The Schein Family have been part of our church family since the early 1990’s. Holger is from Germany, and Jilly from NZ. They met in Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in West Sussex, England, and became a part of the Life Community Church in Storrington soon after. While in England, they had their three boys (Mike, Harry and Sam), and have worked with YWAM in Germany, Hungary and South Africa since then. They currently live and volunteer in Cape Town, South Africa.

Holger and Jilly’s calling and passion is as full-time disciplers. They are currently both involved in YWAM’s newly formed centre: the Centre for Christian Formation and Discipleship, where they invest into a large variety of people in areas of discipleship, coaching and mentoring. Aside from that, Holger is regularly coaching young to seasoned leaders, within YWAM and outside, with an excellent tool called Strengthsfinder, which helps people discover what their strengths are, and how to use them in their personal lives and in growing and developing others. He also trains staff for Discipleship Training Schools in YWAM. Jilly spent 17 years home-educating their boys (2001-2018), giving the family flexibility (and lots of adventures!) as they lived and worked in different nations.

The three boys no longer live in Cape Town with Holger and Jilly, but they remain exceptionally close as a family. Their beloved son Harry died in 2018, and they continue to grieve and miss him deeply. Mike is married to the lovely Meg, and they are currently working with YWAM in Kona, Hawaii, also in a discipleship capacity. Sam is currently in England, interning with a faith-based Theatre Company (Saltmine), and his passion is to be an actor.

Jilly says, “It is such a joy to be part of the Life Community Church family in Storrington! We have always found this special and lovely part of the Body of Christ to be unique and refreshing. Our wonderful church family have walked with us through some of the most painful experiences in our lives, and continue to cheer us on as we champion and grow others.”

If you would like to stay up to date with the Schein family you can register for their newsletter.

Many of the photos have been kindly provided by Deby Aho a talented friend of the Schein’s! If you’d like to see more have a look at the Schein photo gallery.