Lucy's Story from Germany

"You have to meet Lucy. She's really interested in Jesus", one of our students, Peter, explained to us. John and Kristen Koeshall, AGWM Personnel ministering with Students for Christ in Germany go on to tell the following story. “In the months previous, Peter joined the Masters in Public Policy degree offered at the University in Erfurt which is attended by students from all over the world, including some from closed countries. A number of Christian students have found one another and have begun praying for their classmates, but they've run into a problem. A number of those they are praying for have joined the prayer meeting, too! Lucy was one of those. “In an effort to connect with her and others, we threw a party. During the party I gave Lucy a Bible I had in her language. She couldn't believe that we would be giving this to her, and was so thankful for it. Two weeks later, Kristen and she were sitting in our living room reading the stories of Jesus together. After they had finished for the evening, she said, ‘How are people supposed to find out about Jesus if they don't have a Bible?’

“Lucy is currently in another city for a few more weeks, and we anticipate having her back in Erfurt. We are praying, that her hunger for knowing Jesus would grow; that Kristen would be led by the Spirit in relating to Lucy and for the hundreds of other international students in our area, many of whom don't have this opportunity. We are praying also for more workers to the Universities of Germany.”

"You have to meet Lucy. She's really interested in Jesus", one of our students, Peter, explained to us.  John and Kristen Koeshall, AGWM Personnel ministering with Students for Christ in Germany go on to tell the following story.  “In the months previous, Peter joined the Masters in Public Policy degree offered at the University in Erfurt which is attended by students from all over the world, including some from closed countries.

A number of Christian students have found one another and have begun praying for their classmates, but they've run into a problem. A number of those they are praying for have joined the prayer meeting, too! Lucy was one of those.  “In an effort to connect with her and others, we threw a party. During the party I gave Lucy a Bible I had in her language. She couldn't believe that we would be giving this to her, and was so thankful for it. Two weeks later, Kristen and she were sitting in our living room reading the stories of Jesus together.

After they had finished for the evening, she said, ‘How are people supposed to find out about Jesus if they don't have a Bible?’  “Lucy is currently in another city for a few more weeks, and we anticipate having her back in Erfurt. We are praying, that her hunger for knowing Jesus would grow; that Kristen would be led by the Spirit in relating to Lucy and for the hundreds of other international students in our area, many of whom don't have this opportunity.  We are praying also for more workers to the Universities of Germany.”

Leadership Summit in Germany

The Pentecostal European Fellowship held it annual conference in Hannover, Germany, March 5-7, 2014.  Over 80 delegates from 26 countries representing national member movement of the PEF took part in this gathering.  Johannes Justus, local pastor and president of the BFP (host movement), welcomed the Conference and encouraged the PEF to pursue God's promises for Europe.
PEF Chairman, Dr. Arto Hämäläinen, was the keynote speaker, dealing with the apostle Paul's approach to church-planting in 1st-century Europe. PEF Executive Director Daniel Costanza illustrated the spiritual needs of Europe and gave a challenge to reach the continent for Jesus with concerted action.  Other speakers included Mrs. Perrine Dufoix (a Christian political activist in France) who gave a speech on current issues related to the debate on moral values in Europe. 
The PEM team led specific times of intercession for Europe, including the situation in Ukraine. An official message of solidarity was sent to Pentecostal leaders and to the government of Ukraine, on behalf of the PEF Committee.   Exciting news of church growth and other iniatitives were shared by the respective leaders of PEF member movements of Spain, Russia, Romania and Hungary.  Also, much time was given to the discussion in working groups about the PEF STRATEGY 2014+, which was officially adopted for the PEF as a document providing direction for the future.  The Annual Business of the Committee approved important decisions, including the acceptance of a new member, namely the Assemblies of Portugal, and the official launch of PEF-MEDIA as a supportive ministry to PEF.   The closing session featured a message by Pastor Luis Reis (Portugal), followed by Communion and a time of corporate prayer for different needs and for a move of the Holy Spirit on today's church in Europe and the world.  In an atmosphere of joyful celebration, many participants in this strategic conference said they were inspired to go FORWARD, UNITED AND EMPOWERED, which was the motto of this conference.   Next year's Conference of the PEF will take place in Amsterdam (NL) on March 4-6 in the framework of a LEADERSHIP SUMMIT called "i15". It will be the first ever conference open to pastors and leaders from across Europe, featuring renowned speakers and ministry experts.

The Pentecostal European Fellowship held it annual conference in Hannover, Germany, March 5-7, 2014.  Over 80 delegates from 26 countries representing national member movement of the PEF took part in this gathering.  Johannes Justus, local pastor and president of the BFP (host movement), welcomed the Conference and encouraged the PEF to pursue God's promises for Europe.

PEF Chairman, Dr. Arto Hämäläinen, was the keynote speaker, dealing with the apostle Paul's approach to church-planting in 1st-century Europe. PEF Executive Director Daniel Costanza illustrated the spiritual needs of Europe and gave a challenge to reach the continent for Jesus with concerted action.  Other speakers included Mrs. Perrine Dufoix (a Christian political activist in France) who gave a speech on current issues related to the debate on moral values in Europe.

