Key Verse: John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

On May 31 to June 1, the third Northern European Conference was held in Kvamsseter, Norway. In front of the conference hall, there was a peaceful, clear lake and a nearby hillside was still covered with snow. The beautiful landscape moved and opened our hearts from the beginning. Including 2nd gen missionaries, a total of 34 people attended: 16 from Norway, 4 from Denmark, 3 from Sweden, 4 from Korea, and 7 from Germany. God blessed the conference with the work of the Holy Spirit.

The European UBF director, Dr. Peter Chang served the opening message from 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” This word comforted and encouraged our front line missionaries. Lecture 1 was delivered by M. Joseph Chin from John 8 on Jesus who doesn’t condemn sinners. After that, M. Esther Joo from Bonn UBF shared her life testimony. She was a country girl from Jeju Island, but God raised her as a shepherd for German souls and a mother of nations.

On the second day, there was a missionary Bible study early in the morning. Dr. Peter Chang, Drs. James, and Kyung Hee Suh served the Bible study and many missionaries received much grace through it. Lecture 2 was delivered by M. Caleb Lee of Denmark UBF with the title, ”Jesus, God’s Love,” from John 3:16. John 3:16 is like the key verse of the entire Bible. His message was heart-moving because it revealed God’s love that sacrificed his one and only Son. M. Caleb Lee’s family is the pioneers of northern Europe. God enabled him to speak Danish like a native; recently he also completed successfully his Master’s thesis and God gave him a shepherd heart. I believe that God will bless the disciple-making ministry in Denmark. Afterward, Sh. Hae Yoon Park from Kyung Sung UBF and Sister Kristina from Sweden shared their life testimonies. Kristina is growing as a coworker in Sweden. After lunch, we had time to write testimonies and, in the evening, we enjoyed a delicious barbecue and fellowship with one another and with God by the lake and walking around the hillside.

Lecture 3 was delivered by Sh. Stefan Elsholz from Bonn UBF on 2 Kings 2 with the title, ”Give me a double portion of your spirit.” His message was powerful. We prayed that leaders of our generation might seek a double portion of spirit and serve our time as shepehrds. After that, M. David Cho from Frankfrut gave a message from John 4, ”The harvest is plentiful.” He said when he saw the European continent with Jesus’ eyes, he could see it as a harvest field with much hope. M. Maria Koh from Frankfrut gave her life testimony after the message. Later that day we had a “Northern European Night.” Each family from different chapters presented special songs.

Lecture 4 was delivered by M. John Choo of Sweden from John 21 with a title, “Do you love me?” Throughout the conference, M. John Choo served us with a smiling face. We learned that Jesus wants to hear our love confession, and as an evidence of our love, Jesus wants us to feed his sheep.

In the closing service, Dr. James Suh gave a message from 1 Peter 2:4-9: “Kingly Priests.” Dr. James Suh celebrated his 60th birthday this year, but his message showed his youthful strength and passion. Missionaries, native shepherds, and Bible students learned newly about who they were before God through the Word of God. They responded with a louder “Amen” than to any of the other lectures. At this conference, our Bible students actively participated in serving in presiding, duo dramas, cooking barbecue, and singing special songs.

Lastly, Dr. Peter Chang gave us prayer topics and announcements. He especially encouraged us to pray for 1 Abraham and 12 disciples of Jesus to be raised.