Missio Colonia | Kevin and Kathi in Cologne, Germany

Kevin: We are less than one week away from Candidate Orientation! Kathi and I are starting to get excited. We've also been taking some deliberate time this week to pray for vision for our ministry in Cologne. I think that it's been pretty hazy up till now, so we're hoping that God refines some of that for us.

Even now God is beginning to answer this prayer. Yesterday during my time of prayer, God unraveled a piece of that vision. It revolves around Incarnational Ministry. Essentially, this means we hope to deeply integrate ourselves into the Cologne community, loving where they need love, ministering where they are hurt, suffering when they suffer. The Church for the most part has completely lost credibility in Europe. Therefore, a traditional proclamation apologetic is no longer sufficient. A new apologetic is required. This Incarnational apologetic is one where our lives as well as our words speak to the truth of the Gospel.

Two particular verses were important in this vision. First, 1 Peter 2:12:

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

and 1 Corinthians 9:22:

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

We hope that this Incarnational Ministry will mean our involvement in helping the community, whether it's through a homeless shelter, or an AIDS clinic, or a youth program. With good deeds our message will carry weight. All of this by God's grace.