Calvary Chapel Scandinavia

From Stockholm with love

2011-08-07T20:40:00.005+02:00

Once again the annual Calvary Chapel Scandinavia conference proved to be a venue for God's Spirit to work powerfully among the 120+ attendees who had gathered at Ekebyholm Castle outside Stockholm for 4-5 days of fellowship, edification, and worship from August 3rd-7th.

A colorful variety of guest teachers (including David Guzik, Pierre Petrignani, Matt Kottman, Mike Neglia, and Jeremy Foster) taught through First and Second Timothy, drawing relevant parallels from the ministry and life of Paul the Apostle's protogé to the lives of believers in Scandinavia anno 2011.

The teachings will be made available for free download soon, so stay tuned. In the meantime, we bring you the official video of the Calvary Chapel Scandinavia conference 2011:

20110807_ccsconf2011 from Theisbro on Vimeo.

Secure your spot at the 2011 Conference

2011-02-01T06:00:00.006+01:00

The registration for the Calvary Chapel Scandinavia Conference 2011 is now open. Sign up now for some unforgettable days at a castle outside Stockholm on August 3rd-7th.

Last year more than 140 people shared 4½ days of heart-warming, mind-blowing, soul-squeezing fellowship around God's Word at an old castle outside Sweden's capitol. This year the stage is set for another edifying gathering in the same scenic surroundings.

THE PLACE
For the last two years Ekebyholm Castle has hosted the CCS Conference, much to everyone's enjoyment. Situated about 30 minutes outside Stockholm (by car or public busses). 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 generally lots of space for both indoor and outdoor activities.

THE TEACHING
Throughout the course of the conference's 11 main sessions, a mix of experienced guest pastors and young local missionaries will teach through two of the Apostle Paul's most powerful epistles; First and Second Timothy. The conference will also offer specific workshops on ministry, parenting, and other relevant topics. All teaching will be in English.

THE TEACHERS
So far the confirmed list of guest speakers include pastors David Guzik (CC Santa Barbara) and Kevin Fitzgerald (Crosspoint Dublin, Ireland). We expect to announce the names of the other guest speakers shortly. In addition to this, local ministry leaders from Scandinavia will teach a few sessions as well.

THE TIMING:
The official program will be announced soon. Until then, please note that the "Arrival and registration" takes place on Wednesday (Aug. 3rd) 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 40 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, Gender-divided dorms in classrooms (mattresses will be provided), or space for self-brought tent.

IMPORTANT: Please note that 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
This year, the price for your attendance will depend 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 2011. If you register from May 1st and onwards the price for attending will increase.

Signing up before May 1st 2011:
Adults/teenagers: 1300 SEK (bedroom) / 800 SEK (dorm) / 700 SEK (tent)
2-12 year olds: 650 SEK (bedroom) / 450 SEK (dorm) / 350 SEK (tent)
0-1 year olds: 100 SEK (bedroom) / dorm not possible / free if in tent.

Signing up on May 1st 2011 or later:
Adults/teenagers: 1600 SEK (bedroom) / 1000 SEK (dorm) / 900 SEK (tent)
2-12 year olds: 850 SEK (bedroom) / 600 SEK (dorm) / 450 SEK (tent)
0-1 year olds: 100 SEK (bedroom) / dorm not possible / free if in tent.

HOW TO SIGN UP
If you want to come to the conference, please fill out the official registration form (click here to see form and click the "submit registration" link).

IMPORTANT: Please note that the deadline for paying your attendance fee is July 15th. When you register, we will send you a confirmation email with pre-payment details. This year, it is not possible to pay when you arrive.

MORE INFO
All who sign up will receive an email with specific transport directions, the official conference program, and information about potential airport pick-up. Until then, if you have questions that aren't answered on this page, please feel free to email them to conf@calvarychapel.dk. Please use the same email address if you have trouble filling out the registration form.

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).

That's it. The Calvary Chapel Scandinavia Conference 2011 is now open for registration! Spread the word.

The 2010 conference video

2010-09-04T14:32:00.002+02:00

20100809_ccsconf2010 from Theisbro on Vimeo.

Bringing the Sermon on the Mount into the valley

2010-08-19T21:49:00.003+02:00

You can now download or stream all the teachings from this year's Calvary Chapel Scandinavia conference in Stockholm.

Go to calvarychapel.fi (click on this link) to access the powerful studies of Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount" taught by pastors David Guzik, Nick Long, Kevin Fitzgerald and a series of local teachers from Scandinavian ministries.

Within a few weeks these teachings will also be made available in video format.

Captain Kyle goes from gutter to glory in Viking Games III

2010-08-12T10:51:00.001+02:00

Last year he led his team to an embarrassing last-place finish in Viking Games II at the CCS Conference 2009. This year Kyle Bentz surprised everyone by leading the Beatitude Bulldogs to a final victory in Viking Games III.

"I have never felt more attacked in my life," said pastor David Guzik when asked to describe his participation in Viking Games III. He and Crosspoint Dublin's Kevin Fitzgerald (seen taking a hit in photo to the right) were selected to be the moving targets in the traditional Viking Games discipline "Shoot the Pastor" this year (where participants throw water balloons at the guest speakers for points).

Competing in disciplines such as beach volleyball, football penalty shoot-out, rubber boot-throwing and the trademark feature "Shoot the Pastor", six teams battled it out for the overall victory this year. But in the end, it was Kyle Bentz & The Beatitude Bulldogs who came out on top.

"I've been training all year to do well and to erase the memories of last year's performance, to seek retribution. This year we had great unity in the team and everyone fought hard for victory. I guess spending most of this summer at Viking Games camp really paid off and polished us off for this year's games. I'm proud of the team," says a smiling Kyle Bentz.

