Bergen International Church Blog

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2008-12-26T14:36:00.003+01:00

At our Christmas celebration BIC bid farewell to Ps Geir Sakeseid during a Holy Communion Service, that, was followed by a wonderful Dinner. May God bless you and your Family Geir in your new posting. As we welcome the new year we will also welcome our new Pastor Rev. Arve Hansen Haugland.

Welcome 2009, Welcome Ps Arve

Pastor Geir says good bye

2008-12-04T18:29:00.004+01:00

Christmas Day will by the last worship service for Geir Sakseid as the pastor of Bergen International Church.

During the last seven and a half year I have seen this church grow from a small fellowship to a mature congregation. It has been a very exciting time! I am so grateful to God that he gave me this experience. I am also full of thanks to all those people who have walked with me during this time, and who will continue to be a part of this international family after I leave.
There have been many ups and downs since we started to plan this church. After one year of meeting in two small groups, we went ahead with the first official worship service, but then several of our key people left Bergen for other assignments. Still we struggled on. As some left, more people have always come. Even some of those who left in the early days have now returned from abroad and have become very active again.

I am sure that our God, who is behind this ministry, will also strengthen the church in the time ahead. We may not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future! God bless you all.

P.S. The new pastor will soon be presented!

Student Welcome Barbeque

2008-08-30T21:48:00.003+02:00

On the 23 August, Bergen International Church joined with Fantoft Christian Fellowship, KIA, Bergens Kirken and Støretveit Church to welcome new students to Bergen. Over 150 students were hosted to a sumptuous Barbeque complete with a fact filled quiz at the end of it all. Welcome to Bergen.

International Women's Group

2008-08-29T10:26:00.004+02:00

Susan Barnard from the UK is one of the ladies who have started the new International Women's Group in Bergen. The group is not related to any church, but holds its meetings in the parish hall of St. Markus Church. Susan writes:

You may have seen an advertisement in the Bergens Tidende for this group. We have just formed and are looking for new members from the International and Norwegian communities. Our aim is to meet for the purposes of speaking English, developing new interests and making new friends. We also hope to smooth the transition to life in Norway through invited speakers from the local community. Our first meeting was a resounding success with over 30 attendees and we now have 50 members from many countries including Norway. We plan to hold two informal meetings each month, one during the day and one during the evening so that you will be able to come along whatever your work schedule and if you like you can come to both! If you are interested in joining then e-mail us at iwgbergen@gmail.com or call Susan on 93 86 03 15. We look forward to meeting you!

A new baby in the family?

2008-08-16T08:32:00.003+02:00

“You must be born again”.
This is what Jesus told Nicodemus, the Jewish leader who had come to him at night to talk with him. We find the story in the gospel of John, chapter 3. We sometimes use the term “born again” in the sense of being a bit fanatic, like a “born-again football fan” or a Christian who is a bit over-enthusiastic about his faith. But what does Jesus really mean when he says that “no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” and that “no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit”?

Outreach to India

2008-08-13T08:16:00.003+02:00

Three former members of one of our cell groups, two of them now returned to Hong Kong, have been on a mission trip to India. They can report that God could use them in marvellous ways:

We were scheduled to do programs in schools in the slum in the mornings and kids club in the afternoon,but God let us have so many other opportunities to share with people. We shared the Gospel with people on the buss, in factories near the churches, the guesthouse we stayed at, and even the cell group meetings, new people came to look at us, and ended up accepting Jesus. It was amazing to See that though our words were simple, it was the Word of God being spread and it had power. The hearts of people were really open and ready, and around 90 accepted Jesus! Praise the Lord. Though we were out and around from 7 in the morning till 11 at night, with less than an hr to rest, it was so rewarding and God gave us strength, It was so encouraging to be a part of the work that was done by the poor there, and see the passion the people had for the Lord. Hearing all the prayers getting answered and worshiping with the Christians there, it was a real blessing to all of us. And we feel privileged to have been a part of it. Our heart are full of thanksgiving and gratitude to the Lord for all He has done, as we continue to pray for the people of India. Thank you for praying and please continue to pray for the newly converted and the Christians in India. The fields are ready for harvest, and new leaders need to rise and serve in the ministry.

Daffy, Lindy and Jo

Farewell party for Frode

2008-08-12T15:27:00.004+02:00

Last weekend was time to say goodbye to Frode (at the far right of the picture).
He is now leaving for Mali in West Africa. Frode is going to be a missionary among the Fulani people, which is 99.99% Muslim.

On Friday evening some of us gathered in Jack and Brenda's house, where the picture is taken.

Remember to keep Frode in your prayers. You can keep in touch with him on his own blog (see the link menu).

Norway's National Day

2008-05-17T16:59:00.012+02:00

Bergen International Church participated in the parade this morning. The men's group had made a boat on wheels, and we had some of the little children sit in it. Thirty some people participated in the parade, many dressed in their national costumes, carrying Norwegian flags and flags from their home countries. Bishop Ole joined us after the parade .

All kinds of Pentecostals

2008-05-13T10:36:00.008+02:00

As every year on the second day of Pentecost, there was an outdoor service in the ancient church ruins behind Haakon's Hall in Bergen. Here are some pictures taken by Harisoa Neriah Ranoroarisoa and Anne Bangui.

Many congretations were represented. Also our previous Bishop, Per Lønning, was there for the occation.

Grace Danhua Lin read from Genesis 11 in Chinese.

Quite a lot of people had gathered this year.

Mission Agreement

2008-05-13T10:29:00.004+02:00

On Sunday 20 April Bergen International Church (BIC) and the Norwegian Missionary Society (NMS) signed a mission agreement. In the agreement we promise to help send out Frode Brügger Sætre as a missionary to Mali. We will do this by praying for him in our worship services and our cell groups and by giving 10 % of our offerings to NMS. As a sign of the agreement, Alvhild Vassel Eide handed over a framed picture.

På søndag 20. april underskreiv Bergen International Church (BIC) og Det Norske Misjonsselskap (NMS) ein misjonsavtale. I avtalen lovar me å vera med å senda ut Frode Brügger Sætre som misjonær til Mali. Det skal me gjera ved å be for han i gudstenester og cellegrupper, og ved å gi 10 % av gåveinntektene våre til NMS. Som eit teikn på avtalen overrakte områdeleiar Alvhild Vassel Eide eit innrama bilde.

United in the Holy Spirit

2008-04-25T16:36:00.003+02:00

On Monday 12 May at 12.00 you have the chance to celebrate Pentecost together with most of the Christian denominations in Bergen in an outdoor service behind the famous Haakons hall in downtown Bergen (click for map)

Pentecost is the third of the great Christian festivals. We celebrate that the Holy Spirit fell on the first Christians in Jerusalem fifty days after Easter. In the Bible, in Acts 2 we read how the apostles went into the street and started preaching the gospel in many different languages. This was the start of a long process that spread the message of Jesus across the world.

The second day of Pentecost is a national holy day in Norway. In Bergen most of the churches use this opportunity to celebrate our unity – despite our differences – on this historic site. Actually, the field where we are gathered is the site of the first stone church in Bergen. This church was called Kristkirken – Christ Church. It was built by the king who founded the city, Olav Kyrre, towards the end of the eleventh century. Each year, for more than a decade, Christians in Bergen have come together on this historic site to worship our Lord.