The PEM team led specific times of intercession for Europe, including the situation in Ukraine. An official message of solidarity was sent to Pentecostal leaders and to the government of Ukraine, on behalf of the PEF Committee.

Exciting news of church growth and other iniatitives were shared by the respective leaders of PEF member movements of Spain, Russia, Romania and Hungary.  Also, much time was given to the discussion in working groups about the PEF STRATEGY 2014+, which was officially adopted for the PEF as a document providing direction for the future.  The Annual Business of the Committee approved important decisions, including the acceptance of a new member, namely the Assemblies of Portugal, and the official launch of PEF-MEDIA as a supportive ministry to PEF.

The closing session featured a message by Pastor Luis Reis (Portugal), followed by Communion and a time of corporate prayer for different needs and for a move of the Holy Spirit on today's church in Europe and the world.  In an atmosphere of joyful celebration, many participants in this strategic conference said they were inspired to go FORWARD, UNITED AND EMPOWERED, which was the motto of this conference.

Next year's Conference of the PEF will take place in Amsterdam (NL) on March 4-6 in the framework of a LEADERSHIP SUMMIT called "i15". It will be the first ever conference open to pastors and leaders from across Europe, featuring renowned speakers and ministry experts.

Then She Stood Up in Germany

Go25 is a church planting effort in Germany in which AGWM personnel, Mike Tyler is involved. Lives are being touched and God is performing miracles. Mike tells of the following incident: “This month we got out of the box with our outreach. We took our Go25 Team to a health services convention in nearby Bayreuth. The convention hall was expecting 8,000 visitors over the weekend, and was packed with vendors selling everything from prosthetic enhancements, to herbal teas, to “healing talismans”. We were the only booth in the whole convention which didn’t bring anything to sell. We went to give people the simple message that Jesus still heals today, and to offer to pray for them.

“On Saturday afternoon 3 of our Go25 Team members and a teenager from our church took time to pray for a woman in a wheel chair. She had survived 3 strokes in the past year, and as a result had lost all feeling in her right leg. As the four of them prayed for her in Jesus name she regained all feeling in her leg. Then she got up out of the wheel chair! Her excitement was evident to everyone around. All the sales people from the other booths near ours and many convention visitors saw the whole thing. That in itself is pretty exciting but what’s even more exciting was seeing how this one miraculous healing opened up the door for hundreds of great conversations in which our team got the chance to share the Gospel over and over again!

It’s amazing to see what God does when we step out and take risks for his glory!”

Go25 is a church planting effort in Germany in which AGWM personnel, Mike Tyler is involved.  Lives are being touched and God is performing miracles.  Mike tells of the following incident:

“This month we got out of the box with our outreach.  We took our Go25 Team to a health services convention in nearby Bayreuth. The convention hall was expecting 8,000 visitors over the weekend, and was packed with vendors selling everything from prosthetic enhancements, to herbal teas, to “healing talismans”. We were the only booth in the whole convention which didn’t bring anything to sell. We went to give people the simple message that Jesus still heals today, and to offer to pray for them.

“On Saturday afternoon 3 of our Go25 Team members and a teenager from our church took time to pray for a woman in a wheel chair. She had survived 3 strokes in the past year, and as a result had lost all feeling in her right leg. As the four of them prayed for her in Jesus name she regained all feeling in her leg. Then she got up out of the wheel chair! Her excitement was evident to everyone around. All the sales people from the other booths near ours and many convention visitors saw the whole thing. That in itself is pretty exciting but what’s even more exciting was seeing how this one miraculous healing opened up the door for hundreds of great conversations in which our team got the chance to share the Gospel over and over again!

It’s amazing to see what God does when we step out and take risks for his glory!”

Students Reaching Friends in Germany

“All my friends know I’m a Christian. But how do I reach them?” That was the question that went around the table as AGWM personnel, John Koeshall in Germany sat eating Turkish food and talking about next semester with university students. The Koeshalls are reaching out to university students in a culture where faith belongs solely in the private sphere, and where it is extremely rude to foist it upon someone. The discussion centered on how do we as a community be a witness to the world in which we find ourselves?

“All my friends know I’m a Christian. But how do I reach them?” That was the question that went around the table as AGWM personnel, John Koeshall in Germany sat eating Turkish food and talking about next semester with university students. The Koeshalls are reaching out to university students in a culture where faith belongs solely in the private sphere, and where it is extremely rude to foist it upon someone. The discussion centered on how do we as a community be a witness to the world in which we find ourselves?
 
Indeed, this is the question we ask in secular Europe, where 3% or less are in evangelical churches, and where only 1% of the German population attend the state Lutheran church on Sundays. To be now sitting around a table with six faithful, passionate students, discussing and dreaming how to be a relevant witness to their friends is an answer to prayer. Having a voice in secular Europe begins with genuine community, where the life and truth of God is lived out in the power of the Spirit. John further states, “As I sat there watching them, I could see wheels turning, ideas coming together, encouragement spoken, admonishments to pray voiced, and resolution firmed. They all know it’s going to cost them: time, energy, comfort, and reputation.”  There is a price to pay but seeing students coming to know Jesus is well worth it.