He adds that he will be ready to defend the title at next year's conference, thus sending a clear message to this year's defeated team captains to "bring it on!"...

For more pictures from this year's Viking Games III, check out this video:

20100810_vikinggamesIII from Theisbro on Vimeo.

Pastors blown away by Scandinavian conference

2010-08-10T12:47:00.000+02:00

This year's three guest speakers have seen countless ministry conferences and attended many church retreats over the years, but all were left astonished by the work God is doing in and through the people of Calvary Chapel Scandinavia.

One is a world-reknowned Bible commentator, another is one of Calvary Chapel's pioneer pastors on European soil, and another is a pastor serving in a country locked down with some of the thickest chains of religious tradition in Europe (i.e. Ireland). David Guzik, Nick Long, and Kevin Fitzgerald have all served as pastors and leaders in ministry for decades, and all three agreed to spend their first week in August this year as guest speakers at the Calvary Chapel Scandinavia (CCS) Conference outside Stockholm, Sweden.

"I wasn't ready for this!"
For Nick Long, pastor of CC Siegen in Germany, it was a delightful first encounter with the fresh work of God in Northern Europe.

"What a blast! I have been in on many prayer meetings for Scandinavia, but I wasn't ready for this. To see first hand what God is doing in and through these special folks was more of a blessing than Sue and I could have imagined. May God continue to bless this work," says Nick Long after participating in his first ever CCS Conference.

Encouraged by local teachers
As one of the initial founders of the annual CCS Conferences, David Guzik has only missed one of the now 12 such conferences (that historic absence occurred in 2009). This year he and his wife Inga-Lill had a little farther to travel than usual, since David has recently handed over his ministry as director of CC Bible College in Siegen, Germany to become the new pastor of CC Santa Barbara in California. In spite of the move, his ties to Scandinavia and the native home-country of his wife (Sweden) remain intact.

"One of the things that really impressed me this year was the level of the teaching by the local guys. To come back here and see their skills and gifts growing year by year is very encouraging. It is just so exciting to see God bless and grow these guys in their ministries," he says.

Keeping the hands to the plow
Having also been a guest speaker at the CCS Conference in 2008, pastor Kevin Fitzgerald from Crosspoint Dublin in Ireland was back for his second Scandinavian conference this year.

"It was just such an encouragement to fellowship with the saints in Scandinavia! The presence of God's Spirit - at times - was thick, and so obviously moving amongst His people. The fellowship was sweet; the Word was powerful. And my heart and hope is that the individual believers, and all the works - collectively - in this part of the world will have been strengthened in keeping their hands to the plow until Christ's soon return," says Kevin Fitzgerald.

This year the guest speakers joined with 4 local speakers (see photo below) to lead the conference participants through a powerful study of "The Sermon on the Mount". In addition to this, the guest speakers taught special sessions on marriage, singleness, hearing the voice of the Lord, how to serve with and pray for your pastor, and other workshop sessions.

Scandinavia loses count as blessings mount

2010-08-09T19:44:00.000+02:00

The 12th annual Calvary Chapel Scandinavia Conference brought nearly 150 people together at a castle outside Stockholm for a powerful study through "The Sermon on the Mount". As always, the Spirit-filled fellowship flowed freely as people united to serve each other and worship God.

Blessed are the attendees of the 2010 Calvary Chapel Scandinavia (CCS) Conference for they shall be touched by God. Alright, so this statement might not appear in the official Beatitudes that Jesus so famously taught in His "Sermon on the Mount" (the theme for this year's conference teachings), but it holds true nonetheless.

The phrase "it was the best Scandinavian conference ever" continues to be the description of choice for yet another year as each year just continues to get better and better - as God adds His blessings and expands His work in Scandinavia.

More than 120 adults (incl. local visitors) and 25 children participated in this year's conference. The guest speakers this year were pastors David Guzik (now CC Santa Barbara in California), Nick Long (CC Siegen in Germany), and Kevin Fitzgerald (Crosspoint in Dublin, Ireland). Along with a few local speakers they lead a series of heart-piercing studies of Jesus' trademark "Sermon on the Mount".

"It was so neat to see God at work during and in between the sessions this year. The worship was so personal and the Holy Spirit really used the teachings and the times of prayer. I can't wait to see what God will do through those lives who were touched at this conference," says Joel Wickström, who was among the key planners of this year's conference.

For the second year running, the venue was Ekebyholm Castle outside Stockholm, which once again created a beautiful setting with its lake, park, sports grounds, lounges, etc. This castle is quickly becoming a preferred location for the Scandinavian Calvary Chapel family as people gather from all across Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway as well as other parts of Europe and America.

The teachings from this year's CCS Conference will soon be made available online.

5 more baptisms in Finland

2010-07-28T14:25:00.004+02:00

God is continuing to touch lives through the Calvary Chapel ministry in Finland. On Sunday, five young people chose to get baptized at the beach in Turku.

July 25th 2010 is a date that will not be forgotten anytime soon by Essi, Ronja, Tuukka, Miika, and Afam. These are the names of five young members of Calvary Chapel (CC) Turku in Finland who all were baptized at Ilpoisten Beach in front of a mixed crowd of Christians and non-believers.

"The Lord blessed us mightily at this baptism," says pastor Bob Pecoraro.

"The beach not only provided a place to baptize these 5 people but it also provided many lost onlookers who received testimony of the saving work of Jesus Christ. May the Spirit draw all those that were watching to saving faith."

You can read more about Calvary Chapel Turku and the ministry in Finland at calvarychapel.fi !

Payment deadlines for 2010 Conference have changed

2010-03-27T21:50:00.003+01:00

If you sign up before May 1st, you qualify for our discount attendance prices and you can pay any time before July 15th.

