Networks at HOPE 2022
Arts+
network coordinator
Dr Jill Ford, Strategic Global Arts Networker
community group programme
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: Networking with local Artists in Sarajevo, Arts Plus only
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 11:30 – 12:30: Networking with local Artists in Sarajevo, Arts Plus only
Friday, 7 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: Development of Arts Plus Round Tables, Guests welcome
Friday, 7 October 2022, 11:30 – 12:30: Analysis of Arts Plus Round Tables, Guests welcome
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 4 (Friday, 7 October)
HOPE Talk in “Worship & Word” session, – Builder Groups III – Focus: Advocacy, –
White Paper
Stories of Hope
soon
Prayer Requests
-
Give thanks for our newly formed Bulgarian Round Table Sept 2022. Pray for wisdom and strength for the arts leaders there as they establish this network and build positive relationships with church leaders.
-
Pray for the new season we have entered and the expansion of Arts Plus across Europe. For God to lead and guide our leadership team as we seek to establish more Round Tables and encourage arts leaders to connect and collaborate for the kingdom.
-
Pray for wisdom and clarity as we encourage and resource our wider network in the 4 areas of church, education, society and artists. Pray we stay attuned to the needs and encourage best practices for working together and building relationships.
-
Pray that God would provide ongoing resources for the Arts Plus network and gatherings. In particular new emerging arts leaders to join us.
Cities
network coordinator
Rainer Schacke and Bastian Hagenlocher, EEA HfE Cities Network Chairs
community group programme
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: Introduction: Collaborating for Shalom in our Cities/Developing a Missional City Vision (Rainer Schacke, Bastian Hagenlocher)
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 11:30 – 12:30: Missional City Research / Developing a Missional Strategy for Collaborative Action in a City (Piet Brinksma)
Friday, 7 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: Intercultural work in the city (Robert Calvert)
Friday, 7 October 2022, 11:30 – 12:30: Church renewal/church planting with a wider city vision (Greg Fauss, Rainer Schacke, Stephan Pues via Zoom?)
Saturday, 8 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: Final meeting, next steps, prayer (if too many have already left by Saturday, we should integrate these topics on Friday morning and/or hold a city network zoom call afterwards instead) (Rainer Schacke)
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 3 (Thursday, 6 October)
HOPE Talk in “Worship & Word” session, – Builder Groups II – Focus: Good Deeds, –
White Paper
Stories of Hope
Prayer Requests
Let us pray for
-
God’s mercy for Europe’s cities and openness to the Gospel
-
Christian city networks: Christians from all cultures and denominations working together for God’s shalom
-
Planting and renewing of Christian congregations with a healthy kingdom perspective for the city
-
Culture and society: wisdom regarding the burning issues of our time for Christian leaders/all Christians
-
The public perception of Christians as hope-givers in civil society
Creation Care
network coordinator
Matthias Boehning, Co-Director World Evangelical Alliance Sustainability Center
community group programme
soon
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 4 (Friday, 7 October)
HOPE Talk in “Prayer for Europe” session, – Builder Groups III – Focus: Advocacy, –
White Paper
soon
Stories of Hope
soon
EEA HfE Network subpage (soon)
Disability
network coordinator
Therese Swinters, EDN Facilitator
community group programme
(Wednesday only!)
An opportunity to get to know what God is doing in Europe in disability ministries. And a time to grow together as a network and planning for the next years to come.
