Mattis Thielmann

Class of 2014.

Married to Mareen, with two (mostly) wonderful kids, Marja and Mateo.

Now living in Leipzig, Germany. 

In my first two years of C3 College, I studied the performance music & worship leading course and in my last year I joined the third year leadership course. C3 College was probably the most amazing time but also the most challenging time for us. Mareen and I arrived with a 1 year old baby in Sydney and didn’t have a clue about anything. We only heard and read about College online and just felt that I should apply. It would never have crossed our minds, that this would be such a transforming journey for us. 

C3 College was amazing because of the great leadership, the lifelong friends we have made and the new perspective on the Bible and ministry that I gained. But what this time did for us the most, was receiving a totally new relationship to God; to understand how living, how close, how powerful the Holy Spirit works in me and through me. Also to fall in love with the local church and see that it is truly the answer for this world to find Jesus.

When I started college I was just keen to do music and be a worshipper, though I was expecting that God had way more in store and higher plans than we could ever imagine. At this point I just need to say, that the whole college staff, every lecturer and minister of C3 helped us to identify our purpose and step into our calling. Our son, Mateo, was born during my second year in college and it made that year a big rollercoaster but thanks to the support of the college and great friends we managed to finish my third year. Looking back on the years after college, we realize how well equipped we have become in our time there.

In our third year we felt called back home to Germany. There was a small church in a town we’ve been in contact with and we felt God was calling us there. We arrived with little expectation; the only thing we had in our minds was serving this church as volunteers. Soon after, I became the executive pastor of this church and we saw so much growth and knew it was making a huge impact in the community. 

After two years serving in this church, we felt called again to do a big move in our life. In obedience, we quit our jobs and moved cities. We moved to a city called Leipzig. It’s one of the fastest growing cities in Europe, located in East Germany. East Germany is a place where 70% of the people call themselves Atheist, and of the other 30%, only a few would call themselves a believer. So we felt a desire to share the Gospel in this city and started to believe in a vibrant, Spirit-filled church in this city.

That’s how C3 Leipzig was born.

Last October we celebrated our official launch with around 250 in attendance and have already seen how God has changed so many lives. We wouldn’t have done any of it, if we hadn’t been so equipped, challenged and formed at C3 College. Also, the ongoing support from college and C3 Europe has helped in so many ways to walk every step of our journey so far, and also the difficult seasons.