Student Welcome Barbeque

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

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?

“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”?

Read more in "Pastor's Pasture".

Outreach to India

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...