First International Congress of Word of Life in Ephesus
8 March 2012
From the 1st till the 4th of March the first International Congress of “Word of Life” Churches took place in Ephesus (Turkey). More than 500 pastors and leaders from 34 countries gathered for fellowship, dialogue, discussions and prayer.
“We are here to prepare ourselves for the future. I believe God wants to knit us together even closer, and that He wants to help us to understand our calling and vision even better and to see how together, in a better and more effective way, we can reach into new areas with the Gospel”, said pastor Ulf at the opening session.
During the Congress Pastor Ulf spoke about what it is that distinguishes us as Word of Life churches, and it was mostly about faith. The vision is clear - it’s to do with teaching about faith and its application to the life of the church, training people who will then reach out with the Gospel. When he spoke about what characterizes a pastor in these churches, he placed his focus on being a servant looking for greatness in the small things – in other words being a shepherd after God’s own heart.
Pastor Ulf also shared the five elements that represent the DNA of Word of Life: Preaching the Gospel, Teaching on Faith, Missions, The Supernatural Charismatic Life and Unity.
