GOODNEWSletter FEBRUARY 2009 ******************************************************************************* Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5) Jonathon walked across a field filled with ripe pumpkins on the vine and then sat to rest under a large oak tree filled with acorns. "My," mused the man, "God certainly could have improved on his design. These large pumpkins should be held up by the big limbs of the oak tree while the acorns would be better suited to the weak, low vines clinging to the ground." The warm sun made Jonathon sleepy and he began to doze off. A falling acorn woke him, hitting him square on the forehead. "Maybe God had it right after all", he admitted, rubbing the bump. Sometimes we can't see God's wisdom in our lives until after we have crossed the valley. As we trudge through the trial, heartache and suffering, we think there has to be a better way. If only God would say "yes" to our prayers, this mess would all be resolved. If only, this or that would happen, then everything would be alright. And then as we climb to the next summit, we look back and see God's wisdom and his loving care every step of the way. Job also had such an experience. He had lost all his children and earthly possessions and even his body was covered with painful boils. Then, to add insult to injury, his wife and dear friends came to his side only to tell him that his sins caused these events to transpire. And Job, much like us, thought he had a better plan for his own life than God did. But listen to how God answered Job (and us as well), "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? ... Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand." (Job 38:2,4) As we read these words, two thoughts should come to mind. First and foremost these words should bring us to our knees. We repent of all the times we have questioned God and refused to follow his way for our life. And in spite of this frequent grumbling, Jesus death covered over that sin and we stand totally and completely forgiven. Secondly, these words bring us immense comfort. How amazing to know that the God who laid the earth's foundation is there laying the foundation for each of our individual lives as well. Certainly the God who sends lightning bolts on their way has the power to quell any storm in our tiny, little lives. Are you second-guessing God about recent events? God is wise and has a purpose for all things. It might not be clear now, but someday you'll see God's hand at work. Trust the Lord. Have you ever been hit in the head with a pumpkin? To those who believe, no explanation is necessary; to those who do not believe, no explanation will satisfy. F. Werfel ******************************************************************************* February Schedule Northwood, England - Northwood Methodist Church February 1, March 1 - Worship at 13:00, Bible Class at 14:00 with fellowship following Savior of the Nations Lutheran Church Wicker, Germany (Frankfurt Area) - At the Evangelische Gemeindehaus February 8 and February 22 - Worship at 11:00, Fellowship, Bible Class and Sunday school following the service Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany - At the Southside Chapel February 8 and February 22 - Worship at 16:00 with Bible Study, Sunday school and fellowship to follow Vilseck, Germany - Main Chapel on Vilseck Army Base Saturday, February 14 - Worship at 10:00, Bible study at 11:00, potluck meal to follow Switzerland - The Home of Sigmund and Sarah Bachmann Sunday, February 15 - Worship at 11:00, Bible study, Sunday school and fellowship to follow ******************************************************************************* Drop Us a Line! If you have need of pastoral assistance or just want to talk, please contact us. Your e-mails, phone calls, & letters are welcomed. Pastor Joshua and Katie Martin Im Holzweg 4a 55288 Spiesheim Telephone: (+49) 6732-965-9813 Email: WELSChaplain@gmail.com www.welseurope.net ******************************************************************************* Prayer Chain Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened unto you. (Matthew 7:7) God in His Word encourages Christians to pray continually. It is such an important gift that our loving God has given us in which we can communicate with him and he blesses us. As a Christian congregation that is spread out across an entire continent, we may often find it difficult to know what is going on in the lives of our brother and sisters in Christ in order that we may offer prayers of thanksgiving and supplication for each other. In an effort to keep us united in prayer to our loving God, we are beginning a prayer chain. Melinda Gribble has volunteered to help put this together on a weekly basis. At the beginning of each week, you will be sent an email asking if you have any special prayer requests for yourself or a loved one. At the end of the week, the prayer will be sent out to all members with email addresses. Please feel free to submit all prayer requests to Pastor Martin or directly to Melinda Gribble at rmgribble@aol.com. If you do not have an email address but would like to add a prayer request, please don't hesitate to call Pastor Martin directly. ******************************************************************************* Our Gift of Thanks The amount of offerings gathered in Europe in the month of January was the equivalent of EUR 3,442. Thanks for supporting the Lord's work in Europe! ******************************************************************************* Easter Retreat 2009 The Easter retreat has been set! The retreat will be held from Thursday, April 9- Sunday, April 12. The location is Wiehl, Germany which about 30 minutes east of Cologne. Wiehl is a smaller town, but has an ice rink, a swimming pool, a cave to explore and other sites of interest. We plan to offer a tour of Cologne on Saturday as well. The hostel itself is modern and every room is ensuite. The website for the hostel is www.wiehl.jugendherberge.de The prices will range between 25-35 Euros per person per night based on your age (over 27 years old must add 3,00) and what type of room you would like. Children aged 3-5 are 30% off and children 2 and under are free. These prices include lodging, bed linens and all meals except dinner on Saturday. If the cost would prevent you from attending, please contact Pastor Martin as assistance is available. If you have never attended a retreat before, this may be something to consider. It is a wonderful opportunity to come together with Christian friends from all over Europe to study the word, have joint worship services for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, and have time to make new friendships and renew old ones. There are plenty of activities for kids, families, and singles. It is also a wonderful opportunity to see a new part of Germany as well! Please let me know as soon as possible via email by filling out the