painted in the last few years.

Please pray for us as we pursue the vision of God expanding His Kingdom through all the peoples of Europe to the world! Here is a short new visual prayer request for Cologne.

Thank you for praying and supporting us.

Your servants,

Jason and Sue

Prayermail July 19, 2012

Dear Friends,
We arrived back from vacation on June 27 and hit the ground running with a busy ministry weekend. Worship musicians from Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, GA put together a one-time Country and Blue Grass band to do outreach with us in Cologne. They were awesome. On the 29th they did a concert at our church location. Although we had advertised well, imagine how disappointed we were when only one guest showed up who was not a part of our church family. In spite of that, the band gave everything and we had a lot of fun with their music and line dancing.

On Sunday morning they played in our worship service after which I asked them if they would be willing to play at my impromptu birthday party that evening. We blew away our friends and neighbors with that. Here's a link to a short video of everyone singing "Country Roads" with them. (It is one of those quirks in the German culture that everyone seems to know that one!) At my request they also did a gospel song and got everyone singing along with "We worship you, hallelujah, hallelujah!" That was very cool. One of the band members gave a short but clear testimony. With 20+ people in our living room, it was truly a blessed evening.

Please pray for the upcoming outreach concert on August 4 in Cologne with Eurobrass: a Greater Europe Mission brass ensemble. The 12-member ensemble, whose members come from Germany and the United States, performs brass music at its highest level with impeccable technique and a beautiful sound. Brass music is not for everyone but is still very much loved by many Germans. Pray for good connections with the concert guests and that many would return the next day to the worship service where the group will also be playing.

I (Jason) have been thinking and praying about the possibility of renting a small office somewhere in our neighborhood where I can work and meet new people but also have more space to pursue my hobby of painting and see if  going public with it would open ministry doors for us. Hanging out a sign that "the Pastor-Painter is in" might provide us with new in-roads into the lives of the people in our neighborhood. To begin with, I would like to have a trial period of a year to see what God does and if we think it is worth continuing. To that end we need to raise an additional $7,000 for the rent and utilities for one year. If you would like to help us with this project, please let us know. Here is a link to a gallery of some of the things I have painted in the last few years.

In closing, we ask you to continue to pray for growth in our church plant. Pray that more and more people will come to faith and become disciples and fishers of men. Pray for creativity and boldness in reaching out to the people of Cologne and beyond. Pray for more workers to come and join in the harvest.

Thank you for your support and encouragement.

Jason and Sue

   

PS: Click here to see our current financial support needs. 

June Prayermail

Dear Friends,
Recently I met with a young German, Tim, at a restaurant and shared the Lord with him. He had been to a wedding in Iowa last year and had some discussions with an older cousin who is a believer. The cousin found me on the internet by googling Cologne/Christian/Church, etc. He wrote me last summer to ask me to contact Tim who he said was interested in spiritual things. I exchanged a few emails with Tim last summer but eventually he stopped responding. God has continued working in his heart and last month he contacted me again and said he would really like to meet. So we did. He is an art history major at the university and also involved in triathlon competition. His grandfather is a devout catholic and has had a spiritual impact on him. In fact, when I invited him to our church, he said he couldn't make it because he always picks up his grandfather and takes him to the catholic church. Tim has been reading the Bible and is full of questions. I have put him in touch with my intern, Tobi to follow up with him and get him involved in his new church plant. Pray for Tim to respond to the Spirit's tug on his life.

Last Sunday we had an official farewell and blessing for Tobi and Luci as they complete their one year internship with us this month. I choked up as I shared the words of Paul to the Collossians:  "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." (Col. 1:9-12)

It has been a very good year working with Tobi. As I invested in him I also was challenged and encouraged by him. He has already gathered a vibrant group of young people around him and has begun holding informational meetings with a view toward beginning services in the fall. I will continue to mentor him through the early stages of the church plant. We will continue working side by side each week out on the streets as we do our "contact person" outreach. Please pray for Tobi and Luci as they serve the Lord in this needy city.

Your servants,
Jason and Sue

   

PS: Click here to see our current financial support needs. 

