Some of you who have been following me for a while know that I've been praying a lot for God to send more people to help carry the load of Engage magazine. For a long time, it has been me and a missionary in Kenya named Amy who do most of the work of gathering content and publishing it on the website day to day. Amy focuses her story-gathering on the Africa Region, but also contributes lots of interesting and creative ideas to improve the publication as a whole. She has been a huge asset.
I have been praying for more help with the load we've been carrying. Some of you were praying with me. Well, God is answering.
A few months ago, a young woman named Mandie, living in Kansas, answered our ad seeking a volunteer assistant editor. She is devoting herself part-time -- without pay -- to write articles, manage and streamline our production flow, and to post and edit stories in the Engage system. I'm so thrilled that her heart for missions is leading her to give so generously of her skills and talents in journalism and storytelling!
Just a few weeks ago, another person answered our advertisement seeking someone with skill in designing PowerPoint presentations. Sondra, who is a local NMI president in Pennsylvania, is joining the team as a volunteer dedicated to producing quality PowerPoint presentations based on stories in Engage. We will make them available to people who want to share in their church or small group a powerful and compelling story from a fully-assembled, pre-packaged presentation with accompanying script.
It's exciting to see how God is bringing the right people to fill a very great need.
Right now we are advertising for another part-time volunteer editor who is a native Spanish speaker. Ever since we launched Engage in 2009, we have wanted to incorporate other languages. We want to find someone who will be able to translate existing articles into Spanish, but also to be a reporter who can conduct interviews and research and write quality articles in Spanish. Keep praying with us for this door to open for making our awesome publication more widely available in other languages.
Thanks again for all your support in helping to carry our needs to God in prayer.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Prayer for provision
With Andrew starting up master's studies this fall in order to be considered as a PhD candidate with Nazarene Theological College in 2013, we have some additional expenses that we have not had to plan for until now. Additionally, Gina would like to continue German language studies this fall. Costs for language study range between 350 and 500 euros ($440 to $629) depending on which track she would take.
We keep meeting Nazarenes from different countries who had no way to pay for their training or education, but trusted God to make a way, and He always did. These stories encourage us that He can and will provide for what we need, as well.
Please pray with us for God to provide for these new needs in His perfect way and timing.
We keep meeting Nazarenes from different countries who had no way to pay for their training or education, but trusted God to make a way, and He always did. These stories encourage us that He can and will provide for what we need, as well.
Please pray with us for God to provide for these new needs in His perfect way and timing.
Monday, May 21, 2012
New village pipeline
Just as a matter of interest, a new, more economical heating pipeline is being installed in our entire village of Büsingen. This is the first whole village in the country (maybe in Europe, I don't know) to switch over to this heating system. Currently, it is a natural gas system. However, the cost of natural gas continues to increase, while burning wood is cheaper.
The village will buy firewood from elsewhere in Germany (which is heavily forested) and the heat generated from burning this wood will be pumped through the pipes to every home and business in the village.
The changeover is quite messy, though. I imagine we will have some growing pains for a while.
The village will buy firewood from elsewhere in Germany (which is heavily forested) and the heat generated from burning this wood will be pumped through the pipes to every home and business in the village.
The changeover is quite messy, though. I imagine we will have some growing pains for a while.
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| Next to the European Conference Center's (formerly EuNC) main building. |
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| This used to be the sidewalk in front of the campus. |
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| Sidewalk looking the other way through the village. |
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| In front of what was originally EuNC's administration building, classrooms and dining hall. |
Monday, May 14, 2012
Re-Defining My Role
My activity level changed abruptly following the students' departure and campus closure last June. For the first six months, I maintained contact with several of the students via e-mail, Facebook, and Skype. I also began shifting toward increasing my involvement in our local church by organizing/leading a number of worship services, as well as preaching a couple of times. I devoted a fair share of time toward thoughtfully, prayerfully, and actively considering with Gina what our next steps would be.
