M.A.

Some of you might remember the day (May 1, 2003) when President George W. Bush landed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and gave a speech beneath a banner with those words on it. Although he never used the words, it became known as the "Mission Accomplished Speech."

The banner was not referring to the end of the war - it still went on - but the specific mission of the men and women on the Lincoln was completed. They had been deployed in the war zone for 10 months, longer than any carrier since the Viet Nam War.

With this newsletter, we are excited and grateful to share with you that the specific mission to which we have been called since November 2009 has been accomplished! In that month we sent you our first newsletter entitled, "Welcome to our Newest Adventure!" We outlined there our calling and our goals for the years ahead: to plant a new, English-language church in Darmstadt, Germany; to lay the foundation for a second church plant in Mannheim, Germany, and to assist the International Baptist Convention (IBC) in creating a church planting movement in Europe and around the world.

That mission has been completed. Like the sailors on the Lincoln, our specific task has been completed. The church in Darmstadt is now in its 7th year. We've welcomed hundreds of people from more than 40 nations into our church family - and baptized new believers from Lebanon, China, Germany, Singapore, Cameroon, Malaysia, Switzerland, India, Sierra Leone, and the USA. The church has been blessed with solid leaders and is actively developing strong disciples and leaders, both for the church here and for churches around the world, as we send current members to their next international destination.

The vision of planting a church in Mannheim has not come to fruition but is carried in the DNA of the Darmstadt church. We have completed a Feasibility Study, made some good connections, and are ready to move ahead. We are still waiting for God to lead the right church planter to come and complete that part of that mission. Pray with us that God will soon send a laborer into that field!

The IBC has experienced dramatic and increasing momentum in their church planting efforts, from five over a 5-year period (2012-2016) to 4 in 2018 alone! We have had the opportunity to work alongside some wonderful pastors and leaders to help implement essential components in a healthy church planting effort in Europe, South-and Central-America. We've had the honor to coach church planters and pastors of existing churches as they worked to multiply Disciple-making churches in France, Germany, Italy, and Poland.

We thank you for your vital part in completing this mission! Without your support in prayers and finances, this work would not have been begun - and certainly never been accomplished!

But, like that day in 2003, the immediate mission may be accomplished…but the larger mission goes on! There is still much to do for the church Darmstadt, and there is a new mission assigned to us.  

Like us, it is time for you to "turn the page!" (Click Here)

C.M.

Living in Germany and working with a few current or former US Military personnel, We've met some great folks. One of them is a friend who signs off his emails with the phrase, "Charlie Mike".  Bob asked him once what that meant. He explained that it's military code-speak for "Continue Mission".

As we complete our work in Darmstadt, we have been given new "orders" from our Commander and Lord - and we are announcing today that our mission continues - and we are excited to share the details with you!

We have been appointed  by Converge International Ministries to a regional position, serving as Impact Team Leader for Europe/North Africa/Middle East (beginning September 1). The Impact Team Leader role is multi-faceted, providing support to the current workers in the region, but primarily building connections with Evangelical ministries among people groups where Converge is not currently engaged. For example, in recent months we have been made aware of small pockets of Evangelical pastors working in places like Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Russia, Belarus, and the Republic of Ireland. Our team will work to connect with these ministry leaders and find out how we can come alongside them and help them be more effective in reaching their people with the Gospel. It might be through personal coaching, providing educational opportunities, arranging short-term missions efforts, or other means.

Our role will be to work in this effort, but also to recruit a team of pastors and leaders from churches in the US and abroad who have a heart to help local church leaders be as fruitful as possible in their efforts to reach those unreached people.      (Interested? - Contact us!)

In addition, God has presented us with an opportunity to be involved in a local-church effort as well! We are currently planning to assist with the beginning of a new, International, English-language ministry in the city of Szczecin, Poland. As the 7th largest city in Poland, Szczecin is part of a Converge Initiative to plant 10 churches in each of the 10 largest cities in that nation. In that on-going work, we were introduced to Robert Merecz, who pastors a Polish Baptist church, and has a vision of a vital, English-language ministry associated with that church. We have been invited to assist in getting that ministry going.

So, we get to work regionally - and locally! We are very excited and grateful to God for this amazing opportunity. And we are excited to ask you to join us in the work! We will return to the USA in September and begin working to raise the prayer and financial support needed to fulfill this mission. We invite you to be a part of what God is doing in Europe - and now with an expanded impact to the Middle East and North Africa! Please continue to pray for us, for the church in Darmstadt, and for the new work that lies before us. And please consider supporting our efforts financially as we "Continue the Mission!"

How to Support Our Continuing Mission:

Online support: Go to www.converge.org/give/133261 to set up a one-time, or ongoing support from your debit or credit card.

By Bank: Make checks payable to: Converge Worldwide.   In the memo line of the check, please note account # 133261.  Send checks to: Converge / Attn: Jennifer LoGalbo / 2002 S. Arlington Heights Rd. / Arlington Heights, IL 60005. Jennifer can also help you with regular monthly giving from your bank account. Call her at 847.879.3235

Summer 2017: Sabbatical & Strides

Mid-August is considered the peak of “holiday season” in Europe. It’s when most of the schools are closed, and families and individuals alike get away for some period of vacation, to get some rest from the hectic pace of work and study.  For the Converge International Fellowship church family, this rest period is particularly well-deserved after a very busy and productive season of ministry. Let us share a few highlights with you.