April 18 prayermail

Dear Friends,
Please be in prayer for us this weekend as we gather with our GEM colleagues for our annual field retreat near Bonn. It is always a highlight for us as we spend the bulk of our time sharing and praying for one another. We try to create an atmosphere of openness and encouragement where everyone feels supported by people who face similar issues and challenges. Especially pray for Jason as field leader as he stands in the gap between the mission leadership and the field missionaries who sometimes struggle with the changes that are being implemented in the mission.

Immediately following, on Monday, April 23, we are looking forward to having a team of five people coming from Meadowbrook Church in Milwaukee to prayerwalk with us for a week. Meadowbrook has been a solid supporting church over the years and sending us a team like this is so encouraging. It will be an intense week as we prayerwalk through the city and talk about the history of Cologne and what the spiritual landscape looks like today. We will also be meeting with some of our local staff and national partners to hear their stories and pray for them and bless them. Please pray for safety, unity and physical strength for the team.

Immediately following that, on May 1, we will be meeting all day (it's a national holiday here) with our Cologne Project start team to talk about the vision and direction of our church plant and to tackle a couple of issues that we are facing. One of those issues is the subject of homosexuality. Cologne, with a population of 1 million, is home to 100,000 gays and lesbians. Pray that we would be Spirit led and fully unified as we formulate our approach as to how we share the good news of the gospel with everyone in this multi-faceted culture we live in. Pray that we would be wise and courageous and worthy messengers of God's love.

With thankfulness, we are pleased to report that to date $5000 has come in for our car fund. Previously we had asked you to give to this need by April 15. In the mean time, our old honda continues to limp along on 3 cylinders and, to be honest, we simply have not had time to shop for a new car or see about selling or trading in our old one. Additionally, our ministry schedule for the rest of April is quite full so we are extending our car fund raising until May first. If you could help us out by then, that would be great. Any funds that come in after that will be directly applied to the principle of the amount that we have financed, once we buy something. Click here  for a payment card to print out and mail in with your check. This will ensure that your gift gets credited to our car fund.

Your grateful servants,

Jason and Sue 

March prayermail

Dear Friends,

It was a delight to preach in both of the churches we planted in Cologne-Porz and in Bergisch Gladbach in the last few months. Bergisch Gladbach has been without a pastor for over a year and is still not in a financial situation to be able to afford one. However, the spirit there is encouraging. The members have pulled together and committed to the church in a new way. People have stepped into new leadership roles and a general sense of ownership of the church. The church in Cologne-Porz is gearing up for their 20 year anniversary in May 2013 to which I have been invited to speak. When I preached there a few weeks ago the man that led the service is a miracle story himself. Back when I was pastor he had nothing to do with the church. His wife and in-laws attended faithfully but he was far from God and though I tried, I couldn't get close to him. After learning that he had had an affair, his wife considered leaving him with their pre-school children. Instead, she persevered and kept praying. At some point after Sue and I had moved on to our next church plant, he came to faith and now is a shining witness to God's grace in that community.

During the Karneval weekend I was able to talk with with several friends of friends about the gospel and our church plant. In the process I gave away all the church contact cards that I had in my wallet during the course of one evening. There was genuine interest for a new expression of church among this group of professionals with State Church backgrounds. This was especially interesting to me as I was dressed in a wedding dress! (Hey - everyone else was in costume as well. Sue was dressed as my groom and we had discussions with a variety of clowns, pirates, aliens, etc.)

Frau Vrooman's Hootnanny was our last big event in March to broaden our network and gather people from several different spheres together. It was a blast! Kristi (Frau Vrooman) organized and led an evening of sing-along with a variety of German and English pop songs. We also had a small group prepare three Gospel songs that ended up being the highlight of the night. The band was hot. Kristi was dynamic. And everyone sang themselves horse. We were especially glad to see a several people from my (and Kristi's) volleyball group turn out. Please pray that our network will be broadened and deepened through this and that people would move one step closer toward a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.                     

