Category: Stories from the field

The amount of love and support the world has been showing Ukraine through their adversity has been inspiring. Although there are currently no GEM workers serving within Ukraine, labourers in the surrounding countries have been working tirelessly with the waves of incoming refugees. Many of the GEM workers who have stepped up are doing so alongside partnering agencies, showcasing a beautiful display of unity within the global church. With that being said, let’s take a closer look at the work being done and how your support is making an impact.

Right along the border of Ukraine is the unassuming country of Moldova – a small, poor country welcoming refugees with open arms. One unique advantage this country has from other bordering countries is its language; “[Very few] border countries have a population that speaks their heart language – Russian,” Dwight Poggemiller mentions. “[Ukrainians have been] able to communicate immediately, enter into counselling, compassion, and be cared for in their heart language. Also, [Christians have been] able to enter into spiritual conversations with these folks.”

Interestingly, the countries seeing the most action have some of Europe’s highest number of believers. “Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine had some of the highest percentages of evangelical Christians before this conflict [ranging from 3-5% of the population],” Dwight states. “There’s not only a significant number of believers there, but they’re also very united… and it’s been a great example of the body of Christ working in unity and reaching out with Christ’s love.”

GEM workers, teaming up with partner agencies, have been able to work together to meet the needs of refugees entering Moldova. “The Lord’s used this to be a great reconnect with old partners and new connection with new partners, and through that we’ve been able to have a significant impact. We’ve touched probably 30 different locations, churches, and refugee centers with [different kinds] of aid,” Dwight revels.

Poland, with almost 3 million Ukrainians either passing through or settling, has had a huge influx of refugees looking for safety. There we witness the benefits of believers working together, both inside and outside of GEM. Phil Gibson explains, “I am connecting with ministry partners in Poland who are currently housing numerous refugees from Poland. We have set up an agency agreement with them so that we can send financial assistance.” GEM workers are partnering with organizations who are already established in order to multiply their impact and meet the needs of people who are hurting.

Kevin Weppler, a worker in Romania has been consistently finding ways to step up to the ongoing need. “Our national partners here in the south have been returning with van-loads of mothers and children trying to get away from the border.” Ashley, an intern working alongside the Wepplers pleads, “Right now, the need is food. Every open church and home is seeking to provide warm meals during their stay, and non-perishable items to send them onwards with.”

Further from Ukraine, but still seeing the effects of the war, is MaryLynn Parnell serving in Spain. “Girona is a transit place and a settling place, so there are people who are settling here,” she notes. “As we know of families that are settling, we find out their needs. People will then drop off donations for [refugee] families that they connected with, who will then come [to this central meeting spot] and pick them up.”

The impact of your financial donations supporting GEM’s initiative have been noticed. “Funds that have been raised are responding to those first needs… like luggage, feminine products, or things that you can’t always readily get right away… [Refuges will] get housing, and clothing will be donated, but if they need anything outside of that, we’re just really excited to be able to help,” MaryLynn explains.  

The people of Ukraine who have fled, now in the range of over 5 million people, depend on the compassion of strangers. This has become an amazing opportunity for the church to step up and show Christ’s love to those desperate for hope.

Let’s pray.

Lord, we pray for the displaced – those who have had to move without any preparation, that they would find a place that would allow them to feel safe. We pray you would surround them with believers who would speak life and hope to them and give them companionship during this dark season. And lastly, we pray that you would keep our hearts filled with your love, even while we might not agree with what’s happening. Amen.

With Europe’s historically religious roots, it isn’t surprising to see that many of its countries still celebrate Easter today – though often in secular manners and not always the way we do here in Canada.

Poland’s traditions include Śmigus-dyngus (men splashing women with water on Easter Monday), while Czech Republic has pomlázka (whips made of willow-twigs for slapping girls). In Ireland, it’s time for spring cleaning, while residents in Greece and Bulgaria have fun with rocket and egg battles, respectively.

Although many countries have their own unique customs (and I’m sure we could spend an afternoon discussing them), let’s dive into the details of Spain’s traditions with the help of GEM associate Marley Blake.

Located in Southwestern Europe, Spain celebrates Easter at the same time as Canada. In addition to Good Friday and Easter Sunday, though, they celebrate for an entire week, beginning on Palm Sunday and ending a week later, on Easter Sunday – this is called Holy Week, or Semana Santa. You won’t find much evidence of an Easter bunny in Spain; their focus this week is solely on Jesus and the sacrifice that he made.