This year the service will be led by the Roman Catholic priest Dom Alois, the preacher is the Methodist pastor Tom Johnsen, the orchestra of the Salvation Army leads the music, and the choir Maria Vocalis will sing. After the service we are invited to church coffee by the commander of Bergenhus fort, General Major Jan Blom.

You can see an article (in Norwegian but with a picture) about the service two years ago here.

Women's Prayer Day

2008-03-08T22:18:00.002+01:00

The first Friday in March is the World Women's Day of Prayer. The ladies in the "From heart to heart" group participated in the local meeting at "Betlehem" in Bergen for the second year. Here is a picture as they sing to the gathered women.

(Picture: Anne Wangui)

Greetings from Hyderabad, India!

2008-01-15T16:09:00.000+01:00

We, Mona, Dag Erik and our little daughter Selma Marie, are now in India on a visit. We came here 5th January, and will stay here until 26th March. It is 4 years since our last visit, and it was exciting bringing Selma here for the first time. We arrived at a pleasant time of the year; it is 'winter', which means 25-30 degrees during the day. Thanks to our friends' hospitality and consideration, it has been a smooth transition. We are grateful that Selma Marie seems to cope well with food and temperature change.

We stay in our friends' flat, and Selma have already become friends with the staff here, a driver and two girls who cook and clean. They speak the local language, Telugu, to her, so we hope she will pick up some words. We also try ourselves to learn some words in Telugu, as English is not always understood.

These two last days, 14th and 15th January, there is a festival celebrated throughout South India, here called "Sankranti" or "Pongal". It is a harvest festival, and it involves kite flying and Rangoli paintings (patterns made with coloured powder). From our roof top terrace, we can see kites flying from virtually every roof top. Women dress in their beautiful sarees and Punjabi dresses, and people greet each other with "Happy Pongal" or "Happy Sankranti".

In other words, Hyderabad is quite different from Bergen in terms of climate, culture and size. Hyderabad has a unique history, and we hope to learn more about it during our stay.

So, with some pictures from India, we wish you all the best, and we hope to see you in Norway after Easter.

Mona, Dag Erik and Selma Marie Joksch Berg

Modern Prophets?

2007-12-16T00:36:00.000+01:00

Last week we saw Al Gore and Rajenda Pachauri receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo
In some ways they remind me of the prophets we find in the Bible – perhaps with the slight difference that the prophets in the Bible didn’t get thousands of dollars for their performances…
Al Gore has been in the news for many years because he has been preaching a very serious message. He’s been preaching judgment over humanity if we don’t change our lifestyle. Isn’t it time for evangelical Christians to start listening to his message?

Read more in Pastor Geir's blog: Pastor's Pasture

Christmas traditions

2007-12-09T22:08:00.000+01:00

We have asked some of the young people in our church where they are going to celebrate Christmas this year, and how they celebrate Christmas in their home countries.

Evelyn Owomugisha and John Ssali from Uganda are two of the international students at NLA, Norwegian Teacher’s Academy in Sandviken. Both of them stay at Fantoft and worship in Bergen International Church.

- We plan to celebrate in St. Markus church this year, together with Bergen International Church, Evelyn answers. John too confirms that this is his plans. – Since we started to come here, we have found a good fellowship in this congregation.
- In Uganda Christmas is an important holiday time, John continues. People go home from their work in the cities to connect with their families in the villages. The 25th of December is the most important day. Churches are usually open all night from the evening before.

Joseph Kau from Hong Kong, China studies environment science with University of Bergen this year.
- I am going to Eastern Europe on a holiday with a couple of friends this Christmas. I don’t know exactly which country I will be in. If I had been in Hong Kong, I would have gathered with my friends to have a party together on Christmas Day. Many churches only celebrate Christmas with some Christmas carols on the Sunday before or after the 25th. Some Christians go out on the streets to sing Christmas carols and share the gospel with people during Christmas time.

DS Martin lives in Singapore, but comes originally from South India. This fall he has been on a short term stay in Bergen with his company, Unitech Offshore.
- This year I will celebrate Christmas in Singapore. On Christmas Day I will first go to church, and then I will take some friends out for lunch. Ten percent of what I spend, I will send to my family in India, who will distribute it to the poor.
This is definitely an idea we can support. What would happen if all Norwegians gave ten percent of what they spend for Christmas to the poor?

The Fixed Point - Det Faste Punktet

2007-12-04T19:42:00.000+01:00

Frode has sent us a new letter from Paris:

Life is change. It is impossible to freeze life and make everything remain the way they are. During the months in Paris, I’ve gotten to know many very nice people. I’ve experienced a city with a lot of beauty. I’ve tasted new and very good foods. I’m in the privileged position that I’m allowed to learn a new language. Read more:

Livet består av endringar. Det er umogeleg å frysa livet, og få alt til å verta verande som det er. I løpet av månadane i Paris har eg vorte kjent med mange fine menneske. Les meir:

God is good! says Sayora

2007-11-13T14:58:00.000+01:00

Here follows a story from one of our former members who live in Central Asia:

Just wanted to share with you small story of Gods ‘ grace and goodness.
I was in India for conference for about 10 days. On my last day, walking on the street
realized that I don’t have enough Rupees left for taxi to airport. No problem at all,
thought at first. Asked some people about Exchange office, and getting some directions after looking for some time, found out there is no exchange office nearby.

Stopped some taxi, they were asking very High Price to airport as I am foreigner, plus the small taxis had a strike on that day!! Few taxis that were around, were taking advantage of the situation…
So, I had to be in airport in one hour, have no local money and can’t agree and bargain with taxi drivers… because of language barriers…
One young Indian boy was coming along the street and I asked him, do you speak English? Yes, he replied. I asked him is there any place where I can change money?
He said, it is very far from here, are u going to airport? ( he could see that I am with luggage) . I said, yes, but I have problem, first- taxi is asking very high price, and second I don’t have enough Rupees to pay, so, don’t know what to do.. I need a place to change money.. as I have to go to airport asap…

He said, No problem, I will stop taxi and also pay for it! I said, Oh NO, I don’t accept it, if you only stop taxi and bargain for real price, I would be fine.. I pay him in airport as there is Exchange office..
He said, You know, I am a x-tan, and every week I give money to church, Today I will give this money to you and you pay it back to any church!! Can u imajine?
I was sooo touched and started to cry! I just couldn’t believe it!!!
To meet a stranger in India just in time of need and he says I am x-tan and you can give back this money to any church??? In Hyderabad about 80% are Muslims, rest are Hindus!! Very few x-tans.
He stopped taxi, bargain for price and paid for it, saying it is not problem, pay it back to any church!! Young 14-15 years old Indian boy!!
How can anyone say it was an accident? I couldn’t stop crying as I knew it was from above and One who cares about all our needs no matter where we are!!!!
He just sends His message in the midst of any trouble saying “No panic!. You are Not forgotten! I do care for you and I am in control!”

And you know how vulnerable we become when we are in a strange land ha? We start panic about everything! I said, YES, Lord, I got the message; you know that I am in India now and panic about having trouble going to airport! Yes, you are here beside, taking care of me…

Crying…. and wondering… Interesting ha, how can He found me and care about me when in India, among the most populated place? And send his follower to me with His message just on time of need??? But He did!!

Isn’t amazing???? More then just amazing…..

