"Seit 1962 entwickeln sich die Change Camps stetig weiter. Sie verbinden tiefe Gemeinschaft, starke Gotteserfahrungen und das Eintauchen in andere Kulturen. Durch kreative Outreaches mit Sport, praktischen Einsätzen, Worship und Prayer Walks wachsen wir in einen evangelistischen Lebensstil. Unsere Vision ist, Jesus in verschiedenen Nationen bekannt zu machen und Jugendliche für ein Leben zu begeistern, das Gott ehrt. Wir wollen lokale Kirchen unterstützen und ein Segen für Menschen vor Ort sein. Ein Change Camp soll das Leben der Teilnehmenden nachhaltig verändern, ihr Herz neu für Gott entfachen und sie mit Leidenschaft für Mitmenschen, Regionen und Nationen erfüllen – damit sie diese Begeisterung auch in ihren Alltag tragen."
My name is Morris, I am 19 years old, and this year I had the opportunity to be part of various projects run by the msd mission organisation. It was a time full of encounters, exciting moments and experiences that I will not forget anytime soon.
Over the Ascension weekend, I attended the Beach Volleyball Camp. Four days full of sun, sand, exercise and also depth. For me, it was just the right mix because I was able to combine my passion for sport with my faith. It was wonderful to see how we had fun on the court and enjoyed fellowship, while also talking about God with each other.
In mid-July, I travelled to Rome to attend BNE Rome. There, I had many inspiring encounters, both with people and with God. It was an intense time, during which we not only studied the Epistle to the Romans, but also learned a lot about the history of Rome and early Christianity. In particular, I gained a new understanding of what God's grace really means and what it means to be redeemed through Jesus Christ.
During this time in Rome, the topic of baptism came up for me. Even during the first quiet time, I felt the desire to understand what baptism actually means. Through reading the Bible and studying the Epistle to the Romans together, it became increasingly clear to me: I want to take this step. So I decided to publicly profess my faith and be baptised in Rome. It was a profound moment in which I was able to experience God's presence in a whole new way.
After these four weeks of Bible study, we split up into different mission trips. In beautiful Volterra, we had the opportunity to accompany an Italian couple in their everyday life. I was impressed by how naturally they included God in every area of their lives, and I was inspired by their Spirit-led lifestyle. A major insight for me was that we can learn something from every day, no matter how ordinary, in which God works or shows us something. It is a huge blessing when we dedicate every day, every situation and every conversation to God and subordinate our own schedule and ideas to Him.
When I look back on these months, I am filled with gratitude. For everything I was able to experience, for the people I met, and above all for what God has done in my life. I encourage you too to devote your time to God...
"Seit 1962 entwickeln sich die Change Camps stetig weiter. Sie verbinden tiefe Gemeinschaft, starke Gotteserfahrungen und das Eintauchen in andere Kulturen. Durch kreative Outreaches mit Sport, praktischen Einsätzen, Worship und Prayer Walks wachsen wir in einen evangelistischen Lebensstil. Unsere Vision ist, Jesus in verschiedenen Nationen bekannt zu machen und Jugendliche für ein Leben zu begeistern, das Gott ehrt. Wir wollen lokale Kirchen unterstützen und ein Segen für Menschen vor Ort sein. Ein Change Camp soll das Leben der Teilnehmenden nachhaltig verändern, ihr Herz neu für Gott entfachen und sie mit Leidenschaft für Mitmenschen, Regionen und Nationen erfüllen – damit sie diese Begeisterung auch in ihren Alltag tragen."
About six times a year, we send out our newsletter to many people interested in msd. In it, we provide insights into our current projects, stories from our work and what moves us. To ensure that these brochures arrive on time, around 1,500 envelopes are packed by hand each time. This is a huge task, which we can only accomplish thanks to the active support of many volunteers.
It is always moving to see how people invest their time to support us in this work. Some have been loyal volunteers for many years and have many personal memories associated with the packing. Others have only recently joined us and bring a breath of fresh air to the group. We always hear exciting stories told while we work together. It becomes clear that every volunteer has their own unique story with msd.
