Leadership Matters Course at Kilchzimmer

The team of instructors at the 'Leadership Matters Course' in Kilchzimmer. (From back left) David Cummings (former International Director of Wycliffe Bible Translators), Chris Lorimer (OM France), Susana Turnbough (FWBIM), Carlos Diaz (Guatemala), Edward David (OM and LMC coordinator), (front) Rachel Johnson (OM), me and Jeff Turnbough (Director of Field Operations at Free Will Baptist International Missions).

I count it a tremendous privilege to have been able to serve as a trainer at the LMC course for 23 participants who are leaders working with various agencies across the world. I have been able to sharpen my own skills as well as investing in the coaching of other leaders from USA, GB, Ireland, Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia, Austria, Spain, France, Barbados, Czech Republic, Malaysia and several other nations.

Instructor of Teachers Course in Kilchzimmer

Students, instructors, helpers and translators at the IOT 1+2 in Kilchzimmer.

In February the IOT2 and IOT1 were held in Kilchzimmer, Switzerland. We are thankful for the instructors (from Denmark, Finland, Austria, N. Ireland & Germany) and the students who came (from N. Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and Holland).

Teaching CEF workers to teach others also

Instructors and students at the 2013 IOT-1 course in Kilchzimmer 
Photo by Tim Shirey (13/02/2013)

Praise God for the help given to lead the IOT-1 course held in Kilchzimmer this month. We had 22 students (mostly CEF workers) from Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Greece and Kosovo. They were taught by experienced CEF Instructors from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Denmark, Finland and USA.
Pray that each student will be able to be involved in TCE (Teaching Children Effectively) training back in their own countries, so that more teachers will be trained and more children reached.
Pray for the European Education department, that we will be able to reach the goal of training 120 people this year at CMLCs in Europe.

Autumn 2012 CMLC at Kilchzimmer

The autumn 2012 students in the English and German class at the Children's Ministry Leadership Course at the CEF European Headquarters, Kilchzimmer, Switzerland. Photo: Tim Shirey

Just after the group photograph was taken, over 30 cm of snow fell at Kilchzimmer over the weekend. Today, this was the stunning view from the fellowship room.

We can't do it alone

It all began 75 years ago this year. Our founder, J.I. Overholtzer, read this statement by Charles Spurgeon: “A child of five, if properly instructed, can as readily believe and be regenerated as anyone.” Mr. O. believed that too and became burdened for the souls of boys and girls. He would pray over the globe for children in each country of the world. He was aware of his own limitations, so he prayed that God would raise up an army of child evangelists that would encircle the globe.

Today an active and on-going ministry has been established in 180 countries. God has given tremendous growth to the work in Europe too, but at times it seems like a drop in the ocean - when we think of the 157 million children, most of whom have yet to hear. Even with almost 600 full-time workers, we know that we don’t have enough to do this alone. So we are praying and asking “…the Lord of the harvest, … to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matt. 9:38)

As an answer to prayer God is not only raising up full-time workers but also people like you - men and women with a love for boys and girls and a deep desire to be involved in bringing the Gospel to them. But we continue to ask the question, “how can we reach even more children?” The answer is, through training! 

Training

75 years since the birth of CEF, we continue to be convinced of the importance to “properly instruct” children from the Bible. We take this seriously and that is why in each country we offer teacher-training programmes for volunteers and full-time workers. Each year over 30,000 people in Europe attend one of our training events. Some attend an evening training class for Good News Club® teachers, or a church training day, or a 30-hour Teaching Children Effectively™ (TCE™) course taught over several weekends. Others want to learn about working with the older children and attend a Junior Youth Challenge (JYC) course.

The centrepiece of our training however is our 3-month Children’s Ministry Leadership Course (CMLC). This summer we are offering places in Kilchzimmer for English and Italian speakers, with German in the autumn. Extension CMLCs will be held in Lithuania (with interpretation into other Baltic languages), in Romania (with Polish interpretation) and in Georgia.

How do teachers benefit from CEF courses? “I had a passion to reach children but I had no idea how to do it. This course has giving me what I needed... I’m just buzzing... I can’t wait to get back to the mission-field” (Penny, missionary to Ghana). – “In Sunday school I always struggled with teaching the memory verse. I just repeated it a few times. But now I know how to really ‘teach’ it! This is one of the first things I am going to change when I go back”(Daniel, Germany). – “This course has equipped us and given us the confidence we need to reach the lost children of our country” (Metush and Nora, CEF Kosovo).

Training is just the first part of the effective and simple CEF strategy that God has blessed over many years: Training – Equipping – Supporting! 

Equipping

As soon as they have been trained we equip them with good quality teaching materials in their own language. 

Supporting

Many of those who have been trained and equipped desire to begin full-time ministry. But the lack of support is often an obstacle. Therefore we support many national workers in Europe through our newly launched SPAN (Sponsor a National) programme.