Letter from Frode in Paris

2007-10-18T08:34:00.000+02:00

Bon jour à tous!
Many greetings to you from Frode in Paris. As you know I am here to study French before going to Mali as a missionary among the fulani-people. I am studying at a Christian language school in Massy, a suburb just south of Paris.
I feel blessed to be at this school. We are abot 45 students here from many parts of the world. The majority come from North America and Great Britain, but there are also people from Germany, Norway, Hungary, South Corea, China and Brazil. Just as in BIC we experience that we are one in the Lord, despite our different backgrounds. Most of the students are or will become missionaries. In my class I have people who have been missionaries in the jungle in Ecuadore, and people who have been tentmakers in « closed » arab countries. Some of my classmates are becoming missionaries in France, others in North Africa, and others again in Francophone West Africa, like myself. So it is a very inspiring groupt to be part of, and I have the opportunity to learn from the experiences of many people. So it is a privilege to be a student here.
The biggest challenge is off course French. The language, that is. Spoken French is a little bit like mashed potatoes: you smash the words together so that each individual word dissappear. It's a little bit like magic, how those words disappear. Those of you who remember what it is like to learn a new language knows that it can feel almost like becoming a child again. It is difficult to express yourself, to participate in conversations and to contribute in meaningful ways. Linguistically I think I am at about the same level as my 3 year old « nevô » in Norway: an interesting experience. But at the same time it is encouraging to experience that day by day more and more of the mashed potatoes start to make sense. In my situation I find that patience and faithfullness in the studies is important. In Psalm 4,4 God reminds us that « The lord does miracles for the one who is faithfull to him ». I think this applies for all areas of life, also in studying language. My job is to be faithfull in my studies, and than even mashed potatoes will eventually start to speak. In your life there might be other things you need to be faithful about and than see how God can change situations.
I hope everything is well with you in BIC. I pray for you, and look forward to see you during the autumn-break. I am also grateful that you pray for me. In the future I hope to make a blog that we can link to the BIC-home page. But for now here are some prayer points:
GIVE THANKS FOR:
Les Cédres, students and staff and the fellowship we have.
PRAY FOR:
The ministry of Les Cédres
The fellowship between students and staff
That I and the other students will learn French well
In Christ,
Frode

Church Council Retreat

2007-09-07T17:05:00.000+02:00

Last week-end the Church Council and the pastor had a great retreat to Kvamskogen. We stayed at Schlumberger's "hytte". Among other things we prayed for and with another and discussed our various fields of leadership responsibilities. Every member of the council will have one area of ministry as his or her special responsibility, and relate to the volunteers in this field:

These are the members of the council:
At the front: Lin Bernard Nka , Cameroun (music ministry); Ronald Semyalo, Uganda (outreach);
Standing: Ellen Eliassen, Norway/Cameroun (finance); Gunnlaug Bøyum, Norway/Japan (Sunday school); Gerald Kagambirwe Karyeija, Uganda (PR and membership/secretary); Brenda Robertson, Scotland (prayer, voluntary ministry/chair of the board).

A secure future

2007-06-14T08:45:00.000+02:00

A flood can be very dramatic. I remember watching the news once when the strong force of a flooding river washed away the ground under a house until the entire house fell into the river and was smashed to pieces. What a shame to lose your house like that. Perhaps he shouldn’t have built his house on that spot, on the sandy land next to a river.

Jesus ended the Sermon on the Mount with this image. Those who listen to his teaching without putting them into practice, are like the stupid man who didn’t build his house on solid ground. We need a good foundation for our life, and we lay this foundation when we put the words of Jesus into practice.

In church this spring we have been going through the Sermon on the Mount, which is found in Matthew chapter 5-7. This is challenging stuff! When you read it, you are constantly tempted to explain it away. “He must be exaggerating; he didn’t really mean it that way; I’m sure it only applies to monks and nuns, but it doesn’t work in real life.” But when we see how quarrelling and infidelity can break up families and destroy lives, we realise that his teaching might be of value after all.

There are many different kinds of storms in our life. It can be sickness and death, it can be moral choices. These storms often come unexpectedly, and when they come, it is important to have a strong foundation. In this sense, I really want us all to be fundamentalists.

Then there is another storm that will face all of us one day. This is the storm of the day of judgement. When your life is over, or when our Lord Jesus Christ returns, there comes a day when the foundations of your life are shaken. On that day it will be evident if you have built your house on the rock or on sand. On that day, will your house stand, or will it fall?

So, Jesus says we need to put his words into practice. What does this mean?

Firstly, we need to repent
If you read the Sermon on the Mount, you realise that God’s standards are so high that we all fall short. Anyone who reads these words and try to take them seriously, will have to realise that we need to repent and ask Jesus to forgive us all our sins. This is because Jesus makes us realise that sin is not only these big, serious things like killing and adultery, it all starts in our heart and in our mind, with the things we think and the things we say. And we need to repent of these things.

Secondly, we need to put our faith in Jesus Christ
We are saved by his grace alone. We can’t earn our way into heaven by doing good deeds. It is only because Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the grave, it is only because of his blood that we can be saved.
But faith is not only receiving forgiveness. Faith is also to believe that Jesus actually is speaking the truth, and to act on this faith.
If I am lost in the middle of a big city, and I ask someone for direction, and he points in this direction, where do I go? If I believe this person, I go in the direction he points me. And if Jesus gives us directions for our life, believing him means to go in the direction he points us.

Thirdly, we need the help of the Holy Spirit
It is a challenging lifestyle Jesus is calling us to when he sits on the hill, teaching his disciples and the crowds who followed him. It is challenging, and indeed impossible humanly speaking. The high standards of his teaching will always lead us to humility and repentance, but we can also trust the Holy Spirit to help us put the words of Jesus into action.

Jesus did not leave us alone like orphans. He has sent his Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of God is full of grace and power, and he will give us the strength we need every day to put the words of Jesus into action. We don’t want to be like the foolish man, who heard his words but did nothing. We want to build a secure future, both for the rest of this life and for the eternal life, and the Holy Spirit will help us build our house on the strong foundation of Jesus Christ – on his forgiveness and on his teaching.

"Country boy" goes to West Africa

2007-05-31T22:58:00.000+02:00

When bishop Ole Hagesæther spoke to Frode Brügger Sætre in his ordination sermon in St. Markus Church on Pentecost Day, he said that although he looked like a naïve country-boy, he was full of wisdom. Frode was ordained to be a missionary pastor in the middle of West Africa, in Mali. Before the ordination, we had a little chat with him:

What is it that makes a young man move to the borders of the Sahara? Are you especially fond of sand?
I have always loved sunshine, he jokes. Then he gets serious: I have been thinking of becoming a missionary for a long time , but the reason I am going to Mali in particular is because NMS (the Norwegian Missionary Society) decided to send me there. Besides, it is an exciting country, and a place where the gospel is mostly unknown.

What do you hope to achieve in Mali?
I hope to contribute towards building an independent and strong church for the Fulani people together with other missionaries and coworkers. Today there are a few congregations, but still not a church made up of the Fulanis.

But the Fulanis are Muslims and very religious people. Do they need Christian mission?
Yes, just as Norwegians and anyone else do. According to the Christian faith, Jesus is the way to God. Heaven and earth meet in Christ. This is the same for every human being, including the Fulanis. In general, religious knowledge gives a high status in Mali and among the Fulanis, and they are interested in learning more.