There are a few days through Holy Week that carry the most significance. On Palm Sunday, celebrators will bring olive branches to their churches to be blessed. On Holy Wednesday, you might spot some locals wearing dark hoods and playing percussion instruments throughout the day and night in commemoration of Judas’ betrayal. Good Friday, the day of Jesus’ death, is commemorated with showy processions throughout city streets. And finally, Easter Sunday is a day to spend with family and celebrate Christ’s resurrection.

During Holy Week, the most prominent traditional displays you’ll see are religious processions by Catholic brotherhoods; from their home church, through the city streets, and back again, the brotherhoods carry elaborate floats with a depiction of the crucifixion story. Marley recounts that many people gather to watch these parades of volunteers dressed as both Roman soldiers and penitents dressed in tunic robes with face coverings. “By wearing the hats in Easter processions, penitents are re-enacting Christ’s road to Calvary. The hat pointing upwards is also supposed to represent the penitent’s journey to heaven.”

Like many countries in Europe, only a small percentage of Spanish nationals have a relationship with Jesus. “As I watched the processional go by, I wondered how many people were simply going through the motions of what they do each year without knowing the true meaning behind it all,” Marley remembers. For many, these celebrations have been whittled down to an empty tradition.

Adding to her uncertainty, the most important element of Easter was missing in Marley’s city and its events: “Even though the procession tells people about the sacrifice that Jesus made being crucified, it left out the most important event – the resurrection. It saddens me to think that people who do not know the entire story from the Bible may believe that Jesus was defeated at the cross.” Thankfully, this significant event is honoured on Easter Sunday in many other areas of Spain, usually in the form of more processionals.

Although it is wonderful to see a country observe the life and sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour during Easter, let’s continue to pray that the entirety of the Good News, and the hope and joy that come with it, speaks to those who don’t yet know new life in Christ. And let’s give thanks that Christians like Marley are in position to share the full story with curious spectators in Spain this holiday.

Have you ever considered serving in missions but were unsure for how long? What has it looked like? Did you feel pressured about how long you should go, and how effective a short trip could be? Perhaps you’ve heard the notion that a short-term trip impacts the traveller, while serving long-term impacts the locals. There are so many wonderful stories of career missionaries, it’s easy to feel the burden of which one is more effective!

The truth is, each of us has a unique path in which the Lord leads, and it’ll look different for every believer. Indeed, not everyone goes, and not everyone who goes stays! Valuing our roles as senders is an incredibly important part in all of this! In this instance, though, let’s take a deeper look at the benefits of short- and long-term ministries.

In Mark 16:15, Jesus says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Some might argue that the best way to live out this verse is to serve as a career missionary, but that doesn’t mean we should disqualify the value of a shorter trip.

Mike Taylor has a unique perspective on all of this. He’s actively been involved on both the sending and the receiving ends of mission work, first as a youth pastor in the United States, and then as a full-time Christian worker living in England. He’s quick to acknowledge, “I definitely think short-term missions is important.”

Going deeper, he shares that the goal is to “get people invested in relational connections that lead to either gospel conversations or gospel conversions, but we’re not hung up on where those happen or how they happen, but just [that] they do happen.”

With that being said, let’s explore both short-term and long-term opportunities from Mike’s perspective, looking at just a few examples of how impactful each can be:

Brings encouragement. “When we receive people… it’s a huge encouragement to our team on the ground. There’s a lot of energy, enthusiasm – things that come from a short-term trip that really fuels our people on the ground.”

Life-long Impact. “90% of the conversations I have [with career missionaries] on the Instagram livestream I do every week, those people went on short-term trips, and now they’re serving career.” “Even if [short-term participants] don’t feel called to go long-term, I think they see the world through a different lens because of the impact of the trip.”

More Influence. “The longer you’re in a place doing life, the greater chance you’ll see spiritual fruit. One of our mantras is ‘The gospel moves at the speed of relationship.’ The idea isn’t just someone giving their life to Jesus, it’s just furthering the conversation.”

Deeper Conversations. “The other mantra we say is ‘Live your life in such a way that people ask, “Why?”‘ For example, ‘Why are you doing what you’re doing? Why would you come all the way from Canada to Germany, or France, or England, or wherever?’” Locals will better see something different about you when you’re living among them, and as conversations deepen, doors will open for gospel truths to be revealed.

