Vision for church planting in Europe
Jun 21, '07 11:40 AM
I just got back from a trip to the UK - meeting with long time friends and "brothers in arms" Wolfi Eckleben (from Every Nation, London), Markus Marosch (from Every Nation, Innsbruck), Jeff Bullock (Every Nation, Budapest) and Tom Jackson (Every Nation, Edinburgh). We stayed at a beautiful house in Henley (Fawley Court) that was built by Sir Christopher Wren - and although it had probably seen better days, it was a great environment for a meeting.
It is true to say that the whole of Europe is largely "post Christian" today. Christianity has been in Britain since before Augustine. It comes as a surprise to learn that this land that produced such Christian giants as John Wycliffe, John Wesley, C. H. Spurgeon, and C. S. Lewis has now become one of the neediest new mission fields in the world! Apathy reigns while Cults, Islam, and the occult are rapidly on the rise. Christianity in the U.K. has entered into drastic decline and churches are closing, sometimes even being converted into mosques.
Bible-believing Christians now account for less than 3 persons per 1000 of the population. That means that there is little or no understanding in the culture that accepts (let alone believes) in the Gospel, salvation through Jesus Christ, the in-errancy and authority of the Bible - or any other truth that Christians take for granted. As such, winning people to Christ is a lot slower and more relational process than in other countries. A BIG church in Europe is 500 people, a mega church 1,000 and a continentally influential church is one with over 1,500.
Nevertheless - the darker the night, the brighter the light can shine! We have a great platform, built up over the last 15 years, upon which we can build and from which we can launch out. Our faith is that we will be able to plant and establish over 30 prevailing reproducible, transformational churches in major cities throughout Europe by the year 2020. That would be a great legacy to hand over to the next generation to take to the next level!
|
