HIM FAMILY NEWS
Hope Germany Festival
It all kicked off on Friday, well before the scheduled 1800 call for dinner. With enthusiastic hugs and excited hellos, we exchanged welcomes with each other. It was all I could do to contain my own eagerness to talk to everyone at once and catch up on everything that has been going on.
The evening kicked off with an energetic praise of our God, followed by a heartfelt and personal sermon from Heiko Müller. Since the Festival focused on Exodus and Numbers, especially on the flight of the Israelites from Egypt, Heiko used his sermon to testify of his own personal “Egypt”, and experiencing God in the desert. It was a fitting challenge and an apt start to what would be a purposeful weekend. As the evening slowly drifted away, people gathered around the “Wunderbar” (a German pun worth looking up!) in a gleeful mood as personal stories were exchanged and joy shared.
As morning came, I followed the masses after breaking fast for an early worship, before the Cornehls (Steffen and Ulrike) shared on the choice for freedom, and its unexpected consequences. This was strengthened with testimonies from seemingly normal people, but who wore the armour of heaven, which stirred in me the feeling, how could I not be inspired to give thanks always and in everything? An array of workshops followed with topics ranging from the likes of “the Big Bang Bratwurst theory” to the “Howling for the hardened heart”.
Mealtimes and the afternoon were used for leisure, mingling and taking part in various planned activities, and indeed, the whole campground was bustling with activity.
“Mealtime interactions and forums gave me the opportunity to meet people who are passionate about God from all over the world. My favourite time was the one-to-one chat with pastor Hai Eng. Though it was the first time we met, I felt like we have known each other since forever! It's heart-warming to see how God's people are so strongly united in one spirit and passion though we are from different parts of the world.” Kelly Shia, Hope London
Simultaneously that afternoon however, a group of south East Asians (including this author) grouped together and took in the sharing of various pastors, including Pastor Simon and Dennis about the challenges of Christians overseas as well as the opportunities God presented. By the end, we were all motivated to make our time count. There is a place in God’s kingdom reserved for us and we want to grasp it.
Next up was Marcus Rose. Passion reverberated through the hall, as the Ten Commandments from God was preached, not as a tool of control and command, but as a sign of love towards his people, and His desire to draw ever nearer to us, despite our rebellious nature. That evening, the hall rocked with the united voices of hundreds, all giving the glory and honour to our Maker and Saviour... and He responded in kind.
"During worship time Saturday night, we started singing the first song "Nothing's gonna hold me back" and I was immediately rushed into God's presence. For the next hour or so, I was completely unaware of what happened around me while experiencing God's love and beauty. It felt like God was saying: 'This is how I want to be close to you. Do you want that, too? Then seek me more than you have done so far'." Lydia Matthies, Hope Berlin
Sunday was special. It began with the Kellers (Matthias and Yvonne) serving up a round of God’s laws, standards and principles and its implications in the modern world, that there is a fine line between law and grace. This was supplemented in the evening by Pastor Simon’s warning of pessimism and forgetfulness in the journey with God: Focus instead on the blessings, and grasp the vision. Taste and see that the Lord is good.
“Festival has been something that I was looking forward to since early this year, especially when it talks about the Promised Land. God has given me many wonderful promises and I have witnessed many of them coming true. So, I was asking myself this year - what is next? Should I just stop at this point and remain stagnant? I was challenged by the sermon of Pastor Simon to actively pursue God's will.” Helen Pang, Hope Southwest, Germany
In the afternoon between, family and friends gathered together to witness the baptism of ten brothers and sisters in the beautiful lake in the woods. Each had a story to tell and a blessing to share, and as the water cemented their covenant, the tears of joy started to flow. By the end, dry eyes became a rarity. Throughout the weekend, there were also funny moments. None more so than the hilarity of the Berlin Drama Company, which serves perfectly to describe the difference in humour appreciation between various cultures. The dry witticism served up by Fabian and Jens were met with laughter so hard the Germans doubled over in stitches, yet had other foreigners scratching their heads, wondering “What’s so funny?”.
On the morning of the final day, the Teohs (Ka Jin and Ulrike) ended with a reminder of God’s vision in us, as part of a generation not dissimilar to that led by Joshua, to claim what is rightfully His. As the festival slowly came to a close, the bond between fellow brothers was not forgotten and aptly celebrated in communion, as hours later, friends and family departed on separate roads, united in spirit, parted only by distance…at least until Festival 2013.
“Festival 2012 was an amazing experience, one which was very refreshing for me spiritually. I came into it hoping to hear from God, hoping for direction and encouragement. By the end of our four days at camp, I had received plenty of both, from the people I met and shared with as well as from God. Festival 2012 will have a special place in my heart for being a breakthrough experience for me, and I’m already looking forward to the next edition (:”
Billy Simon, Hope Southwest, Germany
On the 25th of May, over 500 people from all corners of Germany and
beyond descended to the campgrounds of Grünheide, Auerbach each with
a burning question in their hearts: “Why not?” This year, Hope
Festival was on a mission, and its mission was freedom.
