A few weeks ago, I was invited by a Pastor friend, Desmond Frey from Zurich, Switzerland, www.powerhousechurch.ch/ to meet with him and two other pastors to explore church planting in Europe. Europe is in desperate need of The Gospel and developing strong, viable Bible based churches. The most recent statistical research shows that less than 4% of Europe is “saved”.
This Intersection was my first time to meet the other pastors. One was from The Netherlands, Sebastian Van Wessem, www.europeadvance.org/ the other from America, Steve Hickey.
Pastor Hickey, www.churchatthegate.com/ has been involved in church planting in America for a number of years. He has a heart to help churches here.
For me and my ministry, First Step Ministries, Inc. www.firststepministries.net, planting churches affords one of the best ways to minister to children, which is a big part of my role as a missionary. Statistics have proven the younger we reach an individual with The Gospel, the greater chance of them developing a lifetime relationship with our Heavenly Father. With children and youth, it also provides them with the opportunity to diminish the possibility of wrong choices so much a part of early adulthood.
As the four of us shared our hearts and ideas, I saw the passion to reach the lost in each one of us. We have nothing on earth to gain by taking on this project, It will be a lot of work with no immediate reward of “fame or fortune”. We simply have a strong desire to see another “people group” come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. They just happen to be on the Continent of Europe.
Christians in America sometimes think that all Europeans are Christians and saved. After all, isn’t Europe where most American Christianity came from? Well, yes but… like our natural body, if there is no life, there is death. For the most part, European Christianity is dead. You can see great and beautiful buildings but for the most part, Christianity in Europe it is not even on life support. There are pockets of very vibrant churches but overall, the need exceeds the availability.
How does this change? It seems God has asked four men in the Body of Christ, a couple of Americans, a Dutch and Swiss pastor, to proclaim and speak life to this “Valley of Bones” called Europe. Can the four of us that met that afternoon have some Ezekiel 37 impact on this continent? Yes, with the help of the Holy Spirit. We will do our part. After a full day of discussion, we decided to go for it. It will be interesting to see how and what happens in the future. I’ll keep you posted.
Blessings,
Rev. Larry Blakeslee
Missionary to Europe & Asia
Tags: God Intersection