These hours are much more than just packing up notebooks. They foster a sense of community, encouragement and solidarity that carries us through. Some even find it a valuable task during a difficult time in their lives. For others, it is simply nice to be able to lend a hand and be part of something bigger.
A cherished ritual has also become established. As soon as the German edition is packed, we treat ourselves to a break with coffee and a tasty snack. These moments are filled with conversation, laughter, exchange and encouragement. Strengthened by this break, we then move on to the French version, which is packed with renewed vigour.
We are truly grateful to everyone who gets involved in this way. Without their loyal support, we would not be able to send out the brochures. What always gives us great pleasure is that it is not just the packed envelopes that count in the end, but also the community spirit and the many encounters that arise in the process.
"Seit 1962 entwickeln sich die Change Camps stetig weiter. Sie verbinden tiefe Gemeinschaft, starke Gotteserfahrungen und das Eintauchen in andere Kulturen. Durch kreative Outreaches mit Sport, praktischen Einsätzen, Worship und Prayer Walks wachsen wir in einen evangelistischen Lebensstil. Unsere Vision ist, Jesus in verschiedenen Nationen bekannt zu machen und Jugendliche für ein Leben zu begeistern, das Gott ehrt. Wir wollen lokale Kirchen unterstützen und ein Segen für Menschen vor Ort sein. Ein Change Camp soll das Leben der Teilnehmenden nachhaltig verändern, ihr Herz neu für Gott entfachen und sie mit Leidenschaft für Mitmenschen, Regionen und Nationen erfüllen – damit sie diese Begeisterung auch in ihren Alltag tragen."
Since the beginning of September, we have welcomed two new team members: Timon and Melody. We are delighted that they are now part of our team and enrich our work with their gifts, hearts and ideas.
Timon is studying theology at ISTL and will primarily be responsible for the further development and distribution of the godtime discipleship booklets. Together with Markus, he will also be rethinking and redesigning the godtime.online section with the Bible courses. Timon is a real all-rounder: he is open-minded, interested, loves to discover new things and is very passionate about his work. In recent years, he has completed a diverse course of study, participated in numerous mission trips and discovered his passion for telling people about Jesus. But he also enjoys getting involved in practical work. He has even worked in construction. Timon lives in a shared flat in the Thun region and is part of the FEG Thierachern. In addition to his theology studies and training with us, he also teaches a few lessons at a school. We greatly appreciate his refreshing manner, his drive and his heart for people, and we are excited to see how God will use him with us.
Melody works in the editorial department at godloves.me. She coordinates the work with other authors and also writes texts for our platform herself. She lives in the Berlin area, but her roots are in the Kandertal valley, and she has been associated with our mission work for many years. Even as a teenager, she contributed to our calendar productions and later wrote many texts, including the brochure ‘From Chaos to Peace’. Now she is connected to our team remotely as a cloud worker, but she also visits us on site from time to time. Melody is also part of a church planting project in Germany, which we are following with interest and joy. She loves people and cultures, has a warm, serving heart and is moved by the needs of those who do not yet know Jesus. It is a great privilege for us to now have her officially on our team.
We are eagerly looking forward to travelling with Timon and Melody, learning from each other and building God's kingdom together. Welcome to the team, and we are grateful to have you here!
"Seit 1962 entwickeln sich die Change Camps stetig weiter. Sie verbinden tiefe Gemeinschaft, starke Gotteserfahrungen und das Eintauchen in andere Kulturen. Durch kreative Outreaches mit Sport, praktischen Einsätzen, Worship und Prayer Walks wachsen wir in einen evangelistischen Lebensstil. Unsere Vision ist, Jesus in verschiedenen Nationen bekannt zu machen und Jugendliche für ein Leben zu begeistern, das Gott ehrt. Wir wollen lokale Kirchen unterstützen und ein Segen für Menschen vor Ort sein. Ein Change Camp soll das Leben der Teilnehmenden nachhaltig verändern, ihr Herz neu für Gott entfachen und sie mit Leidenschaft für Mitmenschen, Regionen und Nationen erfüllen – damit sie diese Begeisterung auch in ihren Alltag tragen."