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 3 (Thursday, 6 October)
HOPE Talk in “Worship & Word” session, – Builder Groups II – Focus: Good Deeds, –
White Paper
Stories of Hope
Prayer Requests
Let us pray
-
for Ukrainians with disabilities, especially during winter, in poor home conditions
-
for ways to reach people with disabilities with the gospel
-
to see people with disabilities being full and active part in our churches
-
for church leaders: that they might be aware of the different needs caused by disability
European Educators’ Christian Association
network coordinator
Graham Coyle, Chairman of the European Educators Christian Association
community group programme
soon
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 4 (Friday, 7 October)
HOPE Talk in “Prayer for Europe” session, – Builder Groups III – Focus: Advocacy, –
White Paper
Stories of Hope
Story of Hope #2: A member of the European Educators’ Christian Association (EurECA) tells of an incident in which God brought hope to parents and changed a local authority’s policy:
“We have many requests from parents to admit children in our school. They apply two years early to be sure they will get places, there are 50 places each year. A few years ago, 85 parents applied for the 50 approved places in the first grade. I went to the local inspectorate and asked for 35 more. This seemed impossible, in other schools the number of children was decreasing, many teachers were left without a job. I decided to go and talk with the chief inspector. I was a bit nervous, but I trusted my Lord. I started by telling him about the parents’ meeting and I told him 85 parents had come, therefore 35 of them would be disappointed. He interrupted me (I thought he was about to show me out): ‘I know about your work in your Christian school. I have had positive feedback from people who are not religious at all. I know what you are about to ask me, and you have my approval to have another class of 28 students’. I understood once more that only being in God’s presence and bringing to His throne of grace your concerns you can get the peace you need in difficult situations.”
Story of Hope #7: A member of the European Educators’ Christian Association (EurECA) shares the story of a healed foot:
“I took a group of about 16 teenagers to our partner school in Sofia, Bulgaria, some were Christians, some were not. One of the boys was fooling around and ended up breaking a bone in his foot. We sent him to hospital where they bandaged and put a temporary half-cast on his foot, as he had to fly home in a couple of days. I was very dissatisfied, I believed God could bring change into the situation. I encouraged the group to pray. There was some skepticism, but most joined in; nothing happened. We prayed again, but still no change. Despite what appeared to be a setback to the group’s faith I wanted to persevere. Over the next few days we prayed several times, still no change. Finally, we were in the middle of sorting out a relational situation with some of the kids when I encouraged them to talk and resolve their issues. One of the boys, not a Christian, began praying with his friend with the broken foot. Others joined in and after a few minutes of praying, the bone was completely healed. We removed the plaster and off he went to play basketball with his friends.”
Prayer Requests
Let us pray
-
for all Christians in education across Europe to have increased intimacy with the Lord and increased courage for their situations
-
for more churches to realize the strategic influence of education for their families and their nations
-
for every child in Europe to have a Christian teacher for at least a year of their education
European Freedom Network
network coordinator
Leanne Rhodes, EFN Core Team
community group programme
soon
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 4 (Friday, 7 October)
HOPE Talk in “Worship & Word” session, – Builder Groups III – Focus: Advocacy, –
White Paper
Stories of Hope
Prayer Requests
Let us pray
-
for those who are currently trapped in situations of exploitation across our continent, and for God to move our hearts and direct our hands to help
-
for EFN’s work to prevent trafficking and exploitation among Ukrainians, as we seek to build trust and collaboration among church partners
-
that God will lead us as we identify Ukrainian and Russian experts and resources for trauma care
-
for our conference next week with European partners and NGOs – People are exhausted; we want them to leave feeling connected to each other and inspired to lean, again, into God’s good purposes for freedom
-
for skilled and willing leaders, and for our ability to identify those that God is calling as we continue to build this work across Europe
Evangelism in a New Age
network coordinator
Revd Steve Hollinghurst, Research, Training & Consultancy – Evangelism, Contemporary Culture and New Christian Communities
community group programme
soon
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 2 (Wednesday, 5 October)
HOPE Talk in “Prayer for Europe” session, – Builder Groups I – Focus: Proclamation, –
White Paper
Stories of Hope
soon
Prayer Requests
Let us pray for
-
all those with no religious framework who are spiritual seekers. May they find Jesus and may they also find Christians who can help them understand that experience and become disciples of Jesus.
-
our churches that they learn how to communicate the good news of Jesus and the Kingdom in our contemporary culture.