Are the missionaries well received among the Fulani people?
Yes, because of all the development aid they have given to everyone, irrespective of their interest in the Christian message, they are respected. They have worked hard to learn the language and the culture of the Fulanis, so that Christianity is not presented as a Western religion.

You have been an active member of Bergen International Church. Tell us why.
It is important that Norwegian Christians do something towards the immigrant population. Many foreigners find it hard to be involved in ordinary Norwegian congregations, and a congregation like BIC is important. Personally, I enjoy the company of people from other cultures, and I like it a lot in this congregation.

Fleirspråkleg ordinasjon i St. Markus
Pinsedag vart ein stor festdag for dei mange som hadde samla seg i St. Markus kyrkje for å vera med på ordinasjonsgudsteneste. Frode Brügger Sætre, som er ein aktiv medlem av Bergen Internasjonale Menighet (BIM), vart ordinert til misjonsprest av biskop Ole Hagesæther. Frode skal bli misjonær for Det Norske Misjonsselskap (NMS) i Mali i Vest-Afrika når han har fullført eit år med ulike kurs.

Gudstenesta i St. Markus kyrkje var halden på fleire språk. Det meste gjekk på engelsk og norsk, men det var også tekstlesingar på koreansk og fransk. Tolk i gudstenesta var Bjørg Hartvedt, som faktisk også var til stades den gong St. Markus kyrkje vart innvigd i 1939. Med i ordinasjonsgudstenesta var også representantar for NMS og Løvstakksiden menighet. Sokneprest Aadne Skiftun uttrykte glede over det gode samarbeidet med BIM som kom til uttrykk på denne måten.

Frode Brügger Sætre er 34 år gammal og kjem frå Austrheim i Nordhordland, men har budd meir eller mindre fast i Bergen dei siste åra. Han studerte teologi på Misjonshøgskulen i Stavanger. Etterpå har han mellom anna arbeidd som misjonssekretær i ”Laget” (Norges Kristelige Student- og Skoleungdomslag). Gjennom Laget har han også vore tilknytta Hald Internasjonale Senter i Mandal. Frode har vore aktivt med i BIM heilt sidan den spede starten i 2001. Både han og kyrkjelyden var glad for at biskopen ville ha ordinasjonen i St. Markus kyrkje.

I Mali skal Frode gå inn i arbeidet med å nå fulani-folket med den kristne bodskapen. Fulanarane er eit nomadefolk som ferdast over store område langs den sørlege grensa av Sahara, i landa mellom Kamerun og Mali. Dei er tradisjonelt muslimar. ”På same måten som nordmenn og alle andre, treng også fulanarane Jesus”, seier Frode. ”I han møtest himmel og jord.”

17th of May Parade in Bergen

2007-05-30T10:17:00.000+02:00

This year Bergen International Church participated for the first time in the parade to celebrate Norway's constitution day on the 17th of May. Some thirty plus people joined our group, and we had a great time together - when we finally were allowed to start, after having waited in the cold for almost two hours. Next year we'll dress a bit warmer...

Heart to Heart

2007-05-30T10:13:00.001+02:00

Here's a picture from the ladies' group "Heart to Heart", which meets on Friday mornings at Brenda's house. The group is always welcoming new members.

International Christmas Celebration

2006-11-30T12:46:00.000+01:00

On Christmas Day, 25 December, you are welcome to celebrate with us in St. Markus Church that our Lord Jesus Christ was born. At 12 mid day we start the celebration with a multi-language worship service up in the main church sanctuary. Afterwards we share a meal downstairs in the parish hall and enjoy the fellowship.

St. Markus church is the big church between Michael Krohns gt and Lien. The address is Lotheveien 1. This church belongs to the local Church of Norway parish of Løvstakksiden. Bergen International Church is an ecumenical, English language international congregation with ties to Church of Norway.

The worship service will be held in several languages, including English and Norwegian. We shall sing Christmas carols from various traditions, read the Christmas story from the Bible, listen to the sermon and pray together.

The meal afterwards is free and open for anyone who wants to come. Last year we were more than a hundred people gathered, and we had a real good time together. We encourage those who come, to bring some of your favourite Christmas food. In this way, we make sure there is enough food for everyone, and we get a good variety of food.

Would you like to come? It is good for the planning committee to know if you plan to come for the meal, so that we get an idea of how many tables we should have ready. So if you plan to come, please send an email to christmas@bergenchurch.no or call the committee leader, Gerald Kagambirwe on 99450521.

We need many helping hands! If you want to help with anything – decorating the place, setting up tables, serving food, cleaning up afterwards – please contact us on the email address or mobile phone number above.

Den framande Jesus

2006-11-30T12:37:00.000+01:00

Innvandring og integrering stod på dagsorden på Kyrkjemøtet i november. Det er på tide, sidan Jesus sjølv var ein flyktning og ein innvandrar. Det passar også svært godt å ta dette opp i julenummeret av Løvstakksidene, sidan preiketeksten på juledag seier om Jesus at ”han kom til sitt eige, og hans eigne tok ikkje imot han”. For oss handlar jula om å ta imot Jesus. Det handlar ikkje berre å ta imot han med trua i hjarta. I dag kjem Jesus også til oss som den framande som bankar på kyrkjedøra

Løvstakksiden menighet er ein av dei kyrkjelydane som har opna dørene og tatt godt imot kristne frå andre kulturar. Innvandrarar er representerte både i staben og i soknerådet. For fem år sidan var Solheim og St. Markus, som det heitte den gongen, med og tok initiativ til å starta Bergen Internasjonale Menighet. Og i begge kyrkjene har kristne etniske kyrkjelydar og fellesskap fått lokale til å ha gudstenester på sine språk. På den måten viser me at kristne frå heile verda høyrer saman.

Kulturkollisjonar og misforståelsar er ikkje til å unngå når ulike kristne grupper skal dela kyrkjerommet. Når folk seier at det er store kulturforskjellar mellom Solheim og St. Markus, kor mykje vanskelegare er det ikkje då å forstå kvarandre når ein ikkje snakkar same språk ein gong? Det er då ein utfordring til oss alle å sjå Jesus i den framande. Det trur eg vil gjera det lettare for oss å strekka oss langt så me kan bera over med kvarandre i kjærleik.

Kyrkjemøtet sitt dokument ”Innvandring og integrering – Den norske kirkes rolle i et flerkulturelt samfunn” tar opp mange viktige ting, og det har mange konkrete utfordringar til kyrkja, med forslag til kva me kan gjera for å opna oss endå meir for kvarandre. Også kyrkjemøtet i fjor kom med ei liknande oppfordring: Kyrkjemøtet bad kyrkjelydane om å ”åpne gudstjenestefeiringen så den gir rom for ulike kulturuttrykk og legge til rette for praktisk deltagelse for alle mennesker, inkludert mennesker med ulik språklig og kulturell bakgrunn.”

Jesus var sjølv flyktning. Josef og Maria tok Jesusbarnet i all hast med seg frå Betlehem til Egypt, der dei fekk ”politisk asyl” til faren var over. Dagens kristne egyptarar føler at Jesus på denne måten velsigna Egypt på ein særskilt måte. Kan me her i Norge tenka på same måten når Jesu brør og søstre kjem til oss som flyktningar eller andre innvandrarar i dag? Sjølv føler eg det iallfall slik. Som prest i Bergen Internasjonale Menighet (BIM) blir eg velsigna på mange måtar av dei kristne frå heile verda som samlast til gudsteneste i St. Markus kyrkje.