URGENT NEED! "It's not worth fixing." When your trusted car mechanic utters those words, the problem is very serious. After all, he could stand to make a huge profit from the repair. Fortunately he honestly informed us that the repair cost would be much more expensive than the worth of the car. We have been saving for several years for the day when we would need to replace our 10 year old Honda Fit and that day came sooner than we expected. We need to buy something within the next month and really do not want to go into debt to do it. Taking into account what we have saved, we need to raise at least $16,000 in order to buy a late model VW Golf or equivalent. Our church planting ministry is dependent on having a reliable car. Please let us know by April 15 if you can help us with this pressing need. Click here for a payment card to print out and mail in with your check. This will ensure that your gift gets credited to our car fund.

Yours for Germany,

Jason and Sue

   

PS: Click here to see our current financial support needs. 

Prayermail "20 Years in Germany!" January 2012

Dear Friends,

20 years ago, on January 8, 1992, we left for Germany to serve Christ with Greater Europe Mission.  Sam was eight years old, Roy was four and we were both thirty-three.

Holm Family 1992

What an adventure that was for us. And to tell you the truth - it continues to be! - Seeing people come to faith, be baptized and then grow in their faith and commitment to the Lord; churches planted; training and mentoring church planters and their teams; directly leading three church plants ourselves and coaching another seven church plants in our region; influencing pastors and church leaders; casting vision among denominational leaders; modeling front line evangelism; seeking creative ways to share the Gospel. In a country where only 3-5% of the population attend any kind of church service regularly, there is still much work to be done. But it has been a great privilege for us to be a part of what God is doing in Germany.

The verse we chose 20 years ago is still our banner. "For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness, " made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." 2 Corinthians 4,5-7

Heidi, Sam, Roy Sue, Jason - Christmas 2011

We are humbled and so very grateful for God's provision through you as his people over the years. Without our faithful supporters, we would not be where we are today. We look forward to the next 20 years as we pray for and work toward seeing a second reformation and a church planting movement sweep through Germany and Europe.

Our heartfelt thanks for standing with us,


Jason and Sue


PS: Click here to see our current financial support needs. 

December Update

Dear Friends,
Here are the latest developments in our ministry that we would like to share with you:

Cologne Project
On October 20 we held an info evening for our church plant. It was a time of sharing our history, values and vision with those who have been attending regularly but are not yet fully committed. In addition to our start-­-team of eight, five people attended. It was amazing for us to hear what R. and C. had to say. R. told us  that if it weren't for this church, that he would never have considered drawing near to Jesus as he has the last several months. He said the very fact he was there that evening is proof that God is working in his heart. Both he and C. kept talking about "we" showing much ownership of the church plant. When we talked about how we value loving God and loving each other, C. suggested that we were being too cautious with our words and that we needed to be proactive and "evangelize" the city if we really love the people who live here! Please continue to pray for the Cologne Project - especially R. and C.

City Mentoring Program
In October, Tobi, our church planting intern, and I started a new City Mentoring Program phase one group. Tobi and I are co-leading the sessions. The participants are mostly contacts of Tobi's who are potential team members for the church he will be planting starting next summer here in Cologne. One coupleis commuting from Stuttgart (a 3 & 1/2 hour drive!) each month and spendingthe night with Tobi and Luci. They are considering relocating to Cologne just to be able to be a part of the church plant. It is exciting for us to be a part of mentoring and encouraging Tobi & Luci and their team that is forming. God's Kingdom is being advanced in Cologne!
City Mentoring Program group
Consultation
The Fall gathering of the Consultation for Church Planting was held in Frankfurt in November. In the morning, Erhard Michel, spoke on the subject of how Church Planting first became a top priority in the Evangelical Free Church of Germany. As he recounted the history, he credited North American missionaries who came after WW2 with the ground-breaking work that is now the foundation for church planting in Germany! Sue's father, Reuben Goertz, was among some of the names he mentioned. They were practitioners but also inspired the Germans to be about planting churches themselves. As we approach the two-year anniversary of Reuben's death, we want to acknowledge our gratefulness for the heritage that is ours and the rich tradition of partnering with European denominations and organizations.

turnaround 2013, together for church planting in Germany

In the afternoon we worked together on our plans for the National Congress on Church Planting set for June 2013. With the help of some of our talented GEM colleagues, we now have a logo and an initial flyer. The theme of the congress will be "Trendwende" which means "a change in course" or "turnaround" referring to the fact that the church in Germany is shrinking - in spite of some bright spots where church planting is occurring. We want to see this trend turned around and believe that one important way this could happen is through a church planting movement. Please pray for wisdom and unity as we continue to work on the program and seek to get the best speakers and workshop leaders possible.


