The Stan Marinussen Interview

The radio podcast Calvary Scandinavia Update has interviewed pastor of Calvary Chapel Cross Culture in Amsterdam, Stan Marinussen, who is one of the guest speakers at the upcoming Scandinavian conference.

With hopes of becoming the Dutch version of Chuck Smith, a 29 year-old Stan Marinussen left Southern California in 1993 and moved with his wife and kids to the Netherlands, his country of birth where he hadn't lived since he was eight. But their first attempt of a church-plant failed after years of trying to introduce Calvary Chapel to the Dutch people, and it left the Marinussen family with frustrations and a desire to go back to America.

However, in the midst of the frustration and restlessness, God gave Stan orders to stay, and during what seemed like an eight year dry spell God changed the focus and the heart of Stan Marinussen until one day he found himself called to start a new church just outside Amsterdam. With his focus now fully on Jesus Christ (and less on Calvary Chapel) and suddenly surrounded by a team of young people willing to serve and share the love of Christ, Stan Marinussen saw a fresh work take off as Cross Culture Calvary Chapel became an established church, which today - six years later - is the home church of about 60 people, most of whom are serving actively alongside each other to the glory of Jesus.

In an exclusive interview with the podcast Calvary Scandinavia Update, pastor Stan tells the inspiring story of how Jesus lovingly and patiently removed Stan's primary focus on Calvary Chapel and replaced it with a pure focus on Jesus Himself, thus paving the way for a fresh work of God near the Dutch capitol.

During the interview, Stan shares the lessons he has learned during the 20 years he has now spent in the Netherlands. He reveals how persistance and an unwavering dependence on Christ is essential to planting and pastoring a fruitful ministry in secular Europe, where the mission's field is so hard that it will slowly but thoroughly break anyone trying to plow it on their own strength.

The 40 minute interview is available now on the Calvary Scandinavia Update podcast which you can download or stream via iTunes or on calvarychapel.fi.

Click here to hear the exclusive interview with Stan Marinussen and click on the short video below to hear Stan express his expectations for the upcoming Scandinavian conference where he will be among the guest speakers:

Calvary Stockholm reaches out to Sweden's capitol

On Sweden's National Day Calvary Chapel Stockholm took to the streets to reach out to their part of the capitol with a big-scale outreach event. Many came by to hear the gospel message through music and one-on-one conversations.

"We'd been planning it for months together with a few other church-plants, so it was really great to see it all work out just as we had hoped and prayed for. We got to talk to a lot of people, and it was great to see our whole church involved in reaching out to the city. It was great team work and it really did knit us together even more," says pastor of Calvary Stockholm, Joel Wickström.

Calvary Stockholm's own worship team were among the bands that played at the event as were worship leader Aaron Pratt from CC Finland who came over to play and help out at the event.

In the weeks following the event, the reactions have been positive from many.

"I have talked to many people who came to the event, and they were touched and blessed. We even had one girl come to our church service yesterday because she had gotten a flier at the event and had been thinking about the message," says Joel.

In addition to the event on Sweden's National Day, this summer has been one with several new opportunities to evangelize for Calvary Stockholm. This past week, for instance, a sudden opportunity came upon the young church as four non-believers walked into Calvary Stockholm's church facilities by mistake after a church service. They fell into a conversation with several members of the church fellowship and two of them ended up receiving Christ as their Savior, walking out the door with each their own new Bible and a desire to follow Jesus!

Below is a brief video report from the outreach event on Sweden's National Day:

The Nate Holdridge Interview

The radio podcast Calvary Scandinavia Update has interviewed pastor of Calvary Monterey, Nate Holdridge, who is one of the guest speakers at this year's Scandinavian conference.

When Nate Holdridge drove through the main gate at the Bible College in Murrieta at age 18, he had no idea just how much his life was about to change. As the son of a pastor, he was struggling to find a solid foothold in his own relationship with Jesus but still thought he knew most of what there was to know about the Bible and Christianity. But God met Nate during the time at Bible college, showed him his need for His Spirit, and called him to be a teacher of His Word. And he has been teaching ever since.