registration form or at a worship service if you plan to attend and what type of room you would like (4-bedded, 3-bedded, 2 bedded, or whatever is available). We are also looking for any and all volunteers for music and choir, Sunday school, and help with different aspects of organizing things at the hostel. Please let me know if you would like to serve in any way. I look forward to celebrating our Savior's resurrection with you! ******************************************************************************* England Retreat We are in the preliminary stages of planning a retreat in the British Isles. Although an exact location has not yet been determined, IT IS BEING TENTATIVELY PLANNED FOR THE FIRST WEEKEND OF SEPTEMBER IN 2009. If you live in mainland Europe and would consider attending a retreat, please contact Pastor Martin so we can assess what kind of facility would best accommodate our group. ******************************************************************************* Congratulations Brian, Kaylyn, and Simon Peter Kos On Sunday, January 25th, the Kos children were baptized into the Christian faith through the waters of Holy Baptism. We ask that God walk with Brian, Kaylyn and Simon Peter every day of their lives. May they continue to be strengthened by the word of God and remain always close to their Savior. ******************************************************************************* February Fellowship On SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH, we will have an opportunity for fellowship. We plan to get together for bowling and pizza in Alzey. We will bowl at the New Galaxy Massa Sportzentrum which is attached to Oki Doki Kinderland and behind Real in Alzey. The address is Karl-Heinz-Kipp Strasse 11-13 Alzey 55232. Meeting time is 3 p.m. We look forward to the chance for fun and Christian fellowship. ******************************************************************************* FEBRUARY 2009 BIBLE READINGS Attached to this newsletter, you will find a calendar that contains Bible readings for each day of February as well as questions for each text. Please give Pastor Martin any feedback that you have on such a Bible study program or offer any suggestions on how the church can offer you more spiritual growth resources throughout the year. 1. Jn 1:35-42 Questions: Why do you think John called Jesus the Lamb of God? Who can you invite to "Come and see"? 2. Jn 1:43-51 Questions: How did these future disciples know Jesus was "the one"? What does it mean for you to follow Jesus and be his disciple? 3. Jn 2:1-12 Questions: Besides showing his power, what else does Jesus reveal about himself by this miracle? What do these lessons mean for you? 4. Jn 2:13-25 Questions: What does Jesus do at the first Passover of his ministry? What can we learn from his actions? What does Jesus know is "in a man?" 5. Jn 3:1-15 Questions: Read the first part of this meeting with Nicodemus. Underline or write out a truth you learned from it. Why did you choose it? 6 Jn 3:16-21 Questions: Why do you think Jn 3:16 is so familiar to so many? Can you think of an example of evil hating light? 7. Jn 3:22-36 Questions: Jesus is the one from above. What does John say about the message and power of Jesus? What does that mean for you? 8. Jn 4:1-15 Questions: Jesus is tired. What does that detail tell us about him? What is the living water? 9. Jn 4:16-26 Questions: Why did Jesus bring up an embarrass-sing issue (v. 16)? Do we need such probing too? Why? 10. Jn 4:27-38 Questions: What did Jesus mean, "[the fields] are ripe for harvest"? What does that mean for us? 11. Jn 4:39-42 Questions: What brought these people to faith? They were Samaritans not Jews. Why is that important? 12. Jn 4:43-54 Questions: What did Jesus do to heal the son? What comfort do you find in that fact for your own life? 13. Mt 4:18-22 Questions: Why was Jesus important enough for these fisher-men to follow him? For you? 14. Mt 4:23-25 Questions: What three things does Jesus do in Galilee? Why are they important for Galileans? For us? 15. Mt 5:1-12 Questions: To whom is Jesus preaching? How can we hope to have these blessings? 16. Mt 5:13-15 Questions: In what way are you the salt of the earth? How can you let your light shine in this dark world? 17. Mt 5:17-20 Questions What does Jesus teach about the Scriptures? How can your "righteousness" surpass that of the Pharisees? 18. Mt 5:21-26 Questions: What does Jesus teach us about anger and name calling? Are you convicted by his words? What then?* 19. Mt 5:27-32 Questions: How is Jesus teaching about marriage different from the world around us? Is lust sin? Are you guilty? Now what?* 20. Mt 5:33-37 Questions: What does Jesus say about our language? Do you stand convicted? Read below.* 21. Mt 5:43-48 Questions: Jesus teaches harsh moral lessons (the Law). But the Law is also our guide. How can we do what Jesus asks of us? 22. Mt 6:1-4 Questions: How are some rewarded when they make a show of their generosity? What is our reward? 23. Mt 6:5-15 Questions: What is one of the lessons Jesus teaches about prayer? How can we find the power to forgive others who have wronged us? 24. Mt 6:19-21 Questions: What are the treasures we have in heaven? How are they superior to the treasures we acquire on earth? 25. Mt 6:22-24 Questions: How does Money become our master sometimes? How can we avoid the trap of Money's seductive power? 26. Mt 6:25-34 Questions: In some ways this reading is an answer to the second question from yesterday. How? 27. Mt 6:25-34 Questions: Read this passage again today. What insight does it give you for our daily life? 28. Mt 6:33 Questions: How can you put God's kingdom first? Has the promise of this passage been demonstrated in your life? How? *Read 1 John 1:5-10 ******************************************************************************* Easter Retreat 2009 April 9-12 Name:_____________________________ Phone:_____________________________ E-mail:_____________________________ Number Attending: _____ Names of all attending (including infants): Please also include the ages of children. _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ Room preference: ____ Four-bedded ____ Three-bedded (EUR 2,55 extra per person per night) ____ Two-bedded (EUR 5,10 extra per person per night) ____ Single bed (EUR 10,20 extra per night) ____ Other - Please specify: _________________________________ Please check the days for which you will be present: Thursday:____ Friday:____ Saturday: ____ Sunday:____ Please indicate if there is an area in which you would be willing to serve. I would be willing to: Teach older kids' Sunday School: ____ Teach younger kids' Sunday School: ____ Help with Music. I play the following instrument(s): ______________________ Other: __________________________________________ __________________________________________ DUE DATE IS MARCH 1ST! *******************************************************************************