When Bodo Park sits in that Frankfurt restaurant in 2002, listening to Dr. Steven Beck paint a vision for "a church for people who don't go to church," he couldn't imagine where that conversation would lead. Today, after two decades of church planting and multiplication, Bodo is preparing to leave his full-time job at Frankfurt's waste management company to launch his third church plant—this time in Oberrad, a district that holds deep personal significance.

The Heart Behind the Decision

"Since the beginning of this year, it became clearer that God wants to send us into another church plant," Bodo explains. "I believe this really shows our heart for church planting. After Frankfurt City Church in 2005 and SüdProjekt in 2017, Oberrad will be our third church plant."

The transition isn't just about geography—it represents a fundamental shift in focus. While Bodo has successfully balanced full-time employment with church planting, proving that multiplication can happen even with limited time, he now senses God calling him toward dedicated focus on two primary areas: planting the Oberrad church and mentoring other church planters across Frankfurt.

"I wanted to learn how to plant a church while having a job and family—how to make disciples in everyday life," he reflects about his waste management career. "We learned that very well, and we could do the same thing in Oberrad. But we see a great need and calling to mentor other church planters in Frankfurt and be more active in MainProjekt. I believe that plus a church plant from zero would be too much for us."

Oberrad: A Personal Vision

Oberrad isn't a random choice, Bodo and his wife have history there. "Our home is exactly between Sachsenhausen and Oberrad," he explains. "In my youth, I went to the soccer club and table tennis club in Oberrad, and Moon Sook also lived there for a year. We actually wanted to start our second plant there originally, but it turned out differently and we started in Sachsenhausen."

The district's unique character shapes their approach. Oberrad blends social housing areas with traditional, elderly residents who often struggle with loneliness. "We want to reach both groups," Bodo explains. "It will be multicultural again, but also create offerings especially for elderly people."

Their strategy includes establishing a coworking space within a building that houses a startup company and theological university, creating natural community connections. Plans include foodsharing ministries, communal cooking days, and developing their garden plot into a retreat space where people can work with creation while spending time with God.

The Challenge of Transition

The move to full-time ministry presents real challenges. "We'll have to build a donor circle, do a lot of fundraising to even start the plant in Oberrad," Bodo admits. The financial pressure is significant, but he's learned valuable lessons about sustainable ministry. "It's important to live a healthy life with good sabbath rhythms and help others do the same."

Beyond funding, there's the challenge of maintaining SüdProjekt's health while launching something new. "We sense a clear calling from God to go back into full-time ministry," he says. "I'll have this full-time job until the end of the year, and then we'll transition to focus on two main areas: planting the Oberrad church and mentoring church planters."

Multiplication DNA

The Oberrad plant will carry forward the house church multiplication model that has proven effective. "House churches multiply pretty naturally," Bodo notes. "Since we're upfront about that being our goal, we prepare people early so when it's time to multiply, we already have leaders ready."

Several people from SüdProjekt's current house churches already live in Oberrad, creating organic momentum. "From day one, we want to be a church in and for Oberrad—really with people who live there and reaching our neighbors," he explains.

Current Prayer Needs:

• Successful transition from full-time employment to ministry by year's end

• Fundraising and donor development for the Oberrad launch

• Wisdom in building community partnerships and coworking space relationships

• Health and strength for his family during this transition

• Effective mentoring of other church planters across Frankfurt

Partnership Opportunities:

• Financial partnership for the transition to full-time ministry

• Prayer support for the Oberrad launch and community development

• Close personal relationships beyond financial giving

• Support for innovative community engagement approaches

"I believe church planting is one of the most effective ways to reach people with the Gospel," Bodo reflects. "You can be very focused on a specific community and really contextualize everything for them. You have the freedom to completely rethink how to bring church to people because you're starting fresh."