Alumni Prayer Focus

This month we are praying for Stef Schagen MDiv graduate from 2013.  He and his wife, Agnes, have a ministry to develop healthy churches in the Netherlands.  Currently they are serving as the interim pastor at a church in Anna Paulowna, a town in the north of Holland, in the Den Helder area. 

As he works to build healthy churches, he often serves as interim pastor.  Throughout his ministry he has three areas that he is focusing on while at a church:

•  Restoring foundations: They serve churches in the Netherlands by laying biblical foundations and form healthy leadership foundations and values that build the culture of a healthy community.  They help to create safe havens where people can connect and open up to each other and to God.  They come into a church on an interim basis, usually in a crisis and help lay a new foundation for a fresh start.  They aim at promoting a balanced biblical mind and help develop the values of the organization, relationships and so forth. 

• Training Leaders: One of the keys to healthy leadership is building healthy communities.  Powerplay, impure motives, unfulfilled psychological needs, etc are ingredients that lead to unhealthy leadership which is controlling rather than serving, using people instead of empowering them to serve.  They are training and mentoring leaders to become healthy and biblical leaders who serve God’s mission rather than their own ambition. 

• Fueling fires: As man’s chief end is to glorify God, they are involved in fanning that flame of divine worship to God. 

Stef is also asked to speak in churches and events and teach the Bible at seminars.  He has recently joined Opwekking (Revival).  A Dutch organization that reaches thousands of people through their yearly conferences and monthly magazine.  Stef is a contributing author for the magazine.  

​Prayer needs

Please pray for:

• Wisdom as they interact with leaders of local churches and nationwide.
• Protection when they deal with the negative.  “It’s great to walk with our heads in heaven but we are standing with our feet in the mud on earth.  The negative has the potential to affect us and usurp our energy.”
• Possible further studies.  Stef is considering a doctoral study for further personal development and to be able to assist the church better.
• Personal growth in the midst of helping others. 
• Their health.
• Their future.
• The necessary funds to continue the ministry that God has given them to do.