På juledag har du høve til å oppleva ei festgudsteneste utanom det vanlege. I St Markus skal det vera fleirspråkleg festgudsteneste for å feira han som kom for å ta bustad mellom oss. Denne gudstenesta er eit samarbeid mellom BIM og Løvstakksiden menighet. Gudstenesta blir halden på fleire språk – både norsk, engelsk, kinesisk, koreansk og kanskje fleire også. Me skal synga julesongar frå fleire tradisjonar, og sikkert nokre av dei gode gamle norske også. Og mens me ventar på jul, ønsker eg deg ei god adventstid. Vel møtt til dei mange arrangementa både i Solheim og St Markus!

African night at BIC

2006-11-07T09:36:00.000+01:00

Here are some pictures from our last worship service, led by some of our African members (and a couple of Brazilians). Sorry we have no means to upload the sound from the service, or the atmosphere!

God's refugees

2006-10-26T14:54:00.000+02:00

"To God's elect, strangers in the world". This is how Peter addresses the readers of his first letter to the Christian congregations. Not all of us are refugees, but many of the people in Bergen International Church have left their home country for one reason or another. In one sense all Christians are away from our real home, heaven, and we live our life as strangers in the world.

On Sunday 29 November we start a study on 1 Peter. I quote from the cover of the book 'Homeward Bound', which will be our study guide: "The first letter of Peter is one of the gems of the New Testament. It is packed with glorious truths and teaching about our salvation in Christ, how we are strangers and exiles here on earth, and about our true home in heaven that is to be the focus of our lives. And yet it is equally full of stirring challenge and practical encouragement to live good lives among the unbelievers around us, when that means suffering and heartache."

If you want to get the full value of this study, you should join one of our small groups that meet during the week. In the Sunday worship services we shall have only some 'starters' but the full meal is taken at home in your private study and in the cell group meeetings. The cell groups are always open to new members, but this is a particularly good time to join a group, since we are just finishing our previous study.

Pastor Geir

Purpose-Driven Life

2006-10-09T21:40:00.000+02:00

This fall our church is going through the famous book "Purpose Driven Life". Many have found a new perspective on life through the study of his book.
Some of our members sent this interview with Rick Warren:

This is an absolutely incredible interview with Rick Warren , "Purpose Driven Life " author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California . His wife now has cancer, and he now has "wealth" from the book sales.

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

"People ask me, "What is the purpose of life?" And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.

God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.

God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain."

But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.

It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD. Difficult moments, SEEK GOD. Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD. Painful moments, TRUST GOD. Every moment, THANK GOD. "

BCCF - a place for the Chinese in Bergen

2006-08-22T21:12:00.000+02:00

The Chinese Christians in Bergen have recently organised themselves as BCCF - Bergen Chinese Christian Fellowship. BCCF will increase the number of Chinese worship services to have services on two Saturdays each month, starting from September 26. The services will take place in the parish hall, downstairs in St. Markus Church, Lotheveien 1. They are organised together with Bergen International Church and the Oslo congregation of SCCC - Scandinavia Chinese Christian Church. The leader of BCCF is Dr Liu Tiancun from Beijing.

BKKF
Gruppen av kristne kinesere i Bergen er nå organisert under navnet Bergen Kinesiske Kristne Fellesskap. Det langsiktige målet er å danne en egen kinesisk menighet i Bergen, men foreløpig organiserer BKKF gudstjenester på kinesisk i St. Markus kirke to lørdager i måneden. Dette skjer som et samarbeid mellom Bergen Internasjonale Menighet og den kinesiske menigheten i Oslo, som er en del av SCCC – Scandinavia Chinese Christian Church. Den nye lederen for BKKF heter Liu Tiancun og kommer fra Beijing.

World Cup Mission

2006-06-26T13:20:00.000+02:00

Last Sunday we prayed for one of our members who is on a short-term mission trip to the football World Cup in Germany (name withheld), and today we have his report:

"Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for your prayers.

Yesterday we had a very good day here. It was a big gathering
at one market here in town. All the churches had joined forces.
They had different activities for the kids, a lot food, and different
groups at the stage.

I felt that I got prayer answered yesterday. I had a very good
conversation with one of the people who visited our stand.
I was very blessed, and I think that he was blessed through
it. And that was exactly what I asked for prayers for.

Saturday we also had a very good visit to one from Ghana.
He shared a lot of interesting things from his life.

I hope the week will have more of this.

blessings to all you."

Keep on praying!
Pastor Geir

Baby Shower

2006-05-06T19:53:00.000+02:00

Our youngest member, Selma Marie Joksch Berg, was born to Mona and Dag Erik a month ago, on April 5. Today we had a baby shower for her in the parsonage. Congratulations with the baby!

GOSPEL TRUTH?

2006-04-26T22:34:00.000+02:00

A comment on John 20:19-31

Does Jesus want us to be naïve?
When Jesus showed himself to Thomas the sceptic a week after the resurrection, he said to him: “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed” Does Jesus want us to be naïve? Unfortunately, too many people are naïve and believe anything they are told. That is why books like The Da Vinci Code become so popular. They think it is based on thorough research, when it is only a mix of fables. Unlike Thomas, we have never seen the risen Jesus Christ with our physical eyes. The only thing we have is the Bible telling us that it happened. How can we know it is true? Are we naïve to believe these stories? What about these other gospels that have been discovered, like the gospel of Judas?

Why were some books not included in the New Testament?
One of the claims in The da Vinci code is that at the time of the Roman emperor Constantine, there were many gospels in circulation. Dan Brown says that Constantine authorised just four of the gospels and had all the others burned. And when this so-called gospel of Judas becomes known to us, people start believing that they can’t trust our Bible anymore. So what really happened? Let me first give you a short answer and then a long one: The short answer is that there are three main reasons why they were not included: Firstly, they were not written by eye witnesses. Secondly, they were not in general use across the Christian church. Thirdly, they were not in accordance with the teaching of the apostles. Although Constantine, the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity, had an interest in church politics, there is no evidence that he burnt any Christian books, and he did not authorise a particular list of books.

A long process
The gathering of the scriptures of the New Testament was not the choice of one man or one particular church synod. It was a long process, and it involved all the churches in the Christian world. The first Christians did not have the New Testament. They had something better: the New Testament writers themselves. They had Jesus Christ himself, who is in person the Word of God. They had the apostles, who remembered what he did and what he said, and who had received the Spirit of truth from Jesus.

The next generation of Christians had the scriptures of these apostles and the evangelists. They used these eye witness accounts in their worship services, along with the holy scriptures from the Old Testament. They also had a whole lot of other scriptures. These were widely used as literature, but they were not regarded as holy scripture on the same level as the gospels and the letters of Paul. The most famous of these scriptures have been gathered in a collection called “The apostolic fathers”.

The first known list of recognised New Testament books dates from around AD 170-200. It mentions all the books in our New Testament. The famous bishop Athanasius of Alexandria listed our twenty seven books in the year 365. A few years later, Gerome translated the Bible into Latin and gave the West its standard text, the Vulgate. These lists were then finally confirmed in two general synods in 397 and 418. My point is that this was not the accidental choice of one or two men. The whole Christian church was involved in this long process, and they used very strict criteria: The scriptures had to be eye witness accounts that were in accordance with the apostolic teaching and in common use in the worship services all across the Christian church.

