Basel, 22 March, 2008

Dear Friends of Eastern Europe Renewal:

The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

HAPPY EASTER!  Jesus is risen and His Kingdom of love, peace, justice, mercy and truth is established on the earth.  May God teach us more and more what it means to live in His Kingdom and for His Kingdom to live in us.

A busy season is beginning for EER with travel to the US, Wales, Bern, Norway, Hungary and Australia in the next 3 months.  I will continue, Lord Willing, to be in Lausanne with the Church 2 weekends per month.

Our excellent webmaster in England is faithful to keep the EER site up to date:  

http://www.martinweaver.net/Ellis/index.htm  

The people in Bulgaria made a film of the University evening lecture.  You can see it on the website.  There is an introduction in Bulgarian before the lecture, which is in English translated into Bulgarian.  I have recently heard that a continuing series of Tuesday evening discussions between Christians and non-Christians began from that lecture.  The bacterial souvenir I brought home from Bulgaria seems to have finally gone home.

The work in the Lausanne Church is a joy.  There are various signs of life. We started having children's sermons and many people come into the front to hear what the children and I talk about.  A Bible study started before Church.  We ordered 15 study books to make sure we had extras, but we have had up to 20 people at the meetings.  We finished the sermon series on Colossians and Philemon and will begin Hebrews.  Hopefully we will be able to put recordings of the sermons on the Church website soon.

http://www.megaphone.org/lausanne-church/

In May I will be 60 and begin to think about teaching others to teach what I teach.  Various avenues are opening for this.  One is the preaching class, which meets every 5 or 6 weeks.  The class is scheduled from 19:30 to 21:00 but at the last meeting we worked until 22:45.  The students do their homework so thoroughly there is only time to deliver half of it.  Last time one of the students had a strong realization that it is essential to know what a text says before illustrating and applying it as a proof text for comments on the contemporary situation.  It was a big light that went on.

The other avenue is the staff of the YWAM Worldview Schools.  Several are beginning to teach, not only my material but their own and I am able to support them in this.  A leader in Romania will give some of my teaching there because I cannot come and we are corresponding about it.  Last time I wrote about asking students to share THE faith (rather than only THEIR faith) and to give the testimony of Jesus Christ (rather than only THEIR testimony).  In connection with this I also teach that the Bible can be approached as a "well" or as a "story".  In the well approach we draw out of the Bible comfort, teaching, warning, illumination, etc. according to our needs and situation.  In the story approach we see the whole picture of God's nature and salvific economy and contextualize our lives in that story.

The well approach centers on us and the story approach centers on God.  Many evangelicals have learned the well approach exclusively.  We need the well approach but it is vital to contextualize and complement it with the story approach.

Mary is well.  She enjoys her sewing class and our 2 funny birds and is looking forward to warmer weather.  The Church where we belong in Basel is going through some major changes with 2 elders retiring and one leaving.  We only have one elder and need to regroup.  Thank you if you pray for this.

I am ever mindful and grateful for those of you who support this work in prayer and financially.  Hopefully some photos will be attached taken with the new, very small and practical camera.

May the Lord bless and keep you and pour out His Grace upon you.

Yours in Christ,

Ellis

A Neighbour

Church Service

Church Service

Mill Stream Behind the House

Preaching Class

Sunday Morning Bible Study

A Tired Man with a Baby

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Copyright © 2008 Ellis Potter.