Meet Gustavo
"I have been at IBC since I was very little. At the ages 13 I joined the worship team to play the drums and have been doing that ever since. I love to make music and play together with others and I feel lucky to have this opportunity to serve the church and I want to keep doing it for as long as I can."
Meet Yeshua
"I have been in IBC for over 5 years now, and I'd say that it's been an amazing journey and experience so far. In these times, I’ve have seen people come and go, but I one thing remained constant "growth".
I was raised in a Pentecostal church where I officially started singing at the age of 12 and took over the lead role at the age of 16 and I must say that it's been an interesting journey. Music as I've known it to be, is the greatest weapon of warfare, Love and Peace and the one language the whole world understands, regardless of the tribe or nation. Being trained up as a child with almost all the psalms of David, made me realize how much music means to God, including the undiluted power, value and effect it has both in heaven, on earth and in the life of humans. I somethings tend to imagine what it looks in heaven, as the bible records
in the book revelation, "The twenty-four elders surrounding the throne of God, each holding a harp, “sang a new song” to the Lamb of God (Rev. 5:8-10). In addition, The angels and living creatures and elders all sing, “myriads of myriads, thousands of thousands, and they sing with one voice" (Rev 5:11-13).The thought of this verse makes me look forward to joining them someday, when our lord Jesus will come again and hopefully I will be singing the "Melody" 😊.
Looking back to how far I've come in music only reminds me of the wonderful and amazing woman God used to prepare me for this journey with him "My Mother". She made me love music! Watching her sing praises to God regardless of what is going on or how she feels made me wonder why she did it. Then one day she said, and I quote "he who sings praises to God prays twice, Prayers move God, but Praises takes him out
of his seat.... look at David, think of the wall of Jericho and other events in the bible where they sang to God and how much they accomplished just with praising him", she said. "You are God’s anointed and were born to Praise him, and the world awaits your rising my daughter", She said.
My best book of the Bible is the Psalms of David. Today, knowing almost the psalms by heart, (thanks to my mum) gives me an understanding of what worshiping God looks like and should be in selflessness and with a heart full of gratitude. I now understood why David was a man after God's heart. And just like him, God chosen me to be the woman after his heart, and I'm truly honoured, grateful and blessed to be called by him. And Saying Yes, to this calling, is one of the best things that has ever happened to me, because he has always been faithful to me and his Goodness/protection always runs before and after me.
When we love God, we must trust that no matter what is happening in our lives or how we can't make sense of it, that he has our greater good in mind, will always come through for us. As one my favourite verse says in 1. Cor 2 v 9-11: Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets. No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit.
I have tasted and seen that the Lord is Good and in addition, he can be trusted!. When you let LOVE, SACRIFICE, JOY, PATIENCE, and MERCY lead - you’ll never go wrong nor get it wrong! But above all, the greatest of this is LOVE (1 Cor 13). Trust God and he will blow your mind."
Meet De-Joy
„I joined IBC when I moved to the Hamburg area and I was looking for an english-speaking church community to be part of. I became part of the worship ministry to serve God with the musical ability He gave me.
This bible verse that currently speaks to me: „Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.“ (John 1:12)“
Meet Tasha
„My name is Tasha. I am from Kiev, Ukraine. I was born and raised in a Christian family and in church. I started singing from a very early age and my family has always been pretty musical. When I was 13 years old I became a member of the youth worship team and since then have been in the worship ministry most of my life wherever I lived. In 2016-2017 my husband and I moved to Hamburg and started attending IBC church, and in October of 2017 I became a part of the worship team in IBC. I love being part of the worship team here: I really appreciate the dedication, sincerity in serving God and professionalism of our musicians and singers. I love being a part of our IBC worship team family and serving The Lord together.“
Meet Liliana
„I was raised in a very active church in São Paulo, Brazil, starting singing in a choir at the age of 6. Our Sunday services had a schedule that also included the children and the teens to play an instrument. So, when I was 9 years old, I started to play the piano in the services, following the steps of my brother and my sister. And besides the choirs for all ages that I could take part in, I also started to sing and play in a youth worship band.
When I came here in 1997, the IBC was a small church and there wasn’t so much going on in the music ministry as I was used to have, back in my home church. I felt dissatisfied and I couldn’t avoid the comparisons. Then I heard God clearly saying to me: stop complaining and start to serve here with what you have. And so I offered to play the piano and sing as well. And when the church grew with new members, we were also blessed with many new musicians coming to the worship ministry.
Serving the Lord in the IBC all these years made me grow in many ways, starting with leaving my comfort zone that I had with my fellow Brazilians, who grew up with me in the same baptist church. Here I had to learn to accept and to love people that came from the most different backgrounds: other cultures, other languages, other denominations, other ways of thinking. With this dear people I could expand my understanding of the Kingdom of God and the meaning of worshiping God and serving his Church, knowing that we are one in Christ.“
Meet Matt
„Hi! They call me Matt because... that's my name. I grew up in Kentucky in the USA, and after too much fried chicken I joined the US Army Band as a trombone and piano player. I've learned to play several instruments over the years, and have yet to master any of them. I came to Hamburg about 6 years ago – Interestingly, I hadn't played bass guitar before coming to IBC, and as the music team needed one at the time, I felt God drawing me to this service. I feel like music is a bridge between us and the Holy Spirit, and for me I feel closest to God when playing and worshipping Him. I'm always ready to learn new instruments and music styles and explore new ways to glorify God -- Perhaps worship accordion in the future. I try to live by the command set in John 15:9 ---
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love... I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.“
Meet Sandra
“At the moment, the passage that speaks to my heart a lot is, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). As someone who tends to be expressive person, being still is not my default setting. However, in this present season particularly, I have come to realize that being expressive without being grounded is incomplete.”
Meet Indra
„I came to IBC in the year 2015, as I just came to Hamburg to study for my Master's degree in the HAW Hamburg. Because at that point I was quite new in Germany and didn't really trust my German language skill to attend a German church, I decided an international church would be best. After a quick Google search, I attended my first Sunday in IBC and I felt God was speaking to me through this church and I decided to stay until now.
As I grew up serving the ministry in Indonesia by playing music almost every week, the hunger to serve the Lord with music in IBC got bigger and bigger every week. I reached out to Welbeck, one of the worship leaders at that time, and quickly got integrated into the team. Best decision ever. Worshipping the Lord with other people who love God with all of their hearts is one of the best feelings I've ever felt in my life.
After all of these years in IBC, I am very glad that I could be a part of this ministry and this church. My favorite verse from the bible (also my life motto!) is Colossians 3:23-24, which says:
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” "
Meet Ruth
"Born with a love for music, my mom fondly recalls me singing - rather humming - before speaking. Memorising songs by heart by sitting in front of a cassette player for hours, I started singing in church at age 4. At 13, I announced to my mom that I will stop going to church and expected she would put her foot down and drag me each Sunday to church but to my amazement, she didn’t.
In my wandering years, around age 15, someone prophesied that I will use my voice one day for God’s glory. The person didn’t even know that I sing but laughed at the idea inside because I had in the meantime developed a fear of being in front of a crowd. Plus, I was one terribly lost sheep. However, God’s grace overtook me and at 17, I rededicated my life to God. A couple of years later, it became apparent that God was calling me to step out in and serve in the worship ministry. A couple more years and I was leading worship for our youth group until before I moved to Germany.
Being in IBC, my first ministry was in the kitchen where my fellow Filipinos cooked & prepared delicious food. Not being on stage, I was quite content doing it, not to mention the fun of being around my people. However, some months later, it became apparent that God was calling me to serve in the worship ministry again. And the rest, as they say, is history…
And while my anxiety of being in front of a crowd is manageable (by God’s grace), it hasn’t gone away completely. It does keep me dependent on God’s grace and I am constantly reminded of the truth in 2 Corinthians 12:
9 But he said to me, "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamaties.For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Meet Victor
"I joined IBC after my first visit in March 2018, shortly after I arrived in Hamburg. My brother and family who were already members invited me. After listening to Pastor Dans preaching and the beautiful music from the band, I was blessed and knew right away that IBC was my church. However, after a short while, I noticed a void in the music team, which was that a male vocalist was needed. Being that I have had professional singing experience and have served in my home church all my life, I opted to join the team. I was accepted with open hands and since then, I have since been counting blessings after blessings based on the opportunity I have to serve God with one of my talents."
Meet Philipp
"Hey, my name is Philipp. I was born and raised in a traditional christian family in the „Beethoven City“ Bonn where I got my musical background. When I was 16 I gave my life to Jesus and accepted him as my Lord and Saviour. Shortly after, I started worshipping in my local youth group playing the guitar. After coming to Hamburg in 2016 I got involved in the CityChurch worship where I am active to date. Later on I started serving on the guitar (electric and acoustic) in the IBC.
It is very refreshing to experience the freedom during worship with the team. It is a deep desire and a huge joy to worship God for who he is, for all he has done visible and yet to be seen! In his presence we can witness him in all his power and with all his love for us! I especially love his promise in Matthew 18:20 where it says: „For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.“"