-
the Evangelism in a New Age network. For wisdom and guidance for the future and to build connections that further God’s Kingdom.
Financial Discipleship & Generosity
network coordinator
Bert den Hertog, CEO of Compass Europe
community group programme
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: Why should we teach biblical finance in our churches or organizations?
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 11:30 – 12:30: How to get more income as church and organization – about generosity?
Friday, 7 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: What is a journey of financial discipleship and how to start it myself?
Friday, 7 October 2022, 11:30 – 12:30: Sharing the gospel via the topic of money
Saturday, 8 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: Interactive network, ideas and resource sharing across Europe
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 2 (Wednesday, 5 October)
HOPE Talk in “Prayer for Europe” session, – Builder Groups I – Focus: Proclamation, –
White Paper
Stories of Hope
Story of Hope #18: Bert den Hertog, Coordinator of the EEA Hope for Europe Financial Discipleship & Generosity Network, shares testimonies of participants of the network’s courses on financial literacy.
Albina from Belarus wrote after taking part in a course: “I studied during this course and gained wisdom. And I want to tell you something: My relationship with God at the beginning of the course was incomprehensible. But then, during the course, I began to understand the Bible, I began to study the Bible. This course gave me freedom from financial dependence, freedom from sin in my heart. I saw that God loves me and that God wants to free me from sin. My thinking has changed, I have more love.” Hristo from Bulgaria tells: “It is useful for me to realize that I am a manager, not the owner of my money and goods. To give and help according to the needs of others, not according to their wishes. To be disciplined and to make monthly budgets and savе.“ And Nathalie from France shares: “This training made me understand the importance of our relationship with money and the influence it can have on our relationship with God. In scripture, many verses are related to money and the Lord has worked on me a lot during these 12 lessons. At the end of this training, I made several decisions and commitments to the Lord. Decisions that will influence my life, my son’s life, and my family’s life. This is a training that every disciple of God should do.”
Prayer Requests
Let us pray
-
for open hearts of churches for receiving the message of following Jesus with our finances
-
that the Lord will pour out laborers in churches and organizations who will learn, apply and multiply Gods financial principals all over Europe
-
for Wisdom how to spread the gospel via the topic of money
-
for new partners for our EEA network
Ministries to Muslims in Europe
network coordinator
Dr. Bert de Ruiter, Consultant on Christian-Muslim Relations in Europe
community group programme
Wednesday, 5 October (9:45-12:30): Theology of Evangelistic Proclamation – (Chawkat Moucarry)
Friday October 7: (9:45-12:30 ) Theology of Martyrdom – (Amir Bazmjou)
Saturday October 8: (9:45-10:45) How to apply the lessons we’ve learned
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 2 (Wednesday, 5 October)
HOPE Talk in “Prayer for Europe” session, – Builder Groups I – Focus: Proclamation, – Topic: “The challenge of next generation in the immigrant churches”
White Paper
Stories of Hope
Story of Hope #12: A member of the Network of Ministries to Muslims in Europe talks about the response of churches in Britain to the recent wave of Afghan refugees coming into the country:
The crisis that exploded in Afghanistan in August 2021 has given many churches in the UK the opportunity to show Christian’s love to thousands of Afghan families. The consequences for Afghanistan and the world could be immense. In my church, about 60% of the congregation are involved, in one way or another, in organising educational, training, sports and social events every day of the week for 300+ men, women and children. Our church has grown hugely in its understanding of the world, in its love for the foreigner, its acceptance and love for Muslims, its understanding of service and its appreciation of how God provides and answers prayer. Many other churches have similarly been impacted. The Afghans are so grateful and full of praise for Christians and the church. Some of the them have questioned why the mosque is not so involved. We have many spiritual conversations and believe so much of what we are sowing will be reaped in the years to come.