Regardless of what your ministry looks like, one core value that keeps coming up is the value of serving as a relational-minded Christian. This sounds like something that would benefit us right here in our neighbourhoods at home, too, doesn’t it? And because seeds are planted by both short- and long-term interactions, any budding relationship with someone can then grow and be nurtured by those who have long-term connection, whether long-term missionary or national believer!

So just as GEM missionaries pray every day at 10:02 (in reference to Luke 10:2), will you pray with me for the Lord to send workers out into the world, however that might look? Would you ask God if He would like to send you out into the harvest?

“He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'” – Luke 10:2

Imagine for a moment, a world with no hope. Your trust in others has been lost, and you no longer know who or what to have faith in. An involuntary wall is put up anytime you’re introduced to someone new, knowing that they might also betray you. Simply put, you’ve been dragged down a dark road and seem to be trapped there.

There are millions of people across the globe who are living without hope. More specifically, millions who have been stripped of their freedom when they became victims to human sex trafficking. These people have become lost in this dark reality, unsure of how to escape, or if it’s even escapable.

Fortunately, there are people who desire to see these victims freed from this existence. Deborah, a worker with GEM in France, is one of them. Her goal is not only to see a decline in human trafficking but to bring hope back into the victims’ lives. “Our primary goal is to share the gospel with the women. We believe really strongly that that’s what differentiates us from some of the other groups in Paris,” she says.

“We owe much, in many cities, to the secular and Catholic organizations who’ve done research, started street work, or paved the way for Christian organizations like us,” Deborah says appreciatively. “However, they don’t offer the women the same type of hope,” she says as she remembers a story of a woman who was rescued by a secular organization. “She had left the streets physically, but mentally she was not much further along than she was before… she still felt that she had no worth.” 

Some of the most powerful stories are of women who haven’t even left the streets yet; “This one girl,” Deborah starts, “she hadn’t left the streets yet but wanted to, had written a worship song… She sang it for us, and it was so beautiful because the lyrics were essentially, ‘I look around and I see everyone else is carrying their god forward, but my God carries me, and I see everyone else searching for God, but my God searches for me, I see everyone else being used by their god, but my God cares for me and protects me’. I just felt so much of the power of God in that moment.”

Imagine, a world where hope is within reach, promising to be renewed!

“The goal is to walk alongside these women in a discipling-type role,” Deborah states as she discusses what ministry looks like after the women have left the streets. While women may be free from their physical bondage, their psychological bondage ties up their ability to trust. It takes a lot of time for women to trust others again. Deborah admits: “Aftercare is a long-term process, something that takes years usually.”

This trust can begin to grow before they’re even free. “We would go out once a week [or two], and we’d start with prayer time… Then we’d go out on the streets and try to start conversations with these women,” Deborah explains. After building rapport with the women, the team began exchanging phone numbers, sharing the gospel, and eventually helping them with any paperwork or legal documents needed to start their lives afresh.

Christians who take a stand against human trafficking are vital: because of them, those trapped in the system can experience the life-changing effects of God’s perfect love. Let’s pray together for their continued faithfulness and passion, that their efforts will change lives, and that others across the globe will take what they’ve learned and consider joining this type of ministry as well.

If this ministry strikes a chord in your heart, we’d encourage you to learn more. One excellent resource that comes recommended from our Christian workers is www.defenddignity.ca. You can start to make an impact today, wherever you are, and if you have questions, please be in touch with us and we can help connect you with the right people and resources.

The idea of a new year is revitalizing; we can start afresh, establish new goals, and envision a year full of potential. Sure, there are uncertainties, but in those uncertainties, there is excitement – we can’t wait to see what the new year will bring!

Now, as we entertain the thoughts of entering 2022, let’s shift our focus from anticipating a new year, to anticipating a new culture; let’s imagine the feelings and experiences an appointee has as they step foot onto the field for their first year as a long-term missionary.

Crystal, Sharon, and Alex have all experienced the highs-and-lows of serving overseas. They’ve had to say goodbye to family and friends back home, learn new languages, and transition into new cultural norms; and although they’ve each had experience in serving on short-term mission trips beforehand, the transition to serving long-term in a new culture is something entirely different.