If you sign up after May 1st, you will be charged the full attendance price and can pay any time before July 15th.

Click here to sign up!

To read more about the 2010 Calvary Chapel Scandinavia Conference (incl. prices), click here.

When you sign up, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to pre-pay your attendance fee.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at conf@calvarychapel.dk.

Women on a Mission

2010-03-20T14:44:00.003+01:00

This year's CCS Women's Retreat takes place from April 30th to May 2nd in Vaxholm, Sweden. Sign up now.

For the third year in a row, the women of Calvary Chapel Scandinavia will gather just north of Stockholm to spend one weekend worshipping, fellowshipping and studying God's Word.

This year's theme is "Women on a Mission".

"Our focus will be on getting in tune with the Lord and avoiding the pitfalls and lies of the enemy," says Sofia Ortiz, one of the main planners of the retreat.

Just like last year, the retreat will be held at the Vaxholm retreat center in the beautiful Swedish countryside just north of Stockholm (see slideshow from last year below).

To attend the retreat, send an email containing your full name / age / nationality to co-planner Allison Broegger at allisonbroegger@gmail.com. The price is 1000 SEK (100 Euro), which covers all food and lodging. Payment can be made upon arrival.

Once you sign up, you will receive an email with all necessary practical information (such as what to bring, transport info, etc).

"He has put a new song in my mouth..."

2010-03-01T21:22:00.002+01:00

When the worship team strikes the first note at this summer's CCS Conference to lead us all in worship of our God and Savior, you may hear a tune that you've never sung previously. Worship leader Aaron Pratt is ready with a remedy.

While teaching about spontaneity in worship someone once said, "worship leaders must plan to be spontaneous." The idea is that, just as a pastor prepares the message to be shared from the pulpit, the worship leader should plan and prepare both the worship band as well as the congregation to be able to follow the Holy Spirit as He leads in worship. At past Scandinavian conferences, we have shared sweet times of worship and praise together; but no doubt a number of songs have been totally new to some people. That makes it harder for them to sing and worship.

To make this problem less likely at this summer's conference, worship leader Aaron Pratt has put together a solution.

"We have created a website where you can listen to some of the newer songs we commonly sing right now. You can also find a songbook with hundreds of songs' lyrics, as well as other helpful links. Over the coming months more songs will likely be added. The aim of worship should be that we can all enter into worship and make one sound of praise and thanking to the LORD! This, too, will be our aim at the conference in August. I for one can't wait," says Aaron.

The website address is http://calvarychapel.fi/en/scandConfWorship.php

Let the registration begin...

2010-01-01T11:00:00.010+01:00

As of today you can sign up for the 2010 Calvary Chapel Scandinavia Conference which takes place outside Stockholm, Sweden on August 4th-8th. Here's how and why to sign up.

Last year more than 125 people shared 4½ warm summer days of rich fellowship around God's Word at an old castle outside Sweden's capitol. This year the stage is set for another edifying gathering in the same scenic surroundings.

THE PLACE
Ekebyholm Castle hosted the CCS Conference for the first time last year, much to everyone's enjoyment. Situated about 30 minutes outside Stockholm (by car or public busses). 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 generally lots of space for both indoor and outdoor activities.

THE TEACHING
Throughout the course of the conference's 11 main sessions, a mix of experienced guest pastors and young local missionaries will teach through one of the most revolutionary and powerful sermons ever preached, Jesus Christ's "Sermon on the Mount". The conference will also offer specific workshops on topics such as ministry, marriage, and singleness. All teaching will be in English.

THE TEACHERS
So far the confirmed list of guest speakers include pastors David Guzik (CCBC Siegen, Germany), Brian Brodersen (CC Costa Mesa, CA), Nick Long (CC Siegen, Germany), and Kevin Fitzgerald (Crosspoint Dublin, Ireland). In addition to this, local ministry leaders from Scandinavia will teach a few sessions as well.

THE TIMING:
The official program will be announced shortly. Until then, please note that the "Arrival and registration" takes place on Wednesday (Aug. 4th) 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 40 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, Gender-divided dorms in classrooms (mattresses will be provided), or space for self-brought tent.

IMPORTANT: Please note that 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
This year, the price for your attendance will depend 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 sign up before May 1st 2010. From May 1st and onwards the price for signing up will increase.

Signing up before May 1st 2010:
Adults/teenagers: 1250 SEK (bedroom) / 925 SEK (dorm) / 800 SEK (tent)
2-12 year olds: 700 SEK (bedroom) / 500 SEK (dorm) / 400 SEK (tent)
0-1 year olds: 100 SEK (bedroom) / dorm not possible / free if in tent.

Signing up on May 1st 2010 or later:
Adults/teenagers: 1500 SEK (bedroom) / 1150 SEK (dorm) / 1000 SEK (tent)
2-12 year olds: 900 SEK (bedroom) / 650 SEK (dorm) / 500 SEK (tent)
0-1 year olds: 100 SEK (bedroom) / dorm not possible / free if in tent.

HOW TO SIGN UP
Two things are required for signing up for the 2010 CC Scandinavia Conference:

1) fill out the official registration form (click here to see form, click the "submit registration" link).
2) when we have received your registration, we will send you a confirmation email with instructions on how to pre-pay your total attendance fee.

IMPORTANT: Please note that your registration is not finalized until we have received the required payment of your attendance fee. This year, it is not possible to pay when you arrive.

MORE INFO
All who sign up will later receive an email with specific transport directions, the official conference program, and information about potential airport pick-up. Until then, if you have questions that aren't answered on this page, please feel free to email them to conf@calvarychapel.dk. Please use the same email address if you have trouble downloading the registration form, and we'll email one to you.

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).

That's it. The 2010 Calvary Chapel Scandinavia Conference is now open for registration! Spread the word.

