Raphael Luxner is pursuing church revitalisation in Germany.
When did you trust Christ?
I was born and raised in a Christian family and decided to follow Jesus at the age of six, but I was not sure about salvation until my teens. I had only known testimonies of people who experienced a tremendous change, which I didn't have. A turning point for me was when I realised that I can trust God's word and that his faithfulness does not depend on my experiences or feelings.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
Growing up, my church was very active in street evangelism, and it was part of our identity to reach out to others. Youth camps, friendships, and having a mentor also played big roles. I recently began theological studies, and I have learned that my studies do not replace the personal relationship to God. The content I learned widened my worldview, and I have a greater love for the whole Church.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
Ministry can never be accomplished alone; I expect to connect with experienced leaders in the field who share our love for church revitalisation in Europe and Germany.
What is your ministry?
I recently joined my friend in a young ministry called Moving Church. Our aim is to support church revitalisation in Germany by equipping local pastors with resources and support. Our current approach is to make English resources available in German and through networking. We are not sure how this will evolve in practice, but we see the great need for church revitalisation in Germany.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
In the past, I mainly led an evangelistic student group. We were a team of around eight Christian students. We met weekly for prayer and had a weekly meeting where we invited our non-believing friends from university to eat, read the Bible, and talk. Part of my leadership role was to organise and prepare the meetings.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
I am eager and willing to learn from others. Church revitalisation is not really a topic in German Evangelical churches. Our ministry intends to change this for the overall growth of the Church, and we have much to learn in our young ministry.
