What's been going down...

Plätzchen und mehr

So many Christmas cookies! In December, Mosaik Nord and EFG Eschersheim invited children and families in our neighborhood to come decorate Plätzchen (Christmas cookies) with us. We baked (what felt like) hundreds of cookies and though the turnout wasn't as large as we'd hoped, we had lots of fun and one Ukranian woman and her son started regularly attending our church after connecting through the event.

Moreso, this event was a launching pad for similar ones in the future. Our combined team continues to integrate and minister together. In January we planned out our calendar through the summer and discussed ways to connect with those in our community.

Gooey heart

“I saw your heart and it was gooey.”

That is what a young GEM-K told me on the last day of the conference. She went on to describe what God had revealed to her that week during our times of corporate worship, particularly through the music I had led. Everything she told me, some of it word for word, aligned with what God placed on my heart to share. She wasn’t alone. Many others spoke to me about worship beyond the music. Needless to say it was very encouraging to witness these teenagers grasp deeper spiritual truths. When asked if I would be returning the following year, I replied, “Of course. This is the marriage of all my passions.” 

After returning from the GEM-K Winter Conference, I continued to find opportunities to witness using music. The last week in January, every single day I found myself musically involved in some setting. Jam Sesh continues to develop, especially since one member has agreed to share the leadership. It has been encouraging to find support and mentoring in this area from fellow artists within GEM.

New groups

February was evidently the month to make connections. There are three groups in particular that had always been in the background but suddenly found themselves moved forward. Less than one kilometer from my home is a college campus, where occasionally I would join the student outreach. That occasional is now weekly, and God is creating myriad opportunities to witness. 

The second group is a gaming community in the city that I have been wanting to connect with for several months. I finally joined one of their events where I formed new relationships with non-believers, which were later re-solidified with the third group, Nerch (nerd + church), a church plant a colleague of mine is preparing to launch in 2024.

Better together

At the start of the year in Frankfurt, the Evangelische Allianz comes together for a week of prayer. This is honestly one of the best starts to a year I can imagine. I love the cross-denominational collaboration and the uplifting nature of connecting with fellow believers. Throughout the week there are times of organized group prayer for the city, which all builds to the climax of a massive worship service together. Mega Sunday (as I dubbed it) this year was amazing. I literally could not look in any direction without seeing someone I knew, and all from different social circles. I even encountered one of my students from English Camp! It reminded me just how wide my network in Frankfurt is and that the Spirit is moving.