Busy times for the Tiews Family as they prepare for the move to Germany.
God willing, I will board my flight from the U.S. to Germany on April 27. My first assignment is to serve as vacancy pastor at Kaiserslautern Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC) until their permanent pastor arrives sometime in the fall. This unique Lutheran congregation in southwestern Germany is the church home to many U.S. soldiers and families, college professors, various American expats, German citizens, and Lutherans from numerous other countries.
Although I will physically still be in the U.S. until April 26, thanks to video-conferencing technology, I have been able to serve at KELC since mid-March— teaching Bible and confirmation classes, and conducting two interactive services during Holy Week. How were the services interactive? I conducted the services and gave the sermons from the U.S., while KELC members in Germany read the Old Testament and Epistle lessons. Even with almost 5,000 miles separating the pastor from the congregation, the services went well: everyone on both sides of the Atlantic could see and hear the service.
After some six weeks of long-distance ministry, I look forward to finally meeting the people of KELC later this month to share with them in person the Lord’s gifts of Word and Sacrament.
tiewsfamily.org 