2022
New book published! 
Every Sunday, many Christians solemnly confess their faith as they speak the Apostle’s Creed: “I believe in the Holy Spirit…” But many, though they take their faith seriously, do not have a clear comprehension of this Holy Spirit. This study is intended to help clarify central issues concerning the Holy Spirit and to enable a deeper understanding of who he is and why he has come.
The book is available via Amazon
2021
Have a blessed Thanksgiving! This year has been challenging in many ways. Yet it also gives us a special opportunity to reflect on what we can be grateful for. Ann Winslow Peddicord has written a powerful story taking us back to the roots of Thanksgiving – which are also her roots as she carries the name of one of the pilgrims on the “Mayflower”. Read and download Ann’s story here.
What does it mean to be a Christian?
Dr. Clark and Ann Peddicord recently had a conversation about this question. Here is their answer to the cognitive side of what it means to be a Christian if they only had a very few moments with someone who had very little background information about the Faith. Find out more here.
2020
Oktober
This is a time for miracles. Check out this talk with Dr. Clark Peddicord on his latest book “Kant (and Hume) against miracles”
You can purchase the book via Amazon Smile (and support our mission through a 0,5% donation of the purchase).
September
How can one communicate with neighbors in the midst of the Covid-19 shutdown? Ann Peddicord had a bright idea for contacting her neighbors on the cul-de-sac where they have been living since the pandemic caused a major delay to her and Clark’s return to Germany. A copy of the note she wrote and taped on their neighbors’ doors can be downloaded here.
August
“With friends by your side, your roof is the sky…” We have been blessed by a visit of the band “Deus ex Machina” who came all the way from Olomouc in the north of the Czech Republic, to stop at Haus Nazareth on their first tour through Germany in August. They gave a private concert for us in the garden. Their very supportive driver, Jared Kenning, impressed us with his big heart and huge energy. He and his wife, Dana, are heading a Christian community in Travná, Czech Republic. Check out their website here.
March
Community made for times like this: On Saturday, March 28, “Philosophia” held our first-ever international video conference. The ten students and young professional currently living in “Haus Nazareth” shared with the Philosophia Europa core team their experiences in the COVID-19 lock-down in Berlin.
The “Crew” (that is what they are calling themselves) shared beautiful, encouraging insights:
We have a new awareness, a new gratitude for community. Anyone who has an outside contact is potentially dangerous to the others. But everyone is also there for the others.”
“As I now – theoretically – have less to do, I realize how much I can do.”
“We have a prayer room, we have prayer, we have each other.”
“We are now experiencing what you have dreamed of and what you have worked for. We really appreciate that.”
December 2019
Community and cookies are at the center of our Advent parties at Haus Nazareth. Doris Wehrenfennig, part of the founding team of Philosophie Europa in Germany, again baked more cookies than we could eat. We sang Christmas carols and listend to a Christmas story. Now we are ready for Christmas, we hope you too. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
August
People come and go – and something of them will always stay on. This also true for the residents of Haus Nazereth. One of the students who moved out at the end of June left us his story to stay with us – what a gift!
Inside out: A couple of students from our house organized the very first “sofa concert” in the garden of Haus Nazareth. It was a really special evening putting our sofas outside and to listening to music together. A big thanks to the organizers!
June
History and histories of Philosophia: 2009, a group of energetic volunteers from the Westerwald era of Germany came to pave the courtyard of Haus Nazareth with cobblestones. Through their selfless support, they themselves have become living building blocs of the Philosophia ministry. Ten years later, in April 2019, some of them returned with their wives to those very cobblestones which bear witness to the group’s heart and the Lord’s faithfulness. What an encouragement!
March
Dr. Clark and Ann Peddicord are currently on a mission trip through the US (see our Instagram feed on the left to get some impressions). A team member back in Berlin explains the vision of Philosophia in her own words to newly arrived students during breakfast in Haus Nazereth, the living and learning center of spiritual life for Philosophia Europa.
