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Bernd Winkelstraeter

Bernd Winkelstraeter 2025
Person Details
All Persons

Country

  • Germany
Participants Details

YRM Network

  • Bible Teachers and Preachers YRM

Ministry Focus

  • Church Revitalization

Occupation

  • Christian Ministry

Funding Status (YRM)

  • Needs YRM Funding

Bernd Winkelstraeter is a professional consultant, trainer, and coach living in Germany. After 29 years working as international computer technology expert in R&D, he switched to study work and organizational psychology. With this unique combination, he supports organizations to cope with all the change and increased uncertainty of the digital age. In 2011, Bernd founded vision2inspire, a Christian startup incubator for charitable projects. He is a coach for Natural Church Development, a church growth concept applied around the world. Bernd is member of an International Baptist Church (IBC), and over almost four decades, he has volunteered in various leadership roles in church. Bernd is trained in Christian counseling and holds an M.A. in work and organizational psychology and a German M.Sc. equivalent in computer science.

Participants Answers

Bernd Winkelstraeter is on both the leadership and preaching teams at the International Baptist Church in Germany. He also coaches other Baptist churches in revitalisation.

When did you trust Christ?

I was raised in the Protestant Reformed Church, so I knew about the Bible and Jesus. However, in October 1980, at an evangelistic youth group event in a German Baptist church, I learned that Jesus wanted to have a personal relationship with me, and I gave my life to Christ.

What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?

After giving my life to Christ, I joined the youth group and got baptized a year later. Since then, I have served in various churches, and I have a couple of evangelistic outreaches to Germany, Austria, Thailand, and Bolivia.

What do you hope to gain from participating?

I would like to grow my spiritual gifts of teaching and leadership. I believe sermons are major opportunities to lead a congregation toward a united spiritual vision. I hope to lead more effectively by becoming a better preacher.

What is your ministry?

I have served on the leadership team of our local International Baptist Church for about 12 years. As a leadership team member, my focus is on vision, strategy, and networking. For example, with the local Evangelical Alliance or missions and justice projects. As a member of our church's preaching team, I preach up to six times a year. I also coach eight German Baptist churches in revitalisation, and preach for them from time to time.

What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?

I have been an elder and on the leadership team in a previous church. Altogether, I have over 20 years in church leadership. I have also learned a lot from other churches and denominations and through traveling to other countries.

Why should someone invest in your ministry?

I have attended Year-Round Mentorings (YRM) for Organizational Leadership, Revitalisation, and Disciple Making Leaders, and have become more professional in my preaching ministry. However, I still do many things intuitively. By attending this new YRM, I hope to have my preaching become more scholarly and intellectually grounded.