The Schein Family have been part of our church family since the early 1990s. Holger is from Germany, and Jilly is from New Zealand. 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 are as full-time disciples. They are currently both involved in YWAM’s Centre for Christian Formation and Discipleship, where they invest in a large variety of people through discipleship, coaching, and mentoring. Aside from that, Holger regularly coaches young to seasoned leaders, both within YWAM and outside, with an excellent tool called StrengthsFinder. This tool helps people discover what their strengths are and how to use them in their personal lives and in growing and developing others. 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.

More recently, both Holger and Jilly completed their Masters in Christian Formation and Discipleship, which has allowed them to put much of that into practice as they walk alongside others. They are also both newly trained spiritual directors, which is a wonderful way to accompany others in exploring their relationship with God.

Their three boys no longer live in Cape Town, but they remain closely connected as a family. Their beloved son, Harry, died in 2018. They continue to grieve and miss him deeply, their lives having been radically changed by his leaving. Mike is married to the lovely Meg, and they currently live in Denver, Colorado. Sam now lives in England, and for the past few years has interned with the faith-based theatre company, Saltmine. He is now doing his BA (Honours) in Acting at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

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

Ministry Statement:

“Our ministry is to disciple, equip, and facilitate growth in others so that they can live out and take the good news of Jesus to those who don’t yet know that they have been invited to the table.”

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