Stockholm chosen for 2010 CCS Conf location

If Jesus has not yet come back for His church before then, the next Scandinavian Calvary Chapel conference will be held August 4th-8th 2010 at the Ekebyholm Castle outside Stockholm.

The conference will offer 11 main sessions during which a line-up of various pastors and teachers will lead us through a study of Jesus Christ's famous "Sermon On The Mount". The list of guest speakers will be revealed in early 2010.

In addition to the main teaching sessions, the conference program will also include special workshops on singleness, marriage, and ministry.

Registration for the 2010 CCS Conf will be opened on January 1st 2010, at which point we will also announce the attendance prices along with all necessary practical information. Until then, make sure you reserve the dates and spread the word to as many people as you know would be interested in the 2010 CCS Conf.

Please note that the Calvary Chapel Scandinavia Team cannot assist or vouch for any participants in any visa application process (if you require special visas to enter Sweden due to your citizenship).

Download 2009 teachings

The teachings from the CCS Conference 2009 are now available for download at calvarychapel.dk (click on the conference banner to access download menu).

Buckle up and join teachers Daniel Jacobsen, Joel Wickström, Bob Pecoraro, Cartie Carpenter, Paul Lange, Nate Holdridge, and Stefan Höfer as they take you on a speedy but meaty tour through one of the most powerful epistles in the New Testament, Paul's Epistle to the Romans, in just 11 sessions.

You can also download two extra workshops on Sexual Purity (for men only) and The Reliability of the Bible.

Meatball Matadors rise to the top in Viking Games II

This year's Viking Games II ended with a narrow victory to the Meatball Matadors, led by team captain Brenten Powers. He salutes his team mates Aaron & Sara, Yuri & Lidia, Ralph & Robin, and Per Jacobsen in the moment of victory.

"I'm proud of how our team worked together using our various strengths to gain the lead. We couldn't have done it without Ralph Wood's Bible knowledge, Sara Pratt's knowledge of Sweden, Aaron Pratt's goal keeping and gaining the extra points by blocking a balloon with his head. Good job team!," Brenten says.

In the other end of the standings, there was no contest. It wasn't even close. Led by captain Kyle Bentz, the ABBA All-stars owned the last place from start to finish.

"If I could sum up our team's losses in several semi-encouraging constructive words, they would have to be 'destruction', 'complete annihilation', and 'utter failure'. I was told if we answered all the Bible questions with the answer "Sweden is the best" we would be a sure winner to this year's games. Apparently I was lied too. Nonetheless in what we lossed in points we gained in fun and friendships as a team. ABBA ALLSTARS FOREVER!!!," says the defeated captain, who assures his team's fans that he will fully recover just in time for next years conference.

Whichever team you were rooting for, don't miss this short video re-cap of the 2009 Viking Games II:

20090814_confvikings from Theisbro on Vimeo.

Guest speakers reflect on conference blessings

Unlike previous years, the list of guest speakers this year consisted only of pastors making their debut appearance at the Scandinavian conference. They left just as blessed as the people they ministered to.

Through his ministry as assistant director at Calvary Chapel (CC) Bible College Europe in Hungary, Pastor Paul Lange has played an important part in sending off workers to the Scandinavian ministry field. This year, he and his wife Jeanette came to the conference to serve and to see for themselves what God is doing up north.

"The conference was such a refreshing time for me and Jeanette. We felt so welcomed and loved. It was apparent that God is moving and laying a firm foundation in Scandinavia in which He can build upon. I was especially blessed to see the quality of the pastors and leaders the Lord is raising up," says Paul Lange. His wife adds:

"I was blessed beyond my imagination. I loved everything about it. It was a thrill seeing so many of our old Bible school students out on the mission field, and also seeing the new faces that are serving in Scandinavia. There was a honest transparency amongst the believers and we all really received from each other. I truly hope that I get to see more of the fruit in the coming months," says Jeanette Lange, who taught the women's workshop this year.

