Doss Family Update
October 9, 2010
1. A Busy Month
2. Small Group Ministry
3. Teaching Ministry
4. A Devotional Thought
5. Highlights from our Church Plant
6. A New Start for our Youth Ministry
7. Science and Faith Lectures…PLEASE PRAY!
1. A Busy Month
Phew! It's been a busy month, but praise God we still have enough time to watch JJ grow : - ) Since so many are away on holiday in July and August in Austria, everything shifts into full gear in September. For example, John has been away at various Christian events on 3 out of the last 4 weekends.
2. Small Group Ministry
We're excited for the new home Bible study fellowship that our church plant has started. The group meets every two weeks and there's a group of about 10 people attending. They have decided to start with Paul's letter to the Philippians.
Speaking of home groups, our young adults home Bible study is continuing to meet on Fridays as well. We're now starting the book of James. Over the next few weeks we'll be looking at what James has to say about how Christians should deal with life's difficulties...so much practical wisdom in there.
3. Teaching Ministry
I was invited to preach at a local church in Schwechat and decided to study Paul's letter to Philemon. This short, oft-overlooked letter is a wonderful lesson in how to show the love of Christ in a practical way. Our church plant has a communion service once a month on Sunday evenings, and I led the last one. I decided to share one anecdote from my sermon on Philemon that was powerful for me personally...
4. A Devotional Thought
We shouldn't forget that crucifixion was unanimously considered the worst way to die in the Roman Empire. Not just because of the pain (there were many painful ways to die), but what distinguished crucifixion from other deaths was the extreme shame that the victim experienced in his final hours of life. Crucifixion was so painful and shameful that the Romans made it a law that no Roman citizen could be crucified; only slaves and foreigners were allowed to be executed in this way. How amazing it is that Jesus, God in flesh, died the death of a slave in order to set us free from sin. How awesome it is that Jesus died the death of a foreigner in order to bring us close to God; even to make us citizens of heaven.
5. Highlights from our Church Plant
We're continuing to have services every 2 weeks in our church plant. It's been nice to see more people coming since school started, especially some of the guests. One woman started coming on her own, then she brought her children, then her husband, then her mother and now she's trying to bring her father, who's an atheist. When Liesi was in the hospital after having Joel, one of the nurses overheard us as we were talking with two other nurses who regularly attend our services as well as a Doctor talking about how his wife had visited the last service. She said to us, "How could this be that something like this is happening in Eisenstadt and I don't know about it?" A month later she attended our service, and to her surprise she met one more colleague (a nurse) from her hospital. God is at work!
6. A New Start for our Youth Ministry
Last Sunday we also had our first youth meeting since school started. It was encouraging to see so many teens come (about 10). We're doing something new this year: there's a series of Christian educational material and courses known as "BAO" (Biblical training on location) in Austria. BAO also has a series for youth entitled, "Young Leader's Training", designed to teach young people the basic principles of leadership (aka servanthood). Each course is a character study and we're starting out with the first one on Peter. We're using the course books as the material for our Bible studies together, and two of the youth have decided to officially do the course as well (i.e. all the extra reading and writing assignments). Our purpose in doing this is truly try to disciple those sheep whom the Lord Jesus has given us to become tomorrow's church leaders (aka servants).
7. Science and Faith Lectures…PLEASE PRAY!
Okay I know, this newsletter is long...but please read this paragraph!
Next week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, we've invited a Professor from the University of Vienna, Dr. Rupert Palme, to give a series of lectures on the following topics:
1. Science and faith: a contradiction?
2. On soups and pizzas: questions about the origin of life
3. Did God create through evolution?
Rupert is a Biochemistry Professor and a born-again Christian. We're very excited about him coming to Eisenstadt and would ask you to please pray for his lectures. Pray that God would give Rupert the right words to speak and use the lectures to take down the walls that people put up to keep Him out.
Thanks so much for reading this and for praying for our ministry!
