posted on January 1, 2023
aXcess: Outreach and Church Planting in Northeast Germany
Deeply rooted atheism due to Soviet influence, as well as a skewed view of religion and the Church, has resulted in many people in this region not knowing who Jesus truly is. Our team desires to see people encounter the real Jesus and to develop communities of faith through non-traditional church planting in northeastern Germany. We want our ministry to have a powerful spiritual impact for Christ here and now as well as on the next generation.
Position Type
- International worker (IW)–aXcess–Clergy Track
- Church planting, discipleship, evangelism, youth ministry
- Single or couple
Responsibilities:
- Building bridges through community involvement (e.g., strategic use of personal interests, ESL for all ages, refugee support)
- Living out and verbally proclaiming the love and truth of Christ
- Developing communities of faith through church planting
- Discipling and investing in future spiritual leaders
- Serving and working together on a team
Required Qualifications:
- A recognized bachelor’s degree
- Completion of at least 30 hours of Bible/theology/ministry and 15 hours of intercultural studies
- Spouse must hold a recognized bachelor’s degree and have completed at least 18 hours of Bible/theology, 12 hours of missions/ministry studies (with a minimum of 6 hours in cross-cultural or missions studies)
- Completion of Alliance Polity course
- Completion of Alliance ordination/consecration
- Minimum of two years successful Alliance Licensed Ministry Experience
- A minimum Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) score of 60
Preferred Qualifications:
- Perseverance in ministry
- Accountability in team
- Flexibility in adversity
Biblical Characteristics Desired:
- Kingdom-minded
- Biblically grounded
- Spirit-dependent
- Competently skilled
- Self-aware
- Self-disciplined
Timeline for Deployment:
Summer/fall of 2024. Following appointment, and once fundraising goals and other qualifications are met, the appointee is required to attend a cross-cultural and language-acquisition program and pre-field orientation prior to deploying.
General Information:
Waren is a small city in the heart of northeast Germany, statistically one of the most atheistic regions of the world. Strategically accessible to surrounding towns, villages, and cities, Waren is a starting point for furthering gospel access to east Germans.
Language Expectations:
Language is an essential part of ministry. Those who do not know the language will attend a language study program. The goal will be to speak, read, and write the language at a functional level in order to mentor, teach, and train others.
Language study consists of formal language classes, personal tutors, and some community/ministry involvement, culminating in a formal language test (B2 level certification test).
Health Considerations:
Germany has a high-quality health care system. Walking and biking are a part of daily life.
Expectations for Spouse:
Spousal roles vary based on the spouse’s gifts, training, and abilities as well as the needs of the team. It is expected that both spouses will be meaningfully involved in meeting ministry objectives depending on the nature of family roles, children, etc.
Children’s Educational Plan and Options:
There are local public schools for elementary and middle school ages. Various high school options are available, including local public schools and Black Forest Academy, a Christian boarding school in southwest Germany (grades 9–12 only). Homeschooling is not an option.
Compensation Package
The successful applicant(s) will receive a full compensation package with the expectation that, once appointed, efforts will be made to raise a portion of support costs through the applicant’s network of friends, family, local church, or other resources. Information on support costs will be made available upon application. Training and/or coaching in fundraising is available.
Importance Clarification
Applicant(s) should be aware that serving in the international world often requires a higher degree of grace and flexibility. For example, overseas teams can be suddenly and unexpectedly impacted by illness, government decisions, financial realities, team changes, or other factors beyond the team’s control. The challenge for applicants is that these factors can sometimes necessitate the sudden redefining of a position, which may take place before, during, or after the application/interview process has begun or is completed.
Questions?
Please email the IPO office at [email protected].
Whole-Life Health
As part of an evangelical denomination, we are committed to biblical holism, which is modeled and reflected through our work. Due to this commitment, part of the required qualifications includes optimal emotional, spiritual, and physical health. These will be assessed during the application process.