by Benjamin Fech
“Single, Dating, Marriage…”
That was the topic of the youth event of the “Christian Center Rostock” to which my wife and I were invited on the 14th of October to serve young people.
After travelling for seven hours by train we finally reached the beautiful Rostock in the North of Germany. It was a sunny day, and we were excited about what God was going to do. We embarked on the journey because we love to serve the youth and to invest in the next generation. This time, however, things were different, because we were not invited as visitors, but as speakers.
We have only been married for four months and naturally I asked myself the question, “what great wisdom can we share about marriage? We don´t have a lot of experience…” But nonetheless, God opened the door and entrusted us this ministry and for that I was unbelievably grateful. We decided to share about things we lived through.
I truly hope that our detours become their shortcuts…
Benjamin Fech
The evening kicked off with worship and from the very start we felt God’s tangible presence among us. We experienced freedom, and we danced, and worshipped God with everything in us. Then we started discussing the topic of the night – “Single, Dating, Marriage.” This was conducted in an interview style. We openly and clearly shared about physical boundaries which helped us stay pure until marriage. This is a topic that is laughed at in society, but it is our call and duty to preach God’s standard (and live according to it), and not be “conformed to this world.” During the session the youth had the opportunity to put written personal questions in a box which we answered at the end. We continued to minister and pray for them until late that evening and had impactful conversation with individuals who asked for ministry. We saw how God healed broken and disappointed hearts. He gave clear direction about living a devoted life unto the Lord as a single person, and how to stay focused on Him when you are in a dating phase.
The feedback from the youth was quite positive. Many were challenged and admonished by our honesty and lifestyle.
I truly hope that our detours become their shortcuts, and I strongly believe that God is raising a generation that will give Him glory in all three life phases – single, dating, marriage…