THIRTEEN YEAR HISTORY

Three cities: Germersheim-Passau-Vilshofen


Present Day: VILSHOFEN

2025 GOALS




Chronological History of our ministry 

2011-2013 GERMERSHEIM

2011

Arriving in Germersheim [mid October] at the start of the university's Winter Semester, we got into contact with one of the two house church plants of the university group SMD (Student Mission Deutschland). In Germany, I learned that there is Catholic or Protestant, nothing in between. But SMD operates in between these two denominations. The catholics had a strong presence but the protestant had no group. Following our meeting with the SMD leader, we were asked to take over the leadership of the SMD group of five students. Suprised and honored, we took the torch and began meetings once a week. As the group was small, we began with testimonies and prayer. Biblical studies were limited as founding and establishing a deep relationship to these five students was vital to the success of any future plans or goals to grow. To catch more fish, one must learn who your are fishing with, teach them how to fish properly and let the Lord do His work in their personal life. Then, together, we can move forward to 'greater things.'

2012

Sumer Semester: We spent the first six months praying for the needs of the five students and for the Lord to bring others to our group to learn more about Christ. In the second half of the year [now Spring], the group's number had grown to fifteen. With a solid number, we began to build relationships with the local Catholic and Protestant churches. How did we do this? We asked them to host the small group meetings so that students would become familiar with the church building and familiar faces. This created positive relationships and decreased the fear of attending these church services. 

We challenged the house church group to serve the community (and the internationals) by opening an 'International Student Cafe' which offered food, fellowship and German Culture education via the German and English language. We focused the 'culture topic' presentations on the church as it is central to German cultural development, law, art and architexture. Once a week, all internationals (both students of the university and the local city) would come together to meet at the gymnasium of the Protestant Church. We needed the internationals to have a place where they felt welcomed, safe and learned about Jesus' love for them. 

Following the opening of the World Cafe [mid-summer and through winter], we joined forces with a local soup kitchen to help feed the homeless and help organize their food reserves. We can't just talk about Christ, we must literally become His hands and feet in the community. We trained the house church group that it is important to show others how to serve, not just talk about it in the church. This lead to a positive collaboration between the catholic church, protestant church and a non-religious soup kitchen.

2013

With the beginning of a new university semester [now May], we prayed in advance that the Lord would give us those students who were hungry and thirsty for knowledge of our Lord and had ambition to serve Him in the World Cafe. In the following months, our number grew from 15 to 32 active members. We elected four new leaders that would break the large group into two. We now grew to have two house church plants that were serving the homeless at the local soup kitchen, volunteering at the World Cafe and  building stronger relationships with both the Catholic and Protestant churches as partners. It is now time to pass the torch to the local leaders we had elected and trained and move on to the next city.


2013-2021 PASSAU 

2013

Arriving in Passau [mid October], we got into contact with several local churches. Over a course of 3 months, we visited their Sunday worship services, small groups and special events. During that time, there were three things we noticed that were missing in all of the churches in Passau: 1) Unity in solid theology, 2) teens/youth/students, and 3) internationals. We recognized that Passau had several churches, therefore, no new house church plant was necessary. Where do we go from here?

2014

Passau West Baptist Church sits atop one of the mountains overlooking the whole city of Passau. It rents out the 7th Day Adventist Church for its Sunday worship services as there are only 13 attending members. But when you walk into their presence, the Holy Spirit is blooming. The pastor is about to retire in a few months, but has planted over 35 churches in Germany, Czech Republic and Hungary. Here is where the crops are ripe for harvest and we wanted to be apart of what God was about to do. We officially joined the church and became its newest members.

By mid summer, we had grown close with the leadership teams of the Baptist Church and the University of Passau Student Christian Groups. The three needs of the city of Passau were about to be strategically met.

By mid October, we had started a partnership with the SMD (Student Mission Deutschland), the local university's Christian group. They also perceived the need to serve international students and asked us to start an English-speaking house church group to target them.

2015

By Spring, the Baptist church retired their pastor and two leaders/elders continued in their roles to teach, preach, and lead the church. The church's number had grown to 20+ as the students of the university became aware of the church's warm welcoming of them. The international student group we lead grew to 10. Christine became an English translator for the worship services and a wonderful addition to the worship band with her violin. I, [Jeff] alongside former pastor of another church, Vitali, were invited to begin ministering to the Church through three ways: 1) Pastoring/teaching and building a solid theology 2) Attending the official Leadership/Elders meetings and praying for vision and direction. 3) We [Vitali and Jeff] were to become active liaisons to the local community and local university Christian groups. In short, we were to make ourselves known.

By mid-October, the church had grown in attendance to 30+. The three problems of Passau were being met: 1) Unity in solid theology, 2) A focus on teens/youth/students, and 3) internationals. 

2016

We had seen four semesters and four different groups of international students learning about Christ and being quipped with the tools to return to their home country and begin their own house church plants. So, we passed the leadership of the international house group to local German students at the university; it's their time to carry the torch.

Jeff and Vitali were growing close to the two Elders of the Baptist church and its active 26 members. Three new needs were distinguished: 1) Men need to become leaders of faith in their family and workplace. 2) Families with 9-15 year olds needed their own house group and worship service. 3) The church was growing and needed to form deeper relationships with all its members. These three needs would be the next 15 month's focus.

Firstly, Jeff began to lead and host "Men's retreats" once a quarter year to establish: 1) a safe place for men to talk, 2) to be adventuresome in nature and 3) to develop a deeper relationship to God and to fellow men. Secondly, Vitali's wife, Olga, worked one-on-one with Jeff to form a "Teeny Group" that would launch in 2017. Thirdly, Jeff worked with SMD [university student leadership] to form a "Christmas Party Social". Students, families with children, and elders would socialize and bond through worship songs, games and international foods during the celebration of Christ's birth, in addition to intentionally inviting non-christian friends and neighbors. The Baptist Church was growing and God's name was being made known! Lastly, The Baptist Church started a 5 week introduction to Christianity course called "Life Seminar". This is where non christians are able to Look at life's situations through God's eyes using the bible as their guide.

