Artistic Ministries at Work in Europe

What do you think of when you hear the term missionary? Do you imagine a labourer building a house in a third world country? Or maybe someone boldly praying for the sick to be healed? Does a missionary only serve within an already established church? Or perhaps only in planting new ones?

I wonder if you’d pictured a missionary painting a stunning sunset or sketching an olive tree, inspiring onlookers to ask deeper questions of the artist. Or could you have possibly imagined a musician standing in a piazza holding an acoustic guitar and singing worship songs to God, drawing interest from curious spectators?

I’d like to share with you some of the creative ways missionaries are serving through Europe and beyond. You see, the truth is that there are many unique ways a servant of God can reach others that do not necessarily fit into a box or stereotype. There’s no lack in the ways one can serve. So, let’s dive in and reveal some of the ways the original creator, God, is moving across Europe.

Maya and Patrick are missionaries with GEM serving in London, England. They’ve chosen to serve in ministry creatively. “Patrick does lettering and illustration. We also teach and coach creatives,” Maya shares. She goes on to describe how God has moved wonderfully through their ministry. “Someone shared with us that they had chosen to walk away from their faith and had packed up all their paint, etc. After God used us to share our story, they had taken out all their art supplies, started creating again and felt re-connected with God!”

Jessica, a missionary in Rome, Italy has also seen God move through her unique paintings. “A lot of my creating is out of a place of worship, and I think something that’s fun about being an artist [that has a relationship with the Father] is that people notice it in your art. It’s an instant connection, like “wow! There’s something different about your art.” Jessica has also seen artwork make an impact in those receiving it. “Recently someone who was in a difficult season received a piece of my artwork, and the art piece was life changing for them. They identified with it and found that it symbolized the season they were in.”

Another GEM worker, Pamela, who serves in Camps of the Peaks in France, wears many creative hats. She showcases her creativity through playing several musical instruments and through teaching leather crafting at the camp. “There’s just something about the way people connect over art; it breaks down a lot of barriers.”

Barriers are broken, hearts are opened, and interests are piqued – these are just a few of the reasons some choose to serve artistically. Art tells a story and can reach people in ways that other efforts can’t. Can you imagine the potential of reaching those around you with simply doing what you love, and then having an honest conversation with a curious stranger? Amazing!

Greater Europe Mission has seen this potential, and has created an outlet for artists to encourage others, instill hope, share stories, and inspire one another. This group covers a multitude of mediums, including painting, dancing, singing, woodworking, writing, photography, and needlework, and the list goes on! And although this group of over 50 members are part of Greater Europe Mission, many work alongside others serving in different mission organizations, churches, schools, businesses, and even with unbelievers. There is no telling how big of an impact this creative ministry is having throughout Europe!

Not every lost soul of the world will respond to the gospel being preached in the same way, and if we’re willing to say ‘yes’, there’s no limit to how God will use us. Do you have a gift that you haven’t yet realized God could use? Let’s rejoice in the gifts that God has given us, and say YES to using them for his glory!


About the author:

Leanne Monge Barrera is a storyteller with Greater Europe Mission and serves out of Winnipeg, Canada.

Building Relationships with our Muslim Neighbours

God has called us to reach the nations and tell everyone about his name, right? What if there’s hesitation due to uncertainty of how someone might respond? Let’s talk about what many of our missionaries will have some level of interaction with; meeting and befriending Muslims.

Due to war, persecution, and political unrest across the Middle East and North Africa, millions of Muslims have relocated to Europe in search of peace in a new home. Muslims account for 5% of the population across Europe, and that number continues to rise. In contrast, most countries in Europe have less than 3% of people claiming to follow Jesus and most cities have well under 2%.

We’re making an effort to serve our Muslim neighbours and equip our global workers to best meet followers of Islam with the light and love of Christ. 

Part of this equipping involves addressing stereotypes. Sadly, our western context includes inaccurate assumptions that lead to unfounded fear and hesitation. Walk with me as we learn just a little bit more together.

Because of the differences between Islam and Christianity, many Christians falsely assume it would be difficult to talk with Muslims about spiritual things. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Muslims believe in God, they believe in many of the same prophets as Christians do, they believe in Jesus and even that God inspired the Bible. With each of these commonalities, there are many connecting points for Christians to build bridges from scripture.

On the flip side, some elements of Christianity are either confusing or hard to understand when put into practice. For example, what’s going on with the trinity? Do we serve three different Gods? And is God’s grace too cheap, if all that Christians need to do is say a prayer and then they’re saved? Are Christians just free to go on living their lives as they please after that? 

Befriending our Muslim neighbours and having these spiritual discussions with them can certainly help bring clarity to these misunderstandings we each might have! Islam is a part of every aspect of a Muslim’s life; this is important in understanding your Muslim neighbour, and in opening yourself up to being understood as well.

Another interesting misconception we sometimes see among some Christians is the idea that Muslims don’t want to be friends with Christians. Through community centres, sports, kids play groups, tea parties, or any number of other connection points, Muslim people can be very easy to befriend. We all seek community. Some aspects of our social lives are drawn on religious lines, but many others are based on interests, stages of life, and geography.

And this is at the core of GEM: discipleship starts with friendship.

Inter-faith friendships lead to inter-faith discussions and chances for gospel seeds to be sown. Sadly, many Muslims have never been befriended by disciples of Jesus. “They might be surprised that you as a Christian want to hang out with them because that hasn’t been their experience,” says Luke, a global worker in Berlin, Germany. “So when they meet a real one, they are interested in your faith,” adds Forrest, a GEM worker in Stockholm, Sweden. Just like any religion or culture, no two followers of the Quran are identical. And as Luke notes, we must “be careful not to reduce people to a stereotype or a project.”

Another misunderstanding is that Muslims are antagonistic toward Christians and only want to debate. This is a common caricature people in the West have of Muslims. But as Emily, a global worker in France, emphatically remarks, “This is not true!” Depending on who you encounter, the same could be said of Christians, if your experience was limited enough! But many Muslims have genuine questions and are seeking to understand. Emily goes on to say that “the key here is loving discussion, not debate. We must avoid the temptation to want to ‘win’ debate.”

Although misconceptions abound no matter what the faith or background, I do hope this has shed some light on what our missionaries are experiencing across Europe and can help you in the relationships you’re building in your own neighbourhoods.  

Please join us in praying for open doors and opportunities for God’s workers as they build relationships with their Muslim neighbours!

References:

https://www.pewforum.org/2017/11/29/europes-growing-muslim-population/

https://joshuaproject.net/continents/EUR

https://gemission.org/five-misconceptions-in-ministry-to-muslims/


About the author:

Leanne Monge Barrera is a storyteller with Greater Europe Mission and serves out of Winnipeg, Canada.