What about the apocryphic gospels or acts?
A number of scriptures were written too late to be regarded as authoritative holy scripture on the same level as the scriptures that were included in our New Testament. These are sometimes called apocryphic books. Some of them are in accordance with the apostolic teaching while others represent heretic teachings like gnostisism. Common for these scriptures is that they try to fill in the gaps where the New Testament scriptures keep silent, for example about the childhood years of Jesus and the stories of the apostles not mentioned in Acts. It was common to give the book a name after a famous person. But even though the intention was good, this wasn’t always reliable.

The Gnostic gospels
Gnostisism was a syncretistic religious system that blended Christian beliefs with Greek philosophy and Eastern mysticism, and very much opposed to Jewish beliefs. It was a dualistic system where everything physical was regarded as evil and only the spiritual was good. The Greek word gnosis means “knowledge”. The idea was that Jesus gave secret knowledge to some of his disciples, who in turn passed it secretly on to others. In the Gnostic gospels the villain of the Biblical stories becomes the hero. The creator god of Genesis becomes the villain, while the serpent is the hero.

What about the gospel of Judas?
This was presented to the public just before Easter this year. It was found in Egypt around 1970 and smuggled to the USA. The fragmented manuscript is a Coptic (Egyptian) translation from Greek, dated to around AD 300. Scholars say that it does not give us new knowledge about Jesus Christ or Judas, but it does give us interesting knowledge about Gnostisism. The original Greek text was probably written around AD 150, so it was not written by Judas. The Church father Irenaus mentions it in AD 185. The text gives us the typical Gnostic picture of Jesus: Divine but not really human. Quite typically it makes the villain into a hero. Judas is the only one who understands who Jesus really is. When Judas betrays Jesus, he is only freeing him of his human “clothing”, so he is actually doing Jesus a favour.

Not naïve
Perhaps some of you also have begun to doubt if the gospels we have in our Bible are true, or perhaps you think they are there by coincidence. Let me tell you that they are not there by coincidence. God has been in control of the process. Our Lord Jesus Christ breathed his Holy Spirit on his disciples. He gave them insight. He spent 40 days with them, teaching them what was written about him in the scriptures of the OT. He gave his disciples authority to pass on this knowledge. And they did so. They wrote down their stories, and the first Christians took great care in passing the scriptures on to those following after them. We are not naïve if we trust them.

Welcome on (the) board, Gerald!

2006-03-17T20:46:00.000+01:00

New member of the church council:

”Bergen is my second home,” says Gerald Kagambirwe Karyeija, (33) Ph.D. student living at Fantoft. In Bergen International Church we are glad to have Gerald as a part of our church family, and we welcome him as a new member of the church council.

- My part of Uganda is also mountainous, so I feel at home in Bergen. I like this city because it is not so fast and hectic as the other European cities. It is less crowded. It is also very safe at night. Bergen hasn’t got the typical city life. Here people retain their family relations. It is a modern city, but with a strong rural dimension.

Last year Gerald took a master degree in public administration at the University of Bergen, and he has recently returned from Uganda to start his work on a Ph.D. on how culture can influence parliamentary decision-making. Uganda is a country with a mix of cultures that result in conflicting views on many things. Muslims, for example oppose a law against polygamy, and Catholics are against laws for family planning.

What was your first impression of Norway?
- Norwegians were cold people! I felt that they didn’t want to relate to me and that they preferred to keep a distance. I also noticed that the living-standard is very high. And I was shocked by the way people express their intimacy in public. But I was pleased to find that it was so easy to relate with people in authority, like my teachers. They treat us as their equals.
Has this impression changed since then?
- Yes, I have found that Norwegians actually want to get to know you, although they are shy, and this may be misinterpreted by foreigners. I have also corrected the stereotype of Europeans. You are told that religion has died in Europe. But I have found so many faithful and spirit-filled people who are serving the Lord. This was better than I had expected.

Why did you join Bergen International Church?
- I went to a number of churches first, and then I found myself at home in BIC for a number of reasons: The services are in English, so I can understand what’s going on. You can find people from all ages in the congregation, from the very young to the very old. And the way the services are conducted suits my personality. Orderly, not noisy, yet not boring! It is truly an International church with people from so many backgrounds. It is homely. You find yourself welcome and involved at once. To me all this was very satisfying.

Do you have any vision for the church?
- I think it can grow, especially in terms of number. There are also many gifts that are not yet discovered and used.
We wish Gerald luck in his work on the Ph.D. and hope his wife Faustine, who is still in Uganda, can join him in Bergen soon.

Ellen Eliassen and Gunnlaug Bøyum were re-elected to a new term on the council at the Annual General Meeting on 26th of February.

Candidates for Church Council

2006-02-21T13:56:00.000+01:00

The list of candidates for the BIC church council is ready.

The current council (names with country of origin):

Hee-Chan Seo, Korea (chair)
Gunnlaug Bøyum, Norway, (vice chair)
Brenda Robertson, Scotland, (secretary
Ellen Eliassen, Norway, (treasurer)
Mona Joksch Berg, Norway
Sumihar Silalahi, Indonesia (left Bergen summer of 2005)

The candidates

The Annual General Meeting on 26 February will elect three members for a two year period. The candidates are:

Ellen Eliassen (70). Ellen is the current treasurer of BIC. She has been on the council since 2003. She is born in Bergen and has spent most of her adult life in Cameroun as a missionary for the Norwegian Missionary Society.

Gunnlaug Bøyum (60). Gunnlaug is the current vice chair of BIC, and has also been on the council since 2004. She is from Bergen and has spent many years as missionary in Japan. Currently she works as a teacher. Gunnlaug sometimes plays the piano in the worship services. (Sorry, no picture of her.)

Gerald Kagambirwe is from Uganda. He is married and a student of public administration. Gerald is also in the board of Fantoft Christian Fellowship. He has recently returned from field research.

Ronald Semyalo is also from Uganda. He is married and studies marine biology. Currently he is in his home country for field research, but plans to join us again in June.

Bocong Sun, (20), usually called Bo, is from Beijing in China. He is an active member of our church and of the Chinese Christian fellowship in Bergen. Bo is a high-school student.

Please pray about this and give your vote on Sunday after the service at 17.00.

Pastor Geir

The Muhammad Cartoons

2006-02-07T21:20:00.000+01:00

The last week people in Europe have witnessed with astonishment how a few simple drawings have sparked a fire in the Muslim world – a fire that is still raging. It has the potential to develop into something really nasty, much worse than the burning of flags and diplomatic missions. As I write this, news about the first deaths have already reached us. How do we as Christians respond to this violence? And can we criticize the prophet of Islam without risking violent reactions?

It is natural to feel disgust towards people who resort to the kind of violence we have seen on TV lately. Yes, the cartoons were an unneccesary provocation. Yet, to us, the reactions seem way out of proportion. We ask ourselves if this reaction is merely political or stem from the root of Islam itself. In this situation we must not answer with more violence and provocation. Now is the time for us to pray for peace and to meet our Muslim fellow citizens with love and respect.

