————-Forwarded Message—————– From: Peter Roennfeldt, PeterRoennfeldt To: Date: 03/06/2003 07:20 PM RE: CHURCH PLANTING NEWS – 03 June 03 #e-f Dear Church Planters I have just returned from experiencing ‘MerSmak’ at Orebru in Sweden. The theme this year was ‘Take It Personally.’ Church planters Eddie Hypolite (Kennington Community, London) and Harald Giesebrecht (Cornelius, Olso) inspired with their excitement for God and ministry for unchurched people. Eddie shared ‘Food for the Brain’ – basic questions dealing with Christianity. Harald led in ‘Searching for God’ – a quest for authentic Christian living. I shared on ‘Experiencing the Holy Spirit.’ It was a time of careful Bible study, prayer, celebration, commitment to service and decisions for Jesus and His Spirit’s annointing. ‘MerSmak’ is a local church revival and witnessing opportunity – the vision of Christers and Marita Fors and local members who are committed to their church being relevant. Many friends are invited – and they participate in various ministries. This year 250 people (mostly young adults) attended the 5 day festival. There were about 6 hours of study and worship each day. “No one was just wandering around outside,” said Martin Vukmanic – church planting coordinator for Sweden. “The Holy Spirit is moving in the lives of many.” You will be encouraged and inspired by reports in this NEWS. Share your story – and ministry ideas. Share your prayer requests with others. Encourage and support each other. Christian regards Peter Roennfeldt
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CHURCH PLANTING NEWS – 03 June 03
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EXCITING TIMES IN BRISTOL – NEW CHURCH PLANTED (South England Conference) “40 members have hived off from the Bristol Central church to form a new church plant in North Bristol,” reports church planter and pastor Richard Daly. “The new church has already grown to 60 attending each week – and the gap at Central has already been filled. Soon we plan to plant another church in the south.”
CHURCH PLANTING IN THE NETHERLANDS! “The church planting core teams in the Netherlands are totally committed,” reports Peter Roennfeldt – who (last week) spent five days visiting with pastors, planters mission leaders and coreteams of new church plants in the Netherlands. “The Netherlands Union leaders have worked carefully to ensure there are people in place to coach and encourage each church planting team.” # Uni&k is a café church being planted to reach Utrecht students. With a small team of core leaders they are accomplishing a lot – fostering two small groups, conducting a weekly seeker worship service, and presenting a major monthly Friday evening worship opportunity. As well as this, some have a wide circle of friendships with unchurched people. # This is also true of the Almere Buiten church planting team. What this team – coordinated by Gertjan Knopper – is doing is impressive. They have a weekly worship service for unchurched people, foster a strong children’s ministry and now have 2 small groups. Marissa and Selma are fostering a prayer ministry – and are both very active in sharing with other mothers in the community. # Stennet Ross is planting another church in Almere – mostly reaching people who have migrated to the Netherlands. He is a very experienced church planter – and the group has grown rapidly. # The Jabes church planting team is working in Herleen – in the south of the Netherlands. This is a very committed and very missionary minded team. Each month they present three different Sabbath programmes for their unchurched community. Led by Paulo Smit and encouraged by their pastor, Paul Daniels, the Jabes group present a theme day (a seeker event addressing a relevant theme in a creative way), a video-film day and a puppet programme for the community children. “I joined the Jabes team, their friends, 15 unchurched mums and their 20 children for their puppet day,” says Peter Roennfeldt. “It was a lot of fun – and friendships are being built.” # “Sabbath morning I was at the Tilburg church plant – and that evening Rudy Digjan, Paul Daniels and I spent a couple of hours with Frensly Panneflek and the core team leaders,” says Roennfeldt. “It is very encouraging to see what is happening. This church plant started in April 2002 with about 35 people. Now around 60 attend church each Sabbath. There are 85 people who attend at various times – and half are unchurched people.” # A group from the Leeuwarden church are committed to establishing small groups, fostering social service work in their community, and putting in place a new worship opportunity for their friends.
CELEBRATIONS AT CORNELIUS (Oslo, Norway) “Last Sabbath ‘Cornelius’ was organised as an official church,” reports planter Harald Giesebrecht. “We started small – and now we have between 60 and 100 attending each Sabbath. We have 40 members.” Harald told those attending MerSmak (Orebru, Sweden) of the excitement of ministry and the new freedom that he has found in his ministry since he has found anew fellowship in the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
THE PRICE OF SILENCE! “One Sabbath we were having a meeting and there was discussion about how to understand the words of John the Baptist about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11),” writes Olga Murga, church planter in Israel. “The host of the meeting asked, ‘Are you baptized by the Spirit? If yes, then raise your hand! Only a few raised their hands. However, with the reading of the Bible, we discussed how to be baptised with the Holy Spirit. Then the question was raised – ‘How are we baptised by fire?'” Following discussion and Bible reading the group concluded that the baptism of fire is evident in suffering and diligence to serve and witness. The group prayed right then – seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire! “After the prayer one of the sister asked to speak,” Olga reports. “She was crying as she told her story.” She said, “Dear brothers and sisters, you know that last week we had a terrorist attack here in Tel-Aviv and 20 people were killed and one hundred wounded. This was the street where I usually talked with a store owner. But, I wasn’t baptized by the fire from above and my conversations never led to the truth about our Saviour. And now it is too late because his picture is in the black frame among all those who died that day. He died – and now I ask myself only one question: ‘Why was I silent? How great is the cost of my silence? The person is now dead!” “She cried bitterly,” reports Olga. “And then she continued by saying, ‘After this meeting I will never be silent, and everyone I meet will find out about the love of our Lord.'”