In an exclusive interview with the podcast Calvary Scandinavia Update, pastor Nate Holdridge shares the story of his journey from growing up in a pastor's home, to finding his own faith in Christ, to taking his first careful steps into ministry, to suddenly becoming the senior pastor of a large church at age 29, to now balancing his own roles as a pastor and a parent.

He reveals how he felt when some people left the church after he became pastor, and how he approaches teaching God's Word to God's people. Also, find out how he met his wife Christina, and why they have a growing passion for the work of God in Scandinavia.

The 50 minute interview is available now on the Calvary Scandinavia Update podcast which you can download or stream via iTunes or on calvarychapel.fi.

Click here to hear the exclusive interview with Nate Holdridge and click on the short video below to hear Nate express his expectations for the upcoming Scandinavian conference:


201304_ConferenceTeaser_NateHoldridge from Calvary Chapel Scandinavia on Vimeo.

Scandinavian leaders retreat into Swedish heartland

A dozen leaders and elders from various Calvary Chapel-related ministries across Scandinavia came together this weekend for the first ever Scandinavian leadership retreat. All left sharpened and refueled for service unto Jesus.

In a small guest house near Karlsborg in the heart of Sweden, surrounded by frosty forests and frozen lakes, twelve men involved in different Calvary ministries in Scandinavia gathered to pray, worship, and encourage each other this weekend. Invited to impart some outside inspiration, teaching, and perspective was pastor Rafael Manzanares from Calvary Chapel Mallorca in Spain.

Although he found himself visiting a Sweden still in winter's grip, pastor Rafael was kept warm by the unity in the group of Scandinavian ministry leaders.

"To see the willingness of the guys here to work together, to encourage one another, and to serve the Lord faithfully without personal interests, has left me deeply moved. Ministry in Scandinavia may be a slow work, but it's a beautiful work, and it was a special time for me to be here for this retreat," says Rafael Manzanares.

Stepping out to retreat
Scandinavia's first ever Calvary Chapel leadership retreat was planned and hosted by the Fuchs family - led by brothers Tim and Simeon while their parents and other siblings served as caring, gracious hosts for the participants all weekend. The idea for this retreat originated in Tim Fuchs' mind a while ago, but he was pleased to finally see it take place.

"We see a need for the leaders in Scandinavia to come together and be equipped for their ministries and lives, and a retreat can be a good way to do that. We've been praying about starting a retreat ministry for a while, and this retreat was sort of a step of faith for us to just see what the Lord would do with it, and it seemed to really bless everyone. God used it," says Tim Fuchs, who won't make any promises but is optimistic about possibly planning more retreats in the future - not just for leaders, but also for other groups.

You can hear more reactions and interviews from the retreat on the upcoming episode of the radio podcast Calvary Scandinavia Update.

The David Guzik Interview

The radio podcast Calvary Scandinavia Update has met with pastor of Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara, David Guzik, for a rare in-depth and personal interview about his life and ministry.

A 16 year-old David Guzik gets in a car with his twin sister and begins driving to Ojai in California. In the backseat is a guitar and a Bible. A few hours later, David is teaching a Bible study group for the first time in his life. Little did he know that night that thousands of teaching sessions would follow and that just three years later, he would become a pastor.

In an exclusive interview with the podcast Calvary Scandinavia Update, pastor David Guzik shares the story of how he gave his life to Christ and became a pastor while still a teenager. Hear David's own reflections on the responsibility of teaching the Bible as he shares some of the lessons he has learned during 30 years of ministry on both American and European soil. He expresses his feelings for Scandinavia and the people who serve there, and recounts how he met his Swedish wife Inga-Lill and what she has meant to him through all the years of pastoring.

The 51 minute interview is available now on the Calvary Scandinavia Update podcast which you can download or stream via iTunes or on calvarychapel.fi.

Click here to hear the exclusive interview with a man whom God has used as a support to many of those who are involved right now in Bible teaching ministries in Scandinavia and beyond.

Sign up for the 2013 conference

The registration for the Calvary Chapel Scandinavia Conference 2013 is now open. The conference will take place from July 31st to August 4th. Here's why you should sign up.

THE PLACE
For the fifth year in a row, Ekebyholm Castle will be the venue for the Calvary Chapel Scandinavia (CCS) Conference this year. Situated about 30 minutes' drive outside Stockholm. The location is a former royal castle from the 1700's, which today is used as a boarding school. Outdoor facilities include a large playground, two beach volleyball courts, a football pitch, and lots of space for both indoor and outdoor activities.