As pastor of CC Macedon in New York state, Cartie Carpenter was the pastor who sent out Bob Pecoraro to Finland several years ago and later ordained Bob as pastor. Thus, it was with great anticipation that Cartie finally arrived at his first Scandinavian conference this year along with his wife Pat.

"Pat and I were exceedingly blessed. We felt very welcomed by our dear brothers and sisters in Scandinavia. The warmth of the people and the great fellowship touched our hearts. We have made some great friends in just a few days. Isn't it amazing how the Holy Spirit can knit us together in such a short time? Our love to you all. We're already looking forward to next year, should the Lord open that door," says Cartie Carpenter.

Through his previous connection to the ministries in Denmark, Pastor Nate Holdridge from Calvary Monterey in Central California had already visited Scandinavia twice prior to this year's conference. However, this was his first time in Sweden and his first encounter with the ministries in the rest of the region.

"To me this year's conference was a wonderful snapshot of the fresh work God is doing in Scandinavia. The hunger for the Word and the passion for fellowship demonstrated there caused me to believe that God is going to do a wonderful work in these decidedly post-Christian nations. I only hope and pray that Calvary Monterey can be a part of it! The saints in Scandinavia are certainly in my prayers," says Nate Holdridge.

When one of the usual speakers had to cancel his participation in this year's conference, Pastor Stefan Höfer from CC Freier Grund in Neunkirchen, Germany was called upon to be a worthy replacement. Much to the blessing of both him and the conference participants.

"When I got the email to come and speak at the conference in Stockholm on a short notice I wasn´t so sure what to expect at first, but the Lord has his ways with us and so I went. And it turned out to be a great joy and blessing for me and hopefully for those who attended. What a great conference with a bunch of great people who have a vision to reach Scandinavia with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! God is doing an awesome work up there. Keep up the good work. May the Lord bless you richly!," says Stefan Höfer.

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For more info about this year's guest speakers, check out these links:

Paul & Jeanette Lange - CCBCE.com

Cartie Carpenter - ccmacedon.com

Nate Holdridge - calvary.com, Twitter, Facebook

Stefan Höfer - CCFG.de + Family Blog

CC Scandinavia worships God

The 2009 CCS Conference gave the attendees yet another opportunity to come together to worship the Living God with a united, fervent voice.

The worship was once again led by Aaron Pratt from CC Finland, and he was pleased to see the growing amount of musically gifted believers step up to join him on the worship team.

"As in years past, we had many sweet times of worship at this year's conference. It is great to see God unite so many people from different countries and different ministries together in one voice to worship Him in His goodness and mercy; since this is the very purpose and goal of worship as seen in 2 Chronicles 5:13-14. Thanks to all who joined in to participate in leading us to the throne room of grace! I can't wait till next year!," says Aaron.

The following video gives a small glimpse of the worshipful atmosphere that was present at this year's conference:

20090813_confworship from Theisbro on Vimeo.

The 2009 Conference Video

The following is a video from this year's Calvary Chapel Scandinavia conference. Enjoy:

20090810_CCS Conference 2009 from Theisbro on Vimeo.

Ground-breaking conference in Scandinavia

Set in beautiful Swedish surroundings, this year's Calvary Chapel Scandinavia (CCS) conference ended yesterday after five days that will go over in CCS history as the most ground-breaking gathering so far.

God's Spirit provided fresh frontline fellowship among the 125+ people who attended this year, and as always the study through God's Word contributed richly to the atmosphere of Christ-centered unity. There was a clear sense of God working in and through all the ministries that were represented at the conference, and a strong feeling that this unprecedented work has only just begun.

Guest speakers Paul Lange, Cartie Carpenter, Nate Holdridge, and Stefan Höfer joined with leaders of local Scandinavian ministries to lead the congregation through Paul's Epistle to the Romans - in just 11 sessions. A packed, but powerful journey through some of the meatiest parts of Scripture.