Blessings,
John, Liesi and JJ
October 9, 2010
1. A Busy Month
2. Small Group Ministry
3. Teaching Ministry
4. A Devotional Thought
5. Highlights from our Church Plant
6. A New Start for our Youth Ministry
7. Science and Faith Lectures…PLEASE PRAY!
1. A Busy Month
Phew! It's been a busy month, but praise God we still have enough time to watch JJ grow : - ) Since so many are away on holiday in July and August in Austria, everything shifts into full gear in September. For example, John has been away at various Christian events on 3 out of the last 4 weekends.
2. Small Group Ministry
We're excited for the new home Bible study fellowship that our church plant has started. The group meets every two weeks and there's a group of about 10 people attending. They have decided to start with Paul's letter to the Philippians.
Speaking of home groups, our young adults home Bible study is continuing to meet on Fridays as well. We're now starting the book of James. Over the next few weeks we'll be looking at what James has to say about how Christians should deal with life's difficulties...so much practical wisdom in there.
3. Teaching Ministry
I was invited to preach at a local church in Schwechat and decided to study Paul's letter to Philemon. This short, oft-overlooked letter is a wonderful lesson in how to show the love of Christ in a practical way. Our church plant has a communion service once a month on Sunday evenings, and I led the last one. I decided to share one anecdote from my sermon on Philemon that was powerful for me personally...
4. A Devotional Thought
We shouldn't forget that crucifixion was unanimously considered the worst way to die in the Roman Empire. Not just because of the pain (there were many painful ways to die), but what distinguished crucifixion from other deaths was the extreme shame that the victim experienced in his final hours of life. Crucifixion was so painful and shameful that the Romans made it a law that no Roman citizen could be crucified; only slaves and foreigners were allowed to be executed in this way. How amazing it is that Jesus, God in flesh, died the death of a slave in order to set us free from sin. How awesome it is that Jesus died the death of a foreigner in order to bring us close to God; even to make us citizens of heaven.
5. Highlights from our Church Plant
We're continuing to have services every 2 weeks in our church plant. It's been nice to see more people coming since school started, especially some of the guests. One woman started coming on her own, then she brought her children, then her husband, then her mother and now she's trying to bring her father, who's an atheist. When Liesi was in the hospital after having Joel, one of the nurses overheard us as we were talking with two other nurses who regularly attend our services as well as a Doctor talking about how his wife had visited the last service. She said to us, "How could this be that something like this is happening in Eisenstadt and I don't know about it?" A month later she attended our service, and to her surprise she met one more colleague (a nurse) from her hospital. God is at work!
6. A New Start for our Youth Ministry
Last Sunday we also had our first youth meeting since school started. It was encouraging to see so many teens come (about 10). We're doing something new this year: there's a series of Christian educational material and courses known as "BAO" (Biblical training on location) in Austria. BAO also has a series for youth entitled, "Young Leader's Training", designed to teach young people the basic principles of leadership (aka servanthood). Each course is a character study and we're starting out with the first one on Peter. We're using the course books as the material for our Bible studies together, and two of the youth have decided to officially do the course as well (i.e. all the extra reading and writing assignments). Our purpose in doing this is truly try to disciple those sheep whom the Lord Jesus has given us to become tomorrow's church leaders (aka servants).
7. Science and Faith Lectures…PLEASE PRAY!
Okay I know, this newsletter is long...but please read this paragraph!
Next week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, we've invited a Professor from the University of Vienna, Dr. Rupert Palme, to give a series of lectures on the following topics:
1. Science and faith: a contradiction?
2. On soups and pizzas: questions about the origin of life
3. Did God create through evolution?
Rupert is a Biochemistry Professor and a born-again Christian. We're very excited about him coming to Eisenstadt and would ask you to please pray for his lectures. Pray that God would give Rupert the right words to speak and use the lectures to take down the walls that people put up to keep Him out.
Thanks so much for reading this and for praying for our ministry!
Blessings,
John, Liesi and JJ
Contact + Support:
Email: johndaviddoss@gmail.com
Blog: johnandliesidoss.blogspot.com
Please send donations to:
Avila Beach Christian Fellowship
P.O. Box 73
Avila beach, CA 93424
make sure to note that it is for
"John & Liesi Doss".
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