 |
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 #15 - January - Early April, 2017
|
Glad Påsk från Sverige!
Happy Easter from Sweden!
We love serving God in Sweden! We have now finished our second winter in Scandinavia and have been in awe of the goodness of God as He has opened many doors for the Gospel. The opportunities are amazing. Our colleagues
are wonderful. The work is still daunting and the spiritual warfare great - but we are seeing so many lives changed by God's transforming power.
We truly believe that Sweden is poised for an awakening and we are honored to be called to serve here.
As we celebrate Easter around the world - the apostle Paul prayed that the eyes of our hearts would be opened to know and see the power that God has for us - it is the same power that God used when He raised Jesus from the dead and seated him at His right hand in heaven. God's love is so great for each of us.
This is our prayer for you as well - our faithful prayer and financial partners. We could not be doing what God has called us to do without you. You are part of a team that believes in us and in what God wants to do in Sweden. This Easter - as we express our gratitude to God for you - we ask Him to bless you and meet your every need. Thank you for all you do for us.
Your friends,
Jim and Lynn
|
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried,
that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures"
I Corinthians 15:3-4
Here is our journey during January, February, March and early April.
|
|
| January began with our New Life Leadership Days - a gathering of over 100 leaders from all six sites in the New Life Network. Here movement founder, Pastor John van Dinther, addresses the group on our topic for the weekend. Associate Pastor Kjell Waern, Lynn and Jim also spoke during the sessions. |
|
|
We have a great time working with the New Life site pastors.
Here we are with Rui de Sousa - site pastor at New Life Hässelby and also on the pastoral staff at New Life Alvik. Jim was speaking that Sunday at Hässelby
and we got to laughing together before the service. |
|
|
| We're Better Together. This is a concept we have built into the New Life Network. Here it is in practice. Josef and Isabelle Arnfjell - pastors at New Life Västerås - Jenny Walström - pastor at Fridhemskyrkan - and musicians from New Life Sollentuna and Västerås perform a "Songs for the City" concert at New Life Hässelby in February. |
|
|
| In Sweden, we not only work with current movement leaders, but also next generation ones as well. The site pastors in the New Life Network will take the gospel forward. Here are Andreas and Sandra Palm - site pastors at New Life Sollentuna. Their heritage, experience, and wisdom are making a difference in a key Stockholm suburb. |
|
|
| The winters in Sweden can be long and challenging. Here is a scene from the Liljeholmen neighborhood where we currently live. While the cold and dark don't bother us - like all Swedes, we look forward to Midsommar. |
|
|
| In February, we traveled to Sarajevo, Bosnia - Herzegovina, as part of our work with ReachGlobal's Strategic Partners Team. There are over 180 mosques in a city of 400,000. The Muslim calls to prayer are heard everywhere. Pray for revival to sweep across Europe. |
At the end of February, New Life Stockholm opened the premier resale shop in all of Stockholm - Ge För Livet - Give For Life. This second hand store will help fund the social and refugee ministries of the New Life Network. Here French missionary Carolyn Vestin points out one of the treasures that can be found in the store. Carolyn serves New Life for Operation Mobilization France.
|
|
| When the resale shop opened, we also started the New Life Cafe - a fika house where people can buy coffee, sandwiches, and treats. Here Ilona Wetterud - cafe manager - offers Jim a cinnamon roll (kanelbulle) - a staple of fika. Ilona is from Latvia and represents the 50+ nations of the New Life Network. |
|
|
| Our jobs require a lot of travel - both within Sweden and elsewhere in Europe. Here is the sign at Stockholm Central Station as we are about to board the train. Two of the New Life Network sites are in the cities of Västerås and Göteborg. |
|
|
| Building into a Movement. Here Lynn teaches at New Life Västerås about how we are better together. Translating is co-pastor Isabelle Arnfjell. |
|
|
Missionaries from all across Europe come to Stockholm to see what God is doing through the New Life Network - and to learn what this might mean for their cities. Here Emilie Gibbons - ReachGlobal City Team leader from Toulouse, France has fun with Lynn in Gamla Stan - Stockholm's old city.
|
|
|
| We are honored to work alongside New Life Network founder, Pastor John van Dinther, and his wife Ineke. John is a true visionary leader who holds what God has given him with an open and extended hand - so that Sweden may once again follow Christ. |
|
|
| In early March, Lynn and I had the opportunity once again to teach the second year leadership track at the Orebro Missionsskola. We enjoy the opportunity to build into future leaders as we share about practical ministry. |
|
|
| In March, we hosted thirteen members of ReachGlobal's Daily Leadership Team as they held their biannual meeting in Stockholm. In addition to strategizing for Europe, they had the opportunity to see the New Life Network up close and we had the joy of serving them. |
|
|
| One of the hardest things about serving God overseas is being away from family. In early April we had the chance to see them. Here's Lynn in Atlanta with our granddaughter Asia, daughter-in-law Celine, and daughters Kim and Anna. We are a multicultural family. |
|
|
On Friday, 7 April, terror came to Stockholm's Central District - as a stolen lorry was driven into the front of the Ahlen's department store. Like many others, we had been in this exact location within the past month. In Europe, we live with a sense of heightened awareness combined with peaceful assurance - that God is watching over us during uncertain times.
|
|
|
|
This was the sunset scene we saw as we walked the city a few weeks ago. We pray that a new day will dawn for Sweden - a true Holy Spirit awakening where thousands of lives are transformed by God's power.
|
|
Please continue to pray for us!
Please pray for our housing.
We need to move the end of June as the owner of our apartment is returning to Sweden. There are over 500,000 people in queue for an apartment in Stockholm - so this is a "We need a miracle" prayer.
Please pray for our finances.
We have a shortfall in our monthly funding
and are asking God for additional partners.
Pray for wisdom as we help lead the church multiplication movement of the New Life Network - and for our dear friends as they seek to win their country to Christ.
Please pray for us as we coach church planters
and come alongside movement leaders.
To send a special Easter gift - or to partner -
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!
|
|
|
|
I want to know Christ - to know the power of his resurrection...
Då känner jag Kristus och kraften från hans uppståndelse...
Philippians 3:10 - Filipperbrevet 3:10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
