Recently, Kai and I were able to meet up with our network of like-minded pastors in Salzburg (pictured above). These relationships continue to be a source of great encouragement for Kai and me. We called this meeting "Ältestentag" or "Elders' Day".

At this event, I was able to introduce and bring a translated manuscript from Andrew Fuller's ordination sermon entitled, "Ministers Fellow Labourers with God." Fuller has been a helpful foil for my own ministry here in Austria, and I think that all the brothers were greatly impressed by Fuller's insight into the duties of pastoral ministry: Private study, public teaching, and private rebuke and encouragement. All these tasks are laborious but also profitable. Fuller's sermon also reminded us that as long as we labor together with God, we are cutting with the grain.

At this meeting, we were also pleased to introduce the brothers to Rick Harper - a longtime Presbyterian pastor who has come to Austria for the purpose of training pastors. Rick also helped to finance this day with some book gifts and lunch for the brothers. In the future, we hope that this synergy can lead to broadly reformed pastors building a network inside Austria. With Rick's help, future "Ältestentagen" might be even better. All of us were intrigued by his idea for something for wives of pastors as well.

Evangelism Update
We are continuing our church-wide study of "Personal Evangelism" by Mark Dever. I'm thankful that some passionate German publishers have translated this work into German. In conclusion of this book, we hope to direct our church in some open-air evangelistic efforts as well as strengthen their evangelistic efforts at home and at work. Please pray for the sowing of the seed of the gospel to bear fruit.

Preaching
It took some convincing, but eventually, I persuaded my Old Testament scholar copastor to allow me to preach an Old Testament narrative - namely 1 & 2 Samuel. I have really enjoyed pondering how to preach Old Testament narrative with Kai's help, and his insights are especially helpful. So far, I am two sermons into 1 Samuel. I think that our congregation is growing in astonishment at how God humbles the proud and exalts the lowly. Please pray that this series as well as our others in Mark (Kai's series) and Ruth (our Trainees) would serve our congregation to grow in sound doctrine and holiness.

The Third-Year Test
Kai and I have been shocked at how statistics concerning like-minded churches have played out in our congregation. Most church plants, for example, eventually lose more than half of their core planting team. We didn't think that would happen, but it did. Also, most church plants experience their first difficult conflict around year 3, and we didn't think that would happen, but it did. While sharing too many details would be inappropriate for this format, it should suffice to say that Kai and I, as well as our church, have experienced real testing and purifying in the past few months. Please remember us in your prayers and ask God for unity for us as a church body. While this has been difficult, Kai and I have been nonetheless impressed by the maturity and sound discernment of many of our young church's members. We praise God for that, and find much cause for rejoicing in the midst of challenges.

I recently did a very brief and spontaneous visit to the US in order to connect with a few potential supporting churches. I was actually encouraged by Dad to bring someone from the church along. At first, I thought that it would be difficult to accomplish, but I'm thankful for the gift of one supporting church that enabled Christopher to also come with me. It was a learning opportunity for him, an encouragement for me, and a testimony of our work in Vienna.

Christopher preached both his first and second English sermons while we were in the US, and he did a great job! I feel very honored to have the privilege of raising up someone who is so teachable and humble in CGW. Lord willing, Christopher will make a great elder some day.

Christopher experienced several things in the US which he has remarked will be helpful in considering the tasks of eldership and the doctrines of the church:

• Bible studies and what makes them helpful or unhelpful
• Different liturgies on Sunday morning and how those instruct the church
• Different perspectives from pastors on the ministry, and how they instruct their children
• Different methodologies of expository preaching showed the essential commitments of exposition as well as instructive areas of disagreement