In 1974, Hartwig Henkel experienced a personal encounter with the living God, which profoundly changed his life and brought freedom from drugs, impurity, and rebellion. From that time, his journey of following Christ began, including many years of pastoral ministry in one of Germany's well-known churches, studying at Bible schools, writing books, and serving in different countries around the world.
In 1996, following a clear divine calling, Hartwig and his wife Elke founded the ministry 'Hand in Hand.'
The mission of the ministry is to train and support Christian churches and ministers regardless of their denominational affiliation. Together with a team of coworkers and a wide circle of friends, Hartwig and Elke aim to assist the process of church restoration and building, of which we are witnesses and participants today.
The foundation of the ministry is based on the vision of a mature Church, united in the Spirit and endowed with spiritual authority, prepared for the harvest of the last days—a Church where believers are called to live in genuine biblical relationships based on mutual responsibility, honesty, openness, accountability, and humility.
Spiritual support from brothers and sisters who persistently engage in prayer and intercession for this work plays a particularly important role. This spiritual support is crucial for fulfilling the ministry's mission.
'Hand in Hand' organizes seminars and conferences and publishes training materials designed to help current and future ministers discover and enter their calling. Besides German-speaking countries, the ministry holds a special place in its heart for brothers and sisters from the post-Soviet space.
Goals
- Spread the biblical message of Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord, especially to unreached peoples.
- Build up the Church of Christ.
- Develop prayer ministries.
- Support Christians, especially ministers, in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and other regions of the world.
- Encourage Western Christians to serve brothers and sisters in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa; support Christians who want to work in these regions.
- Train and release laborers for the harvest.
- Promote true unity among Christians and strengthen interconnecting relationships between various ministries.
- Focus on personal knowledge of God.
Actions
We see ourselves called by the Lord to the following types of ministry:
- Training through seminars, Bible schools, and conferences on topics such as discipleship, developing personal relationships with the Lord, partnership with the Holy Spirit, entering personal calling, principles of church building, spiritual leadership, preparation of new ministers, resolving church problems and conflicts, and preparation for the last days.
- Consulting and practical assistance for church ministers.
- Publishing and distributing Christian training materials.
- Facilitating mutual communication and exchange of experiences.
Clearly, the Church of Jesus Christ is far from its intended purpose at present. Instead of being a light to the world, a pillar and foundation of truth, it is barely distinguishable in values and lifestyle from the world. The values, principles, and everyday practices of this world, under the influence of the ruler of this world—the devil—largely determine the appearance and life of the Church today.
For example, divorce statistics among Christians are not much different from those who do not know the biblical God. And in entertainment, differences between believers and non-believers are increasingly blurred. Today, many believers even defend their 'right' to consume the latest Hollywood filth and label the call to purity as 'legalism.' Addiction to pornography has become a serious problem among believers, especially ministers.
The Church has opened its doors to the spirit of humanism, which produces the fruit of false love, and therefore finds itself unable to confront blatant conscious sin and judge it. At the same time, false unity in God's people leads to a dilution of concepts of true Gospel and Church pleasing to the Lord. Unsurprisingly, under the current conditions, preaching and church activities lack spiritual power.
God's response—promise to restore the glorious Church
God, through the prophet Malachi, promises: 'Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not' (Mal. 3:18).
Peter spoke of a time 'when God will restore all things, the time long announced by His holy prophets' (Acts 3:21, NIV).
Paul writes about Christ, who 'loved the Church and gave Himself for her, to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, to present her to Himself glorious, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that she should be holy and blameless' (Eph. 5:25-27).
And at the end of human history, just before Christ's return, we read about the Church: 'Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself. And it was given to her to be clothed in fine linen, bright and pure; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints' (Rev. 19:7-8).
How to walk the path of purity, maturity, and power?
The key is found in the biblical concept of 'knowledge of God.'
'Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, they did not accept my counsel, and despised all my reproofs; therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own schemes' (Prov. 1:29-31).
'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being priest for Me' (Hosea 4:6).
The people of Israel saw God's power in action, humbling the most powerful nation of that time—Egypt—and delivering them from slavery. But God's plans extended much further. His people were not only to come out of captivity but to enter their destiny. They failed completely for one reason: they did not know God's ways (Heb. 3:10).
Knowledge of God and resulting blessings
- Life
'And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent' (John 17:3).
- God's grace—power for change
'Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord' (2 Pet. 1:2)
- Spiritual maturity
'They shall not do evil nor harm on all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea' (Isa. 11:9)
- Increasing likeness to Christ
'His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, that we may become partakers of the divine nature' (2 Pet. 1:3-4)
- Clear testimony of God
Jesus said of Himself: 'He who sent Me is with Me; the Father has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him' (John 8:29).
Key role of spiritual leadership
Spiritual mentors have a special responsibility. Church ministers can lead God's people either to spiritual success or to apostasy and God's judgment, depending on their own spiritual maturity.
'The lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts' (Mal. 2:7)
Currently, the Lord is arranging His people, assigning each their place where they can bear the most fruit. There are many worthy ministries and initiatives, and no one can participate in everything at once. We believe and see that the Lord calls other believers to become partners in our ministry.
You can support the 'Hand in Hand' ministry through partnership in the following areas:
Prayer support: intercession and spiritual warfare
In our ministry, we often face intense spiritual opposition, so we greatly need intercessors willing to labor with us in prayer and spiritual warfare. If you feel called by the Lord to pray regularly for our ministry and become our prayer partner, please contact us via email or fill out the online form to receive current prayer updates.
Contact UsFinancial support: sharing the financial burden
Publishing and distributing training materials requires significant resources. We are a non-commercial ministry, guided not by economics but by spiritual need and the desire to be a help and blessing to the Body of Christ. Our ministry depends directly on God's provision, and all activities are carried out solely through voluntary donations. If you wish to support this ministry financially, please contact us via email or fill out the online form.