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.

Location look-out in Turku

For the last two years, Calvary Chapel Turku has met in a rented room in an old school building. But that might change soon as the congregation is growing, the rent is being raised, and babies require better facilities.

"The Lord has added unto us several new attendants and for that we are grateful and wish to minister to them ever so faithfully," explains Pastor Bob Pecoraro, adding that growth is not the only reason for CC Turku to look for another location.

"At the old school house they have recently raised the rent, which makes it a natural time for us to look for a new place that accommodates us better anyway. Another issue is the children's ministry. The babies in our fellowship and those who watch over them during service times need a proper room to be in. This would also allow us to tend to the needs of other families that perhaps would want to join the fellowship in the future," says Bob Pecoraro.

As they now look for a new location, CC Turku would like to find a place which is their own and which they can have access to and "use whenever we want and for whatever we want," as Bob puts it.

"Would you all please pray for us as we look to the Lord for His unfailing wisdom. We truly need to be wise in this time and do not want to be hasty. Pray that the Lord would lead us to the right place and that we would clearly see His direction and hear His voice. Provision is another thing that you can all pray for. Moving to another place would cost more. So pray that the Lord would move upon all of our hearts in the fellowship at the perfect time so that we would have enough funds to continue and grow in His service at a new place," Bob asks.

"Thank you all so much for your love and support. We wish all of you a very warm and Jesus centered Christmas."

Merry Christmas from the Powers

American missionaries in Latvia, Brenten & Lena Powers and their two kids Caleb and Lily, send the following greeting to all those who are serving God in Scandinavia:

"Merry Christmas Scandinavia! We hope you have a Christ-centered Christmas this year, remembering how He has washed us white as snow, though our sins were as scarlet. We are actually taking a short break from the frozen North to visit our family and church back home in California. But we can't wait to get back to Latvia as we will start a new Bible study in January. Look forward to seeing you all next summer at the conference... if the Lord doesn't first come again!"

Merry Christmas from the Pratts

From Turku in Finland, Aaron & Sarah Pratt and little Emily send their Christmas greetings to everyone on the Scandinavian mission's field:

"We are so thankful for what the Lord has done this year and can only look forward to what more blessings are to come next year. Emily is such a joy that we couldn't even imagine! God is faithful in the good times and bad, and He is good to His children."

A Year to Remember

Pilgrims on the Scandinavian frontier look back on another year of God's faithfulness. The following Thanksgiving greetings have been sent in:

From Yuri & Lidia's home in Norway, Yuri Makassiouk writes:

"I am thankful most of all for my wonderful family which grows stronger and closer together by the year. Thankful that the Lord keeps us healthy and happy and in love. Another thing which I was blessed with this year is my eyes and heart being open to the power and the vastness of Christ's body here on Earth. There's no reason (and no time) for feeling weak and lonely. We are His hand in this world and it is not getting weaker or shorter. I'm thankful for being a part of it."


From the mission's field in Finland, Bob Pecoraro writes:

"We have many things to be thankful for, but obviously there are a few that stand out the most this year. The birth and healthy growth of our son Russell. God's provision over the last year, He has been so faithful! For the growth both in depth and width in both fellowships (in Turku and Helsinki)."


From Aarhus, Denmark Leah Molgaard writes:

"We are thankful for our blessed life together as a family, and the opportunity to live out our dreams in a peaceful society. We have never wanted for anything, never been threatened and never experienced illness to the extent that we had no hope."



From Mike & Sofia's temporary abode near London, Mike Ortiz writes:

"I am personally extremely thankful for my beautiful, strong, confident, supportive, loving and caring wife! There has been many amazing challenges and adventures that have brought me to newer heights with the Lord, and awesome relationships in Christ... including those made at CC Scandinavian Conferences. Thank you Lord!"


From Sweden's capitol of Stockholm, Joel Wickström writes:

"We have a lot of things to be thankful for here in Stockholm. The Lord has provided such a neat place for us to have the Scandinavian conference next year. We are also thankful that the Lord has sustained our fellowship after Mike and Sofia left for England. We still have a couple of people that are both committed to stay and believing that God wants to build something lasting in and through us. It is very encouraging I found. We are also thankful for the provision of the facility that we can use every Sunday night. It's normally an expensive place, but we rent it for free, which is quite amazing if you think about it."


From Hillerod, Denmark Daniel Jacobsen writes:

"In the past year, a tumor was found in my leg, and I'm thankful that the doctors were able to remove it and that my leg seems to be fine and that I'm able to exercise again. Also I'm thankful that the Lord has blessed our Bible Study and that we see people mature in the Lord. There is so much to be thankful for. Praise His name."


Click on the "comments" link below this message to add more Thanksgiving greetings. Happy Thanksgiving!