GoStrategic Newsletter: Winter 2015

 

Old City, Bern, Switzerland

We arrived two days before the first event to adjust to an eight-hour time change. On our first day, Meya Corthay, who is from the French-speaking part of Switzerland and has done language translation work for the ministry, met us in the Swiss capital of Bern to show us the parliament and fill us in on the prayer initiative she was commissioned to head in support of the legislature of the nation. For years, Meya and the Corthay family were used of the Lord to introduce the work of GoStrategic to the francophone world (of interest, her son, Alexandre, who mentors for the BLS/SLT schools in Paris, conceived a way to apply our materials to the secular business world by modifying content of the Let’s Talk series for regular use with his clients). The following morning, we had the opportunity to meet with one of our first Swiss worldview contacts who is currently in a top administrative position with a growing Swiss political party.

Beat Baumann (International Director of Global Outreach) at Christian-Leaders.net Business Conference

The initial invitation for our trip to Switzerland was from the organizers of the Unity Forum. It was their second annual event and was attended by a diverse representation of Swiss leaders. When our German-speaking Swiss Business Leadership School heard Dennis Peacocke was coming for the Unity Conference, they asked him to participate in the Christian-Leaders.net business conference which serendipitously was to be held the same week. This business conference was a cooperative effort of nine Swiss business ministries. There were approximately 350 attendees which is large for meetings of this kind in Europe.

Translator Jurgen, Dennis Peacocke, and Dr. Martin Schmidt at Christian-Leaders.net Business Conference

 

The two international guest speakers were Dennis Peacocke and Andy Mason, head of business ministries for the well-known Bethel Church in Redding, California. While our home bases are just a few hours apart from one another in Northern California, this was the first time we had met. Each of our ministries come from different routes to the goal of glorifying Christ in one’s business. It was a synergistic mix, and we look forward to finding additional complementing opportunities in the future.

Dennis Peacocke Demonstrating a Concept at the Unity Forum

 

The Unity Forum was unique. Here, Dennis challenged the Swiss to focus on discipling their own nation, not just other nations of the world. This is a particularly poignant message amidst the refugee crisis. The event also featured Swiss speakers from various jurisdictions of government and mountains of cultural influence. Included with these speakers was Walter Duerr (SLT curriculum contributor and current GoStrategic Advisor with many years on our ministry’s Board) who, notibly, was the head of the YWAM Worldview School that originally invited us to Switzerland so many years ago!

Werner Jakob and Translator at the Unity Forum

We had a very promising meeting with Marc Stettler, leader of BLS/SLT in French-speaking Switzerland, who has connected with leaders in the nation of Madagascar. In our meeting with him we outlined the general strategy for building a presence of our schools in that nation. What is so exciting about Madagascar is both the level of influence that their leaders have within the nation and the number of people they anticipate having in the schools at their inception. Please pray with us over this exciting open door into Madagascar.

Jahu Church Service

Dennis also spoke at two churches whose leadership team includes the Duerrs. On the way home, we stopped in Fort Worth, Texas for the annual Lion’s Roar Conference hosted by the Christian Men’s Network. Dennis was received enthusiastically as he shared twice with business leaders from their network.

Panorama of Beautiful Switzerland  (View from Business Seminar Window)

 

 

We are in the season of wonderful holidays. We in the United States initiated a day of Thanksgiving to God for all His blessings to each of us as His children. Celebrated each November, it is a holiday that promotes a grateful heart, joyfulness, and the bounty of being placed in family and community.

With that grateful heart, we enter into December with the celebration of God incarnated in the baby Jesus. Joy to the world!!! In the tradition of Old English, we continue to say, “Merry Christmas.” “Merry” has come to be a word largely reserved to describe our hearts at Christmas time. It conveys a blessing of joy to those we greet.

May you have a large table to rejoice with his holiday season.