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The German Connection

Grunewalds//John and Michelle Grunewald

Have you ever noticed that it seems God sometimes disregards personality types when He calls people? For instance, He’ll take people who have a fear of public speaking and give them pulpit ministries. And He’ll call people who love being homebodies to travel. John and Michelle Grunewald, 1980 Rhema USA grads, are examples of this. “Everything we’ve done in ministry has stretched us big-time,” says John. “We were very, very uncomfortable in a lot of the ways God has stretched us.”

It’s a good thing the Grunewalds were open to being stretched and doing whatever God asked of them. The last thing either one of them wanted to do was be in front of people. But they were determined to be obedient and faithful to God’s call. And that has caused them to do things outside the boundaries of how they thought their lives would turn out.

Fast Facts

» Europe has 38 language  zones. Twenty Faith Library Publications titles have been chosen for translation into every one of these language groups.

» The next phase in reaching Europe with the Gospel emphasizes church planting.

» Rhema Germany classes meet on weekends.

Prayer Focus

» The Grunewalds’ biggest need is for a headquarters building. Right now their ministry offices are located in the basement of their home. The church and school in Bonn are in rented facilities and they both must constantly move in and out. John and Michelle desire one central location for all parts of their ministry.

» The book translation project: finances to translate and publish more books

» Further expansion into Europe, Africa, and the Middle East

» Finances to support the expansion

To learn more about John and Michelle Grunewald, go to www.grunewald.org.

After starting Rhema Bible Church and Rhema Bible Training Center Germany in 1999, they went on to open five more Rhema campuses in Germany, as well as schools in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Zurich, Switzerland. And as international directors for Rhema Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, they also oversee the expansion of Rhema campuses in these areas.

Today the Grunewalds’ teaching schedule at Rhema campuses in Europe and Africa keeps them crisscrossing those continents so much that even the best travel agent would have a hard time keeping up with them. But with only four percent of Europe’s population born again, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

The Grunewalds’ ministry motto is “save the lost, establish the saved, train the established, and position [or send out] the trained.” Since they arrived in Germany in 1993, John and Michelle have been tirelessly doing this. And their hard work is paying off.

Rhema Bible Church Germany

A couple attending Rhema Bible Church Germany learned that their two-month-old daughter was diagnosed with AIDS. At one point the little girl was not expected to live through the night. Members of RBC Germany stood strong with the couple. Because the husband’s job often took him out of the country, the church set up round the-clock support for the mom. Church members helped with everything from praying constantly at the hospital for the baby to caring for the couple’s other child.

At first the doctors kept saying, “The baby is not going to make it.” But one day they said, “Well, she might make it.” When the infant finally went home a couple of months later, she received a clean bill of health. It’s been almost two years since the little girl was healed and today she is a vibrant toddler. Not long after she went home, one of the hospital nurses visited RBC Germany. She wanted to see what this church was all about, because she had never seen any church rally around one of its members in this way.

This is only one of many testimonies of German Christians who now know who they are in Christ and the authority they have as believers. For the first time in their lives, they are experiencing God’s promise of health and provision.

Rhema Germany

Since the Bible school’s inception, more than 300 students have completed first-year classes and over 170 have finished the second-year program. Many graduates work in the helps ministry supporting their pastors. Others have gone on to pastor churches or work as associate pastors. One student who launched out as an evangelist has even held a crusade in Pakistan.

One Rhema Germany graduate is Sinti, a gypsy. When he started Rhema Germany, he was reading and writing on a third-grade level. The Holy Spirit supernaturally helped him, and by the end of the school year, he was fluent in both reading and writing. After graduation, he went back to the Sinti and has started several churches.

Rhema Germany has opened campuses in Bonn, Cologne, Detmold, Munich, Ulm, and most recently, Hamburg. The headquarters is in Bonn.

Rhema Europe

MonikaMonika Wagner, a German national and a ’94 Rhema USA grad, keeps things flowing smoothly among the Rhema campuses across Europe. She has been helping the Grunewalds since they first moved to Germany. As European director, Monika is tasked with launching Rhema campuses in new nations. Once a location has been picked, she oversees the start of the new school.