Stockholm chosen for 2010 CCS Conf location

2009-10-31T10:51:00.002+01:00

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

2009-08-15T09:45:00.005+02:00

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

2009-08-14T03:52:00.000+02:00

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

2009-08-13T06:05:00.003+02:00

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.

- - - - - - - -

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

2009-08-12T07:33:00.008+02:00

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

2009-08-11T07:52:00.004+02:00

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

2009-08-10T14:57:00.005+02:00

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

2009-08-10T11:21:00.003+02:00

...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

2009-07-26T18:10:00.005+02:00

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.

- - - - -

"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.

- - - - -

"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

2009-07-24T09:15:00.005+02:00

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

2009-07-16T09:34:00.005+02:00

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.

- - - - -

"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.

- - - - -

"Our family is so excited about this year's conference! We feel a bit isolated here in Norway - a feeling I know many of those attending the conference can relate to. Our main Sunday service is CC Budapest online that we watch live every Sunday. So, to sit face-to-face with REAl PEOPLE and have fellowship and listen to the teaching together, soaking up the worship and the Word... it will get us through many long months of not having a fellowship. It gives us that refreshing taste of Jesus through our brothers and sisters in Christ who are serving along side us in Scandinavia!! We can't wait," says Autumn Nagy from the Calvary Chapel outreach team in Norway.

Autumn will attend the conference along with her husband Christian and their four kids.

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

Castle Countdown, Part I

2009-07-10T12:47:00.019+02:00

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.

- - - - -

"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.

- - - - -

"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

2009-07-07T10:58:00.004+02:00

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

2009-05-16T10:51:00.003+02:00

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

2009-05-04T21:29:00.011+02:00

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

2009-04-13T13:34:00.006+02:00

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

2009-03-18T18:02:00.007+01:00

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

2009-02-22T14:56:00.004+01:00

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

2009-02-15T14:07:00.005+01:00

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

2009-01-11T11:52:00.002+01:00

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

2008-12-21T22:24:00.002+01:00

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

2008-12-07T22:06:00.002+01:00

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

2008-12-05T21:04:00.000+01:00

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."

Harvest Time in a Winter Wonderland

2008-12-04T13:50:00.000+01:00

Christian and Autumn Nagy and their four kids are in the middle of their first Norwegian Christmas season after having moved to Norway earlier this year as missionaries. While their ministry is leaving an impact on many Norwegian students, the local Christmas spirit is leaving an impact on the Nagys.

In late August, the Nagy family began hosting a weekly Bible study for High School students in Kvitsund, Norway. Now, a few months later, that ministry has become a blessing to a growing number of people.

"We have had a great end to the semester here, and the Lord has been faithful to bring over 17 students to our Tuesday night studies. We are having the studies every week now at 8pm. We are going back to Indiana for Christmas, but when we come back, we've decided to continue these Tuesday night studies through the next semester too! Please keep that in prayer as well," says Autumn Nagy.

The last study of the current semester will take place on Tuesday December 9th - at a time when the whole country is getting into the Christmas spirit.

"Last weekend, we went to see the official lighting of the High School Christmas tree here. It was incredible. These people really LOVE Christmas up here! There must have been over 200 students outside in the freezing cold with elf hats on, they got in this massive circle and danced around the tree singing the cutest christmas songs... all of our dear favorite charols, but sung in Norwegian. Then they lit the gigantic fur tree that stands in the middle of the campus, and cheers, yells, whoops and hollars were heard all over the valley. I'm sure even the moose stopped to listen! I just stood there, in the falling snow, my mouth must have been wide open, I have never seen anything like it in all my days," says Autumn Nagy.

"Let's pray they get that excited about Jesus next Tuesday night at our last Bible study before the semester ends. Christian will be teaching on "the coming of the Lord". Please also pray for me as I have invited our study group over for dinner before the teaching, and I just need that little bit of extra motivation and mental strength to pull it off!," she says.

The Nagy family also asks you to pray for their upcoming trip back to the States. As Autumn puts it; "It is a lot of effort to travel overseas with four kids, as most of you know. So, if you could keep December 11th in your prayers, as we will be flying then. Thank you to all, and to all a good night! And happy holidays!"

A Year to Remember

2008-11-27T15:17:00.010+01:00

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!

Stockholm to Host Next Scandinavian Conference

2008-10-28T17:56:00.008+01:00

Bring out your calendars! For the first time ever, the annual Scandinavian Calvary Chapel conference will be held in the Stockholm area.

Known by many for its meatballs, IKEA, and "fika", Sweden is now back in the role of hosting a Scandinavian conference for the first time since 2005. This time, it's the capitol of Stockholm which will have the honors of putting on the 2009 Calvary Chapel conference for the first time ever, thus giving next year's conference the most northern location so far in the history of the Scandinavian conferences.

"We had several reasons for choosing Stockholm as the 2009 location," says co-planner and Stockholmer Joel Wickström.

"We've talked a lot about rotating the host nations from year to year, and I'm very excited that God has allowed us to place the next conference near Stockholm. Although the Danes will have to drive a bit further than they've been used to in the past three years, it will give more people from Finland and Stockholm a chance to attend. For our Norwegian guests and all those flying in from afar, Stockholm is just as accessible as Eastern Denmark. Finally, we've also seen from previous years in Denmark that having a Calvary Chapel conference in your area can actually bless the local ministries as new people discover the blessing of thorough Bible teaching," says Joel.

The conference will be held at Ekebyholm outside Stockholm (see photos). The location is a former royal castle from the 1700's, which 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 there is a direct and cheap bus connection from the central train station in Stockholm. It has yet to be determined if a shuttle service will be arranged directly from the airport.