It became clear that now was the time to seriously pursue further education at the Ph.D. level, so with the full support of EuNC leadership, I devoted time to investigating numerous programs, studying for the GRE (which I took twice in Geneva), and completing the application process. By the end of January this year, all of that was complete and I returned to making the bulk of my time available to EuNC. However, there has not been a great deal of regular activity to keep busy every hour of each day. During the last five months, I've taught a couple of online directed studies in Church History I and spent most of my time developing Church History II. I've also kept busy supporting Gina in her role; as my activity decreased, hers seemed to increase. There has been plenty to do, but there was also time to rest, reflect, and enjoy the increased amount of time and mental space to devote to personal study and spiritual formation.
I'm proud of my inherited work ethic. But an important lesson I had to learn is that my value did not come from being busy, performing my job well, high-powered networking, or what anybody else thought of me - contrary to a great deal of what Western culture drills into our very souls so that the church is often indistinct from society in that regard. I had to learn in a more everyday, practical sense what our Protestant doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith really means: that my value did not depend on my efforts or image; that God's love for me, His ability to speak to me, and His ability to work in the lives of others through me are just as strong and present when I have very little to do as well as when my schedule is full of even God-centered activity. In short, that I had nothing to prove.
I was recently reminded of Luke 12, which mentions the ravens God feeds and the flowers God clothes. Creation is valuable to God, simply because He is the Creator. He did not create out of any need, but out of love. Even the mere fact of its existence is not something on which to base its value, because (by definition) God created everything out of love before it existed! If a rock can just sit there and be valuable to its Creator, how much more valuable to Him are we - living, breathing, growing, moving creatures whose chief uniqueness is in bearing our Creator's very image and likeness? While it is certainly no excuse for being lazy, it is a huge relief to know that I matter to God simply being who I am apart from any talent, achievement or recognition.
That may sound like this volunteer missionary with a master's level theological education is re-taking Basic Christianity 101. Personally, I think it would do all of us good to get a reminder of such basic concepts as grace and forgiveness, regardless of how many letters are behind our names or what kind of work we do. So while I've generally found ways of keeping busy during this season of decreased activity, I've learned or re-learned some important lessons, however basic they may be. Western society does a poor job of listening, but the Gospel remains relevant and vital even for developed, enlightened cultures like ours, and the church still needs to hear and respond as well as proclaim it. I'm thankful it has worked its way deeper into my own heart over the past few months.
I do have a number of things to look forward to this summer and fall. I've just begun taking a course with other EuNC instructors in developing and teaching online courses. While this may seem redundant since I taught myself on the job a couple of years ago and am more familiar with this method, it's important that each instructor is on the same page and applying the same standards. This course will run through the beginning of June. I will also be teaching Church History II as an online course toward the end of August, and will spend a fair amount of time this summer completing the development of that material. There's a possibility that I may be mentoring one of the young guys who has visited our church recently: he mentioned the idea yesterday, and I quietly leapt at the opportunity by expressing interest and passing him my contact information. I will begin pre-doctoral level study through Nazarene Theological College (Manchester, UK) this fall, and will spend time over the summer introducing myself to Latin -which will be one of two languages I will need in my research subject. I've joined a small prayer team at church, and may be preaching again in October. There are several other potential areas of involvement opening up around the same time, and I will carefully consider each one where the need is apparent and my gifts are able to address it.
It's good to be busy, and it's good to rest. There's certainly a time for both. I'm looking forward to having more to do, and waking up in the morning with a bit more on my schedule during the day. But I'm glad to know that I don't need any of it in order to prove to God that I'm important or valuable.
This is also PURE coincidence, but I suddenly remembered that it was 17 years ago today that I responded to the Gospel for the first time. I did not exactly pray the traditional "sinner's prayer," but I have never entirely forgotten a little request I made that night: "Show me this Christian life I've learned about since I was a kid is actually real, and that Christ actually does make a difference in someone's life. Show me that it's not just stories, or some creative way of trying make us be better people." I couldn't have known what I was really asking (and risking), but neither have I ever regretted it. The Gospel is true, Christ does indeed make a profound difference, and there is definitely so very much more to it than mere moral improvement with a religious basis.
