Weekly fellowship
January 26, 2026
To the saints of the church in Irvine:
Joyce and I wanted to give an update and a word of sincere appreciation and gratitude to the church in Irvine for the support in the Body through your giving and your prayers. Our hearts are so full of thanksgiving to the Lord for the abundant love and care we have received through the church. We have no words to describe our love and appreciation for you all. Through your prayer and giving, you have become our fellow-workers in the grace of God.
It has been almost ten years since Joyce and I migrated to Düsseldorf, Germany, in June 2016, for the Lord’s move in Europe. As you may recall we were burdened by the Lord to move to Germany to preach the gospel of the kingdom to the many Middle-eastern refugees flowing into Europe and Germany at that time. From 2016 until 2020, we were very burdened and active in gaining many from among those refugees. We thank the Lord for His blessing on that labor. Many were saved and baptized into the Kingdom of God through our gospel labor.
But the Lord had so much more concerning His move in Europe. Not only was it for the refugees, but even more to re-establish a strong testimony of the lord’s recovery in the German-speaking world. The first migration to Europe was to Germany in 1971. But as many know, the turmoil in the late 1980’s destroyed much of what was built up. In these last ten years, the Lord has been building up again what was lost and even going far beyond what was there before. Not only have we witnessed an increase in churches and in numbers, but we also have experienced a great increase in the experiences, enjoyment and expression of Christ in the constitution of the saints and church life. While we appreciate the increase in numbers, we are also very encouraged by the increased hunger for the truth, the ministry, the deeper dealings, the growth in life among the saints, and the functioning of the saints increasing more and more.
When the pandemic hit in early 2020, like everyone on the earth, we were forced to maintain our church life through Zoom meetings. But thank the Lord, after two years of lock-down, we were able to resume our in-person church life and even advance in our numbers and churches. When we first arrived, there were four churches in Germany: Düsseldorf, Berlin, Stuttgart and a small locality in Versmold. In Austria there was a church in Salzburg and in Switzerland there was a church in Bern. The total number of saints throughout the German-speaking world was roughly 325 active saints in the churches. Today in all the countries of the German-speaking world (Germany, Switzerland and Austria), our number is close to 1,100. In addition, the Lord has added nine local churches in the last ten years in the same countries. We also expect that more churches will be added in the coming months. Here is a list of the nine churches added since early 2016.
2016 May – Frankfurt, Germany
2018 October – Munich, Germany
2018 August– St. Gallen, Switzerland
2019 September – Bielefeld, Germany
2020 February – Hamburg, Germany
2022 March – Bad Wildungen, Germany
2022 September – Tübingen, Germany
2022 November – Zürich, Switzerland
2023 November – Leipzig, Germany
While we claim no credit from this advance as if it was something that we have done, we can only praise and thank the Lord for His blessing. We know we are nothing and are only weak and useless slaves, as it says in Luke 17, “We are unprofitable slaves; we have done what we ought to have done.” (v. 10). Many of the churches are still quite small and struggling, yet are standing firm for the Lord’s testimony of the oneness of the Body of Christ. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.
Again, how we praise the Lord for the church in Irvine, who has been our supply, support and backing for all these years. May the Lord remember you in that day for your faithfulness and service in the Body.
Yours in Christ,
Tom & Joyce Goetz
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I am grateful to the Lord that I had the opportunity to be with the saints in France over a nine day period during which two new local churches were established: the church in Nanterre (in the greater Paris area), and the church in Toulouse (in southwestern France, near the border of Spain). On November 2 was the first Lord’s Table of the church in Nanterre, and on November 9 was the first Lord’s Table of the church in Toulouse. These meetings, and the gatherings the day before (attended also by a large number of visiting saints from France and around the world), were full of joy. Some of the faithful saints who have been laboring in France for years were nearly in tears to see the Lord raise up a new lampstand in their city. There was also a fresh joy in the many new ones, most of whom had only contacted the saints since the gospel trips began in 2024.
An outstanding characteristic of these two churches is their love for the Lord and for each other. This love is evident in their gatherings and in how they pour out in serving the saints. This confirms the revelation in John 15 that fruit bearing is in the condition of loving one another. A second characteristic is their pursuing of the truth. This is the burden of the shepherding saints, using mainly the two lines of Holy Word for Morning Revival, and the “daily” pursuit of the Life-Studies, to feed and teach the new ones. The new ones respond so well, exhibiting hunger for the Word and advancing rapidly in their comprehension and even speaking of the truth in the central line of God’s economy. These are the first two lampstands to be established in French-speaking Europe since the 2024 gospel trips. Labor is ongoing in a number of other cities (they are listed in the “Prayer Burdens” section of the Weekly Fellowship), and the saints’ hope and prayer is that there will be new lampstands in these cities within the next year.
Date: November 4, 2025
Subject: An Update for the Meeting Hall Purchase in Pittsburgh PA
Dear saints and churches in the Lord’s recovery,
Because of the prayers and generosity of many saints and local churches, the saints in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have been enabled to take a major step forward: we have completed the purchase of the building that will become our new meeting hall without needing a mortgage loan or other borrowing. This milestone could not have been reached without the outpouring of spiritual and financial support by so many members of the Body of Christ. Whether you have been praying, have contributed, or are still considering how you might take part, we deeply appreciate your care and fellowship in this effort.
As we rejoice in this moment, we also recognize that this purchase was only the first step. Our new space will require thoughtful renovation and preparation to make it a warm, welcoming, and functional place for the Lord’s testimony. The next phase will include:
- Exterior and interior maintenance and repairs
- Reconfigure meeting area, expand bathrooms, upgrade to occupancy code requirements
Each of these steps will take prayer, planning, the willingness and skills of the saints, and, most importantly, His continued blessing, His mercy and His grace. Your gifts, large and small, will help to transform this building to be useful for God’s work and to strengthen His golden lampstand here in Pittsburgh.
We ask that you continue to remember us and this project as we move into this next phase. We will continue to need your support as we remodel this building for the Lord’s testimony. Thank you again for your prayers and generosity for the Lord’s interests in this locality and for His move in every place!
With thanksgiving and rejoicing,
In the fellowship of the Body,
Serving ones in Pittsburgh, on behalf of the saints in Pittsburgh