Mr O. had a burden and a vision but he was also realistic. That is why he prayed for an army of child evangelists that would encircle the globe. Today, trained, equipped and supported workers not only reach children but also train other workers—who then train yet more workers – who then reach even more children than you or I could reach in a lifetime.

Article written for the Kilchzimmer Echo, Spring 2012, Gary Cousins, Education Coordinator for Western Europe

NEW CMLC video

Students at the autumn CMLC in Kilchzimmer

The Lord has given us a wonderful group of students for the autumn CMLC in Kilchzimmer. There are 14 in the German speaking class and 8 in the English speaking class. They come from Germany, Switzerland, N. Ireland, Portugal, Romania, Austria/USA and the Netherlands.
These numbers are lower than in previous years and we are praying that God would show us the way forward. A new promotional video and leaflets are being produced and we will be introducing modules in 2012.

Kilchzimmer CMLC - the class of summer 2011

Kilchzimmer staff

Staff and volunteers (December 2010) Photo: Tim Shirey

The Kilchzimmer team doesn't often get together for a photograph. However since there have been a number of major changes in the team over the past 3 years, it was time for an update. For example, we have a new European Director, new Kilchzimmer house parents, new Education Department coordinators ;), new assistants in various departments and volunteers who play a vital role in the efficient running of the centre. They come from Germany, Switzerland, Ireland (North and South), England, Scotland (not in photo), Isle of Man, USA, Poland, Sweden (not in photo) and the Netherlands!
Kilchzimmer is the European Headquarters of CEF. It serves our 560 full-time workers and thousands of volunteers throughout Europe. In the second part of the year, we offer our 3-month Children's Ministry Leadership Course (CMLC) in English and German.

Artikel in den KEB-Nachrichten 3/2010

This is an article that I wrote recently for the CEF Germany magazine. Dieser Artikel ist in den "KEB-Nachrichten" 3/2010 erschienen.

Im letzten Jahr haben über 26.000 Leute irgendeine Form der Schulung durch die KEB in Europa erhalten. Wir sind uns in der europäischen Ausbildungsabteilung darüber im Klaren, wenn wir mehr Kinder in Europa erreichen wollen, müssen mehr Menschen geschult werden. In Europa stoßen wir immer wieder auf das Problem der fehlenden Finanzen für neue Vollzeitmitarbeiter. In unserem Eifer neue Vollzeitler zu gewinnen, vergessen wir leicht den wertvollen und treuen Dienst, den unsere Ehrenamtlichen verrichten. Diese Menschen haben ein Herz für Kinder, sie sind in ihren Gemeinden engagiert, sie besitzen viele Erfahrungen und gute Kontakte zu Kindern in ihrer Umgebung und sie sind bereit, Zeit in diese Arbeit zu investieren. Genau solche möchten wir ermutigen, an unseren ZAK Kursen, teens!aktiv-Kursen teilzunehmen oder sogar unser Intensiv-Training in der Schweiz zu besuchen.

Jedes Jahr wird das Intensiv-Training in Kilchzimmer zweimal auf Englisch und einmal auf Deutsch angeboten. Dieses Training ist für einen werdenden KEB-Mitarbeiter erforderlich, aber die meisten Studenten, die unser 3-monatiges Training absolvieren, werden nicht Vollzeitler. Trotzdem freuen wir uns, wenn sie motiviert in ihre Gemeinden zurückgehen und mit einer größeren Hingabe die Kinder biblisch fundiert unterrichten und sie darüber hinaus eine Sicht dafür bekommen, unerreichte, gemeindefremde Kinder in ihrer Umgebung zu evangelisieren.

Nicht nur Theorie
In Kilchzimmer nehmen die Studenten täglich an sechs Unterrichtsstunden teil. Sie beschäftigen sich „intensiv“ mit der Frage der Kinder-Evangelisation und deren Umsetzung in ihrer Heimatkultur. Fast 40 Lehrkräfte sind über einen Zeitraum von 6 Monaten am Unterricht in Kilchzimmer beteiligt. Die meisten von ihnen kommen direkt aus ihrem Einsatzgebiet und investieren zwischen ein bis drei Wochen ihrer Zeit, um zukünftige Mitarbeiter in der Kinderarbeit zu schulen. Wir glauben, dies ist eine besondere Stärke unserer Ausbildung, da die Lehrkräfte nicht reine Theorie vermitteln, sondern praxisorientiert das weitergeben, wofür ihr Herz schlägt, nämlich die Kinder Europas effektiv mit dem Evangelium zu erreichen. Wie ermutigend ist der Unterricht, wenn man beobachtet, dass der Funke der Begeisterung überspringt.