- Andrew
It became clear that now was the time to seriously pursue further education at the Ph.D. level, so with the full support of EuNC leadership, I devoted time to investigating numerous programs, studying for the GRE (which I took twice in Geneva), and completing the application process. By the end of January this year, all of that was complete and I returned to making the bulk of my time available to EuNC. However, there has not been a great deal of regular activity to keep busy every hour of each day. During the last five months, I've taught a couple of online directed studies in Church History I and spent most of my time developing Church History II. I've also kept busy supporting Gina in her role; as my activity decreased, hers seemed to increase. There has been plenty to do, but there was also time to rest, reflect, and enjoy the increased amount of time and mental space to devote to personal study and spiritual formation.
I'm proud of my inherited work ethic. But an important lesson I had to learn is that my value did not come from being busy, performing my job well, high-powered networking, or what anybody else thought of me - contrary to a great deal of what Western culture drills into our very souls so that the church is often indistinct from society in that regard. I had to learn in a more everyday, practical sense what our Protestant doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith really means: that my value did not depend on my efforts or image; that God's love for me, His ability to speak to me, and His ability to work in the lives of others through me are just as strong and present when I have very little to do as well as when my schedule is full of even God-centered activity. In short, that I had nothing to prove.
I was recently reminded of Luke 12, which mentions the ravens God feeds and the flowers God clothes. Creation is valuable to God, simply because He is the Creator. He did not create out of any need, but out of love. Even the mere fact of its existence is not something on which to base its value, because (by definition) God created everything out of love before it existed! If a rock can just sit there and be valuable to its Creator, how much more valuable to Him are we - living, breathing, growing, moving creatures whose chief uniqueness is in bearing our Creator's very image and likeness? While it is certainly no excuse for being lazy, it is a huge relief to know that I matter to God simply being who I am apart from any talent, achievement or recognition.
That may sound like this volunteer missionary with a master's level theological education is re-taking Basic Christianity 101. Personally, I think it would do all of us good to get a reminder of such basic concepts as grace and forgiveness, regardless of how many letters are behind our names or what kind of work we do. So while I've generally found ways of keeping busy during this season of decreased activity, I've learned or re-learned some important lessons, however basic they may be. Western society does a poor job of listening, but the Gospel remains relevant and vital even for developed, enlightened cultures like ours, and the church still needs to hear and respond as well as proclaim it. I'm thankful it has worked its way deeper into my own heart over the past few months.
I do have a number of things to look forward to this summer and fall. I've just begun taking a course with other EuNC instructors in developing and teaching online courses. While this may seem redundant since I taught myself on the job a couple of years ago and am more familiar with this method, it's important that each instructor is on the same page and applying the same standards. This course will run through the beginning of June. I will also be teaching Church History II as an online course toward the end of August, and will spend a fair amount of time this summer completing the development of that material. There's a possibility that I may be mentoring one of the young guys who has visited our church recently: he mentioned the idea yesterday, and I quietly leapt at the opportunity by expressing interest and passing him my contact information. I will begin pre-doctoral level study through Nazarene Theological College (Manchester, UK) this fall, and will spend time over the summer introducing myself to Latin -which will be one of two languages I will need in my research subject. I've joined a small prayer team at church, and may be preaching again in October. There are several other potential areas of involvement opening up around the same time, and I will carefully consider each one where the need is apparent and my gifts are able to address it.
It's good to be busy, and it's good to rest. There's certainly a time for both. I'm looking forward to having more to do, and waking up in the morning with a bit more on my schedule during the day. But I'm glad to know that I don't need any of it in order to prove to God that I'm important or valuable.
This is also PURE coincidence, but I suddenly remembered that it was 17 years ago today that I responded to the Gospel for the first time. I did not exactly pray the traditional "sinner's prayer," but I have never entirely forgotten a little request I made that night: "Show me this Christian life I've learned about since I was a kid is actually real, and that Christ actually does make a difference in someone's life. Show me that it's not just stories, or some creative way of trying make us be better people." I couldn't have known what I was really asking (and risking), but neither have I ever regretted it. The Gospel is true, Christ does indeed make a profound difference, and there is definitely so very much more to it than mere moral improvement with a religious basis.
- Andrew
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Sowing seeds
As Andrew and I have traveled around the Eurasia region for both ministry and vacation time, we have encountered interesting people and held unexpected conversations, making ourselves open to "divine" encounters.
