be inspired be trained be transformed ... by Christ
GieĂ&#x;en School of Theology
Study in Germany
CONTENT
4 E X H I L A R AT E
6 ENGAGE
8 DEVELOP
10 INSPIRE
1 2 M U L T I P LY
1 4 M O T I VAT E
16 DECIDE
18 RENEW
2 0 TA K E O F F
22 INVEST
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E X H I L A R AT E
Heartbeat “Seeing people get excited about Jesus so that they can reach their full potential: thats makes my heart beat faster.” This is the vision that inspires Julia Zehender: To encourage and enable people while also challenging them, to see them succeed in life. Every effort in pursuit of this vision is worth it. “To live a changed life, to give my best for God and to follow him without compromise; I can’t imagine a better life goal!” “I long to see churches where people can come just the way they are. Where they are accepted and welcomed. Only then will they be enabled to step out into the world as a changed person and really make a difference.” Her goals for the future: to help people, to know herself better, to accept and love herself the way God does through the ups and downs of life. “My experience at the GST gives me a great foundation for all of this.
“I long to see a growing church that impacts the culture around us and changes it for the better.” J UL I A ZEHENDER, GST- STUDENT
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ENGAGE
Zeitgeist Being real, living a focused life, investing in relationships. That sums up Stephan Holthaus’ ideals as Professor for Christian Ethics and Leadership at the GST. He is convinced that “European values rest on Christian norms”, and that it’s every Christian’s job to remind people of those norms. That’s why he is committed to influencing the culture around him. He wants to convey to the GST students that God’s precepts are still relevant today. We shouldn’t keep our faith to ourselves; we need to carry it out into the world. Our strategy should not be one of retreat or withdrawal; instead we should get involved in the discussions of our day and age. We as Christians have a voice that needs to be heard, especially today.
“Go out, get involved, get active. Faith is not a private matter. That’s the ethos the GST wants to instill in its graduates.” PRO F. DR. STEPHA N HO LTHAUS GST- PRESIDENT AND PROFESSOR FOR ETHICS
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DEVELOP
Growth Daily chapel services, mentoring, personal and professional development seminars, faculty-led small groups, counselling. A wide range of programs offered by “GST Plus” focuses on spiritual formation and character development. “To be fully equipped for a life of ministry you need a well-rounded personality and a strong relationship with Jesus,” says Ines Schwer. She embodies the GST’s concept of holistic education that develops “hearts, heads and hands”. It enables students to discover their gifts and teaches them how to handle difficult situations and experiences. No one at the GST has to go it alone. Help and guidance are there for anyone who needs it. The GST provides an environment in which students can go deep and grow strong.
“Social skills, a healthy spiritual life, and critical self-awareness; all these things take time to acquire. I count it a privilege to walk beside the students along this road.” I NES SCHWER, DEA N O F STUDENTS GST
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INSPIRE
Passion Stephen Beck, Professor for Practical Theology at the GST, is a citizen of the world with a huge heart for church planting in Germany. He was born and raised in Austria, but lived in the US and Canada for many years, where he planted multiple churches. Then God reminded him of his roots in Germany. After more than 30 years abroad, he returned because of God’s tug on his heart. Now he teaches at the GST. Together with GST students he has planted several churches in Giessen and the Frankfurt Metro area, inspiring Christians all around Europe to believe in a God who loves the Church. No wonder the slogan “Think big” hangs on his office wall. His inspiration for all of this is his belief that theology and church planting go hand in hand. Biblical teaching, Christ-centered preaching, and practical church planting cannot be separated. For Stephen, it always pays to invest in church planting.
“New and inspiring churches with passionate and wellequipped people; that’s what this country needs.” STEPHEN B ECK , GST PRO F A ND CHURCH PL A NTER
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M U L T I P LY
Vision Broad shoulders, immaculate clothes, a soldier’s haircut: Anafi Sounon Mora is the epitome of a military man. He was one of the 30 students each year who attend an elite boarding school in his homeland, Benin, West Africa, where academic education and military training go hand in hand. “Cadet, Marine stationed in Germany, and peacekeeper in the Congo”: That’s how the former Muslim describes his military career. In 1997 he became a Christian. Then in 2007 something unusual happened: “I was stationed in China, and God spoke to me in the middle of the night. I was neither fully asleep nor fully awake. God made it clear to me that he wanted me to launch a seminary in Benin because Christians there desperately need spiritual depth.” In 2008 he arrived at the GST, but he never forgot his vision for Benin. Since 2013 he is back in his homeland pursuing his vision of founding a “second GST”. Sounan Mora is a real multiplier with a heart for the Lord, the Word, and his country.
