November / December 2023
There are many things that captive our hearts in the season of Christmas. We are attracted to the lights, the sounds, and the smells that remind us of friends and family far and near. It is the appearance of these things every year that evoke emotion from our hearts and cause us to hope for what is coming.
We love Christmas because it is a season of hope. In Germany, this hope comes alive at Christmas. It’s a month where the markets buzz with people and the lights shine brilliantly throughout an otherwise dark and dreary month.
I’ve often pondered what it is that brings this change in mood to the hearts of Berliners. We live in a city that revels in dwelling in the darkness, but yet nothing can bring smiles to faces and change the mood of this city more than the appearance of light.
So, whether it is the appearance of displays of Christmas that pierce a December night or the return of the summer sun from a long winter season, this city finds hope in light.
It is a reminder to me that the appearance of light changes everything, because with it comes the appearance of grace. This is the hope that we long for at Christmas, that with the return of the lights someone would be gracious to us.
This is exactly what we are offered at Christmas. The assurance that light has shone in our hearts…
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6
And the assurance that grace has appeared…
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
Titus 2:11
May we desire to dwell in light and the grace of the One we celebrate this Christmas season, so that all the world would know the hope of Christmas, THE WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness on them has light shone.
Isaiah 9:2
Ministry Update
We have had a number of opportunities to shine the light of Christ throughout the past couple of months. We hosted a Fall Fest at the refugee camp and spent time with the families there, celebrating the season and spending time encouraging those who live in tough conditions. It’s easy to forget about those who have been displaced from their homeland when it is not in the news, and we are continuing to find ways to engage with them. We hope to start a new faith-based program in the coming year called “Finding Home Again”, a course designed for refugees who are experiencing life in a new place.
We had two outreach events that we hosted at our church recently. Our International Thanksgiving Dinner and Live Nativity brought in many visitors, and we had strong gospel presentations in both these events. It was so encouraging to see our church community working together for the purpose of proclaiming Christ in different ways.
Our community group we host in our home served together in many of these things over the past month and in our homeless outreach two weeks ago. We are thankful for those we gather together with regularly who are living life on mission with us.
We had our year end party with the kids in Reinickendorf last week. I have really grown to love these kids and thankful for the opportunities we have to shine the light of the gospel in this place.
We are continuing to work weekly to support the ministry of our church in Berlin and church plant in Potsdam. Cherry and the girls work with the kids weekly, I participate on the worship team and preach regularly in both churches, while Jeannie does so much to help with our fellowship time. We are looking forward to the coming year and new opportunities we will have in supporting the growth of the church in and around Berlin.
Family Update
We had fun celebrating Quinn’s birthday in November with many from our community that have poured into her life. We are so thankful for the young woman she is growing into. Both her and Gracie have had a busy first semester with both ups and downs, but both are handling the pressure so well.
We are thankful for the opportunities we have had to spend time together and with our community this fall. Here are some highlights from the past couple of months.
Year End Giving
We have been hit with a number of costs in the past month with our vehicles, medical costs, and some housing issues. If you are considering giving a year end gift, it would be a great encouragement to us. Please feel free to contact me (Chad) and I would be happy to give you more details about specific needs.
We want to wish each of you a Merry Christmas. We are thankful for each of you and we pray the Lord would be gracious to you in the coming year and that you will have peace!
Prayer Update
Please pray for us as we are trying to secure visas to visit China to see my brother’s family in February. We are finding that it is a pretty complex process.
Please pray for us as we renew our car inspections. We have had one of our vehicles fail the first inspection and hope to reapply next month.
Please pray for the resolution of an ongoing plumbing problem we have been dealing with in our house. We are waiting to hear back from our landlord about next steps.
Please pray for wisdom in some coming changes in leadership with our church in Berlin in the coming year.
Please pray for Chad as he has an appointment in January for his hip and a minor surgery on his wrist scheduled for March. His mobility has been effected by the hip issue and he will be looking to find a solution to reduce the pain and regain the mobility he has lost.