Monika also ensures that a standard curriculum is maintained at all campuses. She develops common marketing programs where it makes sense. And she is establishing a corporate identity for European schools so Rhema has a stronger voice on the continent.

On top of that, Monika’s travel schedule rivals the Grunewalds’. She goes throughout Europe teaching at the many campuses. One of her frequent Facebook posts is “at the airport again.” But all of the going and coming has not wearied this traveler. “I had something in my heart for years where I knew I would travel,” says Monika. “I would not have thought that it would come in this package, but I like the package.”

One Rhema Germany goal is to have campuses within 125 miles of each other. And Rhema Europe’s plans call for 100 campuses across the continent. Right now there are 24, and the number is constantly changing. European school directors are pooling resources to benefit all campuses in Europe and Africa. For example, team members from Germany built a database that all European schools use, and UK team members assisted in the process. A member of the French team works for French-Swiss TV and has assisted several schools with the sound setup.

The Next Five Years

The European directors have caught Kenneth W. Hagin’s “I cannot be defeated and I will not quit” attitude. Individually they’ve ploughed through a lot of religious tradition, unbelief, and atheism in their nations. By combining their strong faith and natural talents, they are creating tremendous momentum that is changing the spiritual atmosphere of Europe.

The Rhema schools throughout Europe are moving forward as a united group. In the next five years they expect to have doubled what they’ve done so far. They are carrying out the mandate God gave Kenneth E. Hagin to “go teach My people faith,” and with each person they teach, they are transforming a continent.

German ConnectionThe Ripple Effect

When Robert Tomaschek and his wife, Irmi, began seeking God, they couldn’t seem to find answers. About that same time, a friend of theirs was born again and began witnessing to them. She told them about a church in Austria and gave them a cassette tape of one of the pastor’s sermons. As they listened to the tape, the Tomascheks finally heard a message that satisfied the yearning in their hearts.

The dramatic difference they noticed in their friend’s life made Robert and Irmi curious about the church in Austria. So they decided to make the two-hour drive from Germany and attend a service. That first visit to Freie Christengemeinde Wels (Free Christian Church Wels), pastored by Fred and Judy Lambert, ’90 and ’91 Rhema USA grads, began a remarkable turnaround for the Tomascheks. Before long they gave their lives to the Lord. And by the following September, Robert and Irmi had moved from Germany to attend Rhema Austria.

After Robert’s first year of school, he began working at Rhema Austria in the publishing department. He then became the office administrator and later the school’s dean and an associate pastor at Freie Christengemeinde Wels. In the course of time, Robert and Irmi began leading a house group of about 15 people who were driving two hours from Germany to attend the Austrian church. Eventually that group gave birth to Christliche Glaubensgemeinde (Christian Faith Church) in Trostberg, Germany, with Robert as pastor. The handful of people has grown into a thriving congregation of 90 adults and 35 youth and children. And God is moving mightily in their midst.

A member of Robert’s church went to the doctor because of severe neck pain. X-rays showed that a disk between two vertebrae was missing. The day the man got the doctor’s report, he attended a prayer meeting at the church. When Irmi laid hands on him and prayed for him, the pain immediately left. The man returned to the doctor, and new X-rays showed the disk was there!

Robert and Irmi are also campus coordinators of Rhema Munich. The school started in Trostberg but moved to Munich to make it easier for people to attend. The move also opens the door for a larger number of potential students. While the Bible school was in Trostberg, 54 students graduated. Currently, 30 students are attending.

Robert works closely with Monika Wagner. As assistant director of RBTC Germany, he is developing marketing strategies for the school and overseeing development of the alumni program.

Robert and Irmi are examples of the ripple effect. Their lives were affected by Rhema USA graduates who brought the life-changing faith message to Austria. They grabbed hold of that message and in turn are now influencing their fellow countrymen and women with the Gospel. And people being raised up under them will also go out and impact their country.

Prayer Focus

» A bigger building for Christliche Glaubensgemeinde (Christian Faith Church)

» A fast-growing network of Rhema Germany alumni and friends

» The right people in the right places

To learn more about Robert and Irmi Tomaschek, go to www.glaube-lebt.de.