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“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  (Gal. 2:20)

Praise God who has loved us so much that He gave His one and only Son that by faith in Him we would not perish but have eternal life.  We thank God for this good news that will shape our hearts and minds, even our lives and churches.  This is mainly what “Encounter” was about.

Last year, four young people from across Europe set out to prepare this conference under the guidance and support of senior leaders.  For almost one year, Esra Hong (Heidelberg), Esther Nett (Cologne), Lydia Lee (Athens), and Sua Kim (Mannheim) met over skype once a week in order to prepare this conference from scratch.  They all seemed rather inexperienced, so we established a larger support team that was supposed to check their meeting notes prayerfully in order to help them walk on a spiritually safe path.  I am grateful that M. Caleb Lee (Denmark) and M. James Kim (Karlsruhe) were eager to help along with senior new gens.

It was decided to limit the attendance to ages 18-25 generally.  Frankfurt Youth Hostel became a suitable place for a conference addressing the needs of this peer group from all across Europe.  Our prayer topic was for 100 people to attend.

The conference place was exactly the same as for the "Historical" 1975 conference in Germany with Dr. Samuel Lee, titled "Jesus, the Light of Life" (Jn. 1:4). The conference theme was “The Gospel.”  During the four conference days, August 6 – 9, we studied it in four steps: First, the gospel itself; second, gospel-shaped heart and mind; third, gospel-shaped life; fourth, gospel-shaped church.  The passages and messengers were chosen during meetings in Cologne and Heidelberg that included many senior members.  There are many beautiful stories about how readily our young people coworked with the core-members to prepare and finally have this conference.  For example, the young people from Greek contributed to the website with an inspiring and funny video to which many young people responded enthusiastically.

When we finally met for the event in Frankfurt, there were 110 (mostly) young people, including four of them in their 50's.  We were grateful that UBF in Korea, USA, and Canada supported the conference with two members each.  Five people came from Russia and two from Ukraine.  While Germany had 65 participants, 32 more came from across other European nations.  We are also grateful that several chapter directors and coworkers from across Germany joined the conference in person for a day or two, displaying their whole-hearted support for our young people.

It was encouraging to see that there were some novice participants as well as some who could be considered as “vague.”  How would they respond?  It helped that the welcoming address hosted by Titus Keller (Dusseldorf 2) included an in-depth explanation of the conference outline and goal.  The conference vision was given as “establishing a network to strengthen young believers.”

Shp. Lachezar Krastev (Sofia) gave the opening message.  It was another surprise having him here at this time since he would marry on the following weekend (15 Aug.).  He spoke about how Nicodemus encountered Jesus and heard the good news.  He emphasized the need to be born again of water and the Spirit.  We realized that the gospel is not just some good advice about how to behave (in which we always fail).  Rather, it is the good news of God's love for us: in Jesus He has taken the punishment that we deserve, so that we may receive the kingdom of God that we do not deserve – whatever “good” we may do.  Latchezar also saw God's one-sided grace in his own life and in the spiritual healing process of his parents and Bible students.  Let us pray for his house church with Shps. Joy Minjung Shin to reflect the one-sided love of God.

Stephen Kim Jr. (Korea) shared his life-testimony.  Growing up in a missionary family in Moscow, he experienced both the blessings of this background and the tendency of his human nature to live a double-life.  God has helped him step by step, bringing healing in family relationships, church and friends.  Now Stephen serves some students with the gospel and realizes that they all seem to be stubborn – just like he used to be. After this meeting, we had a get-together.

The following day started with private or group morning devotion.  Group Bible study leaders had all been briefed over skype before the conference; so they were ready and served their teams well.  So between breakfast and lunch, we met to study the second passage (Luke 10:25-37) on the Good Samaritan, then write our reflection on it and share it in our group.  There was a strict rule of silence for reflection writing time so that everyone could truly come to God prayerfully instead of chatting.  It was a very meaningful morning.

After lunch, people met for six parallel workshops: prayer (led by M. Little Sarah Kim/Chicago); worship (Joy Kim/Frankfurt, Noah Kang/Cologne); mission (Esther Nett, Jesin Yu, Sarah Wieland/Cologne, Eun Hee Kim/ Wiesbaden); marriage (Elia Lee, Wynelle Nett/Cologne); friendship (Suzy Song/Wuppertal, Josef Kang/Cologne); overcoming temptations (Esra Hong/Heidelberg, Sua Kim/Mannheim).  Due to thorough preparation of the workshop leaders, their topics were addressed in an interesting, wholesome way.  The response at and from all the workshops was very good.  So people really wanted to know the meaning of the gospel in a practical way.  For instance, the mission workshop had an outreach, and the prayer workshop team prayed for them.  At the prayer workshop, one person asked for prayer support to be born again. After the workshops, we met for games that focused on team spirit (already the third different teamwork of the day; so, all of us pretty much met “everyone” closely).  People seemed to have great fun.

In the evening, Enoch Hong (Heidelberg) gave the message on the Good Samaritan.  He showed us how Jesus turned the adverse situation (being tested) into an opportunity to open the eyes of the scribe (and our eyes as well) to seeing ourselves and others from God's point of view.  While Jesus's parable is generally used to encourage us in love for others, it can also help us realize our failure in meeting God's standard.  In the end, we must conclude that Jesus is the Good Samaritan who has shown mercy on us.  This leaves no room for self-justification (through good works).  Still, we are challenged to love God with all our hearts and with all our minds.  So, in conclusion Enoch confronted us with the question if this challenge seems to be a burden for us or pure joy.  Then that would be a good measure of our true love.