We have talked about religion with a Hindu doctor on a train in England; discussed faith with an Italian hostel owner named Leonardo in Florence; prayed for a Canadian foreign student named Joanna who spent a day sightseeing with us in Rome; and most recently I talked with two young Nepalese men in Portugal who fled political upheaval in their home country to bounce around Europe seeking jobs.
Sometimes it is tempting to wonder what good such brief encounters might do in the lives of the people we met. Does God work in their lives through chance meetings? Are seeds planted deeply enough as to produce fruit sometime later? Can God really do transforming work in someone's heart through a few minutes' conversation with a stranger?
I have learned recently the answer is yes.
In this month's issue of the regional newsletter, Where Worlds Meet, we received permission to reprint a blog written by a pastor in the United States, who reflected on a chance meeting with a missionary while he was vacationing in Austria. The writer was an atheist at the time, and avoided Christians at all costs. Yet, after meeting the Nazarene missionary, Dan, on a train, the two young men realized they were both traveling alone, and decided to spend a day or two sightseeing together for some company.
The writer said that God used this brief encounter with a respectful Christian to lead him into a believing relationship with Jesus Christ many years later. Although they had little in the way of conversations about faith, and Dan didn't try to "sell" the young traveler on Christianity, the Holy Spirit was at work anyway. And all these years later, this former atheist is now a pastor.
Recently I was also encouraged when I heard from my friend "Jenny." I met Jenny in Colorado Springs, shortly after she'd arrived in America from South Korea to be a nanny for a year. She was struggling with her English and so I suggested she attend church with me sometime to practice.
"But I'm a Buddhist," she protested.
"That's OK," I replied. "Anyone is welcome. It would just be a good way to meet more people and practice your English."
She agreed to come.
After the service, we went out for lunch with a mutual friend and Jenny gushed that she had "felt love" the second she walked through the door.
Over the following months of our friendship, Jenny came to church with us occasionally, began listening to Christian music radio and gratefully received our prayers as she went through some difficult experiences. She never expressed a direct statement of faith in Christ, but I knew that at least it had appeal for her.
When her student visa was not granted, she was forced to return home. I tried to reconnect with her over the next 5 or 6 years, but because of the great distance we lost touch. During this time she got married and had two children.
A few months ago, she found me on Facebook and joyfully shared that in the past year or so she had connected with a group of believers in her home city and begun to worship with them, study the Bible and enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. She said that her new faith in Christ has replaced sadness and hopelessness with joy, and that she has new purpose and pleasure in her life.
I was thrilled to hear that the seeds we planted with Jenny so many years ago had been nurtured by the Holy Spirit, even in the absence of any other believers in her life for several years. God was faithful to continue His prevenient grace to Jenny so that when the time was right, she could plug into a community of believers and enjoy a personal relationship with God.
If you would like to read the original blog by Pastor Scott on how God used a divine appointment to reach him years later, visit http://theunexpectedpastor.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/sowing-seeds-in-vienna/.
Never underestimate what God can do with our brief encounters.
We have talked about religion with a Hindu doctor on a train in England; discussed faith with an Italian hostel owner named Leonardo in Florence; prayed for a Canadian foreign student named Joanna who spent a day sightseeing with us in Rome; and most recently I talked with two young Nepalese men in Portugal who fled political upheaval in their home country to bounce around Europe seeking jobs.
Sometimes it is tempting to wonder what good such brief encounters might do in the lives of the people we met. Does God work in their lives through chance meetings? Are seeds planted deeply enough as to produce fruit sometime later? Can God really do transforming work in someone's heart through a few minutes' conversation with a stranger?
I have learned recently the answer is yes.
In this month's issue of the regional newsletter, Where Worlds Meet, we received permission to reprint a blog written by a pastor in the United States, who reflected on a chance meeting with a missionary while he was vacationing in Austria. The writer was an atheist at the time, and avoided Christians at all costs. Yet, after meeting the Nazarene missionary, Dan, on a train, the two young men realized they were both traveling alone, and decided to spend a day or two sightseeing together for some company.
The writer said that God used this brief encounter with a respectful Christian to lead him into a believing relationship with Jesus Christ many years later. Although they had little in the way of conversations about faith, and Dan didn't try to "sell" the young traveler on Christianity, the Holy Spirit was at work anyway. And all these years later, this former atheist is now a pastor.