“It’s harder than you think it’s going to be, but that’s okay… God is more faithful than you think He is,” Alex reflects. “You realize just how much of what you thought about God and what you thought about yourself is tied to the place you came from, and that gets taken away from you. You find that your identity comes from much deeper things than you thought they were back home.”

Fortunately, those serving with GEM are prepped beforehand with what they might expect emotionally once overseas. Even so, all three of our interviewed missionaries can attest to experiencing the varying emotions that come with living cross-culturally. “The first 2 or 3 months I was still in the honeymoon phase; I was just so grateful to God because it was so hard to get there – I didn’t want to take anything for granted,” Crystal remembers. “In about month 4 I started to notice the culture shock of ‘okay, not everything is as easy as [it was back home]’, and I realized I stopped smiling at people.” It didn’t take too long for Crystal to get back to her own rhythm, though, and soon felt more comfortable and at home in her new environment.

Sharon remembers the transition she experienced, with a mother’s perspective; “I was totally out of my zone; It was just way more difficult for me [than the rest of my family]. Once the kids were okay, then I started to process. So, you don’t really do it all together, everyone transitions at a different pace.” Sharon goes on to remember some of the hard moments she had; “It’s going to put stress and pressure on you that you didn’t know exists. Asking for help is something I wish I had done more.”

“I’ve gone through many of those stages,” Alex recalls, “You get days when everything just annoys you and you don’t know why, and you get other days when you’re like, ‘Well, I’m on an adventure, I get to explore this new place and meet different people and see different places,’ and a lot of homesickness happens as well.”

Moving to a new land with the challenges of a new culture and language, all for the sake of the gospel, often begins the same way we enter a new year – with excitement, anticipation, and a willingness to embrace the unknown. To have a successful experience, though, we must remember to stay connected to the Vine; “None of it matters if you’re not doing it with Jesus,” Crystal proclaims, “because that overflows into everything God is calling you to do – and you can’t pour out what you don’t have!”

Please pray with me for those experiencing their first year on the field. May they experience God’s peace even when it seems hard, and grace to complete the work that the Lord has led them to do!

Europe is a land of wonder, beauty, and inspiration. It is an historically deep-rooted continent which appeals to millions around the globe as a place to visit and explore. Many of the world’s most beautiful cathedrals and churches are in Europe, proving to those around the globe that it is a land thriving with faith and religion. But is it really?

There’s a misconception many of us have had about this continent. The very thought of missionaries serving in Europe is lost on them, “Isn’t Europe already very religious? Why would you need to serve there?”

A continent bursting with stunning cathedrals yet lacking in faith; how did it come to be that a land that once held such strong religious power back in early modern Europe has now strayed from those deep Catholic roots, with little more than religious stereotypes echoing on?

Over the past five centuries, a multitude of factors have led to a waning faith in God. Jon Burns, President of Greater Europe Mission International says, “The problem is we see all these beautiful cathedrals and we assume there are all these people committed to the faith, but since the Second World War, the church in Europe has actually been on a massive decline, and I argue with anyone that Europe is the most unreached place on the planet right now.”

And he’s right! While you’ll find that many Europeans claim to be Christian (Catholic specifically), they generally state this as an assertion to their culture and upbringing, rather than having active, authentic relationships with God. Much of Europe’s remaining population claim no religion at all and live atheistic or agnostic lifestyles, especially in the younger generations. Add to this, millions of people have landed on Europe’s shores in recent years, in search of hope and peace, bringing with them the religions of their home countries.

But is this limited to Europe? Burns explains that “around the world, continents have come to a tipping point, where there’s enough Christians to reach themselves. However, in Europe, that’s simply not the case. In villages, towns, and cities, it’s rare you’ll find even 2% of committed Christ followers. Very few people even know a genuine follower of Jesus. All these stunning cities with beautiful churches, very few of them contain a thriving Christian community.” Burns goes on to say, “If we define an unreached people group as less than 5% evangelical Christian, there’s really only a little bit of Romania that’s reached, there’s about 8%. But really the rest Europe is nowhere near [being reached].”

With Europe being such an influential continent, the importance of reaching it and bringing its people back to Jesus is great. “It’s imperative and urgent that we reach Europe now,” Burns explains, “Europe has been the epicentre for art and architecture and philosophy and religion for more than 2,000 years. Its influence is unmatched. Europe is the crossroads of the world, and therefore reaching Europe is critical for world revival.”