Dankbar blicken wir zurück auf das letzte Jahr mit 44 Studenten aus Irland, Großbritannien, USA, Tansania, Südkorea, Slowakei, Frankreich, Tschechische Republik, Dänemark, Niederlande, Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. In diesem Sommer sind es nur 9 Studenten und für den Herbst haben wir 26 Student. Der Hauptgrund für den Rückgang der Studentenzahl in Kilchzimmer liegt darin, dass parallel zur unserem Training im Sommer auch Kurse in anderen europäischen Ländern stattfinden. In Serbien wurden die ersten 6 Wochen des Intensiv-Trainings mit 22 Studenten aus 5 Ländern des ehemaligen Jugoslawien gehalten. Außerdem besuchten 19 eifrige Studenten (aus Tschechien und der Slowakei) den Kurs in Bratislava. Weitere Intensiv-Training sind für nächstes Jahr in Rumänien, Georgien und Russland geplant. Wir sehen fast nur Vorteile, wenn das Training in anderen Ländern abgehalten werden kann (z.B. der Kostenfaktor, die einheitliche Sprache), aber betet auch dafür, dass Gott Kilchzimmer mit neuen Studenten (besonders aus Westeuropa) versorgt.

Wer mehr über das Intensiv-Training in Kilchzimmer erfahren oder Bewerbungsformulare anfordern möchte, besuche bitte die KEB Deutschland Webseite.

26 students at the Autumn CMLC in Kilchzimmer

The Lord has once again answered our prayers and sent us 26 students from N.Ireland, Rep. Ireland, GB, Ghana, Italy, Slovenia, Zambia, Albania, Cyprus, Germany and Switzerland. As with each Autumn, classes are taught separately for English / German speakers. I am looking forward to teaching this group for the first time next week. Please continue to pray for a good, warm harmonious atmosphere as this group lives and studies together for 12 weeks. Pray that they will study hard so that more children might be saved and helped in their faith.

Kilchzimmer CMLC - Summer 2010

These are the 9 students who are currently at Kilchzimmer taking our Children's Ministry Leadership Course. They come from, England, Germany, Ireland (North & South), S. Korea and Estonia. This week they have classes on the biblical basis for child evangelism (Henry Berry - Ireland) and on teaching doctrine to children (Gerd-Walter Buskies - Germany). Next week they will be introduced to Good News Clubs® (Dorthe Jensen - Denmark), how to prepare and teach a Bible lesson to children (Jennifer Evans & Angie McKeee - Ireland) and also the pre-school children (Martha Heidinger - USA).

As you can see, there is still lots more space in the classroom. Please pray with us for more students to enrol for the autumn CMLC from 25 September – 17 December 2010 (taught in English and German).

CMLC at Kilchzimmer

One of my new responsibilities in the Education Department are the 3 Children's Ministry Leadership Courses (CMLC) that we have at Kilchzimmer each year. Samantha supports us as registrar - processing applications, answering students questions, giving administrative help to the visiting teachers, etc. Martha is the CMLC supervisor and deals with the day-to-day running of each 12 week course - caring for the students, meeting regularly with visiting teachers, organising classes, ensuring the smooth running of the course and harmony in close community life 'up on the hill'.
This week I am teaching again in the German class and enjoying very much the interaction with the students. I consider it a real privilege to be allocated time to invest in training future CEF workers and those who will go back to their churches to 'teach children more effectively'. Through illness I have had to organise replacement teachers at very short notice and I even had to jump in and teach some extra classes myself.
Please pray for our 33 students who will be with us until 18 December (DV).

Children's Ministry Leadership Course

The next Children's Ministry Leadership Course (CMLC) in Kilchzimmer, Switzerland will take place (D.V.) from 26th September – 18th December 2009 with two classes for English and German speakers. We praise God for the 33 students who have registered:

• For the English class, we have 13 students, representing Ireland (North and South), USA, Germany, Tanzania, South Korea, Slovakia & Britain.
  
• For the German class, we have 20 students from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
  

Pray for the current group of students who will be graduating tomorrow (Friday), that they will be obedient to follow God's leading in their lives and that He would use them mightly to see more children in Europe (and beyond) being transformed with the Gospel. Pray too for a good start to the Autumn CMLC on 26 September.
To find out more about this course click here.

JYCIC in Kilchzimmer

The JYC Instructor' Course at Kilchzimmer has just come to an end. We praise God for the help that He gave to each student and instructor and for the wonderful time of fellowship we enjoyed together.
The course participants came from 10 countries - Germany, Austria, Ireland, Haiti, Israel, Lithuania, the Netherlands, France, Serbia and Norway! The teaching was given in English and translated into German. Please pray for these dear people as they go back to their home countries to reach junior teens and to train others in this ministry.
For more photos click here

Teaching at Kilchzimmer

Last week I had the privilege of once again teaching at the LTI (CEF Leadership Training Institute) at Kilchzimmer. I taught the subjects Junior Teens and Time Management. This week I have a class on Prayer Letters and explaining and promoting the use of blogs/websites as a means of keeping friends and prayer supporters informed about your ministry and life.

This was the group that were here for the first 6 weeks - the 2nd 6 weeks is a smaller group (as some choose to take the second part of the course another time). Those taught will be going back to minister in countries such as Finland, Belarus, Cyprus, England, N. Ireland, Germany and many more.