January
Different perspectives on the Holy Scriptures were presented by Dr. Clark Peddicord as part of a “Theological Weeks” for the Campus for Christ staff in Germany (January 14-18). One day, Pastor Tobias Brinkmann took the participants on a unique “Walk thru the Bible” tour.
2018
December
The time of Advent is a time of remembrance of Jesus’ arrival on earth. The community of Haus Nazareth took time – for each other and for the inner preparation for Christmas. Tasty cookies, beautiful music, a touching story (“Three Strange Guests”- sorry, only in German here) and encouraging conversations have filled this special afternoon.
June
“The ‘Wild West’ Comes to Berlin
A team of 17 people from Calvary church in Boise, Idaho – one of the sending congregations for Dr. Clark and Ann Peddicord – visited “Haus Nazareth” in Berlin for 4 days at the end of June. Berlin was the second stop on a mission trip through Europe, starting in London and ending in Rome. The purpose of the trip was to explore real-life missions in modern urban settings and help in practical ministry with “boots on the ground”. The Boise team was headed by Pastor Martin Taylor and his wife Emmalie. (See some of team’s comments about Berlin below.)
The evening following their arrival in Berlin, Clark and Ann as well as Doris and Erich Wehrenfennig, members the “Philosophia Europa” core team, introduced the team to the basics of mission work in modern Europe. The next morning included practical labor for half a day helping put the Haus and garden in tip-top condition for the summer. That afternoon, the team experienced the importance of “Fussball” in German national culture and politics: after a bad performance, the German soccer team lost 0 – 2 against South Korea and – as the whole nation went into mourning – the friends from Boise did a great job helping to cheer up the sad Germans with whom they watched the match. 😉
The next day, Clark shared the story of a group of missionary friends in a South Asian country to help illustrate practical “cross-cultural communication” and deepen the team’s understanding of the challenge of sharing the message of Christ in other cultures. Using a question-based, interactive approach, Clark guided the group into experiencing the tough challenges and questions that missionaries have to face, especially when it comes to evaluating and respecting local customs, habits and worldviews. After that, the Boise group joined Laura Metzler, staff member of Cru in Germany (who lives in Haus Nazareth with her husband Viktor) for outreach among students at three of Berlin’s universities. Using pictorial cards developed by Cru that illustrate different ideas about the meaning of life, human nature, sources of truth and the identity of Jesus, they engaged with skeptical students in in-depth-conversations
The Boise team was a huge help to the work at the Haus and met face-to-face German students on the universities who not only don’t know God, but also think that they have no need for Him in their lives. Overcoming one’s own helplessness and frustration and fully leaning on God’s wisdom and understanding is probably one of the hardest things every missionary has to learn. As Bill Bright, the founder of Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) used to say,
“Successful witnessing is sharing Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.”
Quotes from the Boise team:
February
It is hard to grasp spatial relationships when one is only able to use words – so Dr. Clark Peddicord used the illustration of a “fingerprint” to illustrate the geography and archaeology of the city of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. This was part of a presentation on Wednesday, 28. February to help prepare for Easter and the time leading up to Christ’s crucifixion.
It was exciting to locate the central places and events of the “Passion Week” in a concrete way. Using the Christian New Testament and other historical sources such as the Jewish historian Josephus, Dr. Peddicord said, “Everything that we read in the Gospels has a clear connection to real history!” Even though, in general, our knowledge of the first century is still limited, he quoted the leading historian of the Early Roman Empire from the last generation, A. N. Sherwin-White, who stated that we have more evidence for the life of Jesus than for that of Tiberias Caesar.
One of the most fascinating details that came out during the evening was concerning the possible routes that Jesus took with his disciples thorough the city on the night he was betrayed. A tip at the conclusion of the talk: take a couple of hours if you are in Berlin to visit the excellent special exhibit on “Jerusalem” that is currently open in the Jewish Museum, Berlin – until 30. April, 2019!