Aaron Pratt from CC Finland led worship throughout the conference along with John Marsh, Brenten Powers, and a broad selection of talented musicians from various Scandinavian ministries.

Most of this year's attendees came from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and USA, although several people came up from mainland Europe.

The location was Ekebyholm Castle about 45 minutes outside Stockholm, providing scenic surroundings for the most attended conference in Scandinavian CC history.

The 2009 Conference is over

...full coverage to come. Meanwhile, here is the official group photo of this year's attendees. Click on the photo to enlarge (and right-click to save/download).

Castle Countdown, Part III

The countdown continues. Only little less than a week until the 2009 Scandinavian conference...

In the weeks leading up to this year's conference, the CCS Blog brings you the thoughts of a few of this year's attendees:

"We are really excited about the conference. We look forward to raising the roof praising the Lord of Lords with gorgeous music and to hear what He has prepared for each of us!," says Annette Kotsay-Osen from Norway.

Annette will attend this year's conference along with her husband Torje and their three kids.

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"The Scandinavia Conference is always something I look forward to, especially because I like to find out what the Lord has done with the other people during the past year. It encourages me. This year I am especially excited that so many new people seem to be interested in the work here," says Tim Fuchs from the Calvary Chapel team in Karlsborg, Sweden.

Tim will attend this year's conference along with his wife Roxanne and their newborn child.

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"My family and I are very much looking forward to this summer's conference. Last year we had such a good time, enjoying the fellowship, making new friends and learning from the book of Daniel. One of the things I'm most excited about this year is going through Romans with some excellent Bible-teachers... one of which is the pastor from our home-church in California!," says Lena Powers from Calvary Chapel Latvia.

Lena will attend this year's conference along with her husband Brenten and their two kids.

CCS joins Twitter

Those of you who are on Twitter can now tap in to extra short updates about the ministry of Calvary Chapel Scandinavia. Follow along on www.twitter.com/ccscandinavia.

The CCS Blog will continue its usual flow of updates.

Castle Countdown, Part II

The countdown continues. Only three weeks until the 2009 Scandinavian conference...

In the weeks leading up to this year's conference, the CCS Blog brings you the thoughts of a few of this year's attendees:

"I was at the conference last year and enjoyed the fellowship and the good preaching. I now look forward to learn more about the book of Romans and it´s going to be so nice to meet everyone again this year... and it's an extra bonus to stay in a castle!!," says Evelina Wikfeldt from Calvary Bible Study in Stockholm.

Evelina, who went to her first Scandinavian CC conference last year, will attend this year's conference along with her husband Johan and her parents Lars and Bitten.

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"I am amped that God has pricked so many hearts to sign up for this year's conference, and I look forward to seeing new faces, making more friends in Christ and to hear the testimonies of Christ's work in other parts of the family of the Lord. I also look forward to hearing what God has to say through the messages of the speakers this year... because every year previous to this one, God truly touched my heart in a profound way as His word was taught," says Mike Ortiz, who currently works and studies in London, England.

Mike will attend the conference along with his wife Sofia.

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This year's Scandinavian Conference takes place on August 5-9.

Castle Countdown, Part I

With only a few weeks until this year's Scandinavian Calvary Chapel conference in Stockholm, the excitement and anticipation begins to rise among the more than 120 people who have signed up to attend.

In the coming weeks, the CCS Blog will bring you the thoughts of a few of this year's attendees:

"We expect it to be the best Scandinavian conference so far. I am looking forward to a time of refreshment and encouragement, a time of rejuvenating and refilling for the work ahead in Finland and the rest of Scandinavia," says Aaron Pratt from CC Turku in Finland.

Aaron will attend the conference along with his wife Sara and their daughter Emily.

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"It'll be great having some solid teaching, fellowship with old and new friends, worship together, enjoy the Swedish nature and last but not least live in a castle! Can't wait," says Sarah Broegger from Copenhagen.

Sarah will attend her 5th Scandinavian CC conference this year.




