We are the Hopkins family - Joel, Ellen and our daughters Eliana and Johanna.
God has been leading us towards the mission field for a long time and we are currently in the process of raising financial support.
WHERE ARE WE GOING AND WHAT WILL WE BE DOING?
We are going to Leipzig, Germany and will be coming alongside the ministry of the EFG Jacobstrasse, a Baptist-affiliated church in the center of Leipzig.
During the first two years, our focus will be to study the language and culture (Ellen has a head-start on the language). We will participate in the existing youth ministry and look for outreach opportunities at the local high schools and Leipzig's university. We are blessed to work with an experienced organization like Josiah Venture, who has ministered in Central and Eastern Europe for almost 20 years.
WHAT IS JOSIAH VENTURE ALL ABOUT?
Josiah Venture's vision is to be a movement of God among the youth of Central and Eastern Europe that finds its home in the local church and transforms society.
Josiah Venture's mission is to equip young leaders in Central and Eastern Europe to fulfill Christ's commission through the local church.
You can find out more about Josiah Venture's beginnings, ministry strategy, structure, doctrinal statement, internships and other opportunities, as well as information on how to give at www.josiahventure.com.
WHEN WILL WE GO?
We get this question a lot and the answer is: As soon as we raise 100% of our support. We have to raise $8600/ month, which includes living expenses for our family as well as ministry expenses for our missions work in Leipzig.
Watch the fundraising barometer in the side bar of this blog for our increasing support progress. You may also give towards our ministry with Josiah Venture at www.josiahventure.com/give/people/191. We appreciate your support.
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
Ellen had always considered returning to her home country. Joel, who had considered missions even before meeting Ellen, felt drawn to Germany when learning about Martin Luther’s reformation many centuries ago. (Did you know Joel and Martin Luther share the same birthday? - Well, it’s 500 years apart.)
During a missions trip to the Ukraine in 2006, Joel felt a strong sense that God was asking him to return to a formerly communist country but Joel felt certain it would not be Ukraine. As we continued researching Germany, we heard about the desperate need for missionaries in formerly communist East Germany.
Meanwhile, we continued to be involved in youth ministry state-side. God impressed on Joel’s heart to continue working with this age group as it is in need of consistent care and devotion. We have seen God bless our work with youth over the years.
Since her early years of youth ministry, Ellen has developed an interest in compiling Bible studies for young women. She noticed early on a lack of in-depth, challenging, yet youth-oriented curriculum on the bookstore shelves. After we were married, we started writing these studies together. Soon, we got excited about the idea of starting our own ministry that would concentrate on youth group material and training for youth leaders. In fact, we considered that the name of this ministry should contain the word Josiah as to remember King Josiah, who serves as an example to all young people in the Church.
Around this time, our current church hosted a workshop held by the missions organization TEAM. After attending, we began talking about the possibility of missions once again. We decided to work towards the missions field to see if God would open doors and confirm our desire and calling. And that He did!
A few months later, Joel spoke with one of his professors about our interest in missions, mentioning Josiah Venture. Interestingly enough, Joel’s professor works very closely with JV and JV president Dave Patty. Soon, he introduced us. As we continued to get to know this ministry, we fell in love with JV’s values, strategies, and focus. We cannot believe how much their ministry aligns with what God had already laid on our hearts.
That summer, we had the chance to visit East Germany as well as Josiah Venture’s training center in the Czech Republic. We also spend time with Dave Patty as well as other JV missionaries and missionary kids. We are pleased to say that we found all of JV’s core values and vision lived out consistently.
In October of 2010, we went on another vision trip to meet with churches in Dresden, Chemnitz, and Leipzig to determine where God would lead us to begin the Eastern Germany chapter of Josiah Venture. We saw a lot of openness to Josiah Venture's ministry in Leipzig and are now looking forward to moving there as soon as our support is raised.
Ever since that trip, we had stayed in contact with the pastor and youth pastor of the EFG Jacobstrasse, a Baptist-affiliated church in Leipzig. After further conversations and much prayer on both sides, we are now planning on making this our home church upon arrival in Leipzig.
We are blessed to have Jim and Lina Miller join the JV Germany team. They are seasoned missionaries, having spent some time in Germany and the Czech Republic while working with Josiah Venture and International Teams. They spent the last Chapter of their lives stateside working for the HR department of International Teams and have now joined us in the support raising process for our ministry in Leipzig, Germany. This spring, we all visited Leipzig together and are looking forward to equipping young people in that area to fulfill Christ's commission through the local church.
Thank you for taking an interest in God's journey for us.
We are blessed to have Jim and Lina Miller join the JV Germany team. They are seasoned missionaries, having spent some time in Germany and the Czech Republic while working with Josiah Venture and International Teams. They spent the last Chapter of their lives stateside working for the HR department of International Teams and have now joined us in the support raising process for our ministry in Leipzig, Germany. This spring, we all visited Leipzig together and are looking forward to equipping young people in that area to fulfill Christ's commission through the local church.
Thank you for taking an interest in God's journey for us.