2017
December
Dr. Clark Peddicordˋs latest sermon about Christmas 2017 is online. He preached on the “Magnificat” (sung by Mary in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1) at the EfG Gusternhain congregation on December 26, 2017. Listen to a mp3 recording (in German = “Die Sprache der Macht und die Macht der Sprache”) here.
On December 13th Dr. Daniel Wehrenfennig, Professor at the University of California Irvine and founder of the Olive Tree Initiative, shared with us about “My country? My God? – Culture, Politics and Faith – Reflections on the debate about refugees and immigration”. According to Daniel, the question of migration and refugees is the key challenge of the future (according to the UN Refugee Agency, some 65 mio. people are forcefully displaced worldwide). To not get overwhelmed by the issue, Daniel encouraged us to share personal stories – stories we heard from refugees about their escape and current situation – and also stories of our own personal encounters and experiences with displaced people. He also offered insights on not only looking at reasons why refugees might be helpful for a country or a society, but also to not be shy to connect with and refer to our own deepest faith-based values to foster openness and honesty in thinking about the issue of refugees.
Images and impressions from the laying of the ten additional “Stolpersteine” (Stumbling Stones) in memory of Jewish residents of “Haus Nazareth” who perished in the Nazi terror and death camps of the Holocaust. (The Haus was a Jewish home for the blind before the so-called “Third Reich”.) The artist Gunter Demnig installed the commemorative brass plaques in the front sidewalk on Saturday, December 2. Demnig refers to the saying in the Talmud that “a person is only forgotten when his or her name is forgotten” when he embeds the “Stolpersteine” in front of the last voluntary residence of the person who once lived there. Each memorial begins with the words: “Hier lebte…” (HERE LIVED…). One “stone”. One name. One person… to help make sure…. “Never again!”
October
Dr. Clark Peddicord’s talks are now online: “Overview on the history of ‘Christian’ Europe” (in German as an mp3 here) and “Perspectives on contemporary society” (in German as an mp3 here). They were part of a weekend seminar on “Nun sag, wie hast du’s mit der Religion”, Konrad-Adenauer Foundation, September 29-Oktober 1, 2017 in Tübingen.
2022
New book published!
Every Sunday, many Christians solemnly confess their faith as they speak the Apostle’s Creed: “I believe in the Holy Spirit…” But many, though they take their faith seriously, do not have a clear comprehension of this Holy Spirit. This study is intended to help clarify central issues concerning the Holy Spirit and to enable a deeper understanding of who he is and why he has come.
The book is available via Amazon
2021
Have a blessed Thanksgiving! This year has been challenging in many ways. Yet it also gives us a special opportunity to reflect on what we can be grateful for. Ann Winslow Peddicord has written a powerful story taking us back to the roots of Thanksgiving – which are also her roots as she carries the name of one of the pilgrims on the “Mayflower”. Read and download Ann’s story here.
What does it mean to be a Christian?
Dr. Clark and Ann Peddicord recently had a conversation about this question. Here is their answer to the cognitive side of what it means to be a Christian if they only had a very few moments with someone who had very little background information about the Faith. Find out more here.
2020
Oktober
This is a time for miracles. Check out this talk with Dr. Clark Peddicord on his latest book “Kant (and Hume) against miracles”
You can purchase the book via Amazon Smile (and support our mission through a 0,5% donation of the purchase).
September
How can one communicate with neighbors in the midst of the Covid-19 shutdown? Ann Peddicord had a bright idea for contacting her neighbors on the cul-de-sac where they have been living since the pandemic caused a major delay to her and Clark’s return to Germany. A copy of the note she wrote and taped on their neighbors’ doors can be downloaded here.
August
“With friends by your side, your roof is the sky…” We have been blessed by a visit of the band “Deus ex Machina” who came all the way from Olomouc in the north of the Czech Republic, to stop at Haus Nazareth on their first tour through Germany in August. They gave a private concert for us in the garden. Their very supportive driver, Jared Kenning, impressed us with his big heart and huge energy. He and his wife, Dana, are heading a Christian community in Travná, Czech Republic. Check out their website here.