2017

By early-summer, the 9-15 year old "Teeny House Group" and "Teeny worship service" was successfully launched. Olga and Jeff spear-headed the goals, content and activities for this very diverse age group. The Men's Retreats were bearing much fruit with the 20's to 40's aged men, but the elder men remained stubborn and closed of heart. The people in the church were becoming very familiar with everyone's names, family and languages through coordinated social events.

By end of summer, Christine started a Prayer Group that meets once every two weeks. All churches and people are invited to the Goodner apartment for 2 hours of prayer, intercession and fellowship. The three needs (of 2016) were slowly but surely being met with God's grace and prayer is vital in all of these!

In July, the Baptist Church organized a vote to elect Vitali and Jeff as official elders to the church. There are now four official leaders/elders that will serve a two-year term. At this time, we do not see an urgent need for a senior pastor and we cannot financially sustain one as the church is made-up of 1/2 low middle-class families and 1/2 students. 

2018

By Spring, it's time to slow down and regroup.

The international student group could not be continued by the German students as their ministry group numbers hit an all time low. It can happen when seniors graduate and Juniors travel abroad for their one year of required overseas education. So we picked up the torch and will carry on the leadership of the international student house church for one year [two semesters]. We hope to pass on the torch again in 2019.

Jeff and Olga completed one year of co-leading the Teeny Group and Jeff passed on the torch to Franzi, a female German law student with a heart to serve Teens. Because of family growth in the church, we need another Teeny Group as we have older teens of 15-18. Olga, Jeff and Franzi are working hard to form this group and fill the leadership roles by mid 2019.

Summer presents three situations: 1) Europe goes on 3-5 week holidays between July and mid September. 2) Students finish university and return home between July and mid-October. 3) It's been one year of office for the elders/leadership team; it is time for a new and fresh vision for the coming year.

2019

Staff for the Teens Group and Teens Worship Service was a large priority this year. Attracting families with teens is very difficult. Families with teens have grown up listening to Atheism and Evolution taught in school as natural facts rather than theories. Teens have no desire to listen to the Biblical Story because they know the scientific facts from school. Why study other strange religious theories, right? Why suggest anything in the Bible to be true if the first chapter of the first book is not fact but fairy-tale about how the world was created and humanity's purpose. The hearts of teens are very hard to the gospel. This year, we used music, journaling and retreats to attract teens to the church. A bribe, if you will, that worked wonders as teens began to ask good questions of our staff at these events. The teeny group has 4 volunteer staff and they are active in their roles to answer tough questions, host teen-nights and be available 24/7. Praise God for a dedicated staff to these teens!

The city is divided into several church denominations. This is a normal phenomena around the world, but Jesus commanded that we (the church) be united like He and the Father are one. Twice, Paul rebuked Peter for preaching one thing but acting the opposite. Jeff began a City-wide Prayer-group where all the Church Leaders receive an invitation to pray together once a quarter year and begin relationship building. Five churches have joined over the last two years! Praise God we can begin breaking walls of theological division and focus on Christ; all the while, helping the community of Passau have its spiritual and physical needs met by united church-partnerships in projects.

Church planting is vital. We were invited by a large house group in another city to help start a new church plant. The leadership at our church commissioned an elder and sent him (along with jeff) to assist in training pastors and chosing leadership. The church is active and growing. Nine were baptized and 15 more are set for April (2020). The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few!

2020

COVID19 was a strong theme the second quarter of the year as it forced several church doors to close and people's fears to be preyed-on. The church body, however remained a steady beacon of hope, calm and compassion in an imbalanced time.

During the last year, our church doors remained open for 8 of the 12 months. Bible studies, prayer groups and Children/Teen church services were held online. Through this time, 1/4 of the church members left the church during the regulation-months and some from those left their faith. This has the leadership seeking Christ and how to better strengthen the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord to the church members who remain. 

 Love thy neighbor by making sure they are okay. This was our motto both personally and for the church. As a result, our next door neighbor has placed his faith in Jesus! Many neighbors of our church members have shared their faith openly and also had positive responses.

The new church plant, of 16 months, in the city of Pfarrkirchen is growing and remaining strong! Though many could not be baptized due to Covid regulations, they are steadfastly learning and growing more in the Knowledge of Christ from Vitali, the elder from our church whom we commissioned and sent to them. Praise and glory belongs to the Lord!

2021

COVID-19 Lockdown inside the house the whole year!

The doors are closed but the mind is open. How does one build a community without physical contact? Many at this time properly argue that the digital age is the next touch point of community. I find that to be a proper short term solution. However, there is a greater opportunity to rebuild the concept of community. Biblical community is always the goal, but often times it is not seen or experienced outside of the church walls. 

A new ministry focus is transforming a neighborhood of individuals into a biblical and social community in our own Apartment buildings. Where one house holds more than one family, but an apartment complex that has needs the Lord and His Gospel can fill.

2022

Tare open the shades and rip open the doors, the freedom of covid restrictions have been lifted! The boarders are open and businesses are returning their employers to desks in the offices instead of kitchen counter-tops at home.

GOALS:

2023

The doors of work and career have been closed. Businesses and people are bankrupt and watching every penny of their money. The great reset or depression is coming and the european governments are open about it. With a financial strain, we seek the impossible goals for this year to allow God to demonstrate His mighty Solutions:

GOALS:

2024

GOALS: