We’re passionate about seeing people know Jesus
Our Call
To Missions
In 2010, Aaron and Denise were part of Two Rivers Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. One Sunday, a video was shown about Berlin’s post-Christian society, which moved Aaron deeply. He felt an overwhelming heartbreak for the city and clearly sensed God saying, “This is different.”
At this point, they had been focusing mainly on supporting others in missions, not going themselves. But this moment marked a turning point. Aaron began praying for Berlin and learning all he could about the city and its people.
Denise’s journey looked different. She was content in Knoxville and initially thought Aaron’s passion for Berlin was just a passing phase. But as they continued to talk and pray, she began seeking God’s direction for herself.
Two years later, Denise asked God for unmistakable clarity—wanting to be sure that moving to Berlin was a calling for their whole family, not just a matter of following Aaron’s lead. God graciously confirmed that call multiple times, leaving no doubt.
With that assurance, Aaron and Denise applied to ReachGlobal, sold their home, began building a team of ministry partners, and—by God’s hand—moved to Berlin to begin their new chapter of ministry.
Our dream is that this ground that has been patiently cultivated through years of love and faithfulness will one day yield a beautiful harvest of souls no longer lost, but joyfully resting in the love of their Savior.
Aaron’s Roles
Team:
Aaron serves as one of the leaders of the ReachGlobal Berlin City Team. In this role, he provides strategic leadership, pastoral care, and coaching to teammates across multiple ministries in the city. He helps guide vision, team development, and missionary care, while also coordinating with ReachGlobal leadership beyond Berlin.
Formal ministry:
Aaron is part of a core team with a church plant in East Berlin, where he supports the church’s outreach, discipleship structure and prayer focus. He also volunteers at a local family center during weekly family cafes, engaging with neighbors, immigrants, and families through simple, consistent presence.
Relational ministry:
Aaron builds relationships with local churches, pastors, and ministry partners to strengthen gospel collaboration across Berlin. He’s also invested in connecting with neighbors and continues exploring new ways to engage the city through volunteering, partnerships, and everyday presence in the community.
Denise’s Roles
Team:
Denise serves in several key roles on the team, including coaching and supervising fellow teammates. In addition, she supports the onboarding and landing of incoming short-term staff and plays an active role in recruitment efforts.
Formal ministry:
Denise volunteers weekly at a local family center during Family Café and monthly for the Single Parent Pizza Night where she connects with people through steady, relational presence. In addition, she is part of the four-member core team for a church plant in East Berlin.
Relational ministry:
Most of Denise’s time is invested in building meaningful relationships with locals. She regularly meets with around ten individuals who are at different stages in their spiritual journeys, from atheism to committed followers of Christ, walking alongside them in discipleship and faith.
Joys, Challenges, Dreams
Living in Berlin is, without a doubt, very different from the Southern U.S. culture we both grew up in. Leaving behind everything familiar to enter a land and culture we didn’t know brought a wave of emotions and deep questions about our faith. Do we really believe what we say we believe?
In the midst of all those emotions, God remains faithful. When we grieved leaving our oldest child in the States, God was there. In that season, our son grew in his relationship with the Lord in ways we never could have imagined.
The city we stepped into thought differently than we did. That challenged us to examine our convictions—what was truly from God, and what was cultural. And as time passed without seeing the fruit we had prayed for, we often wondered if we were doing something wrong. Yet even then, God was at work growing us, humbling us, and transforming us from the inside out so that we could better join Him in His work of transformation in others.
Berlin can be a spiritually heavy place. It’s difficult to face so much hurt and emptiness, especially knowing there’s a God who longs to meet people in those very places, yet is often rejected. This deep distrust of God, religion, and even of others makes ministry here slow and emphasizes the need for it to be relationally based. Building genuine trust takes time. It took five years before an acquaintance called us friends, and six before a neighbor felt comfortable entering our home. The waiting was hard, but through it, we’ve learned the power of presence and patience.
Today, our lives are full of true friendships that continue to deepen. Each day brings new opportunities for the Gospel to be seen, heard, and experienced in fresh ways. Though everyone is at a different point in their spiritual journey, we’re grateful for every seed God allows us to plant.