AGWM Personnel in Germany, Steve and China Walent, send this encouraging report about the Church Life Training they are involved in with the national church: “In April we completed two Church Life Training groups - one in southern Germany (13 Churches) and one in central Germany (9 Churches). The results are very exciting - here are some facts along with feedback from both groups:
One church that had been plateaued for twenty years at 400 people now has 450 and is moving towards 500. Another church that never went beyond 90 in average attendance now has had an average of 135 on Sundays since January of this year, and they just started a second Sunday service. All of the pastors, participants and churches have been changed in some way. Here are some feedback statements (among dozens) from some of the participants:
- “Church Life broke things open for us in our church - we are now starting to make some positive progress towards living out the mission of Christ!” - “Church Life challenged me personally in a very positive and needed way - in part it strengthened me, and in part it led me to really re-think my perception of the Church.” - “I am convinced that no one is regretting having taken part in this Church Life Training. The important values, as well as much needed strategies, are tailor fitted to each church.” - “Every Church should take part in the Church Life process!”
We started another Training Group in July, we will start another in September, and again two more the beginning of 2017. We thank the Lord for helping churches, that have been stuck in a rut, to get moving forward again.”
AGWM Personnel in Germany, Steve and China Walent, send this encouraging report about the Church Life Training they are involved in with the national church:
“In April we completed two Church Life Training groups - one in southern Germany (13 Churches) and one in central Germany (9 Churches). The results are very exciting - here are some facts along with feedback from both groups:
One church that had been plateaued for twenty years at 400 people now has 450 and is moving towards 500. Another church that never went beyond 90 in average attendance now has had an average of 135 on Sundays since January of this year, and they just started a second Sunday service. All of the pastors, participants and churches have been changed in some way. Here are some feedback statements (among dozens) from some of the participants:
- “Church Life broke things open for us in our church - we are now starting to make some positive progress towards living out the mission of Christ!”
- “Church Life challenged me personally in a very positive and needed way - in part it strengthened me, and in part it led me to really re-think my perception of the Church.”
- “I am convinced that no one is regretting having taken part in this Church Life Training. The important values, as well as much needed strategies, are tailor fitted to each church.”
- “Every Church should take part in the Church Life process!”
We started another Training Group in July, we will start another in September, and again two more the beginning of 2017. We thank the Lord for helping churches, that have been stuck in a rut, to get moving forward again.”
The Oregon AIM Youth Team worked with Tamara Henkes and Kidz Romania in a Vacation Bible School program. The local mayor of Merisan, Romania provided the use of the community center at no cost to them. All had been going well at registration, but on a particular day, Tamara observed the attendance had dropped significantly. She was informed that a group of children from a nearby village were unable to attend because their ride was not able to pick them up. Tamara takes up this story…”Although disappointed, we had to continue with the day's events. Later that morning 12 children arrived breathless but very excited, explaining how they walked an hour and half to arrive to our VBS. We quickly registered them and plugged them into the groups so they wouldn't miss any further activities.
“Once this day camp was completed, our Kidz Romania team and the youth group from Oregon loaded into our 3 vehicles to make our way to the location of a new church plant under construction, desiring to assist with some work projects. It so happens that this church plant is located in the village from which the 12 children had walked. Naturally, we managed to find room to squeeze 12 additional children into the vehicles for the trip back to their village so they wouldn't have to walk the hour and half back. Upon finding out that they wouldn't have a ride for the 4th and final day of VBS, we committed to assure their arrival. 
Over 400 people gathered in the Jesenik mountains of northern Moravia in July for a spiritual emphasis week. Among those that gathered were 70 children. The spiritual emphasis week features preaching each evening from the leadership of the Czech Pentecostal movement, morning prayer at 7:30 am, followed by three hours of small groups/youth/children's meetings and five hours of prayer meetings in the afternoons.