Monday, August 19, 2024

Let's visit the living room!

Here’s a new and typically Danish approach to supporting young families: A “play living room” in the Danish city of Rønde, where stressed-out parents are invited to bring their young children for a relaxing afternoon of songs, play, and Bible stories. 


It’s the brainchild of Cecilia Tjørnemark and her mother Anette—both of them active believers who want to serve local kids and their families. It’s intended for babies and toddlers up to four years old, and is scheduled for every Wednesday afternoon. 


Mother and daughter have launched into this outreach with the full support of their local Inner Mission and the DFS—Denmark’s Folkekirkelige Søndagsskoler—the Sunday school arm of their local Lutheran church. A representative from the DFS even helped them launch the first several gatherings, with tips and training. 


The Danish difference in this case is that parents don’t drop their kids off, but are encouraged to join right in! It’s a ministry to the entire family, and not a daycare.


“Children are a good entry point to also get in touch with the parents,” said Cecilia Tjørnemark. “Because children tell and ask their parents about what they’ve heard. People want to sing with their children, and here we have a good opportunity to help them. But primarily we’re addressing the children, and we hope they’ll learn that God loves them.”


Rønde, in an area of central Denmark called the Djursland peninsula, has a population of about 3,300. Since the opening of the outreach, word has spread—but there’s always room for more.


“Djursland is a bit of a dead area,” said Cecilia, “so we have a great desire for more people to come to faith here.”


PRAY for the outreach of Cecilia and Anette—that many families would drop by.


PRAY that mother and daughter would be encouraged in their weekly outreach.


PRAY that young families and their children would come to faith in Christ through the ministry.


THANK the LORD for faithful believers like Cecilia and Anette.

Sunday, June 02, 2024

Why so many people in the warehouse?

Welcome to the “Valgmenighed” church in Kolding, a city of about 95,000—eleventh largest in Denmark. You might know that the Valgmenighed movement within the Danish Lutheran church offers congregations a bit of latitude in worship style and structure. (In Danish, “valg” means “choice” or “vote” and “menighed” means “fellowship” or “congregation.”) And there’s a lot about Kolding Valgmenighed that’s atypical. 

The building, for instance. Rather than a usual Danish-style church structure, this fellowship meets in a large warehouse-type building. But that gives them plenty of room to grow.



The church started meeting in 2003, with a vision to reach their city. For the first ten years, they met in various rented church buildings, then grew into their industrial building starting in 2014. They bought the entire building in 2018 and remodeled to accommodate the growing fellowship. But there’s much more to this church than the building—and that’s another unique aspect of the Kolding church.


House churches, or small groups, are an integral part of the Kolding fellowship, and part of the reason the church is growing. People make connections and are equipped for ministry in these small neighborhood groups—and that’s not always typical in all Danish churches.


And then there’s “Elsk Kolding” (“Love Kolding”). Through this service/outreach program, the fellowship is committed to helping neighbors with practical needs, from house cleaning and yard work to moving and painting. It’s one way to show the love of Christ for their neighbors. 



“If you want to pray for us,” says the church’s website, “please pray that we may always be kept humble in the midst of everything we’re allowed to experience. Pray that our efforts may be an overflow of gratitude to Him who has given everything for us. He is worth it!”


PRAY for this growing church, that God would continue to give them a vision to reach out to Kolding in the name of Jesus. 


PRAY for the youth of this church, that they would remain true to their faith, and that many more would be reached.


PRAY for the Kolding church leadership, for protection and wisdom as they continue to grow. Pray especially for lead pastor Mads Peter Kruse.


PRAISE God for this bright shining light! 

Sunday, May 05, 2024

A new kind of mission house for Agger Strand

The traditional mission house is being reimagined today in out-of-the-way Danish towns like Thisted and Lemvig, in the north part of the country—and believers there are hopeful they’ll regain a more prominent role in community life. In the town of Thy, that means rebuilding their old building from the ground up, and looking for new ways to reach out.

Brian Christensen, a local pastor and leader in the Lutheran renewal movement, says the goal is to “reach out to a larger portion of the community with the gospel.”



In Thy, the old building is being physically rebuilt, but Christians there are also dreaming of rebuilding the programs that building can offer. Children’s festivals. Café evenings. Casual men’s gatherings. And much more. 


“We’re trying different things to see what works,” said Christensen.


The renovated building will also play a larger role as a community center. And that’s especially important in this more rural area of the country where young families are known to leave—sometimes for lack of job opportunities, but also for lack of social opportunities. What is there for kids and families to do here? The new community center renovation aims to help fill some of those gaps, and will hopefully give Christians a new kind of venue to reach their community for Christ. 


PRAY for the new community center in Agger Strand, slated to reopen this summer.


PRAY that believers from different churches will come together in this new venue and use it creatively for outreach events.


PRAY that the new center will help draw young families and others back into the community.


PRAY that the new center’s owner, Lars Møller, will continue to see the vision of a cooperative private/church use of the building.


PRAY that all ages will meet Jesus Christ at this new place.

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Welcome, King Frederik

Pray for the country’s new king, Frederik the Tenth, who took the throne last month after his mother, Queen Margrethe, abdicated. 


Some Christians were initially concerned that the incoming king failed to mention God in his acceptance speech to the nation from the Christiansborg Castle balcony. His mother had set an example as an outspoken Christian.


However, a slim volume published just days after King Frederik succeeded his mother explained his views more clearly, beyond the earlier pomp and circumstance.


In the book, called Kongeord (Words of the King), he said that he and the new queen, Mary, recite evening prayers with their children, and that he enjoys attending church. He also says that the Christian faith is “an important part of who we are.” 


Perhaps that’s a good start. The King also maintained that he and Mary want to encourage fellow Danes to remember the needs of the most vulnerable in their society, to volunteer and to care for those less fortunate. 


“People need people,” he said, “and in many Western societies the most important question is ‘What can you do for me?’ Too rarely it is the other way around: ‘What can I do for you?’ ”


PRAY that Frederik and Mary will grow in faith as they lead their family—and serve their country—in the coming years.


PRAY that God will touch the new king and queen’s hearts and keep them receptive toward things of true faith. 


PRAY for the royal couple’s children: Crown Prince Christian (18), Princess Isabella (16), Prince Vincent (13), and Princess Josephine (13). And yes, the two youngest are twins.


PRAY for revival in the royal house of Denmark, and for faith in Jesus Christ to spread throughout this beautiful land.


PRAY that the now former queen, Frederik’s mother, would still have a godly influence, and that God would work through her to bring others to faith in Christ.