Personal Sabbatical

With Nicole & Eric in Athens, Greece

First, the backdrop of all that follows. All the activities and advancements in the church that will follow happened while we were away. We departed on March 23 for the annual Ministry Leadership Conference of the IBC, this year in Athens, Greece. We had a terrific time there, enhanced by the chance to share the experience with our daughter, Nicole and her husband Eric. The theme of the conference this year was “Soul Care for Ministry Leaders,” and was especially encouraging to us as we began a Rest Sabbatical on April 1.



Our sabbatical gave us time for physical, spiritual, emotional and relational renewal. It began with three weeks in Arizona, hosted by Dennis and Amanda McMains, the Director of European & Middle Eastern ministries for Converge.  They generously poured blessings into our souls as we rested there. We also got to spend lots of evenings and weekends in April with our youngest, John, and his girlfriend Kefei, who live nearby in Scottsdale. It was a wonderful start to the sabbatical experience!

With John & Kefei in Arizona

In late April, we traveled to Elmira, New York, to spend 3 weeks with Nicole and Eric, and their boys, Asher and Cayden, as they went about their routine of school, baseball, church and LIFE! We had a great time with them.

With Nicole, Eric, Asher & Cayden in New York

Then we moved on to Norfolk, Virginia, for the final leg of our time in the USA with our son, Andrew, his wife Rachel, and their three children: Levi, Samantha and Jackson. Andrew was in a training school for the Navy, so we only got to see him on weekends, but it was still wonderful time with their young, growing family!

Andrew, Rachel, Levi, Samantha & Jackson in Virginia

Bob returned to Germany on June 30, to spend a month in spiritual retreat, while Carol has remained in the US to assist and be with the grandchildren for a little longer. Later in August we will meet in Wisconsin, where we will do some work on our farm to prepare it for either new renters or for sale. Please pray for us as we work and consider selling or renting our Wisconsin property...and let us know if you know anyone interested in renting or purchasing a 5-acre, 4-bedroom hobby farm!

The Sabbatical was a wonderful experience for us. We have renewed our spirits, refreshed our souls, rested our bodies, and reconnected with our children and grandchildren. We are ready, by God’s grace, to begin a new season of ministry and service to Him and His church!

What was equally wonderful was how God has been at work in Darmstadt while we were away...Keep reading (Click Here)!

Ministry Strides

While we were on Sabbatical, the Lord was doing great things at Converge International Fellowship! We are so grateful to the Lord that in our absence, God enabled the leaders and the congregation to do some wonderful things:


• On March 25,the church hosted a "Board Game Night" - an outreach event focused to invite friends, colleagues and family who don't go to church to come and spend an evening getting to know other English-speakers from the area, and introducing our church family to them. It was very well received, and a second evening is being planned for November 4!

• On May 13, CIF hosted the first annual Converge International Forum on Science and Faith. Held at a local hotel conference center, the keynote speaker was Prof. Dr. Barbara Drosser, head of the Physics Dept. at TU Darmstadt. She spoke on "Are Science and Faith Incompatible?"  She is part of an association of scientists who are also believers, and has agreed to assist us in finding future speakers. We had about 60 people in attendance, and the majority were not from the church. There were a large number of Muslim students who came, and the response was very positive. Our prayer and vision is to host this event annually in Darmstadt, Germany’s “City of Science.”

• A week later, the church hosted its first short term mission team - they came from one of our partner churches in Kansas, and worked for a week at the German national headquarters of Youth for Christ. They did cleaning and prep work for the upcoming summer ministry season, and some joint ministry with our Young Adults and praise team.

• The church hired an interim pastor while we were gone, Dr. Denton Lotz and his wife Janice served the congregation faithfully; ministering to the sick, visiting the LIFE Groups, preaching on Sundays, and meeting with the leadership.

• In addition, we are very excited that one of our young couples feels that God is leading them into full-time ministry – specifically to serve in an International Church somewhere in the world! We are excited to see how God will lead them, and the church as we work with them!

Over the course of the summer, some dear friends from the last 6 years have concluded their work and studies in Darmstadt, and moved to other parts of the world, carrying the gospel of Christ with them as they go. In Acts 8:4 says, "But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went." We are sad to bid farewell to our friends, but excited as God leads them into new fields that are ripe for the harvest! We also enjoy then blessing of meeting new members of the church community who have recently joined us from Kenya, Germany, India, the USA and other lands.

As you can see, the experience of our sabbatical was a glorious display of God's grace, both for us and as a big step in the further development the church. We are more certain than ever that He has equipped, and is equipping the church for many years of ministry to come!

