| The 3w Logo |
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Our logo has three worlds with Europe and the Middle East visible. The three colors represent the three worlds of Eastern Europe, Western Europe and the Middle East. They also represent how we divide our three areas of ministry. Most importantly, they represent the three worlds of Christianity: Traditional, Post-Christendom, and Non-Western. Visit our website www.three-worlds.com to learn more about "the Three Worlds of Christianity."
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Patrick & Jamie Nachtigall
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Church of God Ministries Inc.
P.O. Box 2420
Anderson, IN 46018
Memo: 42.10068
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May/June 2018
volume 18 issue 2
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As, we have shared before, our Three Worlds Leadership Network (3WLN) is one of the most exciting things we have ever been involved in. It is a network of young people between the ages of 20 and 45 who are involved in ministry: pastoral, musical, educational, or youth. It serves as a source of emotional support, training, resources, fellowship, and international corporation. We meet together every 18 months for a special 3WLN conference. I
t was always the intention that 3WLN would launch sub-networks that were more specialized and offered similar services. We are happy to announce that our first sub-network from 3WLN was launched in April and is called Europe X.
Europe X is a network of young pastors leading churches that aim to plant other churches in a post-Christendom setting. Together, these young pastors can share with each other, encourage one another, and strategize as they converse with each other about the unique challenges they face in the European context. For the first meeting, which was held in Budapest, April 8-10, pastors from Italy, Russia, Spain, France, and Hungary were present. The De Franciscos (3W-Spain), the Kihms (3W-Netherlands) and Josh Weiger (3W-Berlin) were also present. The sessions were led by Nathan Tatman (County Line CHOG), and Patrick.
The new network will be coordinated by Daniel and Christy Kihm (3W-Netherlands), who will be charged with tracking closely and mentoring the pastors in these countries. They have already been doing this kind of work in several countries, but with Europe X, this work is expanding further. We anticipate that there will be a number of young pastors wanting to join this strategic and supportive network since ministry can be very lonely in Europe--particularly for younger generation leaders who are trying to do new kinds of ministry in the post-religious context. The next Europe X meeting will be held in conjunction with 3WLN 3.0 in October. Europe X will meet twice a year and also meet regularly for conference calls. It is exciting to see our vision for a new generation of interconnected young leaders rising and working together in tremendous unity!
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DeFranciscos Arrive in Spain
In early April, the De Franciscos arrived in their new home and mission-field of Madrid. They settled in the southwestern suburb of Alcorcon and hit the ground running. Within days they were off to join a number of young pastors in the region for the launch of Europe X (see above). Some of these young pastors are already in mentoring relationships with the De Franciscos. Alejandro and Carmen blended in perfectly with the rest of the 3W team and were greatly appreciated by the regional pastors.
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he first few weeks have been spent filling out paperwork, establishing legal residency, finding a home and furnishings, and visiting churches and making contacts with the evangelical community in Spain. The De Franciscos have already started reaching out to the community and making friends with strangers as they prepare the way of ministry.
Jamie was able to fly to Madrid to help them settle in. A week later, the annual 3W Roundtable was held in Madrid and our supporting pastors were able to see the De Francisco's new home. A house-warming party was thrown, which included a Cuban meal prepared by Carmen. We had a prayer of dedication over the home and all look forward to seeing what God will do through the De Franciscos in Spain.
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lejandro and Carmen were also able to attend the biennial Europe Theological Conference in Germany where they met many of the region's leaders for the first time. Delegates from the Ukraine, Russia, and Bulgaria were thrilled to discover that the De Franciscos not only speak Spanish and English, but are also familiar with the Russian language. The De Franciscos both received master's degrees in the Soviet Union before they became Christians. Alejandro is originally from Cuba and Carmen is from Nicaragua. We are looking forward to working closely with them and seeing the CHOG grow in Spain.
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Russia CHOG Adding Pastor
On a recent trip to Russia, Patrick, Jim Lyon (general director of Church of God Ministries), and Kelley Philips (3W-Berlin) were able to check on the progress of the Church of God congregations in Russia. The churches in Chelyabinsk continue to meet in four different locations around the city. They continue to have a great range of ages in the congregations and active young leadership.
We were excited to meet a very talented, young 31 year-old leader who is in the process of ordination. While we were there, the young man, who is a lawyer gifted with youth leadership, was installed as a pastor at the Lenin Church. We anticipate seeing him ordained in 2019. He is also part of the 3W Leadership Network (3WLN).
The Chelyabinsk churches continue to have a lot of interaction with the other CHOG congregations across Siberia. In addition to this, some new congregations have expressed interest in joining our fellowship. The Russians also continue to connect regularly with our Eastern European churches in Hungary, Bulgaria, and Ukraine. In so many ways, the church in Russia models all the core values of Three Worlds. During this time of tension between our two countries, it's a great reminder that we are all brothers and sisters in the Kingdom of God.
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MARCO'S WORLD
Marco finished his freshman year of high school at Black Forest Academy. The year went by quickly and it's hard to believe he is only three years away from college.
The highlight for Marco was working as a track assistant, although that was not originally planned. Marco had been looking forward to rejoining the track team this year, but his emergency appendectomy left some unhealed scar tissue. Doctors recommended that he skip this year's season. He was very disappointed, but we were proud of him for finding a positive way to deal with it by becoming a track assistant and being his teammates' biggest cheerleader and encourager.
For Spring Break, we were able to visit the Langfords in England and attend a very successful community talent show put on by the Egan Road CHOG. Non-Christians, particularly young people continue to gravitate to the church as it effectively reaches outside of its walls. We were also able to attend the @home Board Meeting in Paris and see how the ministry continues to expand as it serves refugees and migrants on the streets. These were great times for Marco to see our ministry in action.
Our vacation took us on a drive around southern Norway. We found the country to be beautiful and the culture fascinating. We enjoyed being in a snowy winter cabin and seeing an authentic Viking ship. We also enjoyed seeing the constantly changing scenery. We know Marco is growing up fast, so these family times feel even more special now.
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Photo above
: Our family in Bergen, Norway)
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