Since August my church planting team has hosted 4 parties celebrating birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas & graduating from grad school as a way to invite and get to know people better who don't yet know Jesus. In the last few months we have also begun more regularly reviewing and revising our vision statement and values. Our vision is "on every street in [our neighborhood] there would be a place in which good relationships are lived, people encounter God, and life is celebrated."
In November we finished the 2 year church planting training program through M4 Germany, a European church planting movement. Though we finished, we will continue meeting about 2x a year with other church planters in Germany to continue learning and growing.
We are still very much at the beginning stages but it is exciting to see how Jesus is working! Two teammates are hoping to start meeting weekly to read Scripture together along with a friend of theirs who is very spiritually open. Please pray for this friend who doesn't know Jesus with whom they are meeting as well as my teammates.
In November I spent a week in northwest Germany helping a new ministry partner with a few workshops about the "Loverboy Method" they conducted in schools there.
The "Loverboy Method" or "Romeo Pimp" is when a young man feigns romantic interest with a usually younger girl. "He manipulates her emotionally, isolates her socially and forces her into prostitution. He uses drugs, violence and threats to keep her in check." (Liebe ohne Zwang, 2023). It is a very common way women are forced into prostitution in Germany.
This ministry partner goes into schools all throughout Germany teaching students and teachers what the Loverboy Method is and how to protect oneself and others.
They also train and mobilize leaders throughout the country who then lead the workshops in schools in their areas. This year alone about 500 people were reached through 15 workshops. In almost every school group that they complete these workshops with at least one person says they know an affected person by the Loverboy Method. Click here to learn more about Loverboys.
Please pray for each student that was reached through an outreach by this ministry partner and that because of their workshops, less kids would fall victim to Loverboys.
Of course December in Berlin means lots of Christmas markets! My other ministry placement had a table at a Christmas market where we sold items made by women who were involved in prostitution. All the proceeds made went back to the woman who made the product, allowing them a way to learn business skills and have gainful employment.
From August-December I also helped organize and lead 8 online outreaches to 85 women. Please pray for these women we contacted. Please pray for them as the Christmas season can be an especially challenging time.
Liebe Grüße aus Berlin,
Avery