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"It will be so sweet to gather together with the beloved involved in a refreshingly young work within the Calvary Chapel movement. The fellowship is refreshing and very encouraging. We enjoy being able to sit, rest, and be built along with our friends already serving in Scandinavia. And we really look forward to hearing about all the great things our Lord has been doing throughout the year," says Daniel Ornelas from CC in Austria.

Daniel will attend this year's conference along with his wife Petra and their 3 year-old son Tobias.

Summer growth in Stockholm

As the Swedish harvest season approaches, Calvary Bible Study in Stockholm continues to plant and prepare for the spiritual harvest.

"In our fellowship God has allowed and blessed our growth," says Joel Wickström, who recently started the Stockholm ministry.

"We have moved from just praying every Tuesday since March on the phone, to now getting together every Tuesday night for prayers in my home. It's very exciting to see all of us getting down on our knees, crying out to God," he says.

"Of our 15 people, we have about 10 nationalities and it's very cool to have such a blend [of people] - where there is neither Jew, Russian, Swede, Lebanese, Iranian, Iraqian, and so on, but one group in Christ Jesus."

The word on the street
Street witnessing has been a very important part of Calvary Bible Study from the very beginning of the ministry. Thousands of so-called "manna cards" have been handed out to people in the Swedish capitol's downtown area. And this is due to continue throughout the summer. ´

"We have received 7000 new Bible Verses that we can hand out on Wednesday. That has been made possible through our support church, Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel in Canada, who have blessed us with the funds to pay for it. We have designed them ourselves and feel both thankful and excited at how they turned out. Most verses are from the book of John," explains Joel Wickström, adding that the impact of this ministry spreads beyond Stockholm's city limits.

"We were also excited to learn that a Danish girl wanted 600 Bible Verses to hand out on the streets in Denmark, to plant the seeds there as well."

You can follow the ministry in Stockholm by checking out their new website: www.calvarystockholm.se/

Stage set for rich fellowship in August

The next Scandinavian conference is set to break all previous attendance records. When the deadline for signing up (without an extra fee) ran out at midnight on May 15, no less than 98 adults and 18 kids have signed up. This doubles last year's attendance and promises five days of great fellowship around God's Word on August 5-9.

"We could not be more excited to see so many people sign up for this year's conference. There are a lot of new people who are coming for the first time, but also a lot of familiar faces from the previous years. We can't wait to see everyone," says Joel Wickström, who is involved in the planning of the conference.

All those who have signed up will soon receive an email with more practical information.

For more information about the 2009 Scandinavian Calvary Chapel conference, click here!

Women in Scandinavia Refreshed at Retreat

This past weekend was the 2nd annual Calvary Chapel Scandinavia Women's Retreat with women attending from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Germany and the US.

It was a sweet time of reflection as a record attendance of 25 women looked at God's makeover of the heart in Ezekiel 36 taught by Inga-Lill Guzik from CCBC in Siegen, Germany. Annie Johnson and Karen Holdcraft accompanied Inga-Lill from CCBC Siegen and blessed the women by serving practically and by leading worship.

Taking place in the beautiful setting of the Swedish countryside just north of Stockholm (click on photo), there was lots of talking, walks in the woods, prayer and fellowship and of course plenty of "fika" (Swedish for coffee and all kinds of goodies)!


Above, the "Stockholmers" (from left to right); Maud, Sofia, Evelina, Delvin, Susi, and Rebecka.


From Karlsborg, Sweden; Sara (left), Ann-Lois, and Susanne (right).


From Finland (left to right); Minna, Anna, Rachel, Maria, Heidi, and Emmi.


From Denmark; Maria (left), Allison, and Sarah (right).


From Norway; Anne Gretha (left) and Annette (right).


The ladies from Latvia; Christa (left) and Lena (right).


Servants from Siegen; Karen (left), Inga-Lill, and Annie (right).