The 2009 conference starts on August 5 (Wednesday evening) and ends on August 9 (Sunday noon), so make sure you book your calendars! It is not possible to sign up yet, but more information will be sent out as soon as possible. Until then, further questions can be sent to conf@calvarychapel.dk.

Get Ready, Ladies

2008-10-21T17:13:00.005+02:00

Back by popular demand, it’s time for another Scandinavian Women’s Retreat. Here’s what you need to know about the event.

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 the main organizer of the retreat.

Makeover 09 will be held at a small and cozy conference center in the scenic surroundings of Vaxholm about 45 minutes outside Stockholm (see picture). You can check out more pictures of the location by visiting the website: www.bogesundsslottsvandrarhem.se.

The attendance fee for the entire weekend retreat is 550 SEK (please exchange to Swedish currency), and payment can be made upon arrival.

To sign up for Makeover 09, please email Sofia Ortiz (Sofiaortiz33@yahoo.com) or Allison Broegger (allisonbroegger@gmail.com). They will also be able to give you information about how to get to the retreat location.

On Fire for Finland

2008-10-10T10:56:00.011+02:00

Austrian-based Daniel Ornelas (here seen with his wife, Petra) recently visited the Calvary Chapel team in Finland. After two weeks of fellowship on the Finnish front-lines, he left with a calling to return.

The ministry of Calvary Chapel Finland is currently carried out by Pastor Bob Pecoraro and his wife Mari (see photo), along with Aaron & Sarah Pratt, and Kyle Bentz. Last month, they were pleased to welcome Daniel Ornelas, who left Austria (his current country of residence) to spend two weeks with the team in Finland.

"The trip to Turku & Helsinki was like returning home. I am blessed by the love shared to us by Bobby & Mari, Aaron & Sarah, and Kyle. Thank you for housing us and allowing us to be a part of the ministry there to the Fins," says Daniel Ornelas.

"Our two weeks went by so fast we could hardly believe it. Parting was difficult. But especially with Bobby & Mari. The Lord has given us a like-minded heart and mind for the people over there. The Lord blessed us with so many rich times of fellowship, it was rewarding. Teaching at the fellowship in Turku and at the Bible Study in Helsinki brought back so many sweet memories. The privilege of sitting there and watching these saints appreciate God's word being taught to them in our way is something that makes your hair stand. Our Finnish brothers and sisters there are so appreciative. You can really see the joy in their eyes as you're sharing," Daniel reports.

For Daniel, this was his second trip to Finland after having visited the country a few years back. And it may very well not be his last. In fact, he and Petra are now praying about moving there to support the ministry full-time.

"The last I remember about the spiritual state in Helsinki was that is was strongly influenced by hyper Pentecostal churches, "word faith", and dead traditionalism. Although those still exist, we now witnessed many Fins having grown tired of the false promises, false experiences and the pain that is attached with those denominations. They are now desiring a more stabile way in their faith. This development brought smiles to our faces. I left with such a burning to help Bobby and those along side him, Aron Pratt and Kyle Bentz (see photo) that I am moving forward in prayer about returning on a regular basis. Perhaps once this winter. And quarterly until our family moves permanently over there. We will wait and see how the Lord directs."

"Please keep us all in your prayers. And pray for Bobby and Mari who have a new born, Russell, who still wakes throughout the night four times. Bobby commutes about 4 hours once a week to teach the Bible Study group in Helsinki. He suffers from spinal pains and is looking at getting an operation some time in the near future," Daniel pleads.

"Pray also for Aaron and Sarah Pratt (see photo) - they also have a newborn baby. Aaron helps Bobby in the ministry full time and attends university courses. Kyle is also there helping Bobby in the ministry full time. He is attempting at learning Finnish and Swedish at the same time. Some of the guys from the fellowship in Turku have gone into the military. Pray that they remain leaning on the strength of the Lord. And please pray for us as a family to remain in unity as we continue walking by faith in that direction. That we do not get in front nor lag behind the Lord's leading," Daniel asks.

To read more about the ministry in Finland, go to http://www.calvarychapel.fi/

Blessed and Challenged by Growth in Hillerod

2008-10-05T13:57:00.004+02:00

Since the Scandinavian conference in early August, the Bible Study in Hillerod, Denmark has doubled in size, leaving Daniel Jacobsen's ministry team with some fresh challenges.

On an average Tuesday evening in the Danish town of Hillerod - a suburb north of Copenhagen - 10 to 15 people cram together in Daniel Jacobsen's apartment for a weekly Bible Study. In only two months, the home group has doubled in size, with a few brand new believers having joined the group. Even a few non-believers are beginning to attend the studies.

"Since the summer break, we've been going through the Gospel of Matthew verse by verse, and it's been an exciting time," says Daniel Jacobsen, who teaches and hosts the Hillerod Bible studies.

The Hillerod Bible Study has existed for a year and half now, and with the recent growth, Daniel and his team of ministry leaders have a new kind of challenge on their hands.

"We would really covet your prayers for this group to remain one in the Lord and to become like-minded in our vision for this ministry. With the new additions to our group, we have new situations to deal with, such as making sure we keep the unity in our group," Daniel explains.

Leading the Bible Study on the side of his full-time job as an accountant, Daniel also asks you all to pray that he will have enough time and grace to prepare thoroughly for each week's study.

Do you, atheist, take this gospel...

2008-09-08T18:04:00.003+02:00

Officiating a wedding for the first time in Finland, Bob Pecoraro got a rare chance to preach the Gospel to a group of guests with several atheists among them. The response was promising.

In late August, Pastor Bob Pecoraro from Calvary Chapel Turku in Finland was asked to officiate the wedding of a couple in his congregation. Knowing there would be several atheist guests at the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom specifically asked Bob to lay out the Gospel in its full glory - no holding back, no toning down. You don't need to tell Bob Pecoraro that twice, and thus the Gospel was preached with as much ferver as the subsequent "I do's" from the newlyweds.