“Knowledge is never more valuable than when it is shared with others.” A NA F I SO UNO N MO RA , MI SSI O NA RY I N B ENI N/A F RI CA A ND GST GRA DUATE
12
M O T I VAT E
Living “Jesus, Music, and Sports” - if you’re passionate about these 3 things, then you’re riding the same wave as Christian Gunka. The GST graduate works for a Word of Life youth camp at Lake Starnberg in Bavaria. What motivates him? “Watching people come to camps with all sorts of baggage, casting it aside through getting to know Jesus, and leaving the place freer and lighter.” He has devoted his life to communicating the Gospel to youth through camps, musicals and other events. His education at the GST prepared him for this calling. Gunka’s investment in young adults is paying off in lives transformed by Christ.
“Jesus lives and changes lives. A life lived in freedom is always a life lived in an intimate relationship with Jesus.” CHRI STI A N GUNK A , YO UTH WO RK ER, WO RD O F L I F E, GST GRA DUATE
14
DECIDE
5 Reasons that you should study theology at the GST: + You love discovering the depth of God’s Word + You like introducing people to Jesus + You hope to encourage Christians to live out their faith more passionately + You want to use your gifts for Jesus’ glory + You desire to follow Jesus with all my heart
“I am extremely thankful to have had the opportunity to study at the GST. In my classes I was challenged, motivated, and built up in my faith. Various role models, among both the faculty and my peers, helped me better understand and apply God’s word.” DAVI D PO EL K A , YO UTH PA STO R, GST GRA DUATE
16
RENEW
Depth The GST thrives because of its committed staff and faculty. Some of Germany’s best evangelical theologians teach here. They work on campus, meeting students both inside and outside the classroom. Whether they are answering a theological question or offering personal counsel, the faculty is approachable. Students can go deep with them and grow. GST wants to play a part in the theological renewal of Germany, providing resources for the church, and we want to promote world-wide missions. That’s why our faculty invests time in theological research, producing many important publications. The inspiration for all we do is Bible-based theology combined with passion for and devotion to Christ.
“We need renewal in our theology and our churches. The basis for this is a firm conviction of the credibility of the Bible, and that is what the GST stands for.” PRO F. DR. HELGE STA DEL MA NN, PRO F ESSO R F O R PRACTI CA L THEO LO GY
18
TA K E O F F
GSTinternational The GST is an international institution. We have partnerships with universities in Great Britain, the US, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland. We are a part of the international evangelical movement, and we are committed to the worldwide spread of Christianity. We believe it is essential that our students expand their worldview and vision. That’s why the Master’s Program requires students to spend a semester abroad at one of our partner schools. Likewise, we host students who come to the GST for their own study abroad. Our faculty reflects our international outlook; many of our professors have lived or studied abroad.
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THESE ARE SOME OF THE SCHOOLS WE ARE PARTNERED WITH:
Wheaton Graduate School, Wheaton, Illinois, USA Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, S. Hamilton, Massachusetts, USA Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas, USA Evangelische Theologisch Faktulteit, Leuven, Belgium Theologische Universiteit van de Gereformeerde Kerken, Kampen, Netherlands Tyndale Theological Seminary, Badhoevedorp, Netherlands University of Aberdeen, School of Divinity, Aberdeen, Scotland Staatsunabhängige Theologische Hochschule (STH), Basel, Switzerland
INVEST
Finances The GST is a private university that receives no financial support from the government or from any denomination. Nearly 70% of our income comes from friends and supporters of the GST who give over a million dollars each year. The GST could not make it without them. Our support circle includes approximately 10,000 people who believe strongly that Germany needs a first-class evangelical theological university. The GST charges a moderate tuition fee (current rates can be found at www.fthgiessen.de), but we don’t turn anyone away on the basis of need. For those in need GST awards scholarships, and government grants and loans are available, as well. For 40 years now the GST has been financed primarily through donations, something very few German schools have been able to do. Please consider helping the GST grow through your financial gift. You will be making a worthwhile investment in the next generation of evangelical church leaders in Germany and throughout the world. FTA e.V. Europe: Volksbank Mittelhessen IBAN: DE27 5139 0000 0051 1020 02 BIC: VBMHDE5F USA: Please mail donations (with memo “Giessen School of Theology # 55801”) to: Greater Europe Mission P.O. Box 1669 Monument, CO 80132-8009 Contact: 719-488-8008 info@gemission.org or make a donation online: http://www.gemission.org/donate 22
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Gießen School of Theology
Rathenaustr. 5-7 D-35394 Gießen Germany Phone +49 (0)641 979700 Fax +49 (0)641 9797039 info@fthgiessen.de www.fthgiessen.de www.gsot.de www.facebook.com/fthgiessen