New name, same mission for church in Karlsborg

After 3 years of ministry in the heart of Sweden, Karlsborg Fria Församling (free church fellowship of Karlsborg) have decided to undergo an official name change to Calvary Chapel Karlsborg.



Not much will change in their weekly church activities. Just as before, services are every Sunday at 6pm. Just as before, the prayer meetings are on Wednesday nights. Just as before, the mission is to reach the local community with God's Word and lead people to a living relationship to Jesus Christ. But unlike before, these activities will now be done under a name which officially embraces the ministry's ties to the Calvary Chapel family in Europe.

"For several years we have been blessed to keep in close contact with the international Calvary Chapel movement, especially with some of the churches in Germany. Some members of our fellowship have studied at CC Bible College in Siegen, and we've been blessed to attend several CC ministry conferences over the years. We are very happy to have a connection with so many wonderful Christians who are serving our God and Savior Jesus Christ through various ministries in Calvary Chapel," says Helmut Fuchs, who leads the church ministry in Karlsborg.

"When we first started our fellowship in Karlsborg, we deliberately refrained from calling it a Calvary Chapel church - mainly due to my fear of ending up serving a denomination or a certain cause rather than God. My memories of such an experience were still much too fresh in the back of my mind at that time. But eventually God healed these wounds of mine, and now we are delighted to serve God within the vision and mission of Calvary Chapel - with a strong focus on the teaching of His Word. Since we are a small church fellowship, our ministry is very up-close-and-personal. May God use us as a tool to build His congregation," says Helmut Fuchs, who moved to Sweden from Germany with his family in 2003.

You can read more about the ministry of Calvary Chapel Karlsborg at their new church website: http://www.calvarychapelkarlsborg.se/ (the website is in Swedish).

Five baptisms in Stockholm

The Calvary Chapel fellowship in Stockholm rejoices as five people are baptized.

In early March, Calvary Stockholm welcomed five more people into God's family as a group of new additions to the fellowship were baptized on the same night. The baptisms took place in the borrowed church facilities where Calvary Stockholm meets every Sunday evening at 6pm.

"It was a very special time where we came together as a fellowship to welcome this group into the family of God. And also to see them publically declare the awesome work that Jesus has done privately in their hearts, as they now make Jesus their focus and desire to follow Him," says Joel Wickström.







The baptisms come as an extra encouragement to the Stockholm fellowship at a time when the ministry is continuing to grow and reach out to the people in Sweden's capitol.

"We are so grateful to the Lord for all He is doing and now we are going to have an opportunity to make this even more public as we are working on a website. Lord willing, we will get it up and running within the next couple of weeks. It is going to be calvarystockholm.se so keep an eye out for it," says Joel Wickström.

Ladies, sign up and pay up

The deadline for signing up for the Scandinavian Women's Retreat is only a few weeks away, so here's how you can still book your spot.

From May 1st to May 3rd (Friday to Sunday), women from various corners of Scandinavia will gather to spend a few days seeking God together and getting refreshed by His Word. The event is only the second Calvary Chapel Women’s Retreat in Scandinavia, following the successful gathering of 12 women in the spring of 2008.

”We really enjoyed the retreat last spring, and we’ve been encouraged to repeat the success in 2009. The theme will be Makeover 09, and Inga-Lil Guzik will come and teach from Ezekiel about God taking our heart of stone and giving us a heart of flesh and giving life to our dry bones. I’m sure many women across the Scandinavian region could do with some of that, so we’re hoping to see as many ladies show up as possible,” says Sofia Ortiz, who is one of the main organizers of the retreat.

However, in order to attend Makeover 09 is important that you sign up and pay the conference fee (550 SEK) no later than MARCH 15 (contrary to previous announcement that you could pay upon arrival). Here's how you secure your spot at the conference:

1 - Sign up by emailing allisonbroegger@gmail.com (please include your name and whether you expect to arrive by car, plane, or other public transportation).