Prayer Requests
We
-
thank God for many Muslims coming to faith in Christ in Europe
-
pray for their spiritual growth and that through their witness friends and family members will also come to faith
-
pray that every Muslim in Europe will have at least one Christian friend who is willing and able to share his/her life with them and in this context also the Gospel of Jesus Christ
-
pray for the children of believers of Muslim background, that they will be drawn to Christ, despite the enormous pressure of secular Europeans around them
-
pray for Churches, organizations and ministries that are seeking to reach out to Muslims with the Good News of Jesus Christ
-
pray for more availability of solid theological training for Christian leaders of Muslim background
Moms in Prayer
network coordinator
Kathrin Larsen, Director of Moms in Prayer International in Europe & Israel
community group programme
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: Prayer walk in Sarajevo to nearest school
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 11:30 – 12:30: Networking with local moms/grandmothers/ spiritual mothers
Friday, 7 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: Sharing 4 steps and prayer for the children and schools, Guests welcome
Friday, 7 October 2022, 11:30 – 12:30: Prayer for the children and schools of Sarajevo and the Balkan countries with a Psalm and the Nehemiah booklet. Guests welcome
Saturday, 8 October 2022, 09:45-10:45: What is Moms in Prayer International? Discover the power of Prayer around the world through praying mothers… Guests are welcome
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 3 (Thursday, 6 October)
HOPE Talk in “Prayer for Europe” session, – Builder Groups II – Focus: Good Deeds, –
White Paper
Stories of Hope
Prayer Requests
with Psalm 121
May the mothers of the South East Region, especially Bosnia & Herzegovina, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey lift up their eyes to the mountains and start to pray together in prayer groups for the children and schools– where does their help come from?
2 May they see, that their help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let their foot slip – he who watches over the schools will not slumber; we pray for a prayer group for every school to pray for spiritual walls around every school.
4 He who watches over Israel and all the mothers, children, teachers and schools of the South East Region of Europe will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 We agree, the Lord watches over you all in these countries – the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 We bless the whole South East of Europe; the Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; that every child has the possibility to know you Jesus.
8 The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and for evermore. Amen
(Holy Bible, New International Version)
EEA HfE Network subpage (soon)
Peace and Reconciliation
network coordinator
Bryan Carey, Eberhard Jung, Phil Wagler, Tom Sommer
community group programme
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, from 9:45am to 2:00pm (both sessions and lunch): Excursion to Sarajevo old city and conversation with Muslim, Catholic and Orthodox peacebuilders – “Why and How can Protestants be involved in peacebuilding?” (This costs 20-25€ and will include lunch in the old town – spots are limited and it is open to anyone who is interested)
Friday, 7 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: “Moving the Church into peace and reconciliation work – Theologically”
Friday, 7 October 2022, 11:30 – 12:30: “Moving the Church into peace and reconciliation work – Skills and Capacities”
Saturday, 8 October 2022, 09:45-10:45: “Moving the Church into peace and reconciliation work – Logistically”
All Peace and Reconciliation Network sessions are open to anyone and everyone who is interested in joining.
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 3 (Thursday, 6 October)
HOPE Talk in “Worship & Word” session, – Builder Groups II – Focus: Good Deeds, –
White Paper
Stories of Hope
soon
Prayer Requests
Let us pray for
-
national PRN coordinators and networks to be established in each country
-
network development logistically – clarity of vision, mission, programmatic offerings, areas of support offered to national alliances, etc
-
our capacity to articulate a compelling vision of PRN work that is relevant in each and every EEA country
-
Phil as he steps into his new role and all the leaders he’s networking with and getting set up
Prayer
network coordinator
Peter Artman, Robbert Jan Perk
community group programme
We will take time to get to know each other as network participants. We will tell each other stories about what we have learned the last years in the prayer movements and how we understand our calling to serve HOPE 2022. And we will discuss how we want to function as the EEA Prayer Network in the coming years.