Christmas
It was a beautiful November but the driest month on record in Germany. . The Christmas markets opened last week but the weather doesn't feel right. Nonetheless, as we enjoy the advent season here we are especially looking forward to being with family this Christmas. We will be in New York where Roy is searching for work and an apartment now that he has officially completed his remaining coursework at Juniata College. Sam and Heidi are coming from Denver and we look forward to spending a quick week together along with Sue's brother Sam and family and Sue's mom.

Carol Sing Flyer

Carol Sing
On the fourth Sunday of Advent, Dec. 18, our church plant will be hosting a carol sing. Germans love to sing and we are hoping to draw a good sized crowd for this event. Our colleague, Kristi will be leading us and has also recruited other musicians who will accompany the singing and perform several pieces themselves. Tobi will be sharing a brief, evangelistic devotional. There will be candles and cookies and hot spiced Christmas punch and a couple of our neighbors offered to come and make waffles. Please pray that the true meaning of Christmas would shine brightly through the candlelight and warm fuzzies.




As you celebrate this Christmas may you above all know that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. (James 1:17-18)


Your missionaries to Germany,


Jason and Sue

   

PS: Click here to see our current financial support needs.

September Prayermail

Dear Friends, 

For several years now I (Jason) have been the German field leader for Greater Europe Mission along with a team of three others. This is in addition to the church planting and evangelism that we do. It has been said that leading missionaries is like trying to herd cats and to some extent I agree. It takes independent people who follow God's call, many times with resistance from their own family, who then go through the humbling, painful and faith-stretching ordeal of raising their own support, moving to another country and learning the language and culture and then, with God's help, forge a new ministry and new partnerships. These are the kind of people I have the privilege of leading in Germany. I am humbled and very proud to be serving God with them. In this prayermail, I would like to introduce you to them:

Adam & Bethel in Cologne: evangelism, discipleship, church planting, field leader team 

Alex & Wendy in Frankfurt: evangelism, discipleship, church planting, marketplace

Angie in Koenigsfeld: music, discipleship 

Brian in Munich: evangelism, discipleship, church planting

Danny & Anne in Cologne: evangelism, discipleship, church planting 

Dave & Rachel in Cologne: dance, pottery, photography, evangelism, discipleship

Don & Susie in St. Georgen: music, evangelism, discipleship 

Jeffrey & Katherine in Leipzig: evangelism, discipleship, church planting

Jim & Evelyn in Bonn: Bible school, evangelism, discipleship

Jim in Cologne: evangelism, discipleship, worship, church planting

Joel & Tatjana in Giessen: seminary, evangelism, discipleship

Julia in Cologne: evangelism, discipleship, church planting, field team

Kate in Berlin: evangelism, discipleship, church planting, children's work

Kevin & Kathi in Cologne: evangelism, discipleship, church planting

Kristi in Cologne: music, evangelism, discipleship, church planting

Leslie in Berlin: discipleship, evangelism, language/culture coach, field leader team

Robyn in Badenweiler: evangelism, discipleship, church planting 

Stephen & Susan in Giessen: seminary, evangelism, discipleship, church planting

Warren & Celia in Cologne: evangelism, discipleship, youth 

Here is a photo from our spring field retreat. Not everyone was present as some were in the USA on Home Ministry Assignment.

God is using this exceptional group of people to expand His kingdom in Germany, Europe and beyond. In the last 6 months hundreds of people have been discipled. At least 10 new evangelistic Bible studies have started and at least 3 new churches have been planted in Germany. People are coming to faith. That is exciting! Please pray for us. Pray that God would break through the spiritual darkness in Germany even more and that His Kingdom would come in new and vibrant ways.


Pray for Germany as a country. As the most powerful economy in Europe, Germany is very influential in the world. Its economy, education, politics, philosophies and culture shape modern life and thought. Imagine what would happen if that influence could be harnessed to extend God's Kingdom in the world.