Recently I was also encouraged when I heard from my friend "Jenny." I met Jenny in Colorado Springs, shortly after she'd arrived in America from South Korea to be a nanny for a year. She was struggling with her English and so I suggested she attend church with me sometime to practice.
"But I'm a Buddhist," she protested.
"That's OK," I replied. "Anyone is welcome. It would just be a good way to meet more people and practice your English."
She agreed to come.
After the service, we went out for lunch with a mutual friend and Jenny gushed that she had "felt love" the second she walked through the door.
Over the following months of our friendship, Jenny came to church with us occasionally, began listening to Christian music radio and gratefully received our prayers as she went through some difficult experiences. She never expressed a direct statement of faith in Christ, but I knew that at least it had appeal for her.
When her student visa was not granted, she was forced to return home. I tried to reconnect with her over the next 5 or 6 years, but because of the great distance we lost touch. During this time she got married and had two children.
A few months ago, she found me on Facebook and joyfully shared that in the past year or so she had connected with a group of believers in her home city and begun to worship with them, study the Bible and enjoy a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. She said that her new faith in Christ has replaced sadness and hopelessness with joy, and that she has new purpose and pleasure in her life.
I was thrilled to hear that the seeds we planted with Jenny so many years ago had been nurtured by the Holy Spirit, even in the absence of any other believers in her life for several years. God was faithful to continue His prevenient grace to Jenny so that when the time was right, she could plug into a community of believers and enjoy a personal relationship with God.
If you would like to read the original blog by Pastor Scott on how God used a divine appointment to reach him years later, visit http://theunexpectedpastor.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/sowing-seeds-in-vienna/.
Never underestimate what God can do with our brief encounters.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Successful workshop in Portugal
Gina here. I just wanted to thank you all for praying for me as I prepared my presentation and then gave it to a group of about 40 mission leaders from around the world who were receiving training in Portugal two weeks ago.
I am really grateful to have had the opportunity to talk with them for about 45 minutes on the power of storytelling, and how God uses our stories to shape our identity as a church, to unify us as one Body in one mission, to foster an environment for the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts, and to motivate us to participate in God's mission.
While I am not a polished and experienced public speaker, through your prayers, God helped me to say what I wanted to say and I saw that the leaders were taking in the points and information. (He also sent someone to my rescue when I got stuck in the bathroom -- the door handle came off in my hand -- just minutes before I was supposed to begin speaking.)
Now I pray for ways to continue resourcing them and their fields to help them share with our global church family the stories of what God is doing around the world.
Storytelling and effective communication are two of my passions. I keep seeking opportunities to assist our church in perfecting and expanding our work in these areas. I have dreams and ideas for communications that I continue to lay at the feet of God, and wait to see if He is moving in those ways and directions. I also continue to pray for God to raise up and send out more people from many nations and in many languages who will share my passion for storytelling and communication in our church. We really can't have enough of these folks involved in the mission.
Join me in these prayer requests if you feel led to do so.
Thanks!
- Gina
I am really grateful to have had the opportunity to talk with them for about 45 minutes on the power of storytelling, and how God uses our stories to shape our identity as a church, to unify us as one Body in one mission, to foster an environment for the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts, and to motivate us to participate in God's mission.
While I am not a polished and experienced public speaker, through your prayers, God helped me to say what I wanted to say and I saw that the leaders were taking in the points and information. (He also sent someone to my rescue when I got stuck in the bathroom -- the door handle came off in my hand -- just minutes before I was supposed to begin speaking.)
Now I pray for ways to continue resourcing them and their fields to help them share with our global church family the stories of what God is doing around the world.
Storytelling and effective communication are two of my passions. I keep seeking opportunities to assist our church in perfecting and expanding our work in these areas. I have dreams and ideas for communications that I continue to lay at the feet of God, and wait to see if He is moving in those ways and directions. I also continue to pray for God to raise up and send out more people from many nations and in many languages who will share my passion for storytelling and communication in our church. We really can't have enough of these folks involved in the mission.
Join me in these prayer requests if you feel led to do so.
Thanks!
- Gina
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