"It was a great honor to be asked to perform this wedding. There were 120 people present on the day, and I felt God using the occasion to reach people who don't normally come into a church, let alone listen to a pastor teach from the Bible," Bob Pecoraro says.

After the ceremony, the bride and groom were approached by several non-Christian guests - including some confessing atheists - who explained to them that the Gospel had "touched them" in ways they hadn't felt before.

"Please pray for these people and their souls. God wants to save them, and I believe they're just now starting to feel His hand knocking at the door of their hearts," says Bob.

Click here to see pictures from the wedding ceremony.

Witnessing God Work on the Streets of Stockholm

2008-09-07T21:22:00.008+02:00

Just when they thought it would be just another ordinary night of street witnessing, Joel Wickström and the people of the Stockholm Bible Study became witnesses of a miraculous work of God's Spirit.

Every Wednesday night, the Calvary Chapel Bible Study group in Stockholm takes the gospel to the streets of the Swedish capitol in a weekly effort to spread the Word of God to random Stockholmers. Up until last week, a usual night would consist of handing out several dozen cards with Scriptures on them - no invitation, no advertising for certain churches, just handing out the Word of God, knowing it won't return void.

"We were out there handing out Scripture cards like any other night. As we were getting ready to call it a night, suddenly one guy came back to us and asked us straight up "How can I start my spiritual journey?". We talked with him, and he shared how he had felt a conviction of his sin for a while and how he felt somehow that he needed to be forgiven. After sharing the gospel with him, he ended up praying to receive Christ as his Savior," Joel Wickström explains.

"What an encouragement to see God's Spirit work like that in someone's heart! It was so easy for me to lead this man to Christ, because God had already done all the work. It was so incredible," Joel says.

This new addition to God's Kingdom has indicated that he wants to come to the Stockholm Bible Study group next week, but already now God has used him to bless the workers of that Bible Study.

"Although we do trust that God can use the simple verses we hand out in the lives of those who take the cards with them, I was maybe beginning to doubt a little bit whether we were making any difference by doing this every week. We were, in a sense, ready to give up. Praise God that He showed us not to give up - it does make a difference."

Recommended Input on Marriage

2008-08-31T20:56:00.004+02:00

Think you know all there is to know about marriage? Most likely not... To upgrade your insight on this, check out the teaching series recommended by Mike and Sofia Ortiz from Stockholm, Sweden:

"Hey to all of you couples from Mike and Sofia. We were really blessed to be part of the 2008 Scandinavian CC Conference and just wanted to send our love. We also wanted to encourage you all with a link to an awesome teaching series on marriage that will strengthen and stretch your relationships. We want to see God fortifying our marriages and blessing them with His protection, and at the same time doing all we can to learn how to be a better husband and wife..."

"Sofia and I go through this series once a year (every year since before we were married) and talk about some seriously tough stuff. But at the same time, God does an unbelievable work that only He can do in and through us. We are blessed like crazy every time we sit down and listen for God's direction and counsel. So we hope you guys will be too!"

"Click here to go to the website containing the teaching series. It is an 8 part series with Pastor Bob Coy from CC Fort Lauderdale at the helm, so be ready for some action! No joke! Be encouraged. Mike 'n' Sofia Ortiz."

An Open Door in Norway

2008-08-27T21:39:00.003+02:00

Christian and Autumn Nagy have been given an opportunity to host a weekly Bible Study for high school students in Kvitsund, Norway. The first study kicks off this week.

The administrator of the Christian High School that Christian and Autumn Nagy work for in Kvitsund recently approached them to see if they would host one of the Thursday night Bible studies for the students that are hosted by a few staff families.

"We were so excited about it," says Autumn Nagy, "so we said yes!"

"Please pray for Christian and I as we take on this Bible study for the students starting already this week!!! Pray for wisdom on what to say to these students and that some students would actually come!!!," Autumn Nagy says.

The first study takes place this Thursday at 8pm. You can read more about the ministry of Christian and Autumn Nagy at their ministry website (although it has not yet been updated after their recent move from England to Norway).

Entering Sunday territory

2008-08-24T13:07:00.007+02:00

Aarhus Bible Study had their first official Sunday morning service this morning (after having previously met on Monday nights). Theis reports the following:

"This morning was special. It was the first study after the summer break - but also the first official Sunday morning service for this ministry. In addition to a few of the regulars, three new people showed up (some of them fresh off the plane from America). Another addition to our group is David and Katja's newborn daughter, Elizabeth, who also attended her first Bible Study this morning :-) It was a sweet feeling to be back in 1 Samuel and pick it up again in chapter 12. Please pray for this ministry, we're very excited to see what God might want to do with the Sunday morning services," he says.

You read more about the ministry of Aarhus Bible Study at www.aarhusbiblestudy.dk

Retreated and re-charged

2008-08-22T14:04:00.001+02:00

This year, the Danish-American couple Morten & Leah Molgaard from Aarhus, Denmark attended their second Scandinavian conference in a row with their son Max. And the second one was just as sweet and refreshing as the first one, they say:

"We had a wonderful time visiting with old friends and making new ones, as well as hearing some great teaching from the Bible. We can definetely recommend the camp and look forward to it every year now as a well-needed retreat."

You can stay updated on the daily life of the Molgaards in Aarhus by visiting their family blog at www.maxmoelgaard.blogspot.com

Guys, Get Your Skype on!

2008-08-18T07:35:00.004+02:00

Encouragement. Motivation. Accountability. Those are some of the benefitial attributes of the men's online prayer meetings, which take place once a month via Skype.

