Global Outreach Weekly Prayer Focus

Ben began attending MBC Tysons when he was just two years old. He joined the church when he was fourteen and eventually served on the worship staff for over twenty years. Erin began attending MBC in 1991 and served with Access Ministry staff for seven years. While at MBC, their daughters Elise and Emily were involved in many ministries.

Ben and Erin had an interest in Germany for many years. In 2017, Ben joined Eurobrass, an evangelistic Christian ensemble that tours Germany. The next year, they moved to the Black Forest region of Germany to serve with Artists in Christian Testimony International. They also perform handbell concerts as a way to share the gospel. God provided a special-needs school near their town, with a life and job skills training program, that Emily could attend. Elise is now studying at a university in the US. 

Germany’s historic appreciation for brass music opens many ministry doors. But despite centuries of rich spiritual heritage, Germans are quite secular. Technically, of the eighty million people in Germany, roughly half “belong” to either the Protestant or Catholic Church. But only 4% of Catholics and 3% of Protestants attend church on a regular basis. Among those who are Protestant, even fewer would identify as evangelical.

There are still over a million Ukrainian refugees in Germany. Erin leads a monthly support group for four Ukrainian mothers with special-needs children still living in their village. Additionally, for only the third time in their forty-five-year history, Eurobrass had a summer tour. Many people had the opportunity to hear the ensemble and listen to a presentation from God’s Word.

• That God would use the concerts (both Eurobrass and handbells) to encourage believers and to present the gospel clearly to nonbelievers.
• That God would enable them to build meaningful relationships and offer spiritual encouragement to the Ukrainian families with special-needs children in their village.
• That God would bless their daughters and that Ben and Erin would be open to whatever God has planned for them.