Even though we usually sit at a square table, it helps us as a team to make our everyday work a little more ‘rounded’ and reduce rough edges.
We meet approximately every two months. Just finding a date that suits everyone is not always easy, with so many part-time positions, students, parents of young children and employees with multiple jobs. Beforehand, everyone prepares a report on their area or project. The aim here is to give the others a brief written overview of what you are currently working on, to pass on important information or to ask questions to the ‘group’. When compiling the report, you also note down the points you would like to discuss with the team. These are reviewed by the management and thus provide important topics for discussion.
Reporting gives everyone an overview of the projects and work of the employees and helps to promote the perspective and thinking of the entire mission organisation. The opportunity to share and discuss questions and concerns with everyone
Something I really appreciate is that, as a team, we also have the opportunity to listen to God's voice together and thus make and support decisions together. This sometimes gives us confirmation when we all receive the same answer in different ways, or at least when the signposts point in the same direction.
Now let me take you along to our last round table in June.
One week before the meeting, our managers ask us to prepare our reports. Everyone provides a brief summary of their work or project. The management of the mission organisation then draws up the agenda and the meeting schedule.
These reports enable me to provide a brief overview of whether our expenditure is within budget, for example, or how we are organising our administrative processes. I can familiarise myself with the ongoing projects and thus contribute much more effectively to the discussion. And when I later receive the relevant receipts and invoices, I already have the corresponding story in my head.
After reading the reports, Silvo Z. begins with an input on John 15: ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ What a challenge in a team full of different personalities and opinions. Nevertheless, this is exactly what we need time and again and what we need to be aware of, because our goal is not for everyone to do their job as well as possible or to promote their project as much as possible, but for us all to build God's kingdom together.
Next up are discussion points. These naturally vary depending on the day's work. For example, we hear from Bernard about the development of plentiful.garden. This allows us to support his project and also tell our friends and family about it. Difficulties and hurdles can be shared, and ideas and solutions can be put forward. Bettina shows us the newly developed logo and explains it.
At the end of June, we held our summer party with a duck race, where we were able to discuss any final organisational matters and questions and assign any remaining tasks.
Or after a camp, which only some of us were able to help organise, we get a brief insight and can thus share in the great work and the stories that were experienced.
Everyday tasks, network enquiries, figures, ideas, holiday replacements, things that hinder cooperation and much more end up on our ‘round table’. In addition, we can benefit from the fact that our personalities can be refined, changed and developed. Because we want to be a team that can live and pass on the love of Jesus. Even if we sometimes fail, we want to grow and change for the better. The best thing about it is that we are all on this journey and can always treat each other with love, respect and honesty.
This gives each of us who is responsible for an area or a project the opportunity to share our concerns and thoughts – and, of course, our joy and gratitude – with others. In this way, we can live out our vision and integrate it into our everyday lives: CONNECTED WITH GOD AND PEOPLE – FILLED WITH JESUS – SENT TO PEOPLE. Together, we can work to realise this vision.
"Seit 1962 entwickeln sich die Change Camps stetig weiter. Sie verbinden tiefe Gemeinschaft, starke Gotteserfahrungen und das Eintauchen in andere Kulturen. Durch kreative Outreaches mit Sport, praktischen Einsätzen, Worship und Prayer Walks wachsen wir in einen evangelistischen Lebensstil. Unsere Vision ist, Jesus in verschiedenen Nationen bekannt zu machen und Jugendliche für ein Leben zu begeistern, das Gott ehrt. Wir wollen lokale Kirchen unterstützen und ein Segen für Menschen vor Ort sein. Ein Change Camp soll das Leben der Teilnehmenden nachhaltig verändern, ihr Herz neu für Gott entfachen und sie mit Leidenschaft für Mitmenschen, Regionen und Nationen erfüllen – damit sie diese Begeisterung auch in ihren Alltag tragen."
