Posts Tagged ‘Europe’
Transformation From the Inside Out
One of the most amazing feats of nature is how a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. It captures the imagination of children all over the world, and even some adults who maintain their wonder of the natural sciences. When the caterpillar is ready to begin its transformation it begins building a chrysalis from its own body,…
Read MoreFive Reasons to Care About Missions
Do you remember your first exposure to missions? If you grew up in a Christian church, perhaps the idea was first planted in Vacation Bible School. There, we would be regaled of the Apostle Paul’s adventures in prison and earthquakes and on rough seas. We might hear fantastic stories of people suddenly understanding foreign languages…
Read MoreFive Tips for Choosing a Mission Organization
You’ve felt the call of God to serve in missions, but what do you do next? Maybe you’ve recently returned from a short-term mission trip. Maybe you’ve taken the Perspectives course on world missions. Or maybe you are simply responding to the still, small voice of Jesus beckoning you to serve Him cross culturally. But what do…
Read MoreA Zeal for Europe: How Greater Europe Mission Came to Be
What do you know about Greater Europe Mission (GEM)…like, really know? Do you know why Europe is its focus? Do you know who began GEM or how it began? Many of us know about GEM in its current state: we know it is a mission organization that is passionate about spreading the Gospel across Europe and making…
Read MoreReaching the Heart of Europeans through Art
It is no secret that Europe is a region with an incredibly rich history of the arts. As an artist, I have often asked myself: How does art create unique opportunities for disciple-making? “When you dust off your art supplies and your heart,” she explained over a cup of tea, “things are exposed and healing…
Read More5 Benefits of Living on Support
One of the greatest hurdles to people saying “yes” to God’s calling on their life for missions is raising support. People don’t talk about money, let alone ask for money. It’s awkward, people think. I once thought that, too. Is that a biblical response? Emotionally, it makes sense to avoid talking about money. But theologically,…
Read MoreUsing Architectual Design to Support Ministries
As GEM worker, Fred Naff, walked through a certain graffiti-covered neighborhood in central Athens, he heard several different languages spoken around him. This part of the city had become home to many people who had fled war and oppression. Ironically, the area had formerly been the headquarters of Greece’s neo-Nazi party. When Fred entered the…
Read MoreGEM Is Inter-Denominational: What Does That Look Like?
“Tell me about the Christian culture in Czech Republic?” I asked a friend serving with GEM in one of the most atheistic countries in the world. “In my local context, we are connected with Wesleyans, Brethren, Catholics, Pentecostals, Baptists, Anglicans and some other Protestants,” she told me. And do you…get along? I thought. She chimed…
Read MoreOne Hundred Days into the Ukrainian Crisis
It was a normal day. All across Ukraine, people brushed their teeth, went to work and ate dinner with their families. They climbed into beds and closed their eyes, anticipating tomorrow would be no different. “I woke from the explosions,” Mikhail said. “The Russians bombed the airport in Dnipro. I woke up my wife and…
Read MoreMinistering Alongside Local Believers in Europe
When someone asks if they can pray for me, it’s hard to imagine a scenario when I would decline. So when the woman requested to bless and pray for my husband and me, of course we agreed. We had been slipping out toward the end of a late afternoon Easter Monday worship gathering on the grounds of the…
Read MoreMinistry to Asylum Seekers
Fearing for her life, Anna* abandoned everything and fled her war-torn country in the Caucasus region to seek refuge in Austria. Like most refugees, she was bounced from country to country and refugee camp to refugee camp by governments not wanting her to stay. While waiting for a hearing to see if she may be granted asylum,…
Read MoreHow God is at Work in Europe Amidst COVID-19
It can be said with certainty that we have all been affected by COVID-19. Whether through grief, disappointment, or just plain inconvenience, the world over knows the name “coronavirus.” And out of the widespread impact of the virus, we all have a chance to respond in faith rather than fear. As GEM’s CEO Jon Burns…
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