Muslims in the Middle East put the blame on all Danes, all Norwegians and in turn all Westerners for what was done by a couple of newspapers. We already see that some Norwegians do the same and blame all Muslims for what is now going on in some areas. Sadly, also here in Bergen stones have been thrown at one of the mosques, although the leaders of Muslims in Norway have renounced the violent acts in Syria and elsewhere.
A better reaction is to show Christian love to the Muslims you meet in Bergen, whether it is at work, at school or in your neighbourhood.

Also for the sake of our Christian brothers and sisters who live as minorities in Muslim countries, it is now of utmost importance that we do what we can to calm the situation. Diplomats are protected by armed guards. Tourists can get on an airplane and leave. But most local Christians have no other option than to stay and to pray that they will not be the next target of sectarian violence.

The issue of press freedom, however, is something we should continue to debate. It is understandable that Muslims feel offended by the less than respectful drawings of their prophet. Unfortunately, however, criticism of Muhammad has always been met with violence in the Muslim camp. This is not a new development. It goes back to the time when the prophet himself lived in Medina and ordered the murder of a poet who had insulted him. All experience shows us that if we want to communicate with Muslims, it us usually counter-productive to criticise their prophet. It is better to point in a positive way to Jesus, and present him to our Muslim friends and let them think for themselves. Still, the current situation makes it relevant to ask: Is the Muslim community able to accept scrutinizing, honest questions about their prophet without resorting to violence?

Pastor Geir Sakseid

Norwegian summary:
Karikaturteikningane av Muhammad var ein unødig provokasjon, men reaksjonane frå muslimsk hald var skræmande store. Det er no viktig at me ikkje svarar med same mynt og stiller norske muslimar kollektivt til ansvar for det som skjer i delar av den muslimske verda, også med tanke på kva konsekvensar det kan få for kristne minoritetar i muslimske land. Situasjonen gjer det likevel naturleg å stilla spørsmål til om det i det heile tatt er mogleg å stilla kritiske spørsmål til profeten Muhammed utan at det blir svara med vald.

Thank you, bishop Ole!

2006-01-21T10:53:00.000+01:00

Our bishop, Ole D. Hagesæther of the diocese of Bjørgvin, has given us clear, biblically based advice on the issue of homosexuality. In a statement on our diocese’s webpage here (in Norwegian) he clarifies his own views. This comes as the report written by the Church of Norway’s Doctrinal Committee was released on Friday. Half of the committee recommends the ordination of clergy living in homosexual relationships, whereas our bishop remains on the restrictive side. For the last twelve years he has worked with this issue but has only been strengthened in his views. It is evident that our bishop has a loving heart also towards the homosexuals. We need to meet all people with generosity and respect, just as Jesus did. “But we must, in order to be truthful, also remember that in those same stories Jesus calls people to repentance and a new lifestyle,” he writes.

Pastor Geir Sakseid

The Attitudes of Discipleship

2006-01-10T19:55:00.000+01:00

Having just completed last fall's Bible study on Paul's letter to the Ephesians, we now try something different. Actually, from one perspective it's rather traditional: We will use the Revised Common Lectionary in our worship services. This is a system of Bible readings for the whole year, and it is used by many denominations.

To help us get into the texts we have found an online tool on the ELCA's (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) web pages for evangelism. The tool, called Daily Discipleship is a series of downloadable files for individuals or small groups who want to study the Sunday gospel passages during the week.

This is what we do: On Sunday we introduce the topic of the week in the worship service. Then we use the same topic in the cell group during the week. This helps us get deeper into the texts, and perhaps Jesus can challenge us in a more personal way.

Currently, the topic of these studies is called "Attitudes of Discipleship". This winter and spring most of the texts will be from the gospel of Mark and of John.

To check out the studies, follow this link: http://www.elca.org/evangelism/dailydiscipleship/

Denne vinteren og våren bruker vi de internasjonale tekstrekkene fra "Revised Common Lectionary", som er brukt av flere kirkesamfunn. Tema akkurat nå er "Disippelsinn". Vi ser på ulike holdninger en Jesus-etterfølger skal ha. Tekstene og hjelp til bibelstudium finnes på lenken over.

Pastor Geir

Fantastic Christmas Celebration

2005-12-25T22:35:00.000+01:00

The parish hall of St. Markus Church was absolutely packed today as just over a hundred people were seated at the tables to celebrate Christmas Day together. Charles Michelo from Zambia led the first part of the celebration while several people participated in sharing the Christmas message. The two sisters Pascale and Marie Solveig played violin and cello. People brought lots of food to share with each other. This was a very encouraging end to the year 2005. Pray that God will continue to bless us in the coming year!

Menighetsavdelingen i St. Markus kirke var fullpakket i dag, da vel 100 mennesker satt til bords for å feire juledag sammen. Charles Michelo fra Zambia ledet den første delen av festen, og flere personer deltok i å fortelle julebudskapet. De to søstrene Pascale og Marie Solveig spilte fiolin og cello. Folk hadde tatt med seg mye mat som vi delte med hverandre. Dette var en svært oppmuntrende avslutning på 2005. Be om at Gud må fortsette å velsigne oss til neste år!

Fighting violence against women

2005-10-25T08:55:00.000+02:00

At the time of writing, the total collected money from the national TV fundraising campaign last Sunday has reached 134,5 million Kroner. In our ecumenical worship service we collected 2606 kroner.
In the service we focused on women from various angles. Rev. Jacob Frode Olsen from Bergen Cathedral preached on how Jesus healed a woman (Luke 13:10-17). Mrs Lillian Michelo, who is a midwife from Zambia, informed us about the situation of women in Africa.
There was much music in the service. Our own member, Nathanael Hale played the prelude and the postlude on his bassoon. Vidar Hovden, the pastor of Adventkirken (the Adventist Church) played a piece on the panflute and accompanied the worship team, which was helped by a group from Fantoft Christian Fellowship.
About fifty people attended the service.

Ellen is seventy!

2005-10-25T08:54:00.000+02:00

Congratulations to one of our oldest members, Ellen Eliassen, who turned seventy on October 15. Ellen is our church treasurer and has served as a missionary in Cameroun for more than forty years. She is often the person who greets you with a smile and a handshake when you enter the door of Bergen International Church.
Here she is together with Annabelle, our youngest member.
We love you, Ellen!

Hårek and Mou in Pakistan: Fine but shaken

2005-10-09T15:09:00.000+02:00

Our condolences and prayers go out to all those who have been afflicted by the terrible earthquake in Pakistan. In the midst of it all, we have received an email from former BIC members currently living in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Hårek Aspenes and his wife Moushumi with children Vincent and Amias, were active in the church before we started regular services in the fall of 2002. They are safe, thank God, but obviously shocked and tired. We include some passages that Moushumi wrote:

"It is definitely the worst I have ever felt in my life. Coming from Bangladesh, I do not know much about earthquakes since we hardly had it in BD... I jumped up when I felt the terrible shaking of the house. Whole house was banging and shaking. I ran outside after going down and waited for Vincent and Harek to come down. When they were late, all I was asking God was to stop this thing. It stopped and no one was hurt, but we lost our strength...
Today is the second day and often we experience the aftershock. The house moves and we try to hurry to go out. But we are fed up now. It is too much to run all the time. No one in Islamabad slept last night. I felt constant trembling when I lay my head and I was up and around. I planned how I will carry the boys down and out if the quake began voilently again. But Harek is as usual more relaxed. Anyway, just to tell you all, we are fine but shaken.
But we are praying for those we are still under that 19 story building. May be dead and may be alive. And we have lost one Swedish mom with her 3 children. Till now no sign of their bodies. Also one frined of ours, named Raheela Gul. Does the name ring a bell? She was becoming famous for hiking in dangerous places. She is a Pakistani - Norwegian. She went to that building to see a relative and spent the night with her relatives. Last night at 2am, her brother was still frantically looking for her. Such a pity. I talked to her two weeks ago. She booked hotel for us in Khagan and Naran valley. I have not got a chance to say thanks to her. She was very tall and very thin. Full of adventure. Life is often harsh. I pray that Raheela comes out of the debris alive and well. "

From Bergen to Spitsbergen

2005-10-07T18:43:00.000+02:00

Dag Erik and I just returned from a Nor-Can expedition to an Arctic research town (Ny Ålesund; population ca. 30) on an island called Spitsbergen (Svalbard). Dag Erik was going up to visit his sister, who works there as a cook, and I got to tag along. It was a great experience and the nature was fantastic with the snow-covered mountains, glaciers etc. I made some photo pages of the trip. The links are below if you're curious to see what life was like for two BIC members at 79 degrees north. And yes, it can get cold up there.

Dominic

http://www.geocities.com/dominicandre2/domnanton3pg1.html

http://www.geocities.com/dominicandre2/domnanton3pg2.html

http://www.geocities.com/dominicandre2/domnanton3pg3.html

http://www.geocities.com/dominicandre2/domnanton3pg4.html

Church Camp

2005-09-29T09:47:00.000+02:00

We had a great trip to Markhuset in the awesome valley of Eksingedalen last week-end. a perfect time and place to experience Norwegian nature at its best. Best of all: It didn't rain all the time - we even had some nice sunshine!

Of course the purpose of the trip wasn't only to enjoy the nature but to get to know each other better as a church family.

And is there a better way to get to know each other than making meals and sharing them and do the dishes together?

And when there are too few blankets, we get a good exercize in the spiritual discipline of sharing :-)

We should have been more than 18 people enjoying the fellowship, though. We hope for more people next time we go on a church trip somewhere.

Fire From The North

2005-08-11T15:13:00.000+02:00

Wow! was the only word I could say after the first meeting at the Fire From The North Conference last week!

"Fire From The North" was the name of a prayer conference held in Lerwick in Shetland and lasted for a whole week! Brenda Robertson and I (Helga Sakseid) represented Bergen International Church.

The goal for the conference was to pray and intercede for North Europe. We were about 350 delegates from all over the world, but most of them from England. It was a most wonderful experience to worship and pray with people who were completely free in the Lord. People danced, waved banners, or people knelt silently, people shared words that God had given them to share, some had a prophecy, others a confession of sin on behalf of their nation. It was amazing to witness how The Holy Spirit gently took over the leading of some of the meetings.

Many people turn away from God in North Europe today, but intercessors from these countries don't give up pursuing the vision that God is going to create something new. God is going to raise up people who are totally comitted to Him and will obey His will no matter what. We must not allow any compromise with the Devil. For the Nordic countries(Norw.,Sweden and Finland) we have the vision that there will be a revival in the younger generation, youth will stand up to be pastors and leaders and share the Gospel with great boldness. A people not bound by the "Jante" spirit but free to be the unique, prescious child of God. There will be a united spirit between the three countries from the northen parts and southwards.
There were visions of more unity between the nations among the believers, and also a spirit of repentence of sin done to other nations. (E.g.during the war.)

I recommend you to visit the website of Fire From The North: http://www.ruachministries.org/fire/default.htm

Helga

What has Paul got to do with us?

2005-08-07T02:14:00.000+02:00

“Let’s get Paul out of the Bible and over in church history! I like reading the gospels, but I disagree with Paul’s views on women or gay people.” Statements like this are quite common these days. But if you don’t like Paul, what would be left of the faith we have?
What about those passages in Paul’s letters that we love to read?
- Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
- And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
- It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
- Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again. Rejoice!
All these are quotations from Paul’s letters. Which of them would you like to remove from the Bible? As for me, I would like to keep them all. If we can trust Paul when he speaks words that we love to hear, maybe we need to trust him when we hear words that are difficult to understand for people in our time and our society. We need to take time with Paul and let God speak to us through him. If we do we shall get a deeper understanding of the will of God.

This fall in Bergen International Church we shall focus on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. This small letter covers less than ten pages of the Bible but it has got a lot of deep insight in the mysteries of our faith, as well as much practical advice for our Christian life, relevant even today.

The author begins his letter by identifying himself as “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God”. After Paul’s dramatic encounter with Christ on the way to Damascus, Jesus himself makes him his apostle. Paul becomes an official spokesman of Jesus. There is no contradiciton between the message of Jesus in the gospels and the message of Jesus through his apostle Paul. It is a mistake to allow same-sex “marriages” on the grounds that Jesus never talks about homosexuality in the gospels. It is the same Jesus who has given Paul and the other apostles the authority to instruct the church on his behalf.

In the Nicene creed we confess that we believe in “one, holy, catholic and apostolic church”. What do we mean by that? Firstly that the church was established by the apostles. Our congregation wasn’t established by Paul, but we are part of the big, universal church that was established by the apostles. We are building on the foundation that the apostles made before us. (Eph. 2:20) Secondly that we need to be in agreement with the apostles. What we believe and how we behave is not for the public opinion to decide. Thirdly that we are in fellowship with the apostles. They belong to the part of the church that is in heaven, while we are still on this earth, but it is still one church. Paul is our apostle, also in the sense that his message is meant for us today.

The letter is addressed “to the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus”.
We know that Paul had a special relationship with the church in Ephesus. On his third missionary journey he stayed there two years. But in the oldest manuscripts, the words “in Ephesus” are missing. Perhaps the letter was meant for the surrounding churches too. We really don’t know why. But we do know that not only the churches near Ephesus, but the churches all across the Christian world wanted to read this letter and the rest of Paul’s letters. Now it is our turn to see what this apostle has to say to our young congregation here in Bergen.

The first thing we notice is that he writes to “the saints”. This is not the elite Christians, but all God’s people. You are a saint because you belong to God.
Secondly we note the word “faithful”. This can mean “to have faith” or to be faithful or trustworthy. Probably it can mean both. Because someone who believes in Jesus Christ, must also be a trustworthy person.
Thirdly they are “in Christ”. That’s a key term in the Ephesians. To be in Christ is to be united with him, just as an arm belongs to the body. In the same way are we united with Christ and with one another.

There are no Christians in Ephesus today. It is a ruin city. But the apostle Paul has a message “to the saints, the faithful in Christ Jesus” wherever you are. What is that message?

Next time we’ll see that it is a message of grace. The word “grace” appears 12 times throughout the letter. It is a message where the person of Paul is overshadowed completely by the grace of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Geir Sakseid

Friends across the world

2005-03-10T09:00:00.000+01:00

Have you left Bergen? Did you go to Bergen International Church before? Would you like to send us a greeting? Add a comment on the Church Blog!
The pastor

Welcome to the Church Blog!

2005-02-28T11:17:00.000+01:00

You're welcome to share your thoughts with us on this page. Perhaps you have a comment on the web pages, or an idea about the church ministry.

The Pastor