March
Community made for times like this: On Saturday, March 28, “Philosophia” held our first-ever international video conference. The ten students and young professional currently living in “Haus Nazareth” shared with the Philosophia Europa core team their experiences in the COVID-19 lock-down in Berlin.
The “Crew” (that is what they are calling themselves) shared beautiful, encouraging insights:
We have a new awareness, a new gratitude for community. Anyone who has an outside contact is potentially dangerous to the others. But everyone is also there for the others.”
“As I now – theoretically – have less to do, I realize how much I can do.”
“We have a prayer room, we have prayer, we have each other.”
“We are now experiencing what you have dreamed of and what you have worked for. We really appreciate that.”
December 2019
Community and cookies are at the center of our Advent parties at Haus Nazareth. Doris Wehrenfennig, part of the founding team of Philosophie Europa in Germany, again baked more cookies than we could eat. We sang Christmas carols and listend to a Christmas story. Now we are ready for Christmas, we hope you too. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
August
People come and go – and something of them will always stay on. This also true for the residents of Haus Nazereth. One of the students who moved out at the end of June left us his story to stay with us – what a gift!
Inside out: A couple of students from our house organized the very first “sofa concert” in the garden of Haus Nazareth. It was a really special evening putting our sofas outside and to listening to music together. A big thanks to the organizers!
June
History and histories of Philosophia: 2009, a group of energetic volunteers from the Westerwald era of Germany came to pave the courtyard of Haus Nazareth with cobblestones. Through their selfless support, they themselves have become living building blocs of the Philosophia ministry. Ten years later, in April 2019, some of them returned with their wives to those very cobblestones which bear witness to the group’s heart and the Lord’s faithfulness. What an encouragement!
March
Dr. Clark and Ann Peddicord are currently on a mission trip through the US (see our Instagram feed on the left to get some impressions). A team member back in Berlin explains the vision of Philosophia in her own words to newly arrived students during breakfast in Haus Nazereth, the living and learning center of spiritual life for Philosophia Europa.
January
Different perspectives on the Holy Scriptures were presented by Dr. Clark Peddicord as part of a “Theological Weeks” for the Campus for Christ staff in Germany (January 14-18). One day, Pastor Tobias Brinkmann took the participants on a unique “Walk thru the Bible” tour.
2018
December
The time of Advent is a time of remembrance of Jesus’ arrival on earth. The community of Haus Nazareth took time – for each other and for the inner preparation for Christmas. Tasty cookies, beautiful music, a touching story (“Three Strange Guests”- sorry, only in German here) and encouraging conversations have filled this special afternoon.
June
“The ‘Wild West’ Comes to Berlin
A team of 17 people from Calvary church in Boise, Idaho – one of the sending congregations for Dr. Clark and Ann Peddicord – visited “Haus Nazareth” in Berlin for 4 days at the end of June. Berlin was the second stop on a mission trip through Europe, starting in London and ending in Rome. The purpose of the trip was to explore real-life missions in modern urban settings and help in practical ministry with “boots on the ground”. The Boise team was headed by Pastor Martin Taylor and his wife Emmalie. (See some of team’s comments about Berlin below.)
The evening following their arrival in Berlin, Clark and Ann as well as Doris and Erich Wehrenfennig, members the “Philosophia Europa” core team, introduced the team to the basics of mission work in modern Europe. The next morning included practical labor for half a day helping put the Haus and garden in tip-top condition for the summer. That afternoon, the team experienced the importance of “Fussball” in German national culture and politics: after a bad performance, the German soccer team lost 0 – 2 against South Korea and – as the whole nation went into mourning – the friends from Boise did a great job helping to cheer up the sad Germans with whom they watched the match. 😉
The next day, Clark shared the story of a group of missionary friends in a South Asian country to help illustrate practical “cross-cultural communication” and deepen the team’s understanding of the challenge of sharing the message of Christ in other cultures. Using a question-based, interactive approach, Clark guided the group into experiencing the tough challenges and questions that missionaries have to face, especially when it comes to evaluating and respecting local customs, habits and worldviews. After that, the Boise group joined Laura Metzler, staff member of Cru in Germany (who lives in Haus Nazareth with her husband Viktor) for outreach among students at three of Berlin’s universities. Using pictorial cards developed by Cru that illustrate different ideas about the meaning of life, human nature, sources of truth and the identity of Jesus, they engaged with skeptical students in in-depth-conversations
The Boise team was a huge help to the work at the Haus and met face-to-face German students on the universities who not only don’t know God, but also think that they have no need for Him in their lives. Overcoming one’s own helplessness and frustration and fully leaning on God’s wisdom and understanding is probably one of the hardest things every missionary has to learn. As Bill Bright, the founder of Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) used to say,
“Successful witnessing is sharing Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.”