2 - To cover the cost of food and lodging, please transfer 550 SEK to the Swedbank account number 914 060 637-8 (clearing number 8452-5). Questions about the payment can be emailed to sofiaortiz33@yahoo.com.

3 - Await an email with further practical details and information such as transport directions. Click here to see more info about the location (which is pictured on the right).

Revival revisited in Skövde

In September 2008, Simeon & Alex Fuchs were sent out as church-planters from Calvary Chapel Siegen. The mission? Plant a church in Skövde, Sweden.

With support from the Calvary Chapel fellowships in Siegen, Germany and Thousand Oaks, California, Simeon Fuchs (22) and his wife Alexandra (22) have responded to God's calling and moved near the birthplace of Sweden's last revival; the small town of Skövde, halfway between Gothenburg and the capitol of Stockholm.

To the two former Bible College graduates from Siegen, the mission is by no means modest and the place by no means coincidental.

"We have moved here to plant a church in Skövde. 50,000 people live here, and there's a great need for revival and God. The last revival in Sweden started in this city and God has confirmed through prophecies that he wants to do a great thing here again," Simeon explains.

In the fall of 2007, Simeon led a prayer outreach team from the Bible College in Siegen to Skövde (see picture) where God again confirmed their vision for Skövde. While praying for the people of Skövde during this trip, Alexandra received her call to Sweden, and after subsequent months of praying, the young couple decided to move there.

"Since we moved here we have filled the air with prayers and have gotten in contact with Christians in the city and on the university. In June we are going to move closer to or into the city. We will see what God will do and how he will lead us," Simeon says.

For more information about prayer needs and the mission in Skövde, you can contact Simeon and Alex Fuchs by emailing them at missionfuchs@googlemail.com

Sign up for the 2009 conference

From August 5 to August 9 the 2009 Scandinavian Calvary Chapel conference will take place near Stockholm in Sweden. Sign up now.

The Teachers:
This year the list of guest speakers includes the following pastors:

- Bil Galatin (CC of the Finger Lakes),
- Paul Lang (CC Bible College in Vajta, Hungary),
- Nate Holdridge (CC Monterey Bay, California),
- David Guzik (CC Bible College in Siegen, Germany),
- Bob Pecoraro (CC Turku, Finland).
- Ralph Wood (Oceanside, California)

The Book:
These teachers will take us on a challenging and encouraging tour of Paul's Epistle to the Romans.

The Place:
This year the conference location will be a former royal castle in Ekebyholm outside Stockholm. The renovated castle was originally built in the 1700's, and it holds up to 100 guests and includes separate rooms for families and married couples - plus lots of facilities for indoor and outdoor activities. Specific directions will be provided later, but please note that there is a direct and cheap bus connection from the central train station in Stockholm. It has yet to be determined if a special conference shuttle service will be arranged directly from the airport.

The Price:
If you sign up NO LATER THAN MAY 15, the price of attendance will be:
1000 SEK (approx. 750 DKK or 100 EURO) pr. adult,
650 SEK (approx. 485 DKK or 65 EURO) pr. child aged 2-11,
100 SEK (approx. 75 DKK or 10 EURO) pr. child under the age of two.

If you sign up AFTER MAY 15, the price for your attendance will be:
1300 SEK (approx. 975 DKK or 130 EURO) pr. adult,
750 SEK (approx. 560 DKK or 75 EURO) pr. child aged 2-11,
150 SEK (approx. 115 DKK or 15 EURO) pr. child under the age of two.

Please note that payment must be made on arrival and that only Swedish currency will be accepted! The attendance fee covers all expenses for food and sleeping facilities for the entire length of the conference.

The way to sign up:
Send us an email at conf@calvarychapel.dk in which you include the full name, age, and nationality of each person you wish to sign up for this conference. In the same email, please also let us know if you are planning to arrive by car, by plane, or by bus. Specific directions and further practical details will be emailed later on to everyone who has signed up. Until then, feel free to email us if you should have any questions.