Natasha Khmelovska shared her life-testimony.  At her birth, doctors gave up on her, but her mother kept her.  Against all odds, Natasha became a top student.  She still wouldn't have been able to enter university, if not for her mother's insistent prayer to God and calls to authorities.  Natasha met God personally when she joined the English Club at Podil UBF.  Since then she has been growing in her relationship with God.

Later that evening, each Bible study group presented a performance that was supposed to express the gospel.  A jury rated each act, giving Monica Jung (Bucharest) and her team the best scores.  Afterwards, we saw proof of Greek ingenuity. Staying up for two nights, they had prepared a video of 25 minutes covering the thanksgiving topics and other highlights of conference attendants as found on Facebook.  Especially, the subtle humor and the use of different roles by Isidora Printezi and Pauline Lee made the audience laugh and clap with great joy and thankfulness. To me, every group was worthy of winning.  (The winner was announced after that video, and the prize was to pray at the close of the meeting.)

Saturday started with thunderstorm. Temperatures above 35C (95F) throughout the conference made sleeping in rooms with up to nine mates somewhat difficult; outside activities were limited, and inside it sometimes got sticky. And the thunderstorm was over within five minutes and without decreasing temperatures. Anyway, most people were focused on the conference. How can the gospel shape our lives? Bible study was on Galatians 2:15-21. Then followed the second part of our workshops (we joined the same group/topic as the day before). After lunch, there was another silent time for reflection on God's word, followed by sharing them in our groups. The 2 and half hours thereafter, we had no predefined program.  Many used this for a stroll along the Main River or across it into the city of Frankfurt.

In the evening, Paul Youk served with the message on Galatians 2.  He equaled a gospel-shaped life to a supernatural life.  Naturally, like Peter and other Jews, we tend to seek our righteousness in following certain rules.  But even the energetic apostle Paul was unable to keep the law perfectly.  Like him, we need to see ourselves as sinners; at the same time, we are justified sinners in Christ.  This helps us to live a gospel-shaped life, to develop both true humility and boldness – to share both love and truth.  From his own experience, Shp. Paul concluded that even when we fail, we are still loved.  God never fails us.  His calling and purpose for us are unchanging.

David Kim (Mainz) shared his life testimony on John 8:12.  Above all, he thanked God and thanked his parents.  They raised him in the hope that he would become a man after God's own heart, like King David.  While he looked like a humble person, he was living a double-life in darkness.  Romans 6:12-13 helped him to be renewed in his desire for God and for being his instrument of righteousness.  He prays for his studies at a small college (Zweibrucken) and to serve Matthias and others through the love of God. 

Saturday night was also prayer and worship night. The worship band had prepared several rounds of music with times of common prayer, personal prayer, group prayer, and another life testimony.  It was very meaningful and helped the young (and not so young) people to worship God from all their hearts and all their souls.  Not only this, while the band played and the audience sang, an Indian scientist, Victoria, arrived at the youth hostel.  She hurried her luggage into her room and came down to join us.  She stayed with us to the end of the conference and is looking forward to visiting Cologne UBF, later this year.  Also during worship night, someone gave his life to Jesus.

Debora Lee (Cologne) shared her life testimony on Isaiah 41:10.  She shared about how she felt insecure in her youth and tried to overcome this by hanging out with friends whom she later discovered to be false friends.  This realization helped her come back to her senses step by step.  Still, her high school graduation seemed to be a miracle.  Through the death of several close young people she realized the need for a close relationship with God.  Because of this, she even stopped her relationship with a nice young man who did not share her spiritual desire so deeply.  Through this, Debora became free to surrender her life to God without holding back.

Finally, on Sunday morning, we studied the passage on Acts 2:37-47 about a gospel-shaped church.  Afterwards, Jonathan Hong (Wuppertal) served the closing service with his message.  He first reminded us that the church is the bride of Jesus and therefore very precious to him.  So he has deep interest both in every single person as well as in the church as a body.  Jonathan reminded us that the Holy Spirit is promised to all believers without exemption.  And through him, we may be or become the gospel-shaped church.  Based on the passage, we found several basic qualities of such a church, e.g., sound teaching, loving fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer.  Jonathan showed how each of us can be truly part of this and how important it is not to rely on methods or rituals, but to live all this in an authentic lifestyle.

After the offering, I (Walter Nett) – instead of giving an address – prayed for each of the core team members, Esra, Esther, Lydia, and Sua with one word of God.  In doing so, I asked God's blessing over them personally as well as over the congregation that they represented.

In conclusion, I was deeply moved by this conference as an expression of the great spiritual potential and desire of our European new generation.  They are hungry and thirsty for God's word and for the gospel to shape their thinking and acting, even their churches.  As we parted, each of us received another person's “profile” to pray for and connect to.  In this way, we want to keep in touch and network for continuing encouragement.

I personally realized the grace of Jesus who gave himself for me and not only walks with me: he lives within me.  I pray for this realization to consume my way of thinking, talking, and acting.

I want to thank all of you who have made this conference possible through prayers, word of encouragement, practical support, etc.  Please, keep Europe in your hearts.  As we approach the 5th centennial of Luther's reformation (1517 / 2017), may our living, loving God bring about another spiritual revival and use this new generation preciously as part of it.  Amen.