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 2 (Wednesday, 5 October)
HOPE Talk in “Worship and Word” session, – Builder Groups I – Focus: Proclamation, –
White Paper
Stories of Hope
soon
Prayer Requests
Let us pray
-
for Ukraine and the Russian war
-
for the growing number of messianic congregations and the Jews in Europe
-
that we can have more intercessors from the younger generations participating in our network
-
that we grow in maturity and discernment how we can pray for European Nations and Churches in the times of war and turmoil
Reaching Europe’s Children
network coordinator
Harry Bryans, Children’s Ministry Network Convenor
community group programme
soon
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 2 (Wednesday, 5 October)
HOPE Talk in “Worship and Word” session, – Builder Groups I – Focus: Proclamation, –
White Paper
Stories of Hope
Refugee Highway Partnership
network coordinator
Matthew S. Paschall, Strategic Partnerships United World Mission
community group programme
Wednesday 9:45-10:45am: Who is Refugee Highway Partnership? What are some “Best Practices for Refugee Ministries”? Why is it important to understand the continuum of care in a refugee crisis?
Wednesday 11:30-12:30pm: How do we help churches dealing with the immediate and long-term effects of war and occupation? Those who have lost family members, women who have been raped, church leaders and members kidnapped or stuck in occupied territories?
Friday 9:45-10:45am: How do we offer hope for Ukrainian Pastors? They have lost congregations, family members, financial support. Many local churches have become refugee care centers.
Saturday 9:45-10:45am: What is being done to develop a resource database for those serving Ukrainian refugees? We will discuss a new platform that is being designed in the next few months and would invite others to learn and contribute to the information and connections you would like to have available for your leaders and volunteers.
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 3 (Thursday, 6 October)
HOPE Talk in “Prayer for Europe” session, – Builder Groups II – Focus: Good Deeds, –
White Paper
soon
Stories of Hope
soon
Prayer Requests
Prayer for Ukrainian Refugees
-
Pray for the 7.5 million refugees who have fled the country and an additional 7 million people who have fled their homes but remain within Ukraine as Internally Displaced Persons.
-
Pray for those traumatized by war. People generally don’t have capacity to process grief until they feel safe. Pray especially for the children and youth of Ukraine as they are struggling to cope emotionally and spiritually with their traumatic situation.
-
Pray for the women and families separated at the border as husbands and sons are not allowed to leave Ukraine. Many families also have male family members who have joined in the fighting.
-
Pray for the hope of the Gospel to shine brightly in these dark times. Many people are searching for hope.
-
Pray for the Church in Europe and around the world to respond by welcoming and caring for those who are displaced. Pray for Refugee Highway Partnership Europe and other collaborative groups working together to provide resources for the short and long-term needs of refugees.
-
Pray for peace and a miraculous end of this invasion and for wisdom for world leaders as they respond.
EEA HfE Network subpage (soon)
Roma
network coordinator
Nina Jankucić
community group programme
facilitated by Nina Jankucić, Roma Networks
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: interactive time – What do you see in communities, churches around you
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 11:30 – 12:30: interactive time – what are needs that you see around you
Friday, 7 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: interactive time – what can you offer to others
Saturday, 8 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: 4th European Roma Networks conference 2023 – starting to work on the program
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 3 (Thursday, 6 October)
HOPE Talk in “Prayer for Europe” session, – Builder Groups II – Focus: Good Deeds, –
White Paper
Stories of Hope
Story of Hope #10: We read the story of Aleksandar Subotin, member of the EEA Hope For Europe Roma Networks, about his experience of coupling church and business to support less affluent people.
