“And [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and He stood up to read” (Lk 4:16). I am writing to you from a pastors’ conference in the tiny village of Bleckmar, north Germany, to thank you for all your prayers and support, and to give you a quick update. Starting this Sunday (September 29), we will take a major leap forward in our Persian ministry here in Hamburg by more than doubling the number of Persian-language Divine Services per month—from two services in two alternating churches—to every Sunday at the same church (Zion Lutheran, Hamburg). Lula and I are very excited about this enhancement because it will provide a steady, constant, and weekly worship opportunity for our Persian Christians, while also putting an end to the confusion that always seemed to arise as to where the next Divine Service would be. If your church offers a weekly Divine Service (maybe even more than one service per weekend?), I hope that you appreciate this luxury! Many Christians around the world have no access at all to a church where they can receive the Lord’s gifts of Word and Sacrament—let alone weekly. On the other hand, there are also many Christians who live close to a church—or maybe even several—that offer these precious gifts, yet don’t take advantage of them—sometimes even for long periods of time. Your prayers and support enable us to provide the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation of Word and Sacrament to ever more Iranians and Afghans in the greater Hamburg area. Let us pray that the Divine Service as a place of refuge and spiritual anchor will become their weekly custom—and thank you again for allowing us to do this work!
May God bless and keep you,
Pastor Tiews
The Tiews in Germany 