It all kicked off on Friday, well before the scheduled 1800 call for dinner. With enthusiastic hugs and excited hellos, we exchanged welcomes with each other. It was all I could do to contain my own eagerness to talk to everyone at once and catch up on everything that has been going on.
The evening kicked off with an energetic praise of our God, followed by a heartfelt and personal sermon from Heiko Müller. Since the Festival focused on Exodus and Numbers, especially on the flight of the Israelites from Egypt, Heiko used his sermon to testify of his own personal “Egypt”, and experiencing God in the desert. It was a fitting challenge and an apt start to what would be a purposeful weekend. As the evening slowly drifted away, people gathered around the “Wunderbar” (a German pun worth looking up!) in a gleeful mood as personal stories were exchanged and joy shared.
As morning came, I followed the masses after breaking fast for an early worship, before the Cornehls (Steffen and Ulrike) shared on the choice for freedom, and its unexpected consequences. This was strengthened with testimonies from seemingly normal people, but who wore the armour of heaven, which stirred in me the feeling, how could I not be inspired to give thanks always and in everything? An array of workshops followed with topics ranging from the likes of “the Big Bang Bratwurst theory” to the “Howling for the hardened heart”.
Mealtimes and the afternoon were used for leisure, mingling and taking part in various planned activities, and indeed, the whole campground was bustling with activity.
“Mealtime interactions and forums gave me the opportunity to meet people who are passionate about God from all over the world. My favourite time was the one-to-one chat with pastor Hai Eng. Though it was the first time we met, I felt like we have known each other since forever! It's heart-warming to see how God's people are so strongly united in one spirit and passion though we are from different parts of the world.” Kelly Shia, Hope London
Simultaneously that afternoon however, a group of south East Asians (including this author) grouped together and took in the sharing of various pastors, including Pastor Simon and Dennis about the challenges of Christians overseas as well as the opportunities God presented. By the end, we were all motivated to make our time count. There is a place in God’s kingdom reserved for us and we want to grasp it.
Next up was Marcus Rose. Passion reverberated through the hall, as the Ten Commandments from God was preached, not as a tool of control and command, but as a sign of love towards his people, and His desire to draw ever nearer to us, despite our rebellious nature. That evening, the hall rocked with the united voices of hundreds, all giving the glory and honour to our Maker and Saviour... and He responded in kind.
"During worship time Saturday night, we started singing the first song "Nothing's gonna hold me back" and I was immediately rushed into God's presence. For the next hour or so, I was completely unaware of what happened around me while experiencing God's love and beauty. It felt like God was saying: 'This is how I want to be close to you. Do you want that, too? Then seek me more than you have done so far'." Lydia Matthies, Hope Berlin
Sunday was special. It began with the Kellers (Matthias and Yvonne) serving up a round of God’s laws, standards and principles and its implications in the modern world, that there is a fine line between law and grace. This was supplemented in the evening by Pastor Simon’s warning of pessimism and forgetfulness in the journey with God: Focus instead on the blessings, and grasp the vision. Taste and see that the Lord is good.
“Festival has been something that I was looking forward to since early this year, especially when it talks about the Promised Land. God has given me many wonderful promises and I have witnessed many of them coming true. So, I was asking myself this year - what is next? Should I just stop at this point and remain stagnant? I was challenged by the sermon of Pastor Simon to actively pursue God's will.” Helen Pang, Hope Southwest, Germany
In the afternoon between, family and friends gathered together to witness the baptism of ten brothers and sisters in the beautiful lake in the woods. Each had a story to tell and a blessing to share, and as the water cemented their covenant, the tears of joy started to flow. By the end, dry eyes became a rarity. Throughout the weekend, there were also funny moments. None more so than the hilarity of the Berlin Drama Company, which serves perfectly to describe the difference in humour appreciation between various cultures. The dry witticism served up by Fabian and Jens were met with laughter so hard the Germans doubled over in stitches, yet had other foreigners scratching their heads, wondering “What’s so funny?”.
On the morning of the final day, the Teohs (Ka Jin and Ulrike) ended with a reminder of God’s vision in us, as part of a generation not dissimilar to that led by Joshua, to claim what is rightfully His. As the festival slowly came to a close, the bond between fellow brothers was not forgotten and aptly celebrated in communion, as hours later, friends and family departed on separate roads, united in spirit, parted only by distance…at least until Festival 2013.
“Festival 2012 was an amazing experience, one which was very refreshing for me spiritually. I came into it hoping to hear from God, hoping for direction and encouragement. By the end of our four days at camp, I had received plenty of both, from the people I met and shared with as well as from God. Festival 2012 will have a special place in my heart for being a breakthrough experience for me, and I’m already looking forward to the next edition (:”
Billy Simon, Hope Southwest, Germany
HIM Bangkok, Thailand - Oasis Celebrates Life in its 2nd Year
When Jesus enters our hearts, sets us free from the bondage of sin, and let us experience abundant life, then we know life is worth celebrating. And “Celebrating Life” is exactly what HIM – Oasis Church did as it turned two on 20 May, 2012. Just before the main program, booths from various ministries were set up in the lobby to allow guests to mingle and give a glimpse of life at Oasis.