Aleksandar Subotin is a pastor and church planter in northern Serbia. He and his church run church planting programs in 10 villages within a 50km radius of their area. Aleksandar also runs a flower and produce business. The vision behind his business is the desire for his church to become self-supporting. In 2016, Aleksandar started to build greenhouses to grow tomatoes, paprika, and cucumbers. He says: “In the beginning it went up and down. Then one lady came and helped us. She’d been in the flower-growing business for 20 years. She taught us some skills, so we began growing flowers, too.” Now the business has grown. This year they have planted 7,000 flower plants, 1,000 tomato plants, and 1,500 paprika plants. People from the community have become regular customers. Part of the profit from the business goes to funding a project of providing 700 meals per week for those in need. “People know that if they buy from us, part of the money will go to the poor,” Aleksandar says. “I believe that as Roma, even if we are poor, even if we are not well-educated, we have enough wisdom from the Lord to go to work and earn money, not begging money from people. The mentality ‘give me, give me, give me!’ is not a biblical way. By having a business, you become self-supporting, you can be generous and you give people work.” Aleksandar’s business now employs 12 people, half are his family members and the other half are people from the community. As for the meals project, last year they had 30% funding from sponsors while 70% was self-funded. Aleksandar is optimistic: “I believe next year, we will be 100% self-supporting for this project.”
Story of Hope #16: We get to know the Roma Bible School: In 2014, at the first Roma Networks conference, Roma leaders from former Yugoslavia expressed an important need in their regional meeting: the lack of theological training which would not only take into account the Roma context but would also be available to all education levels. It was not until the third Roma conference in 2019, however, that leaders took a next step by appointing Saša Bakić to facilitate a research process regarding the potential school. Bakić, having earned a BA in theology, was passionate about theological education and invited two others to be part of the board. The COVID lockdowns allowed the time for this research process and the board began interviewing mission and theological educators before developing a business plan and curriculum. The mission of the Roma Bible School (RBU) is to educate, empower and equip the Roma to be able to make life-long disciples of Jesus in their communities. As it was intended to be a school by the Roma and for the Roma, the board invited Roma pastors to be part of the teaching team and the school’s pilot program launched in March 2022. Currently, the sixteen students meet one weekend a month in various locations in order to experience different contexts. This ongoing story is truly a testimony of God’s amazing grace, and His provision and wisdom have come through both the local and the global church. We hope and pray for the fruits of this school to be seen in many communities throughout Southeastern Europe.
Prayer Requests
Let us pray for
-
the Roma Bible traveling school – that the Lord is raising new leaders according to His heart
-
the job creation project – that the Lord is surrounding us with all necessary things needed to see change in Roma communities through starting small business
-
the country representatives’ meetings in November 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia – 70 people from some 30 countries are coming, may the Lord give us the same vision, heart and mind
EEA HfE Network subpage (soon)
Singles, Couples, and Family
network coordinator
Paul Marsh, Family Resource Centre / Family Ministries international committee
community group programme
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: The Singles, Couples and Family network team meet – guests are welcome
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 11:30 – 12:30: Current trends in marriage and celibacy; Have we failed with Gen XYZ?
Friday, 7 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: 40 days to build intimacy: sexuality and church; Why do Christian marriages fail? (2 groups)
Friday, 7 October 2022, 11:30 – 12:30: Communication and resource sharing across Europe
Saturday, 8 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45, Why would a young person get married today?
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 2 (Wednesday, 5 October)
HOPE Talk in “Worship and Word” session, – Builder Groups I – Focus: Proclamation, –
White Paper
Stories of Hope
Story of Hope #5:
Paul Marsh, the coordinator of the Singles, Couples, and Family Network shares a memory from his work with couples: “No one would have given them any hope at all. Bernard and Paula came to my office in separate cars. A few years of marriage and two small children had descended into a pit of criticism, alcohol, abuse, and a rapidly failing small business. He was the baker, she was the shopkeeper. This was not going well. We met briefly a year earlier as they struggled to cope with a new baby and a communication issue. Now it was worse. Amazingly, neither of them wanted their marriage to fail. They just didn’t know how to make it work. We began weekly sessions, providing practical steps to recovery. Against all odds, they accepted the challenge and made costly adjustments. It didn’t look like love. Yet that’s what it was. Choosing to believe for the best, trusting the other, acting carefully and intentionally, they climbed an almost impossible wall of despair. Today their family is still together. The past has damaged them, but they have learnt to cope with their disability. They now avoid destructive conflicts, and know how to make truly generous responses that calm the storms. When two people set their minds to make their relationship work, nothing will stop them succeeding.”
