Key Verse: Revelation 2:4,5

On February 5~7, we held the 2009 German Leaders’ Conference in a beautiful country side town, Muecke, located in central Germany. As we are preparing the 2009 European Summer Bible Conference, this leaders’ conference was an important event to build a vessel of the Holy Spirit among German UBF leaders. In this conference, most of the messages were given by the missionaries. Because of their spiritual life of faith with the Word of God, the conference was full of God’s grace and many of the leaders restored their first love to Jesus and flock of God. Especially, Professor Peter Beyerhaus, who is an honorary professor at the University Tuebingen, attended the conference and gave a special lecture on “The true message of salvation of Jesus in multi-cultural society.” Despite his age of 80, he gave the lecture powerfully for 2 hours and testified that the message of conciliation through the Word of God is the message of salvation in this multi-cultural society. 55 leader missionaries and native shepherds from 16 German UBF chapters attended this conference.

On February 4th, Wednesday evening, we had a prayer meeting for the 2009 European Summer Bible Conference and shared our prayer topics concerning practical conference preparation. Next morning, Msn. Peter Oh of Kiel UBF delivered the opening message, “You give them something to eat!” powerfully. He encouraged our leaders to hold on to the hope of God for Germany UBF while preparing the 2009 European Summer Bible Conference with Jesus’ life giving spirit, sense of responsibility, and 5 loaves and 2 fish faith. He encouraged us to see great vision of God for the next 40 years; Our God who allowed our ministry in Germany to grow 100 times in the past 40 years through a handful of nurse missionaries, will surely bless our ministry to grow another 100 times through well-trained 300 mission co-workers in the next 40 years to 30,000 mission co-workers!

After the opening message, we had group Bible study on Revelation 2 in four groups. For the first time, 2nd generation missionary Titus Keller attended the leaders’ Bible study as the chapter director of Duesseldorf II. Through Msn. Titus Keller, who with a pure love to the Word of God, passionately served the Bible study, I was much encouraged and could hold on to the prayer topic to raise up many young 2nd generation missionaries as campus pioneers in Germany and Europe.

After the graceful Bible study, we had lunch and sport fellowship. Playing soccer, basketball, badminton, and tennis the coworkers enjoyed the fellowship with each other in a long time.

In the afternoon, we shared the year key verse testimonies and 2008 mission reports for three hours. Through the mission reports, we could see that God’s great work is going on among the house churches in Germany UBF. As an evidence, Abrahams and Sarahs and disciples of Jesus were raised up in Karlsruhe, Mainz, Braunschweig, Frankfurt, Kiel, Freiburg, and Munich UBF. Through the mission reports of the pioneering chapters we could see God’s vision for campus mission in Germany. I thank God for blessing our 20 campus chapters in Germany as 5 loaves and 2 fish for pioneering 360 campuses in Germany and 1,700 campuses Europe. In the New Year 2009 as well, I pray to bring our 5 loaves and 2 fish of one-to-one Bible study, disciple-making, and early morning Daily Bread to Jesus by faith continuously.

Last year, Msn. Kaleb Hong in Braunschweig went through severe hardships due to the health problem of his coworker Msn. Rebekka and difficulties at his workplace because of financial crisis. During the hardships he learned about Japheth’s prayer of faith and changed his name to Kaleb Japheth Hong. And as he held on to the promise of God and prayed by faith like Japheth, he experienced God’s mercy and help. God heard his prayers and recovered Msn. Rebekka’s health, although she still needs prayer support, and restored his salary fully, which had been cut by 50% because of the financial crisis, and granted him 7 sheep including Shep. Hannes and 2nd generation missionary Johann, who are growing in faith. Praise be to our merciful God, who does not break a bruised reed and will not snuff out a smoldering wick, when we hold on to God’s calling and pray!

After dinner, Msn. Daniel Park of Dueselldorf UBF delivered the first main message, “Restore your first love.” His heart was broken as his two daughters left the ministry and went to another Christian organization last year. However, while serving campus students with one-to-one Bible study, he established a happy house church with Msn. Grace Park and prayed for their children earnestly. I believe that God will bless their sacrificial love and prayer for their children and grant them countless spiritual children in his ministry. As I heard Msn. Daniel Park’s confession that there is no regret in God’s calling, I repented of my lack of faith and self-righteousness and restored my first love from my heart. I sincerely pray that German UBF leaders may prepare the 2009 European Summer Bible Conference influentially by restoring their first love and building a firm vessel of prayer and love. May God bless our Germany UBF co-workers to look ahead God’s hope for the next 40 years of European campus pioneering ministry.

After the first main message, there were some presentations concerning the 2009 European Summer Bible Conference. Shep. Stefan Elsholz presented about the international conference preparation schedule, Shep. Peter Schweitzer presented about the online registration, Shep. Elke Dietzel presented about the post-conference mission journey, and Msn. Stephanus Park presented about the registration fee. After the presentations we renewed our decision to bring our 1,000 times of united prayer as our 5 loaves and 2 fish to our Lord Jesus Christ and prayed together for more than 1,000 attendants wholeheartedly.