The anniversary proper began with a spirit-filled praise and worship session followed by a video greeting from HIM pastors and a slideshow of Oasis activities over the past two years. Pastor Mayette Alkuino gave her opening message to formally start the program. To show how Oasis celebrates life, the affinity: couples, youth, Kids in Motion, singles, and the men (also known as the Royal Ambassadors), showcased their God-given singing, dancing, and musical gifts. Pastor Chaiayapruck, a HIM – Thailand Elder and also known as Pastor O, blessed many in the congregation as he spoke about relationships.
Celebrating life through testimonies was the main and final part of the program. Nine Oasis Church members from all walks of life were selected to testify how God gave them abundant lives. Testimonies of blessing, transformation, victory, healing, reunions, and God’s grace moved every speaker and guest. A song or dance number followed each testimony. Finally, the leaders concluded the event with the song, “Household of Faith,” which moved people to tears as it affirms another year of commitment to one another and to the Lord. God was truly in that celebration!
After having experienced God’s faithfulness since its humble beginnings, HIM – Oasis Church is ready for and looking forward to God’s extraordinary favor!
Hope Oceania Convention 2012
Praise God! We've just had a wonderful Oceania Convention 2012, at Caloundra, up at the Sunshine Coast, which is just north of Brisbane. It was such an exciting time. Our theme was passion. And really we had such a tremendous range of speakers that inspired passion amongst all our people. We had Ps Gordon, the national director of C3 speaking to us. It was just hilarious and yet so impacting. We had Ps Simon our president sharing with us and really impacting us for the passion for the Great Commission. And I had a great opportunity to share and we really just stirred the passion that God wants to have in all of our lives.
There were tremendous encounters with God. There were people who were healed; people who were baptized in the Holy Spirit. And I think every delegate took back something of God in their lives. They've been challenged and inspired to grow in their passion for God, to grow in their passion for people and in the passion for the Great Commission. It was just tremendous to see the hundreds of people who came up to dedicate their lives to say, "I'm willing to go". God did such tremendous things. We had about 850 delegates here over the weekend and on Sunday itself, we had probably over 1000 people. It was really fantastic. We're looking forward to more things of God moving in our lives and in all of our churches.
We're looking forward to the next Oceania Convention in Philip Island. So we trust that we will see you there at Easter 2013. God bless you!
When Jesus enters our hearts, sets us free from the bondage of sin, and let us experience abundant life, then we know life is worth celebrating. And “Celebrating Life” is exactly what HIM – Oasis Church did as it turned two on 20 May, 2012. Just before the main program, booths from various ministries were set up in the lobby to allow guests to mingle and give a glimpse of life at Oasis.
The anniversary proper began with a spirit-filled praise and worship session followed by a video greeting from HIM pastors and a slideshow of Oasis activities over the past two years. Pastor Mayette Alkuino gave her opening message to formally start the program. To show how Oasis celebrates life, the affinity: couples, youth, Kids in Motion, singles, and the men (also known as the Royal Ambassadors), showcased their God-given singing, dancing, and musical gifts. Pastor Chaiayapruck, a HIM – Thailand Elder and also known as Pastor O, blessed many in the congregation as he spoke about relationships.
Celebrating life through testimonies was the main and final part of the program. Nine Oasis Church members from all walks of life were selected to testify how God gave them abundant lives. Testimonies of blessing, transformation, victory, healing, reunions, and God’s grace moved every speaker and guest. A song or dance number followed each testimony. Finally, the leaders concluded the event with the song, “Household of Faith,” which moved people to tears as it affirms another year of commitment to one another and to the Lord. God was truly in that celebration!
After having experienced God’s faithfulness since its humble beginnings, HIM – Oasis Church is ready for and looking forward to God’s extraordinary favor!
Hope Oceania Convention 2012
Praise God! We've just had a wonderful Oceania Convention 2012, at Caloundra, up at the Sunshine Coast, which is just north of Brisbane. It was such an exciting time. Our theme was passion. And really we had such a tremendous range of speakers that inspired passion amongst all our people. We had Ps Gordon, the national director of C3 speaking to us. It was just hilarious and yet so impacting. We had Ps Simon our president sharing with us and really impacting us for the passion for the Great Commission. And I had a great opportunity to share and we really just stirred the passion that God wants to have in all of our lives.There were tremendous encounters with God. There were people who were healed; people who were baptized in the Holy Spirit. And I think every delegate took back something of God in their lives. They've been challenged and inspired to grow in their passion for God, to grow in their passion for people and in the passion for the Great Commission. It was just tremendous to see the hundreds of people who came up to dedicate their lives to say, "I'm willing to go". God did such tremendous things. We had about 850 delegates here over the weekend and on Sunday itself, we had probably over 1000 people. It was really fantastic. We're looking forward to more things of God moving in our lives and in all of our churches.
We're looking forward to the next Oceania Convention in Philip Island. So we trust that we will see you there at Easter 2013. God bless you!
By Dr Wilson Lim
