René Bidstrup

Ministry is a lot of things. For the sake of simplicity, it is at least about two things: Serving and equipping. That is part of my discipleship. In my ministry as a Chaplain and Bible Teacher at Vejlefjordskolen, I try to serve through education and telling about the God that is revealed to us in Jesus, and of course, Jesus is revealed to us in the Bible. Yet as a teacher, I am always looking to seek who Jesus is, and what and how the gospel confronts us and encourages us to live and be in the world in the present. And that brings me to equipping and empowering. I hope and trust that through my life with the youth, that they will find a call and gain some deep convictions about how they are to live their lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. So I hope and trust that God will continue to send out new disciples to have a deep influence on people they will work and live with, so that the Kingdom of God continues to grow and develop.

Do not be afraid – remember that Jesus has promised to be with us until the end.

Ask all the deep and difficult questions – and ask questions about your own understanding.

To study theology is an amazing possibility, not least in terms of listening to other voices, searching and looking for who God is. This opportunity to seek and search – and to reflect upon God, not alone, but in community and with other students and researchers, and to have conversations with the lecturers is a blessing.

The reality is of course, that you will be challenged – as was I – but through this challenging experience, you can have the experience of knowing that God is with you, even in the places where you might loose your way, or are brought humbly to your knees.

René Bidstrup, Youth Pastor / Chaplain at Vejlefjordskolen, Denmark