When Ordinary People Change the World: The European Movement God Is Building
February 18, 2026
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13 (ESV)
A Growing Christian Movement in Europe
Picture this: Two fishermen stand before the most powerful religious leaders of their day. No seminary degrees, no polished presentations, just calloused hands and hearts transformed by walking with Jesus. The authorities couldn’t deny what they saw: these ordinary men carried something extraordinary.
Fast-forward two thousand years to the modern streets of Europe, where a movement is quietly stirring. Across this continent, from the bustling markets of Athens and the busy streets of Frankfurt to the quiet villages of rural Sweden, ordinary believers are discovering the same transformative courage that marked Peter and John. Rather than waiting for someone else to make disciples, they’re stepping into the calling Jesus gave every single one of us.
This is the heartbeat of the ALL Initiative: seeing Europe transformed by all believers making disciples in their everyday lives. Working in partnership with like-minded organizations across Europe, GEM helped pilot the Initiative in 2025, laying the groundwork for a full launch in 2026. You may not realize this, but the movement desperately needs the engagement of American Christians like you.
Understanding Europe’s Unique Challenges
If you’ve ever visited Europe, you’ve likely been amazed by the stunning cathedrals and rich Christian history. But beneath that beautiful surface is a spiritual landscape that would break your heart.
Think about your own community for a moment and the challenges your church faces, such as declining attendance, cultural drift, and young people walking away. Now multiply those challenges exponentially. In many European countries, church attendance hovers around 2-3%. In some regions, an entire generation has grown up without ever hearing the gospel.
In fact, when I served in Europe, I heard young adults say church was mainly “for old people and tourists.” Pause on that for a moment.
The reality is European Christians face many of the same struggles that you do.
- How do you authentically live out your faith at work?
- How do you have spiritual conversations with neighbors?
- How do you pass along believing faith to your children in a culture that’s increasingly hostile to Christianity?
Sound familiar? These are the same questions believers wrestle with on both sides of the Atlantic. This is why the ALL Initiative is focused on practical, everyday discipleship tailored to the European context.
The Vision That’s Capturing Hearts Across Europe
Jesus left no questions about our purpose. His words in Matthew 28:18-20 ring as clear today as they did on that Galilean mountainside:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The ALL Initiative builds on this foundation with three simple but far-reaching goals:
- Inspiring ordinary believers to action around the calling all have received.
- Connecting ordinary believers and churches to collaborate on being a faithful witness.
- Equipping ordinary believers and churches to be effective in making disciples that make disciples.
Through this vision, we’re dreaming of transformation that begins with localized discipleship that starts in European churches and spreads through everyday relationships.
Working with partners like Community Bible Study, Fusion, Revive Europe, and the International Mission Board, the Initiative offers resources for every stage of spiritual growth.
In March 2025, the ALL Initiative hosted a pilot ahead of its public launch in 2026. The gathering focused on connecting, inspiring, and equipping believers not currently serving in full-time, vocational ministry to make disciples in the ordinary places God has already placed them. The following testimonies come from attendees at this event and point to the kind of everyday faithfulness the Initiative seeks to multiply across Europe.
“I found it encouraging to hear from others about their experiences with similar issues in the workplace and the courage with which they practice discipleship in the workplace.” –A., a real estate manager
“Although I’m new to Christian life, I learned a great deal, felt more equipped and have come away full of divine joy and inspiration.” –L., an electrician
These testimonies communicate something that should cause every one of us to reflect: when ordinary believers get practical help living out their faith, transformation happens naturally.
Three Ways God is Moving Through Ordinary People in Europe
Inspire: Awakening Hidden Potential
Across Europe, believers are discovering the key to making disciples is their own willing hearts. The Initiative builds on this truth with stories of transformation.
For example, “L.,” the electrician had just been baptized six months prior to attending the ALL’s pilot event. Now he’s better equipped and inspired to live out his faith with joy and also equipped to make disciples in his own community. Lives are changed when believers are empowered to step into God’s calling and to live out their faith.
Connect: Building Bridges Across Borders
The connections are already taking shape in simple, relational ways. Across Europe, believers are encouraging one another through WhatsApp conversations, gathering in local meetups of five to ten people, and beginning to share discipleship resources focused on living out faith in everyday life. Looking ahead, pop-up one-day gatherings planned for 2027 will further strengthen what God is already growing.
Equip: Practical Tools for Real Life
The catalyst of the ALL Initiative is to provide practical training that European believers can use immediately. Working with partners like Community Bible Study, Fusion, Revive Europe, and the International Mission Board, the Initiative offers resources for every stage of spiritual growth.
How the Church in America Can Get Involved
The heart of the ALL Initiative is seeing God advance His kingdom through everyday discipleship across Europe. The Church in America can help accelerate this movement through committed prayer.
The Power of Intentional Prayer
Never underestimate what happens when believers commit to consistent, specific prayer for our European brothers and sisters. Here are some specific points you can pray for:
- Revival in European churches: That God would ignite passion for discipleship in congregations.
- Boldness for believers: Like Peter and John, that European Christians would find courage to live out their faith in secular and sometimes hostile workplaces and communities.
- The ALL Event in Athens, Greece (March 5-8, 2026): This Europe-wide gathering is connecting and equipping European disciple-makers across the continent.
- Leadership development: That God would raise up passionate European leaders who will carry this vision into their local churches and communities.
Your commitment to intentional prayer will support this equipping ministry and help make events accessible to believers who have limited resources available.
A Movement Worth Joining
As I write this, preparations are underway for the upcoming ALL Event in Athens, Greece where believers from across Europe will gather for four days of inspiration, connection, and equipping. But the real impact happens long after those four days as ordinary people return to their daily lives with extraordinary purpose.
The testimonies coming from the ALL Initiative point to something worth noting:
“I was spirit filled from this meeting and felt God working through my brothers & sisters in the room… I learned a great deal, felt more equipped and have come away full of divine joy and inspiration.”
That’s the kind of transformation that changes communities, families, nations, and entire continents.
Get Involved Today
Commit to Prayer: Set aside time every week to pray specifically for the All Initiative and the March 2026 Athens gathering. Pray for believers just like “A” and “L” who are learning to live out and share their faith courageously.
Engage Deeper: Visit the Resources page to read stories of God at work across Europe. Are you interested in exploring what it would look like to serve Jesus in Europe? Visit our Go section to learn more about the lengths of service; then, start a conversation with our team.
Curious about how leaders are being equipped across Europe? Learn more about the ALL Initiative and how God is raising up the next generation of gospel workers.
Remember the verse from Acts 4 we opened with? The authorities were astonished by Peter and John because “they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” What would our communities look like if people took note that we, as American believers partnering with Christians across Europe, had been with Jesus too?
Together, we can see faithful believers multiply disciples and shape communities, one life at a time.
About the author: Gene and his wife, Inga, joined Greater Europe Mission in 2007 and have served in Eastern Europe, Northern Sweden, and from the U.K. Today they serve from North America, supporting discipleship across Europe. You can learn more about their ministry and receive updates, or explore Gene’s biblical teaching and writing at Simple Theology, Messy Life.