For the morning devotion at 7 AM on the next morning, Msn. Peter Kwak, who pioneers Munich, delivered a humorous and encouraging message based on 1 Thessalonians 5:16~18. His confession, ‘thanksgiving to God is the entrance to a happy life and complaining is the exit from a happy life,’ struck a responsive chord in many coworkers’ heart. As the managing director of Munich branch of his company, he had difficulties due to the financial crisis. When the headquarters decided to close his branch, it was not easy for him to thank God. But by holding on to his key verse he could thank God always and pray without ceasing. In this way he could build a happy house church with Msn. Maria Kwak so that brother Sebastian and sister Klaudya grew as Abraham and Sarah of faith in Munich Maxmillian University. Their two children, Peter and Joo-Eun also grew as spiritual co-workers and their spiritual co-worker Msn. Timothy established a house church and is co-working for the pioneering ministry sacrificially.

After hearing Msn. Peter Kwak’s graceful morning devotion message, we spent our whole morning to write our testimony based on Revelation 2 in order to restore and renew our first love to Jesus and God’s flock, which we shared in groups after lunch, giving up sports fellowship. The testimony sharing time was full of tears of repentance and grace of restoring the first love to Jesus and God’s flock. At 4PM Professor Peter Beyerhaus gave us a special lecture. Professor Beyerhaus, who just became 80 years old this year, has greatly influenced the German and European Christian society as a missionary and theology scholar, especially in missiology. His theological lecture “The true message of salvation of Jesus in multi-cultural society” seemed as if it was prepared just for UBF’s gospel ministry. We were convicted that it is leader mission co-workers’ job in Europe to focus on intensive Bible study and raise up disciples of Jesus through one-to-one Bible study.

In the evening, Shep. Eberhard Gross delivered a powerful message with the title, “Let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,” which gave us a clear prayer topic and vision for European campus mission. I thank God for granting Shep. Eberhard a spiritual desire to grow as a spiritual leader like Nehemiah for pioneering German campuses and spiritual revival of Europe. I pray that German native shepherds and missionaries may learn from Nehemiah’s leadership and build a firm vessel of prayer in order to pioneer all campuses in Germany and ignite the fire of the revival ministry in Europe. After dinner, we had a joyful celebration of Professor Beyerhaus’ 80th birthday. He also taught us a cannon song he knows and we enjoyed a grateful and joyful time together.

At the Saturday’s morning devotion, Msn. Dr. Jeremia Kim, who serves Berlin campus mission, delivered a message, which was full of hope, based on Acts 10, “Get up, Kill and Eat.” From this year, he decided to serve all sheep God sends with his whole heart. He prays to bless Msn. Hannah Ryu, who finished her master studies in bioengineering in Berlin University last year to build a happy house church. May God grant German citizenship to Msn. Jeremia Kim’s house church in this year and lay a firm foundation for the pioneering ministry in Berlin. After Msn. Jeremia’s powerful message, we had a blessing prayer for Msn. Abraham Mose Ju, who began pioneering ministry in Frankfurt at the end of last year. We prayed that God may grant him powerful Sunday message every week and bless him to pioneer Frankfurt University by co-working with Frankfurt mission coworkers.

Before hearing the second main message, we had a question session with Professor Beyerhaus. First question was about biological revolution and second question was about Christians’ attitude towards islamisation of Europe. Through Professor Beyerhaus’ clear answer, we could be aware of the influence of islamisation in Europe and hold onto a clear prayer direction. After the question session, Msn. Markus Kum of Cologne II delivered the second main message with the title “Love one another” based on John 13. It was God’s great work that in the last years Germany UBF could overcame the wounds of division from 10 years ago and restored the vessel of love by washing one another’s feet. According to Jesus’ example, we prayed to bear one another’s shortcomings and weaknesses in any situation and build a firm vessel of love to serve the European campus pioneering ministry influentially. After the second main message, M. Samuel Peter Ryu delivered the closing message based on Acts 19. The point of his message was that the European campus mission is possible through intensive Bible study and disciple making ministry.

The 2009 German Leaders’ Conference was full of grace, peace, and joy of God’s word than any other conferences, because many of the mission co-workers restored their first love and held on to a new vision through struggling with the word of God and repentance. I especially thank God for sending us Professor Beyerhaus and helping us to hold on to a clear direction to serve European campus intellectuals with the Word of God and the gospel of forgiveness. I earnestly pray that all of us may participate in 1,000 times of united prayer, which is the prayer topic from Dr. John Jun, and bring them as our 5 loaves and 2 fish to our Lord Jesus Christ by faith. May God bless our one-to-one Bible study and disciple making ministry and send more then 1,000 attendants to the historical 2009 European Summer Bible Conference. You are cordially invited to celebrate with us!