Testimonials

Thank you for supporting EII and the ministry of local church and their pastors around the world. The impact of the ministry of EII is profound and beyond words for many. Rather than describing God’s work in their lives, we would like you to hear from them as they tell it in their own words.

Damian (Poland):

I liked the lectures very much, the way they were conveyed (good translation), and the way as for me pictorial as in this topic about the holiness of God, His separation, but also our separation and this on the example of the Holy Tabernacle or Temple, and for me this tells what the new Jerusalem may look like.

Naomi (American missionary):

Thank you so much for your teaching. I really enjoy thinking more about the attributes of God and especially interesting for me was the session about His unity. I had never quite thought about it in the way you presented it.

Aleksander (Ukraine):

I am full of admiration for Hal, who shortly after the operation gets on a plane, travels many hours, suffers the time difference to spend some time with a group of people he knows little. The lectures on the attributes of God were super interesting! Hal is able to talk about difficult issues using simple and understandable words. These lectures helped me a lot to understand God better and believe Him more. I had trouble with this, but Hal helped me a lot. I am very grateful for him!

Kasia (Poland):

Hal’s lectures made me look at some issues in a new way, such as considering the character of God comprehensively instead of piecemeal. I am again reflecting on holiness, this “separation” of man for God, and I am so grateful for salvation.

Daniel & Ania (Poland):

Hal’s lectures on the attributes of God are simply stupendous! They help to better understand and see the nature of God which makes God closer to man and makes a person even more willing to throw himself by faith into His arms. Hal is able to make the topic interesting; he speaks in a figurative way that appeals to the listener. He also has the ability to answer difficult questions in a satisfying way. Both the lectures and fellowship with Hal and Cecilie have been a huge blessing for which we are deeply thankful to God and to them.

Rafal (Poland):

I am extremely grateful to brother Hal for his series of lectures on the attributes of God. His rich, condensed and comprehensibly presented knowledge is exactly what I needed. The reference to the sources, the knowledge of the most important concepts in relation to Hebrew or Greek sheds much more light and really helps to better understand the character of our Creator, which I personally appreciate very much. Some of the issues were both new and revealing to me, such as the communicable and non-communicable attributes. Thanks for this decent and abundant spiritual food, brother! Your service is invaluable. With best regards and brotherly love, Rafal

Michal & Alona (Ukraine):

We thank the Lord for laying on brother Hal’s heart to come to Poland and serve us with these good lectures. We are indeed very encouraged and edified by this teaching. We hope that we will still have the opportunity to listen to brother Hal’s contributions in the future. May God bless brother Hal and his wife. And may he give him even more wisdom. Also, we are very grateful to pastor Daniel for his translation and helping us understand the lectures.

Ewa (Poland):

We live far from each other, live in different countries, have different life stories and yet we are close to each other. Thank you for sharing with us your deep knowledge of God's attributes. Thanks to you Hal we are getting to know Him more and more. May the good Lord bless you and your wife.

Andrzej (Poland):

Hal, thank you for deciding to come despite your surgery and health problems. I am grateful to you for encouraging me to study God’s Word even more deeply and to draw from the inexhaustible deposits in His “mine” of knowledge - the Instruction for Life, which is the Bible. Thank you for making it possible for me to know and understand God even better through His attributes through these lectures. I would need to listen to each lecture again to experience even more the closeness of His presence. Thank you so much again for the lectures and for allowing me to have a personal relationship with you and Cecilie and for the testimony of your life. Thank you again!

Sergey (from Belarus)

“Attending Shepherds360 conference was a very unusual experience for me. First of all, it was my first time in the U.S. and also at such a big event. I am a pastor of a big church in Belarus, but Shepherds360 was huge for me anyway! I was impressed. The conference was very academic, and that’s again something new. It made me think more about dispensationalism, and I’d like to learn more about it by reading books and listening online. I am grateful to everyone who was involved in helping our group to be at the conference. (Sergey also runs a publishing house in Belarus and has said he would like to take my book … translated into Russian by Hleb … edit and then publish it in Russian. This is an answer to pray).”

Lukasz (from Poland)

“These few days spent at Shepherds360 conference were a real blessing for me. Not only did I have the opportunity to delve deeply into the subject of dispensationalism with some of the best scholars in the field, but I also attended interesting and sometimes confronting workshops on a variety of topics. Both of these ways of teaching have helped me better understand God’s sovereign rule over the world and focus my life even more on His glory. I genuinely appreciated Dr. Hays’s series on Eastern Orthodoxy’s theology because—despite the fact that my Polish context is dominated by Roman Catholicism—it showed how to easily identify false concepts about the Gospel found in both religions regarding man’s contribution to God’s salvation. Moreover, it was incredibly inspiring to see how the Shepherds church integrates its ministry with the Shepherds Theological Seminary, and to have a chance to talk with the different people involved in each area: both students and staff members. This unique(due to my first visit to the US) experience has broadened my perception of the global church, having the opportunity to witness God’s work in different parts of the world. Last, but certainly not least, I felt extremely encouraged by our Eastern European “group of strangers” as we talked about the difficult challenges we face in our ministries, prayed for each other, and simply enjoyed the fellowship we share in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Valera (from Belarus)