Spring & Summer Plans

This promises to be a very exciting year at Converge International Fellowship - Darmstadt. Please pray about three new ministry events in the life of the church:

1.  Short Term Missions Team:  Plans are in the works for a team of 5 to come from Union Valley Bible Church in Hutchinson, Kansas. This will be the first time we have welcomed a short term missions team to our work. The team will be working at the national headquarters of Youth for Christ, Germany.  They will be doing clean up and preparation work in the campus buildings, gardening in the lawns and athletic areas, and preparing the center for the coming summer ministry season.  In addition, they will join with our Young Adults group for ministry in Darmstadt, and visit IBC churches to get a full view of International, English-language ministry.

Prof. Dr. Drossel

2.  First ever Converge International Forum on Science and Faith.  From our earliest days of ministry in Darmstadt (Germany's "City of Science") we have felt a strong compulsion to stage an annual event that would feature leading figures from the science community who also happen to hold a strong faith. Our goal is to impress upon the current scientific community and the future scientists who study at the Technische Universität Darmstadt that science and faith are not mutually incompatible.

Under the leadership of CIF Elder Adam Williams, who himself is a respected member of the European Space Agency (He is currently a coordinator on ESA's ExoMars mission),  we have set a tentative date of Saturday, May 13 for the first of these annual events. Prof. Dr. Barbara Drossel, professor of  Theoretical Physics at the TU-Darmstadt, and Executive Director of the Institute of Solid State Physics, will be the keynote speaker for the event.

Please pray for this event. Pray for the planning and logistics (meeting room, marketing, etc), for Prof. Drossel as she prepares and presents her material, and for careful follow-up with the students and scientists that we hope to attract to the event.

3.  Connect 2017.  The first weekend in August will be the unveiling of the first CONNECT conference for the International Baptist Convention. This long weekend based family event replaces the Interlaken Conference that served as the summer gathering of the IBC for more than 50 years. Bob served as the committee chairman through the process of changing from the previous format to the new, and last fall the CIF church family went to the retreat site for a "trial run" and our first "church retreat."  Bob is currently serving as the coordinators for the Seminars that will be presented as part of the event. Please pray for the speakers, praise leaders, coordinators and the attending members of the IBC family from around the world as they gather.

Sabbatical Plans

After 5 1/2 years on the field, Carol and I have reached a point where we are in need of a time of rest and renewal. We are tired, and approaching burn-out.

We've spoken with the church leadership here in Darmstadt, the leadership of the International Baptist Convention, and the leadership of Converge International Ministries, and together we have agreed on a plan for a sabbatical to begin on April 1.

The plans are still coming together, but we do know that the first few weeks will be spend in the Phoenix, Arizona area, where we can meet with a Converge counselor and get away at a retreat center in the area. Subsequent weeks will include some visits with family, but mostly will be centered on physical rest, spiritual renewal and emotional refreshing.

We won't be doing any church visits, pulpit fills, etc. during this year. In previous years we have spent two months travelling the USA - driving thousands of miles and visiting with many of you. We would love to see you all again. Catching up with your and your lives and updating you on our life here in the place we love - but it simply won't be possible this year.  

Please pray for us as we take this much-needed time for renewal. Pray for the church as there are many great things happening this Summer (see the rest of this newsletter). Pray as we seek an interim pastor to come for three months to serve in Darmstadt, and for the Elders and Ministry Coordinators as they lead the church.

Thanks for your prayers and love.

Black Friday

Today is Black Friday.  And while the name comes from retail businesses recognizing that it's the day in the year that they finally see black ink at the bottom of the page, it has also come to have a somewhat dark overtone, hasn't it?  The day after America "pauses to be thankful," millions of people "rush to be greedy." People wait in lines for hours overnight to be the first to push into the local retailer to get the best deal on a flat screen TV to replace the one they got last year.

This rather bleak opening to the "Christmas Season" has sadly spread around the globe like a viral pandemic. It is tragically indicative of the nearly-complete loss of the significance of the birth of Jesus Christ.

This year, I want to be different. Instead of craving more presents, I want to crave more PRESENCE.

When God told Moses in Exodus 33 to lead the children of Israel away from the base of mount Sinai, where He had dictated the Law to Moses, the Lord said, "Go to the land I have promised your fathers...I will send my angel ahead of you, and I will drive out the inhabitants of the land that I have promised to you...but I will not go with you, because if I am with you I will destroy you, because you are a stiff-necked people" (verses 1-3).

The promise of an angel going ahead, and all the enemies being driven out would have sounded pretty good to most all of us...but not Moses!  He said, "Lord, if you will not go with us, we will not leave this place. It is Your presence that makes all the difference!" (verse 16).

As we begin our journey toward Christmas, 2017, let's not go without God's presence. Of course He will be present - He is omnipresent, everywhere at all times. But there is a difference between God being present, and being in God's presence!  

A. W. Tozer wrote: "The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God, and the church is famishing for want of His presence. The instant cure of most of our religious ills would be to enter His Presence in spiritual experience, to become suddenly aware that we are in God and that God is in us. This would lift us out of our pitiful narrowness and cause our hearts to be enlarged. This would burn away the impurities from our lives as the bugs and weeds were burned away by the fire that dwelt in the bush."

This Christmas Season - Crave More Presence!