Germany is amazingly connected and therefore one of the most strategic mission fields in the world. Through it's diverse population and activities, Germany has connections with individuals and cultures from around the globe.  Economic migration from other EU countries, plus an influx of immigrants from 10/40 window countries, create unprecedented opportunities to disciple the nations.


Germany is needy.  That's right... needy.  Not in material terms, but morally and spiritually, Germany is adrift and in need of an anchor. It is filled with churches - often empty, abandoned or converted into museums, restaurants and shops. Take away the beautiful church buildings and you'll be hard-pressed to see any hints of Christianity.  Sadly, most Germans don't have a life-changing relationship with Jesus or know anyone who does.


We are committed to seeing God's Kingdom spread throughout Germany, Europe and to the world as we follow Jesus and lead others to do the same.


Thank you for standing with us.

Your missionaries to Germany,

Jason and Sue

PS: Click here to see our current financial support needs. 

June Prayermail

Dear Friends,

Last week, Thursday, was Ascension Day - a holiday in Germany. We normally have Bible study on Thursdays but decided to have a meal with a couple of women who come regularly. Because we hadn't seen them for a several weeks, we also invited our neighbors, W. and H.  They responded affirmatively and immediately asked if they could invite a common friend of ours, S. Thursday afternoon Sue noticed that another neighbor was visiting with W. and H. and decided to ask if she too, would like to join us for supper. In the mean time, the original invitees were also inviting more people with the final count of 12 around our table!  We grilled 4 different kinds of sausages and some of the others brought various salads (our neighbor H. makes a potato salad to die for!). Well, among other things, S. just happens to be a DJ so at some point she started playing with the remote to my computer, on which I have a lot of old rock and pop songs, and before we knew it the dancing started. It was so much fun! A number of the guests left sometime after midnight leaving W., H., S., Sue and I sitting around the table conversing about our stresses in life.  What followed was an amazing opportunity to share with them about our faith and how it centers us and gives us strength for all of life's challenges. We were able to share the gospel in such a clear way. It was amazing.

On Friday night our church plant hosted a choir from our Alma mater, Grace University. We were thankful for the good attendance and were able to make several new friends for the church. A couple from Dortmund was in town visiting friends and had googled to see what was going on Friday night. The search brought up our concert so they came and had a great time. In closing at the end of the concert, I simply invited everyone to come to our worship service on Sunday. The couple from Dortmund showed up once again. Very interesting. As usual, we were dissatisfied with the attendance on Sunday morning but thankful for the meaningful time of worship. Our special music was especially unusual - a husband and wife accordion duo. They played Simon & Garfunkel, Dvorak, and Shostakovich. Fun!


Please continue praying for these dear people who we long to see come to a living faith in Christ: H. & W., S., R., C. and J.

We want you to meet Tobi Saenger, his wife Luci and their three-year-old daughter, Talita. Tobi is a German Bible school grad and his wife Luci is from Brazil. They moved to Cologne last summer to plant a church but have agreed with us to first do an internship in our church plant until next summer through the City Mentoring Program. We are really happy to have them and have enjoyed working together. Please pray that our working relationship would be mutually beneficial and would prepare the Saengers well for their own church plant.

Not too long ago, while Tobi and I were working out on the street as "Contact Person", 3 young Muslim men came up to talk with us. One was quite devout, the other one nominal and after a few minutes of talking with the third one he told me he was an atheist. I asked him a few probing questions and then gently challenged his worldview, adding what I believe. I talked about Jesus and how he shows us who God is because he is God. Suddenly, he interjected: "You know, if I had a New Testament, I would read it to find out more about Jesus. Whoa! I was floored. I told him that I just happened to have one in my bike saddlebag and would be happy to give it to him. At first he did not want to accept it but I assured him that I had more and that I would love for him to have it. As I went to hand it to him, I held onto it and looked him in the eye and said that I would give it to him only if he was really going to read it. He said that he really wanted to read it. I suggested that he start in the gospel of Mark and wished him God's blessing. I regret not having noted his name. Please pray for him. Pray that he would actually read God's Word, encounter him and place his trust in Jesus.

Your missionaries to Germany,

Jason and Sue

PS: Click here to see our current financial support needs. 