“I live in a routine combining work and ministry. Most of the time in ministry you preach, teach, [and do] whatever the church needs in this stage. Not something I want to study for myself. There is very little time for self-study. I am very thankful to God for this conference, where theological topics are studied in depth. And at the same time there are seminars with more pastoral, practical topics. It’s a good balanced approach. I think my observation applies not only to our country, Belarus, but also to the other countries where the level of biblical education is low. As a consequence, one can hear wrong hermeneutics in churches. The key to correcting this situation is education. And conferences of this kind are one of the steps on this path. Again, thank you so much for this privilege and opportunity. May God bless you in your ministry and may many more pastors experience this blessing.”

Vladimir (Ukrainian)

“I have had the privilege of knowing Hal for over 15 years, and I am grateful for the work he and Encouragement International have been doing in Slavic churches worldwide. Over the past 20 years of ministering to Russian-speaking communities, Hal’s encouragement and support have been a constant source of strength for me. His ministry has not only been a personal blessing but has also impacted countless Russian-speaking brothers and sisters through God's grace. I am especially thankful to Hal for bringing me to the Shepherd’s 360 conference. It was an extraordinary opportunity to learn from world-renowned theologians and to witness firsthand the remarkable ways God is working through His church. The insights and knowledge I gained will equip me to serve the Slavic people in my ministry more effectively, and I am eager to put what I’ve learned into practice.”

Southeast Asia Pastor

Dear Hal and All,

 It was a joyous and blessed time for me to join the Shepherds Conference. It has been a time of enriching, encouraging, and fellowshipping with many like-minded brothers in the Lord and the ministry for me. It is beyond words I can express but only thanks to you all who have shown how is the true love of Christ. You have opened your houses to host us and stretched your arm with a warm fellowship that makes us like to be at home. I can say that without your help, we cannot join the Shepherds Conference this year.

Many lessons impact my life as a minister of the Lord that I want to share. 

1. In times like this, we are to stand for the truth. I have seen the boldness of the speakers for the Gospel of Christ. It was a time for me to be challenged to stand for the truth

2. It enriched and sharpened me to preach expository sermons. 

3. It was a time when we could have fellowship with one another in the ministry.

Thank Brother Hal who has managed and organized all these … Thank brothers and sisters, who have unfailing love and support the Encouragement Ministry through the years. It Is truly a ministry of Encouragement Intl. Inc (EII). May the Lord bless you all and your family and your work/ business with manyfold blessings. Thanks and hope to see you shortly.

CIPRIAN in Moldova

Dear Supporters:

I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support in enabling me to attend the Christian conference at Grace Community Church. Your generosity and encouragement have had a profound impact on my spiritual journey. The experience was transformative, and I am truly grateful for your role in making it possible. Attending ShepCon deepened my appreciation for Christ's exaltation through insightful teachings, fostering a stronger connection to His redemptive work, and providing a community that encourages living out His teachings in daily life.

MARCAL in Moldova

For me this conference is encouraging. When I see so many men serving God that gives me power and energy. Sometimes I feel like I am alone on my battlefiends, but now I see and know that God has an army that serves him. Also I found new friends in Christ. We share experiences from our countries and pray for each other. Thank you that you helped me to come here. It is a big spiritual blessing. John MacArthur was the leader I always listened to and wanted to see. Yesterday I also saw John Piper and others in real life. The messages that are focused on sola scriptura are what I always respected. Thank you so much for making it possible for me to be here, and God bless you for what you do.

Alexandru from Moldova

Thank you for your dedication, for your love, for your Mercy. I am very grateful. It is something EXTRAORDINARY, something UNIQUE. Thank you for the invitation.

Andrew from Poland

Dear Donor:

Many thanks for your generous support that has enabled me to come to the Shepherds Conference … I have been encouraged, strengthened, and enriched by the teaching and the fellowship. The conference has energized me to faithfully serve the Lord in Poland. With Sincere Gratitude, Andrew

Sergii (Ukrainian) ministering in Portugal

Thank you very much for the opportunity to be at this conference. To be here with our brothers in faith, and be comforted by a common faith. God is great and immeasurable … through preaching, shepherding example, and singing … all have brought me closer to Christ. How good that we are all His big family. Thanks to the sponsors and to Hal himself for this opportunity. All glory to our Lord and Jesus Christ.

Joseph (Ukrainian) ministering in Poland

Thank you very much to all of you who made it possible to be me here! Praise God for your love and care! I see Christ’s hand and work of the Holy Spirit in everything here on the Shepherds conference: the great sermons, many loving servants of Christ, fellowship with many brothers, and many other blessings here. Praise to Jesus.

From Moldova:

Lurco Family

Dear Organizers, On behalf of our family, we would like to thank you for the excellent organization and execution of the conference dedicated to the theme of God’s sovereignty. It was a wonderful time, including both familiar elements and lesser-known insights (related to certain historical moments). It was truly a beautiful and edifying fellowship, with a message from the Lord for each of us. May the good Lord reward the financial and time sacrifices of everyone involved. May God bless you all.

The Taran Family

We want to give special thanks to the brothers who worked diligently in organizing the conference, "The Sovereignty of God." Thank you for the time spent together. May the Lord bless you and reward your efforts.

 Roman and Liliana Malancea

The time of fellowship in the Word and with one another was a true blessing. Reflecting on the Attributes of God reaffirmed His greatness and the blessing of serving Him. We thank the organizers and all those who sacrificed to make this event possible. May He richly reward and bless you.

Tatiana

The time of fellowship in the Word and with one another was a true blessing. Reflecting on God's Attributes reaffirmed His greatness and the privilege of serving Him. I am deeply grateful to the organizers and all those who sacrificed to make this event possible. May He richly reward and bless you.

Dorina

The time of fellowship in the Word and with each other was a true blessing. Reflecting on God’s Attributes reaffirmed His greatness and the blessing of serving Him. I am sincerely grateful to the organizers and to everyone who sacrificed to make this event possible. May God abundantly reward and bless you.

Igor and Tatiana Bors 

Thank you so much for the conference, your time, and the effort you put into teaching. It was a blessing to think again about the sovereignty of God and what this truth means for our lives.

The way you explained it was clear and inspiring, and I learned many practical lessons that I can use in my daily life. This conference has strengthened my faith and reminded me how God’s sovereignty gives us peace and direction. I’m already looking forward to the next conference, where we can spend more time learning and thinking about these important truths together. Thank you again for all your hard work and for sharing your wisdom with us. 

Ciprian, Connie and Rafael 

Dear Hal Hays and Encouragement International,

I am writing to extend my heartfelt gratitude for the organization of the recent conference on the theme of The Sovereignty of God. It was a powerful and enriching experience that allowed us to reflect deeply on God’s sovereignty and to grow together in fellowship.

 Thank you for your generosity in covering the expenses for this event, which made it possible for us to gather and focus on these profound truths. Your commitment and support have been a tremendous blessing to all who attended, creating an environment that fostered spiritual growth and renewed commitment to God’s Word.

May the Lord richly bless you for your dedication and for the investment you have made in our spiritual lives. I pray that He continues to guide and sustain your ministry in every way.

Ciprian 

Hal Hays interpreted key Greek terms in the biblical texts and provided participants with a clearer, deeper understanding of the concepts of God’s sovereignty. When discussing The Sovereignty of God through His Attributes, we explored how God’s attributes reflect His supreme authority over His creation. When discussing God’s Sovereignty in Salvation, we examined God’s role in salvation with an emphasis on His grace and predestination. Hal used the Greek terminology to enhance our understanding of the original text. He also reflected with us on how God’s sovereignty can influence ministry and family life. A special thanks to the supporters of EII for providing the resources that enabled this conference to be enjoyed by the church in Moldova. It was a transformational experience that deepened the participants’ understanding of God’s sovereignty through theological study and practical resources. And a special tank you to Grace To You for providing the MacArthur Study Bible in Romanian as a study resource for our leaders.

Ghenadie and Daria 

 We thank you so much for this meeting where we learned about God’s sovereignty and were motivated to live with gratitude for the fact that He has offered us salvation through His Son. We also rejoiced in the fellowship with brothers and sisters. Be blessed.

Connie Savarin

 Thank you for organizing the conference on spiritual growth of the body of Christ, especially for the simple and detailed way of exposition. Many active Christian ministers, involved in many works, usually do not have a theological basis, for this reason, theological seminars are difficult to understand. But you, Mr. Hal, spoke is a simple manner, with an explanation of the context and the specifics of the translation, in understanding of even non-Christian people. So easily, spoken as if from the heart to the heart, without the use of complicated outlines, this shows a preparation at the highest level, guided by the Holy Spirit. 

From Southeast Asia Pastors:

Pastor 1

“I enjoyed learning about the Book of Proverbs, it helped me to understand the Book of Proverbs better. And it also helps me to have a good method to study and preach the Word of God more accurately. Thank you Professor for your enthusiasm in teaching. May God bless you abundantly.”

Pastor 2

“ I am touched by the passion of the professor who took the trouble to come to Vietnam to help God’s servants. I am very moved and would like to thank the benefactors who stood beside and supported the professor to conduct the program. Thank God for using you, as well as Pastor Phan for connecting, Rev. Nhat prepared everything very wonderfully. The subject (Study of Proverbs) is very meaningful and helps a lot for us, specially to the ministry and teaching work of God, when going through this subject. May God give you peace, teachers and servants of God, and see you again in August next year, 2024.”

Pastor 3

“Thank God, I have the privilege of studying God’s Word through the Book of Proverbs. I received many lessons for my spirituality even though the learning time is very short. The Professor helped me learn the method for preparing sermons through the Book of Proverbs. I am very excited to prepare lectures for young people on how to live wisely. Thank you Professor.”