Winckles Family Update: 2018 So Far...

Thanksgiving 2018

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

Perhaps you’ve seen the cartoon that supposedly depicts a heavenly prayer sorting department. There are two incoming trays on a desk, one labeled “please” that is stacked high with papers and the other labeled “thank-you” containing only a few papers. Why is it that it seems harder to thank God for his many blessing and easier to make requests of God?

In this update we’d like to focus on thanking God for how he has worked in our lives and in the ministries in Hungary and Europe over the past year. We are thankful for your partnership and invite you to rejoice with us! (NOTE: You may download this entire report in pdf format by clicking the following link: Download our Thanksgiving Letter 2018.)

40 years and counting!

This year we celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. It was on a snowy December day in 1978 that family and friends gathered at the Spring Arbor Free Methodist Church for our wedding celebration. We feel blessed that our love for one another has grown stronger each year and that we are able to serve together in ministry. It seems unbelievable that 40 years have passed by so quickly.

A full-time pastor

In April Péter Tóth began working full-time as co-pastor of the Budapest Free Methodist Church and Office Manager of the Bread of Life Foundation. He had previously served as Assistant Pastor while working full-time at a secular job. Now he is able to engage fully in the ministries of the church and foundation, and has more time to devote to his family as well. He has particularly excelled in pastoral care and is always looking for new ways to engage with our community. Donations made to the Hungary Country Support Account help make this possible. https://give.fmcusa.org/hungary

The Budapest Ministry Center

The Budapest Ministry Center is home to the Budapest Free Methodist Church and also hosts a number of community-related programs and outreach events. This year the church celebrated Éva’s baptism, gave thanks for János’ successful participation in a rehabilitation program, and enjoyed a weekend retreat hosted jointly with the Győr FMC. The Ministry Center is in use every day of the week with community programs that include a ladies’ discussion group, a German language discussion group, kindergarten readiness classes, a folk music class, an English class, reading groups, and a 12-step recovery group.

The growth of the Set Free Movement

As a follow-up to last November’s successful Freedom Forum, a concentrated training for people interested in becoming active in the abolitionist movement was held in cooperation with Hope 61. Ildikó Kóber, our Hungarian Set Free Coordinator, has received many new speaking opportunities. This year she has provided in-service training for school teachers, awareness training for a family association, meetings with at-risk youth, developed connections with state-run children’s homes, and more. Another Freedom Forum is scheduled to take place on November 24, this time with a focus on children at risk. In order for Ildikó to be able to continue this important work, she also needs ministry partners. You can make a pledge of support for Ildikó at https://give.fmcusa.org/donation/hungary-set-free-coordinator

Visitors from abroad

We’ve also been blessed by a number of visitors who have come to either serve on a short-term basis or explore the possibility of serving longer-term in Hungary. We are thankful for the ministries of Pastor Drew Price from Oregon, Pastor Eric and Kari Perry from Michigan, and Angelo Dispenza from New York. We are also grateful that Chadwick and Sarah Anderson from Illinois have responded to the call to serve in Hungary and are in the process of seeking funding support and prayer partners for their ministry, which will hopefully begin sometime in mid-2019. You can find out more about their journey of faith at https://andersonfamily6.com/

Ministry abroad

As a part of Larry’s role as Europe Area Administrator he often travels to other European countries where the Free Methodist Church is working. This year’s travels included trips to Greece, Bulgaria, Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom and involved pastoral education planning, an ordination service, community church planting training, affiliation meetings, leadership meetings, and more. We are thankful for the way that men and women throughout the continent are responding to God’s call to ministry, and for your partnership with us that makes this important equipping and leadership development work possible. Our support page is https://give.fmcusa.org/winckles

Our partners

We are grateful for the many people who prayer regularly for us and for the ministries in Hungary. Prayer is essential! We are also grateful for those who partner with us financially, and for those who come and help serve. We look forward to our partnership with you continuing in the coming year.