Prayer update March 2011

Dear Friends

The romantic valentine's day concert on February 11 was amazing. The concert, which had been advertised in the newspaper, in personal networks, and through various outreach efforts, drew a full house of one-hundred-and-twenty people, only eight of which were from the church plant! In addition to all the beautiful music, I presented a few love poems, including 1 Corinthians 13. I also shared briefly from Scripture about God's love, and concluded my mini-message with these words:

 

"Tonight we celebrated romantic love. When you fall in love, you are overpowered by it. Love takes over and it's as if you've been waiting your whole life for that moment. You have the feeling that until that point, you were 'incomplete'. Is it possible that this is also true for us and God? Could you be waiting for God's love to fill the void in your heart?"

 

After the concert people not only commented about the beauty of the songs, poems, and Scripture, but many asked about the church, and showed an openness towards God. Here is a link to a few video excerpts from the concert.

   

 

Pray that those who attended will not only have been moved by the music and texts, but that they would also be overwhelmed by God's love for them. Pray that the seeds planted would bear much fruit!  May each one of them let God become the One who speaks these words from one of the love duets which was sung that night:

 

    No more talk of darkness, forget your wide eyed fears.

    I'm here, nothing can harm you, my words will warm and calm you.

    Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears,

    I'm here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you.

    Let me be your shelter, let me be your light.

    You're safe, no one will find you, your fears are far behind you.

We had our first CologneProject church retreat Feb. 18-20. It was a good time of fellowship and getting to know some new people and regular attenders. We took time in each of our sessions to discuss the 5 main values that we have as a church plant:

1. We seek that which is genuine and good.

2. We want to be well networked in the community.

3. We want to love and be loved.

4. We want to boldly take risks.

5. We want to live creatively.

Please pray that out of our ever increasing network, that more and more people will choose to follow Christ with us in community.

Jason and Sue

PS: Click here to see our current financial support needs. 

Prayermail February 3, 20111

Dear Friends

On Friday, February 11 we are putting on a romantic valentine's day concert. Our GEM colleague, Kristi is a trained musician with a beautiful soprano voice. It is a joint venture along with P, a gifted tenor and L, a talented pianist who is co-owner of the location in which our services are held. They will be performing a colorful selection of solos and duets from musicals and operetta; some schmalzy, some humorous and some, just simply beautiful. My name also appears  o

on the flyer as I will be reading Goethe and Shakespeare and 1 Corinthians 13 and sharing a few brief thoughts on God's love. So far L has confirmed with over 60 of her friends who will be attending! We expect probably another 40 from our networks. We are looking forward to meeting many new folks, having a good time and sharing just a little bit about God's love. Please pray for God to bless.

At our last church breakfast+devotional I talked about one of my favorite places in Cologne - the dump. I always get pumped up and excited to go there. Owners of a Cologne license plate can dump their junk for free! As I spoke, I began to draw a diagram on the flip chart. The dump we go to is actually a transfer station and they have a whole series of containers for furniture, small appliances, big appliances, grass/leaves/branches, metal, general garbage, toxic stuff, paper/cardboard, glass, etc. Whenever the need arises, I am grateful and happy to pay the dump a visit because I always leave with a light heart and a spring in my step. I continued to explain that there is a place where I also love to go because I can get rid of my junk there as well and proceeded to draw a simple cross. I can "dump" all my burdens there and also find forgiveness for my guilt. At the end I had someone read Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

After the devotional, as we were still having breakfast, C got up and came over to sit across from me. He was confused. He said that it was nice to know that we could "dump" our stuff at the cross - our frustrations, worries, fears, loneliness, etc. But he had a problem with equating all those things with guilt. I assured him that they were not the same thing but that our guilt was probably one of the biggest things that we carry around with us unnecessarily and can bring it to the cross and experience God's forgiveness. We talked for about 20 minutes and I suggested he start reading Romans. In fact, I said, I would be happy to come and read with him and ask some guiding questions to help him understand better what it means to follow Christ. Later, as he was leaving, I repeated my offer. Would you please pray that he takes me up on it?

Thank you for standing with us as we seek to be a part of what God is doing here in Germany.

Jason and Sue

PS: Click here to see our current financial support needs.