Story of Hope #14: Richard Kane, Founder and Executive Director of Marriage Week International and member of the EEA Hope for Europe Singles, Couples, and Family Network, encourages us to reflect on whether and how our faith can make us resilient in times of uncertainty:
‘Click on this link to rebook your flight’. Oh NO. My flights just evaporated before my eyes. Of course, I can rebook, but these daily experiences of instability tell us that the fixed points in life are no longer quite as fixed as we expect. Can our faith make us resilient in times of uncertainty? I sat yesterday with a dear friend, whose wife died last year. Having mourned and grieved deeply all this time, he has now cultivated new hope, even remembering how to do his mischievous grin. The difficulty is with those around him, who want him to continue in sadness, like a blunt knife – he’s supposed to live a dull life to somehow honor his late spouse! I encouraged him, as I encourage you, to grieve deeply over loss, especially significant loss, but then to rise up in new hope, placing our confidence in God and stepping forward wearing an infectious smile. Social disruption, even wars, will come and go. Those dear to us will at some point slip away, but the fixed points of Jesus at work in our lives will make us resilient in our weakness – just like, well just like Jesus.
Prayer Requests
Let us pray that
-
Families will be true image bearers of God, showing his love to those around them
-
Couples who struggle in their marriage will experience that there is hope
-
Children growing up will know they are created in God’s image and that they can have their identity in him
-
Churches will contribute in their localities and nations to strengthen marriage and family
-
Church leaders find the resources they need for their own marriage and family to prosper
-
Culturally appropriate training for couples and families would be available across Europe
-
that the Church will understand that marriage and family are a key element of God’s strategy to advance His Kingdom on earth
-
that the Church will disciple families in this truth
Women in Leadership
network coordinator
Elke Werner, Women in Leadership Network Chair
Hannelore Illgen, Co-Chair
community group programme
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: “Women and men partnering for God’s work“, with the European Women in Leadership Team, open to all participants
Wednesday, 5 October 2022, 11:30 – 12:30: “Hierarchy in the Kingdom?“ with Dr. Ksenija Magda (Croatia), open to all participants
Friday, 7 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: “What Jesus taught about women“ with the European Women in Leadership Team, open to all participants
Saturday, 8 October 2022, 09:45 – 10:45: “Involvement of women in the National Evangelical Alliances of Europe“ with the European Women in Leadership Team, open to all participants
Featured during HOPE
HOPE 2022 day 4 (Friday, 7 October)
HOPE Talk in “Worship & Word” session, – Builder Groups III – Focus: Advocacy, –
White Paper
Stories of Hope
Prayer Requests
-
Let us pray that
– the women and girls, who have been hurt in their church, will be recognized and receive appreciation, because they are loved, valued and equipped by God with gifts, like men and boys.
– women and girls are recognized as partners in the Kingdom, welcome and valued with all their God-given gifts and callings.
– our communities and leadership structures are encouraging and freeing women and girls to contribute and serve in the Church of Jesus Christ.
-
Let us pray that
– the Church is attentive to the voices of women in its communities, including experiences, perspectives, joys and sufferings.
– violence in all its forms towards women and girls is acknowledged and treated emphatically, not only outside the Church, but also inside. Abuse within the church has often not been identified and/or neglected.
– there will be a positive dialogue and repenting of mistakes and pain, which the Church has sometimes caused concerning women and girls and that reconciliation will be sought, which will bring empowerment in Christ and what will make the Church a safe place for women, girls, men and boys.
-
Let us pray that
– the spiritual gifts of all women and girls are seen as resources, which God has given for the full health and strength of the whole Church in every sector of its ministry and in society.
– all churches commit to collaboration between women and men in all areas of the Church ministry.
– women and girls can take up leadership positions in the Church and wider society, including training and development.