Coming Alongside Refugee Ministries in Germany

Like many ministry leaders in Germany, Martin Auch has spent the last months struggling with how best to reach out to the large number of refugee families that are fleeing their war-torn countries and entering his own community.

Auch, who serves as the head of Liebenzeller Mission headquartered in Bad Liebenzell, Germany, has responded by producing side-by-side Arabic and German Bibles for the refugees.

These Bibles are being produced by Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, and should be ready by Easter. But in the meantime Liebenzeller Mission is looking to expand refugee outreach with the hope that some refugees will return to their home countries as believers and witnesses.

Liebenzeller is one of many ministries with which Steve and Chris Van Zanen connected on a recent trip to several of Germany’s cities. The Van Zanens serve with Christian Reformed World Missions at LCC International University in Lithuania and Steve is CRWM’s team leader for Europe.

Their visit to Germany gave them a better sense of the situation that refugees face, current ministries working with them, and ways that CRWM might contribute.

“The key is to find the right partner whose ministry priorities fit with ours’,” says Steve Van Zanen.

One of the highlights for the Van Zanens was giving 40 euros to Martin Auch for the German-Arabic Bibles.

The money was raised by 10-year-old John Neumann, who sold his own origami at a craft fair. John’s parents, Scott and Lisa, also serve with CRWM in Lithuania.

“I’ve been doing origami for about four years now,” said John Neumann. “I enjoy it because it’s mathematical... I’m glad I did the project because it helps Syrian refugees and brings more glory to God.”

The Van Zanens also had an opportunity to meet many of the refugees—both Christian and Muslim—who may one day receive these Bibles.

One family that they met included two children who fled from Syria’s third-largest city of Homs.

Although an official partnering ministry has not been decided yet, CRWM recently posted a new position to help church leaders in their efforts to reach out to refugees.

“We met several excellent potential partners,” said Steve Van Zanen. “We hope to determine which partner we will work with soon. Pray for the refugees, Syria, Germany and other countries of refuge as they seek to gracefully find solutions for those displaced by Syria’s civil war and other forms of violence in the region."