CMI Germany 2020 - Johannes Kim Jr.

[Stephan Choe]

2021-01-05 CMI Germany 2020.docx

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General information

There are currently 17 different churches and fellowships associated with CMI Germany. Among them, around half serve as local churches in the community. The other half are single missionary families serving as house churches, bible study groups or coworkers in other local churches, or other groups serving in local missions.

Some of these churches and fellowships still focus on campus ministry but the majority of them now serve and evangelise people from different age and social groups in the town and surrounding neighbourhood. However, one common mission strategy that is being consistent in all of these churches and groups is still the usage of various forms of bible studies, 1:1 or in groups.

CMI Germany

CMI Germany is the umbrella organisation and network of these local fellowships.

Currently, we are subdivided into five departments (the Servant's Council, Dienerrat). The finance department, the education department (responsible for seminars for leaders, upporting those in theological educations), the world mission department (responsible for networking with other CMI chapters and other organisations), the charity department (responsible for financial and spiritual help for those in need), and the information department (responsible for the communication within CMI Germany, with the local churches and for PR).

We organise summer bible conferences with the purpose of networking these communities with each other and with other CMI organisations. So, in one year it is nation-wide, in another it is Europe-wide (we organise it together with CMI Europe), and coordinating with other international CMI chapters we open an international CMI conference, where guests mostly from CMI Europe, CMI USA, and CMI Korea participate.

Furthermore, CMI Germany offers seminars on theological topics for missionaries and those working in the CMI churches. It is being held by different pastors and professors from bible seminaries.

Other ministries involve financial help for those who would like to study theology or attend classes for church ministry and financial help for those in need.

For the younger generation, CMI funds the Yes Christ Camp which is being organised by the children of the CMI missionaries, the 2nd generations, for the youths in Germany. Every Pentecost weekend (May or June) 70 youths meet each year. Obviously, except for this year.

For 3 years, CMI Germany has established a group called the "vision team" which consists of people from different CMI churches and generations in order to pray and talk about the vision and the next steps God is preparing for the CMI in Germany. And currently, we discuss a lot about the vision statement, the generational conflict within the fellowship, and the succession of the CMI leadership.

  2020

The word of this year is certainly: coronavirus. I think very rarely in history has there been a word, that unified the whole world, negatively as well as positively. This pandemic, which has affected everyone across the globe, forced us to reorientate and reorganize, as well.

Like many other churches, many of the CMI churches and fellowships started to offer their worship services online. Some changed into participating in other online services and meeting Sundays online via Zoom or WebEx to keep their fellowship. It has been a tough time for everyone and yet it was also a huge lesson by God to stay flexible in our ministries.

After a lot of discussions and prayers, CMI Germany also held their first online conference in August 2020.   Due to many helpful hands, God allowed us a time full of grace. We were all aware that an online meeting couldn't replace a proper meeting on site. It couldn't replace seeing and interacting with the people directly. However, we were very glad to see many people from abroad who otherwise could not have participated in the conference.

With God's grace, we also had a theological seminar on homiletics, so about "how to preach". It was done via zoom. It was held by a professor (Albrecht Wandel) from a bible seminary near Stuttgart (Bibelstudienkolleg in Ostfildern).

Furthermore, during the coronavirus pandemic, CMI Germany also participated with prayers for missionaries and donated to missionaries in Germany and all over the world (e.g. Italy, India, Turkey) to support them in these difficult times.

Fortunately, there has been a short period of time in Germany, where people could meet up. During this time in summer, God allowed us to have a gathering in Stuttgart where we could say farewell to Missionary Isaac Lee. He had been the pastor in CMI Stuttgart for 40 years but also the director of CMI Germany for several years. He had served the churches by creating bible study materials, authoring the "daily bread" devotional, as well as networking the CMI with other Christian organisations in Germany. This year he retired and went back to Korea.

In 2019, we had celebrated the 50th anniversary of the CMI mission work in Germany. In remembrance of God's grace and work, CMI Germany and the missionaries started to write a book on the history of the CMI ministry in Germany (Renate Schmeinck, Josef  Kim, Jesaja Lee). This book has now been completed and is planned to being published in 2021. It is written in German.

We thank God for His grace and guidance in 2020.

Important Dates in 2021

12 - 13/02/2021 Annual General Meeting (Vertretervollversammlung) of CMI Germany (online)

15 - 17/04/2021
Leadership Conference (Leiterbildungskonferenz) of CMI Germany

24 - 26/06/2021
Leadership Conference (Leiterbildungskonferenz) of CMI Germany  

29/07. - 01/08/21
National CMI summer bible conference in Hübingen

11 - 13/11/2021
Leadership Conference (Leiterbildungskonferenz) of CMI Germany  

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Information dep. of CMI Germany

Johannes Kim Jr.