Originally started as a conference call among those who were planning the Scandinavian conferences, the monthly skype sessions have now become an open prayer time for all guys who are somehow connected to Calvary Chapel ministry in Scandinavia. Organizer Joel Wickström extends the following invitation:

"We want to encourage all of you guys to join our monthly prayer meeting. After two years of regular prayer time, our fellowship across the national borders has grown and become so much sweeter and closer than before. These online prayer sessions have helped keep us all connected throughout the year - instead of only hearing from each other at the conferences once a year. We've seen that praying with like-minded believers is a great encouragement as well as a medicine against isolation, which is very present at this part of the world. Lastly, the prayer times have given us a better idea of what the Lord is doing in different parts of Scandinavia and what to pray for more specifically. We would love for you to come and join our prayer time on Saturday mornings once a month."

So get out your calendars, guys - the Fall Prayer Schedule is as follows (all dates are Saturdays):

September 6th at 10am

October 4th at 10am

November 1st at 10am

November 29th at 10am

December 13th at 10am

If you would like to take part in some of these calls, please email your Skype username to joelwickstrom@hotmail.com. He will then call you on Skype at the above mentioned times.

iTune in to Finland's Finest

2008-08-16T20:42:00.001+02:00

As announced at this summer's conference, you can now download the weekly teachings by Pastor Bob Pecoraro in Calvary Chapel Finland directly to your iPod.

If you would like to subscribe to one of Calvary Chapel Finland's three podcasts, you can go to www.calvarychapel.fi and click on the link on the front page. From there, you can find links to all three podcasts which should automatically open your iTunes and bring you to our iTunes Store page where you can subscribe to the podcast and start downloading.

You can also find the podcast by searching in your iTunes Store for "Calvary Chapel Finland". Alternatively, you can find all the teachings on the audio page of Calvary Chapel Finland's website; but the podcast simply provides an easy and automatic way to get the teachings directly to your iTunes, iPod or mp3 player. Enjoy!

Relishing the Scandinavian Buzz

2008-08-15T07:31:00.001+02:00

Pastor Kevin Fitzgerald from Crosspoint Dublin debuted as guest teacher at this year's Scandinavian conference. Before going back to Ireland, he asked the Scandinavian congregation to pray for his church's upcoming Family Week conference. As Pastor Kevin shares in this short greeting, those prayers were answered:

"Man, we're still 'buzzing' about the conference over there in Denmark! What a fantastic time we had! We're just back from our church retreat here, and... I really don't know where to begin! God was so faithful, and His hand was ALL OVER this retreat... And, given some of the things our church has been through in the past several months, it was such a timely event for us! It was simply an amazing time, and we are so grateful to all who prayed for us," he says and adds that the teachings given and received at the Scandinavian conference from Book of Daniel also left their mark of inspiration for the conference in Ireland:

"We had a guest speaker in the evenings, and myself and Barry led morning devotions all week... primarily from the Book of Daniel... (hmmm, I wonder why?)."

Find out more about the ministry of Crosspoint Dublin at www.crosspoint.ie

Grimes Blessed by Son's Baptism

2008-08-12T21:30:00.001+02:00

Still counting the blessings from their first ever Scandinavian Calvary Chapel conference, Barry & Lorna Grimes found God adding to the pile as their youngest son Jack was baptized at CrossPoint Dublin's family conference this week:

"We have just returned from our Crosspoint family week at a retreat centre outside Dublin. Although the weather was not as nice as in Denmark, the Lord gave us a very good day with hardly any rain last Saturday - while a few kilometres down the road there was the highest ever recorded rainfall for Ireland in August (76mm). We had a great week with our church family, and for Lorna and I the highlight was when our youngest son Jack was baptized on Sunday morning with 6 others," says Barry, who serves as an elder at Crosspoint Dublin alongside Pastor Kevin Fitzgerald, whom he and his wife Lorna accompanied to the Scandinavian conference last week.

"Lorna and I were very blessed to be at the Scandinavian conference. We did not really know what to expect, but it greatly exceeded our expectations. The teaching was excellent and the fellowship was very special. It was great to be with God's people in Scandinavia and to see what He is doing there," he says.

"The Blessing was Mutual," says Siegen Team

2008-08-08T20:48:00.005+02:00

Toward the end of the 2008 conference, parents and conference planners alike were lining up to thank God for the incredible work that Sabine, Wendy, and Katharina from Siegen, Germany did with the Children's Ministry during the 5 days of the conference. Managing to teach and entertain kids of many different languages and ages, the work of the Siegen girls allowed many parents to concentrate and focus on the Word of God during the adult teaching sessions. Sabine returns the gratitude:

"We had a hard time going back, not just because of all the traffic, also because we didn´t want to leave Denmark. It was a really great time, and we are just so thankful that God used us as a blessing for the kids and the parents. It was totally Him who gave us the ideas and made everything work - we could see and feel that! God bless you and all what you are doing up there in Scandinavia!"

Meet Russell Pecoraro

2008-08-08T07:40:00.002+02:00

The latest addition to the Scandinavian CC family was born in Turku, Finland on Saturday morning at 4:33am to Bob & Mari Pecoraro. At the time of his birth, little Russell weighed 3.16 kilos. Bob sends the following message:

"Thank you all so much for your prayers! Mari, Russell and I have come home from the hospital, and all three of us are doing great. The delivery was without any health complications and Russell was and is a very healthy baby boy. Mari did amazing during the delivery, and though it was painful for her all things went as they should have gone. Thus far she is recuperating very well! Deepest thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. Bob, Mari & Russell."

Pastors Felt the Viking Love

2008-08-07T07:08:00.000+02:00

A new feature at the 2008 conference was the Viking Games, which saw one international team and teams from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland battle it out against each other in various fun disciplines. One of the disciplines that left a mark was the highly popular "Shoot the Pastor", where each team got a chance to shoot water balloons at their pastor of choice, who was left fighting for his dryness on a moving swing.

