We are faculty sponsors for the first-year students at ETS. On Saturday, May 24, they went to the city of Karlsruhe to do street evangelism and a street service for two of their classes, taught by Balyne Waltrip and Benson Vaughan. We went to support them. They did street dramas, had clowns and face-painting to gather children, and did simple personal evangelism to individuals on the street. The service was held in a plaza where street dwellers stay. Our students did well and were bold and loving for Christ.

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The final group project for doing special services in the Church Administration class  was done on May 16, as a wedding was celebrated in the ETS chapel. Two of our married students recreated their wedding, Michael and Verawaty Feindt. A German-style ceremony was officiated by ”Pastor” Victoria Pacci. It was beautifully done, and I was quite proud of all four groups who did the special services in this class. 

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A funeral was conducted at ETS on May 9 in the Church Administration class for a wonderful Serb brother (actually a puppet). It was done in the Serbian Orthodox church style, led by a Serb “pastor”, Borislav Romakov (second-year student). It was complete with wailing and expressions of grief, as the procession walked to the “cemetery” behind the ETS building. It was done well and a good experience for conducting funerals, as well as learning a little Serbian culture.

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The Church Administration class group assigned to plan and conduct a water baptism service had a very good service in the ETS pool area on May 5. Two candidates were “baptized”, both members of the group: Tina Drotleff (Tanzania) and Joseph Ndashe (Zambia). The officiating pastors were from South Africa and Spain. It was a real international flavor and the students did well preparing for future experiences of doing baptism services.

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What a great night May 3 was at the open-air service held in the market plaza of Freudenstadt. For weeks much prayer and preparation had preceded it by many. A large stage was erected and the service began at 7:30 PM with an estimated crowd approximated at 1,000. Many of our ETS and church youth participated in ]worship music, drama, or dance. Conversions were reported and it was good to worship Jesus in the center of the city for which we earnestly pray.

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May 1 was a legal holiday in Germany and the German Church of God held its Missions Day at ETS. We heard reports from German Church of God missionaries serving in Africa, including Peter Thomas one the regional overseers there. Many nations send missionaries besides America, and we appreciate our missionary colleagues from around the world. 

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Part of the course requirements for the course I am currently teaching on Church Administration is that the class was divided into four parts to do a project together. Each group will plan and conduct a special service: communion, baptism, funeral, and wedding. The first one was held April 28 and the students planned and held a beautiful communion service for the class in our chapel. This gives the students some practical experience in these areas, and we get to worship God together as a class.

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I often preach at the church in Kniebis, Crossroads International Church, usually the final Sunday of each month. On April 27, I preached a sermon about Hell. It had been a difficult week of spiritual struggle, but God helped my translator, Sandra Gamaliel, and me. I thank God for the faithful translators who boldly preach beside us, and in so doing, carry the spiritual burden of addressing eternal souls with God’s Word. 

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