Quotes from the Boise team:
February
It is hard to grasp spatial relationships when one is only able to use words – so Dr. Clark Peddicord used the illustration of a “fingerprint” to illustrate the geography and archaeology of the city of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. This was part of a presentation on Wednesday, 28. February to help prepare for Easter and the time leading up to Christ’s crucifixion.
It was exciting to locate the central places and events of the “Passion Week” in a concrete way. Using the Christian New Testament and other historical sources such as the Jewish historian Josephus, Dr. Peddicord said, “Everything that we read in the Gospels has a clear connection to real history!” Even though, in general, our knowledge of the first century is still limited, he quoted the leading historian of the Early Roman Empire from the last generation, A. N. Sherwin-White, who stated that we have more evidence for the life of Jesus than for that of Tiberias Caesar.
One of the most fascinating details that came out during the evening was concerning the possible routes that Jesus took with his disciples thorough the city on the night he was betrayed. A tip at the conclusion of the talk: take a couple of hours if you are in Berlin to visit the excellent special exhibit on “Jerusalem” that is currently open in the Jewish Museum, Berlin – until 30. April, 2019!
2017
December
Dr. Clark Peddicordˋs latest sermon about Christmas 2017 is online. He preached on the “Magnificat” (sung by Mary in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1) at the EfG Gusternhain congregation on December 26, 2017. Listen to a mp3 recording (in German = “Die Sprache der Macht und die Macht der Sprache”) here.
On December 13th Dr. Daniel Wehrenfennig, Professor at the University of California Irvine and founder of the Olive Tree Initiative, shared with us about “My country? My God? – Culture, Politics and Faith – Reflections on the debate about refugees and immigration”. According to Daniel, the question of migration and refugees is the key challenge of the future (according to the UN Refugee Agency, some 65 mio. people are forcefully displaced worldwide). To not get overwhelmed by the issue, Daniel encouraged us to share personal stories – stories we heard from refugees about their escape and current situation – and also stories of our own personal encounters and experiences with displaced people. He also offered insights on not only looking at reasons why refugees might be helpful for a country or a society, but also to not be shy to connect with and refer to our own deepest faith-based values to foster openness and honesty in thinking about the issue of refugees.
Images and impressions from the laying of the ten additional “Stolpersteine” (Stumbling Stones) in memory of Jewish residents of “Haus Nazareth” who perished in the Nazi terror and death camps of the Holocaust. (The Haus was a Jewish home for the blind before the so-called “Third Reich”.) The artist Gunter Demnig installed the commemorative brass plaques in the front sidewalk on Saturday, December 2. Demnig refers to the saying in the Talmud that “a person is only forgotten when his or her name is forgotten” when he embeds the “Stolpersteine” in front of the last voluntary residence of the person who once lived there. Each memorial begins with the words: “Hier lebte…” (HERE LIVED…). One “stone”. One name. One person… to help make sure…. “Never again!”
October
Dr. Clark Peddicord’s talks are now online: “Overview on the history of ‘Christian’ Europe” (in German as an mp3 here) and “Perspectives on contemporary society” (in German as an mp3 here). They were part of a weekend seminar on “Nun sag, wie hast du’s mit der Religion”, Konrad-Adenauer Foundation, September 29-Oktober 1, 2017 in Tübingen.