THE TEACHING
"To the Ends of the Earth" is the theme title for this year's teachings as a selection of experienced guest pastors and young local missionaries will teach through the second half of the Acts of the Apostles. The conference will also offer specific workshops on topics that are highly relevant to our daily lives as Christians. All teaching will be in English.

THE TEACHERS
This year we expect to welcome between 4 and 5 guest speakers to teach alongside local ministry leaders from Scandinavia throughout the conference. So far, the confirmed guest speakers are pastors David Guzik (CC Santa Barbara in California), Bil Gallatin (CC Finger Lakes in New York), Nate Holdridge (Calvary Monterey in California), and Stan Marinussen (CC Cross Culture in Amsterdam).

THE TIMING
The official program will be announced soon. Until then, please note that the "Arrival and registration" takes place on Wednesday (July 31st) between 4pm and 7pm. The first worship and teaching sessions starts at 7:30pm.

IMPORTANT: Please note that due to people's differing arrival times, the Wednesday evening dinner is NOT included in the attendance prices listed below. However, if you would like to have a light dinner on Wednesday evening, you must let us know when filling out the registration form. It will be served at 6pm and costs an extra 50 SEK pr. person. If you would like lunch on Sunday, you can buy lunch for 75 SEK pr. person.

THE SLEEPING FACILITIES
When you sign up, you can choose between three different types of accommodation which all vary in price (see below): Private bedroom (with your own key), Gender-divided dorms in classrooms or bedrooms (mattresses will be provided), or space for self-brought tent.

IMPORTANT: Please note that private bedrooms will be assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis, however married couples, families with children, and elderly attendees will be prioritized in case of simultaneous overbooking.

ATTENDANCE PRICES
The price for your attendance depends on what type of accommodation you choose. See all prices below. The price covers your accommodation, your use of the castle facilities (such as restrooms, showers, sports facilities, etc), and all meals throughout the entire conference (meals include breakfast, lunch, dinner and various servings of refreshments in the afternoon and evenings).

IMPORTANT: Please note that discount prices apply if you register before May 1st 2013. If you register from May 1st and onwards the price for attending will increase due to the added administration burden for the organizers.

Signing up before May 1st 2013:

Adults/teenagers: 1200 SEK (bedroom) / 900 SEK (dorm) / 800 SEK (tent)
2-12 year olds: 600 SEK (bedroom) / 450 SEK (dorm) / 400 SEK (tent)
0-1 year olds: 100 SEK (bedroom) / dorm not possible / free if in tent.

Signing up on May 1st 2013 or later:

Adults/teenagers: 1500 SEK (bedroom) / 1200 SEK (dorm) / 1000 SEK (tent)
2-12 year olds: 750 SEK (bedroom) / 600 SEK (dorm) / 500 SEK (tent)
0-1 year olds: 100 SEK (bedroom) / dorm not possible / free if in tent.

HOW TO SIGN UP
If you want to attend this conference, please CLICK HERE to fill out the official registration form and click the "submit registration" link afterwards to complete your registration.

IMPORTANT: Please note that the deadline for paying your attendance fee is July 1st. When you register, we will send you a confirmation email with pre-payment details. It is not possible to pay in cash when you arrive.

MORE INFO
All who sign up will receive an email with specific transport directions and the official conference program. Until then, if you have questions that aren't answered on this page, please feel free to email us at conf@calvarychapel.dk.

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 you must provide this on your own).

November podcast just released

The third episode of the radio podcast from Calvary Chapel Scandinavia is available on iTunes now.

The podcast - Calvary Scandinavia Update - aims to connect Scandinavian ministries and provide the region's prayer supporters around the world with fresh updates on God's work in Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark.

In the new November podcast episode, you can hear of baptisms, concert outreaches, worship nights, and also the latest info on the next summer's Calvary Chapel Scandinavia conference.

Here is the link you can share with your friends, family, supporting church, and others: bit.ly/PC77Yz

Click on the link above to find the new episode and download it to your computer, smartphone, tablet, or mp3 player, then you can listen to it anywhere you'd like.

We hope you enjoy it!