Norman and Karen Tober
Germany | 43580
Our Story
God has called us to establish a counseling ministry in Germany to serve missionaries throughout Europe. It is our desire to provide a place where missionaries can come to receive spiritual renewal, pastoral encouragement as well as counseling and crisis intervention without having to leave the mission field that God has called them to.
A recent study shows that 71% of career missionaries that leave the mission field do so for reasons that are “preventable”. The top four preventable reasons for missionary attrition were: personal, marriage/family, society and work-related issues. For new missionaries the statistics are worse. 30% of new missionaries either do not finish their first term or do not return for a second term. Missionaries need help!
Where We Work
Norman & Karen have established a counseling facility in a small town in southern Germany, centrally located and easily accessible for missionaries from all over Europe. Missionaries are able to come, have a free place to stay and find the help they need and then return to their field and fulfill that call that God has given them.
As a missionary to Germany, Norman is committed to be involved in local ministry as well. He serves in the leadership of Resauratio. Restauratio is a Church planter/pastoral ministry assessment and mentoring program for German church planters and pastoral ministry students. It is very exciting to see that German young people have a heart for the lostness of their own people. Restauratio comes alongside these young people and gives them the training and mentoring that they need. In the last 12 years, 15 churches have been planted in major cities in Germany and 4 of those church plants have planted daughter churches. Every year about 35 young people go through the assessment and are placed in a mentoring program that support them in their first 2 years of ministry. We hope that this will stem the tide (40%) of young ministers quitting the ministry in the first 3-5 years after graduating seminary.
As part of his commitment to local ministry, Norman also serves on the board of and teaches a counseling course at a Bible College (BSK) in Stuttgart. It is really enjoyable to be part of preparing young men and women for effective ministry.
He also counts it a privilege to be able serve as an Elder in our local German church and mentor the pastor, as well as being involved in coaching leaders and leadership teams of other churches, Mission agencies, Bible colleges and Christian schools in Germany. Several years ago, God also opened an opportunity to serve and support two churches and their pastors in Malta, where we now spend about 3 months every year to facilitate this new ministry.
Karen uses her creative gifts in the area of graphic design for our local church and the churches in Malta.