 |
Revive Sweden
Strategic Church Multiplication to Save a Nation
|
Jim and Lynn Jarman
National Directors Sweden - Converge
European Strategic Partners Team - ReachGlobal
Church Multiplication Catalysts - New Life Network Sweden
Newsletter #14 - October - December, 2016
|
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
What a joy - and challenge - it is to serve God in Sweden! We have just passed the winter solstice and experienced the darkest day of the year. Here in Stockholm - at 59˚20' N latitude - that meant 6 hours, 4 minutes from sunrise to sunset.
The sun went down at 2:48 in the afternoon.
WOW! BUT - now every day is slightly longer than the one before. We have discovered that the darkness isn't as limiting as we had anticipated. It's the cozy time of year!
Spiritually, we see the light of Christ dawning in so many dark corners of this nation. You would be touched by the fervent lives of brothers and sisters in Sweden and from the many nations that now call this country home. The light of Christ shines brightly in them - and that is not easy in one of the most atheistic nations on earth.
Our role is to develop a culture of encouragement in a very discouraging spiritual climate. We do this by strengthening existing churches and pastors, planting new churches, coaching site pastors and leaders, and strategically coming alongside movement leaders in Sweden and Europe. It gives us great joy to develop, empower, and release the next generation of leaders that will win Sweden back to Christ.
And so, we say a heartfelt "Thank You!" to each of you - our faithful prayer and financial partners. We continually remember that we could not be doing what God has called us to do without you. May the Lord bless you abundantly for your sacrifices of time and resources! May He multiply back to you what you do for us. We are on a journey together. We hope that you are as excited about it as we are!
|
"The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned."
Isaiah 9:2
Here is our journey during October, November and December.
|
|
|
On three weekends in September, October, and November - Pastor John van Dinther, Lynn and Jim taught
Salt Shaker - A Course on Church Planting and Multiplication.
Between 40-50 people attended each session. Here Jim is teaching on "Disciple Making Movements" and translating is Isabelle Arnfjell, co pastor of New Life Västerås.
|
|
|
|
In October, over 40 rising leaders at our regional center - New Life Stockholm - responded to a call by Pastor John van Dinther to step up into their areas of gifting and lead. Here Lynn is praying for them and asking God's Spirit to fill their hearts.
|
|
|
|
New Life Hässelby - led by site pastor Rui De Sousa - is reaching out in meaningful ways its Stockholm suburb. Jim preached here on his birthday - October 2.
|
|
|
|
A big event happened in Stockholm this year! In October, over 15,000 people from across northern Europe filled Friends Arena for the Awaken Europe conference.
|
|
|
|
Ten videos are being produced for our five sites in the east of Sweden. Göteborg will follow at a later time. Each site will have a promo video and a virtual prayer tour video. They are a means of telling the story of the New Life Network. These are the work of a team we brought over from the Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, California.
|
|
|
|
We were so happy to have a late fall visit from our friend and partner, Bob Bakke.
Bob is senior pastor at Hillside Church in Bloomington, MN and a co-founder of the Global Day of Prayer. He always encourages us!
|
|
|
| All six sites in the New Life Network follow a daily Bible Reading Plan that we developed. We are all moving in the same direction spiritually. This fall our theme was "To Be Like Jesus". Here New Life Göteborg meets in late October. They are reaching out to Sweden's second largest city and are a key to Sweden's west coast. |
|
|
|
In mid November we had an early blizzard - the largest single day snowfall in November in 111 years! This is our neighborhood and that is our apartment building.
|
We spend a lot of time on buses, trams, subways, and city and regional trains. Here we are on our way to spend the evening with the leadership team at one of our sites.
|
|
|
We celebrated American Thanksgiving with our good friends, David and Laura Moench. David is Western European Director for the Southern Baptist International Mission Board. David and Laura also serve in Fridhemskyrkan - New Life's site in the Kungsholmen district of Stockholm.
|
|
|
|
December brought the Christmas market to Gamla Stan.
Here's Lynn with her new friend.
|
|
|
|
The New Life Network offers what we have with both an extended arm and an open hand. During 2016, we gave over 1200 bags of food to those in need.
Here are the December bags ready to be distributed.
|
|
|
|
Every month, we gather the New Life Network church planters together to share and pray with one another. In December, we hosted them for a Christmas party at our apartment. These are some of the finest leaders we have met anywhere in the world.
It is our joy to help them in their dream to restore Sweden to Christ.
|
|
|
|
In December, our 17 year old grandson, Sean, went to the state football championship
in Georgia - and they WON! We were able to watch the game on live stream.
Serving God overseas means missing family gatherings and events.
|
|
|
We love spending time with our site pastors. Here we are with Jenny Wahlström,
church planter, songwriter, gifted musician and singer -
and co-pastor of Fridhemskyrkan on Kungsholmen.
|
|
|
|
In the darkness of the Swedish mid-winter, there are lights everywhere. Here is Lynn in front of two giant deer near the church plant in Västerås. Our prayer is that the beauty of Christ's light would fill the hearts of thousands of Swedes.
|
|
|
|
Stockholm Central Station at Christmas time. Sunday night - 8 pm.
And the crowds are everywhere. Less than half of one percent attend any kind of church.
Please pray for a revival in Sweden.
|
"...and they will call him Immanuel - which means 'God with us.'"
|
|
To Watch a Short Video from Jim and Lynn
Click on this Link
Greetings From Sweden!
Please continue to pray for us!
Pray for wisdom as we help lead the church multiplication movement
of the New Life Network and for our dear new friends
as they seek to win their country to Christ.
2017 promises to be a year of expansion for the Network.
Please pray for us as we coach church planters
and come alongside movement leaders in Sweden and beyond.
Please pray for health and protection as we serve -
and for our family whom we dearly miss.
To send a special Christmas gift,
please click on our name below and go to our profile page.
The giving link is easy to use.
Thank you for remembering us!
Jim and Lynn
Why not friend us on Facebook and enjoy our journey regularly!
|
|
|
|
Thank you for being our faithful partners.
We are better together.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