Each team was awarded points for a hit, while points were deducted if any shots hit the pastor's head. In a final twist of fate, the Viking Games ended with a reversal of roles as the pastors had a last chance to deduct points from the teams by taking shots at the team captains. Pastor Stan Block describes the feelings he went through while trying to dodge the incoming water balloons:

"Frightened, terrorized, heart racing! I now understand the feelings of villagers as they would see the boats in the distance with no place to run or hide. I was grateful for the moments when my three partners [pastors Kevin Fitzgerald, Glen Nudd, and Brenten Powers] were called on to take their place in the line of fire instead of me! As to the opportunity for revenge, I regret that our aim was off so much of the time, to have left them all with no points would have been perfect but it was some consellation to drive the Swedes back to Stockholm in disgrace. May the Games live on in the coming years and may other foreigners experience the same Viking hospitality shown to us! All said, I felt sad to say goodbye and that speaks to the depth of relationships that were built in the four days."

Canadian Pastors Savor Scandinavian Fellowship

2008-08-06T21:32:00.007+02:00

Pastors Glen Nudd and Stan Block from Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel have arrived safely back in Calgary, Canada after attending this summer's Scandinavian conference (see photo). Pastor Glen sends the following message:

"We made it back safe and sound with great memories of the 2008 conference. The Lord reminded me of how precious and life-giving fellowship is. Our hearts were ministered to deeply by the desire by so many to not only attend the conference this year, but to squeeze every drop of encouragement and teaching out of our time spent together. It was a true example of “…not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). Thank you all for a great conference."

Baptized at the Conference

2008-08-06T06:55:00.002+02:00

17 year-old Emil Broegger was baptized on Saturday morning at this year's Scandinavian conference.

A few hours after sunrise, Emil Broegger opened his Bible in front of a small crowd of people who had come down to the waterfront to see him make one of the most important public statements so far in his life; to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. He shared with his fellow conference attendees what God has done in his life, after which he and Pastor David Guzik walked out into the morning waters. A few moments later, Emil returned to the applauding audience on the shore with a big smile on his face.

"I have been wanting to get baptized for a long time in order to show God and the world that I desire to live 100 pct. for Him. The conference was a great occasion for this, since I preferred to be baptized among like-minded believers from a ministry that I feel connected to. Although it was early morning temperatures, it felt awesome to be immersed in the water," Emil says.

The baptism of Emil Broegger was the second baptism in the history of the Scandinavian conferences - as Emil's older brother Samuel had the pleasure of being baptized at the conference in 2006.

From Latvia with Love

2008-08-05T12:15:00.001+02:00

American missionaries Brenten and Lena Powers were able to come to the Scandinavian conference for the first time this year with their kids, Caleb and Lilly. Now back in Latvia, here's what they have to say about their time at the conference:

"We were greatly encouraged and refreshed by the fellowship with our brothers and sisters from Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Ireland and Canada. Although Latvia is technically not a Scandinavian country, we found that many of the issues we face in the Baltics are similar to the rest of Northern Europe, and we found ourselves received and knit to this group of believers. Overall, we were all really blessed with the Acts 2:42 environment; 'continuing steadfastly in the teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers'."

You can read much more about the Powers' ministry in Latvia by visiting their blog.

The 2008 Conference in Pictures

2008-08-04T19:52:00.014+02:00

Click on the photo below to view or download pictures from the 2008 conference in full size:

Scandinavian Calvary Chapel Conference 2008

Download the 2008 Conference Teachings

2008-08-04T19:00:00.001+02:00

You can download all the teachings from this year's conference by clicking the following links:

Daniel 1 - Joel Wickström
Daniel 2 - David Guzik
Daniel 3 - Stan Block
Daniel 4 - Daniel Jacobsen
Daniel 5 - Theis Broegger
Daniel 6 - Kevin Fitzgerald
Daniel 7 - David Guzik
Daniel 8 - Aaron Pratt
Daniel 9 - David Guzik
Daniel 10 - Kevin Fitzgerald
Daniel 11-12 - Glen Nudd

Record-breaking Attendance at Scandinavia's 10th Calvary Chapel Conference

2008-08-04T18:19:00.008+02:00

With more than 70 adults and 15 kids involved from 10 different nations, this year's Scandinavian conference broke all previous attendance records. At the center of it all was God's Word, which was powerfully and passionately taught by a long line of guest speakers.

The work of bringing sound and thorough Bible teaching to the Scandinavian people received another encouraging morale boost at the 10th consecutive annual gathering of believers who are either active in ministry or in prayer on behalf of the nations of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. Hosted at a remote campsite near the Danish town of Roskilde, this year's conference took its attendees through a 5-day journey of The Book of Daniel as guest pastors such as David Guzik (Siegen), Kevin Fitzgerald (Dublin), Glen Nudd and Stan Block (both Calgary) taught alongside local ministry leaders.

The conference stretched from Wednesday evening (a day earlier than normal, since this year's conference had been expanded with one more day) to Sunday at noon. Because of the high attendance, some of the attendees had to sleep in tents, since all the rooms and indoor beds were full.

"This is the first year we've ever had this problem - but what a great problem to have. We may have to start looking for bigger locations for next year's conference," says Daniel Jacobsen, who was one of the four people that helped plan and stage this year's conference in Denmark.

"It was an incredible blessing to see so many people uniting around the King's business here in Scandinavia and seeing them all be blessed by the teaching and the fellowship at this conference. I'm sure many new friendships and ministry connections were made," he says.

For more info about this year's conference, go to http://www.calvarychapel.dk/