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"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." (Acts 4:31)

The Fall 2013 German staff conference was held on September 14-17 in Willingen, Germany, where approximately 65 members met to pray together for European ministry and the 2014 Summer European Conference. Attendants included leaders and staff from Germany, along with international guests from Belgium, Denmark, Poland, Greece, Czech Republic and America. We thank God for providing a beautiful and spacious conference site, which is where next year’s European Summer Bible conference (ESBC) will also be held (August 14-17, 2014). One of the main goals for this conference was to pray and prepare together for the 2014 ESBC.
Messages. Messages were based on Acts chapters 1-4 and delivered by Reiner Schauwienold (Heidelberg), Eberhard Gross (Cologne), Xenofon Grigoriodis (Bonn), and Joshua Lee (Belgium). The theme that was emphasized throughout the messages and Bible studies was the work of the Holy Spirit. We learned newly that Jesus gave His disciples the promise of the Holy Spirit and worked mightily through their prayers. The disciples also enjoyed beautiful fellowship and selfless love for one another as the Holy Spirit worked among them. God’s great work in our ministries is made possible not through our own efforts but through the power and leading of the Holy Spirit.
ESBC 2014 Preparation. Joachim Dietzel (Bonn) presented a detailed report looking back at the preparations for the 2009 ESBC. This report described the careful planning and the many various committees and task forces who had worked together to organize the 2009 conference. Although conference preparations might seem daunting and overwhelming, it was clear that united prayers are absolutely necessary in bringing all together as one heart and mind. Dr. Paul Hong (Toledo) gave a presentation on the 2013 ISBC in America this year, which reviewed and summarized the evaluations and feedback (both positive and negative) received about the ISBC. This provided an opportunity to discuss how to pray and prepare for the European Summer Conference. Pastor Abraham Lee also presented some specific survey questions and points, which led to an open forum to discuss opinions on topics such as music style, language, conference theme, etc. Many agreed that they would like next year’s ESBC programs to be primarily focused on European ministry rather than international, although international guests are welcome to participate and contribute. Another collective agreement was to encourage the involvement of young students and leaders in the ESBC planning and to give young leaders a major role in the organization process. European and German coordinator Walter Nett concluded the program with his prayer topics for European ministry and for the conference preparation process.
As we learned through the study of Acts, we have Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit to work in and through us. We pray for the Holy Spirit to unite us as one heart and mind as we pray for the European conference and for God’s ministries in Europe.