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2Tim. 1:6: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

 

 

The staff conference was held at a Deaconesses Headquarter at Lachen on September 13-15. We arrived after riding south for 3 hours. The house is situated in a very beautiful and idyllic environment, inviting for walks, and including sports and playing facilities. Some 50 coworkers from different chapters joined this conference.

 

The conference title was, “Fan into Flame the Gift of God” from 2Tim. 1:6. We started on Thursday night with a message on John 14:15-26, delivered by Reiner Schauwienold from Heidelberg. He spoke on “Jesus Promises Us the Holy Spirit.” We learned that Jesus did not leave his disciples behind like orphans when he returned to the Father. He gave them another comforter, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will teach the disciples everything and will remind them of everything that Jesus hat said to them. As bible teachers, we ask ourselves oftentimes how to understand our children, the new generation, and those entrusted to our care, and how to help them to have faith. Wherever we fail or feel helpless, the Holy Spirit is with us. He can help and teach us and remind us of God’s word.

 

After breakfast on Friday, we had group Bible study. After that, Knut Rohrmoser from Cologne delivered the second lecture on 2Timothy 1:1-14 with the key verse 1:6, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” Through his message we learned that God has already given us his gift when we came to believe in Jesus and accepted his calling and commission. We only need to fan into flame this gift of God that we already have received. When we think about resistance or failures or when we look at our own weakness, we will be inwardly blocked and discouraged from serving God’s work courageously and actively investing our lives for the gospel. But such fear is not of the Spirit that comes from God.  We learned that God has especially given us the spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. After the message we prayed from all our hearts that we fan into flame the gift of God that is in us and that we will boldly bring the gospel to young people in the upcoming winter semester.

 

In the afternoon we had time to enjoy the clear and sunny fall weather on a walk outside and then write and share our testimonies. Both Bible studies and testimony sharing in groups was very deep, meaningful, and gracious. Everyone newly accepted the gift of God that God had already given us and made a decision to fan into flame this gift in order to bear God’s mission whole-heartedly before his eyes.

 

In the evening we had a special presentation by Dr. Günther Albert from Stuttgart. He is a believing botanist, serving within the Protestant church as well as for the so-called “Open Night” in Stuttgart. This fellowship tries to share the gospel and God’s love with people, especially those who have just come into town. When M. David Hong’s family moved to Stuttgart, a couple from that fellowship visited them and invited them to group Bible study and church services. In this way, M. David came to know Dr. Albert at group Bible study. His presentation was titled “God Gives – and so You Serve the Church/Fellowship.” He talked along our conference topic and emphasized that God has given us everything: his word, his love, eternal life, his promise, his Son, the Messiah, his Holy Spirit, his grace and mercy … As Christians, what we should do is to accept, keep, and remember his blessing and his gift that he has given us. We prayed to fulfill our calling through God’s blessing and through the gift he has given us so that we can serve students with the gospel and raise them as disciples of Jesus.

 

After this presentation we welcomed the newlywed couple M. Henoch and Shps. Grace Seok from Cologne who had come that night. They thanked God for establishing their family as a house church and gave us their thanksgiving and prayer topics. M. Samuel Peter Ryu from Mainz said a representative prayer of blessing for them. Happily, we all sang “Joyful, joyful, we adore thee” for the new house church.

 

On Saturday morning we had another group Bible study and then listened to the third lecture by Jochen Schweitzer from Bonn on Ephesians 4:1-16 with the title “Live a Life Worthy of Your Calling.” Through his message we saw how we can live lives worthy of our calling. In order to live a life worthy of our calling and establishing spiritual unity and building up the body of Christ, we need to learn the inner person of Jesus in his humility, gentleness, patience, and love. But we cannot gain the character of Jesus through our human efforts; we rather must form a unity with Christ and his people and learn from him. Jesus has shown the perfect example through his own life.

 

Finally, Walter Nett gave announcements and prayer topics. According to 2Tim. 1:6 and Eph. 4:1, we prayed to fan into flame the gift of God and to live lives worthy of the gospel so that we may serve students with one-to-one Bible study during the winter semester and raise them as disciples of Jesus. We also prayed that God would raise one man like Abraham and one woman like Sarah in every pioneering chapter. Further prayer topics are. To serve God’s work through fall conferences or Bible schools in each chapter; the European directors‘ conference in Spain in December; God’s healing power for sick coworkers, esp. Shps. Barbara Lee (Mainz), M. Noah You (Freiburg), and M. Maria Kwak (Munich); not least of all the spiritual guidance for and through P. Abraham Kim, Shp. David Kim and Walter Nett. We also remembered the upcoming joyful events, such as establishing the house churches of Peter Kim (Frankfurt) and Joy Lee (Cologne) on December 22 in Korea, and of Samuel Lee (Cologne/Boston) and Curie Lee (Chicago) on January 5 in Cologne.

 

I am very thankful for the opportunity of joining this conference. God’s word encouraged me in each lecture. God reminded me that I am not left behind helplessly like an orphaned child, but that the Holy Spirit is with me as my comforter and helper, reminding me of God’s word in any situation. God also reminded me of his gift he has given me already when he redeemed me through his Son Jesus and called me for his purpose. Recently, I felt like a failure in several respects. When I think of my defeats and weaknesses and mistakes, I am only fearful and discouraged of continuing my life of faith. But God has reminded me of his gift. He wants me to fan into flame the gift of God within me and to actively invest my life for the gospel with the spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline and to put my hope in god alone. I pray to live in close connection to my Lord Jesus through the Spirit. I pray to come to God daily on my knees in prayer and to serve one soul with the gospel of Jesus this winter semester, and that God would perform a new work in me and among us.

 

May God fan our church into flame with his Spirit and build us up to co-work for the gospel among German students in one mind, thus serving His disciple-making ministry powerfully. May God strengthen all co-workers though his Spirit and use them as Bible teachers in each chapter preciously during this winter semester.

 

One word: Fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you

 

 By Josefin Kang