With Europe being a global leader, imagine the potential world-wide impact that could be made if it were to become a thriving continent full of true Jesus followers! This is one of the reasons many choose to support or serve with GEM and other agencies serving within Europe – if we reach Europe, we can reach the world!

Now is the time for us to come alongside the people of Europe as one body of Christ; will you pray with me to see the brokenness that has overtaken Europe be lifted, that the church would be renewed in Christ, and that God would expand His kingdom through all peoples of Europe to the world?

About the author:

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

How many of us can say we attended school in a place where others openly believed in God? If you grew up in Canada, there’s a good chance that you can.

Now imagine growing up in France, where fewer than 1.5% of the population are committed followers of Jesus Christ. For example, although half of French residents claim to be Catholic, church attendance in France is among the lowest in the world, with only about 5% of the total population even attending a weekly mass. Consider this: would life be much different if a significant amount of the population didn’t affiliate with any religion?

Allison, Patty and Addi grew up within the French school system. Their families lived in France while serving with GEM. They’re now adults, and they all agree that although there were challenges, growing up in France was something they don’t regret.

All three accepted the Lord as their Saviour at a very young age, and so their entire school experiences were as Christians in not-so-Christian environments. Patty recalls the experience as being isolating, while Addi remembers even the teachers making denigrating comments toward the faith. Allison remembers it being lonely at times, but their experiences don’t end on sour notes. “I know that He was in those lonely places, and I know that the small number [of believers] does not reflect His absence or abandonment even,” Allison remarks.

Addi reflects that “although there were many negative comments, and we were taught things that I blatantly disagreed with, I think it helped me to learn how to think critically and be able to disagree without taking things personally, or villainizing those who saw things completely differently than I did.”

Because they were quite solitary in their faith while at school, with their classmates being mainly without religion, with some Muslim or nominally Catholic peers, you may be wondering what type of Christian community they had outside of it. “I had a good group of friends at church,” Addi recalls, “though we didn’t live very close together.” Allison experienced a different scenario, “There wasn’t any youth at our church because it was so small, but there was another kind of church group that drew their youth together about half an hour away, and so we met with them.” Patty also remembers joining an inter-church youth group, “that was the only choice available to us at that time, and I loved it. We did a lot together above and beyond the weekly youth group meetings.”

These Christian communities are vital to the wellbeing of impressionable youth. Allison explains, “I’ve made friends with many GEM K’s [missionary kids], and there have been some that now struggle with the idea of faith.” With Jesus-followers in the minority, it could be difficult to stand firm when surrounded by those who don’t share the same belief. For others, though, it could be a valuable learning experience, “Knowing struggle is a part of faith, and there is a cost and a suffering to it, I think that is a gift that I cherish to a certain degree.” Allison admits.

Addi also has chosen to turn something that had been difficult into something special. “I love France and will always appreciate what I learned through growing up there. I find that I miss the conversations that I would have with people, discussing my faith with those who didn’t have their own and seeing them genuinely interested in what I had to say even when they had no intention of becoming a Christian.”

Although growing up as a Christian in France may feel isolating at times, God does not abandon His kids! Let’s pray for those growing up in France right now, whether they’re refugees, locals, or serving as missionaries, that the Lord would provide them with community, and that they’d know He loves them and is with them always.

About the author:

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

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” When God gifts you with children, he gifts you with an amazing discipleship opportunity, right in your own home! You can raise your children up to know the Lord and to walk in His ways. But when God calls you to move across the ocean to serve others, what does that mean for your children? Is it possible for them to experience a school environment grounded in solid, biblical truth?

The good news is yes! There are safe places where children can continue to grow both academically and in their faith. One such example is Black Forest Academy.

This Christian school in Kandern, Germany is run and staffed by global workers from a variety of organizations, including GEM, who have answered God’s call to serve in this type of ministry. In addition to their day program, BFA also serves remote families that don’t have adequate educational alternatives for their children by offering a high school boarding program. BFA has the privilege of serving over 200 students of over 20 different nationalities, who come from families living in over 60 countries. Talk about having a global impact!

Those who serve in ministry at Black Forest Academy take on roles including teachers, office staff, counselors, maintenance, dorm parents, resident assistants, and everything else that keeps a professional school going. They do it because they love it and are passionate about raising a strong up-and-coming generation.

So, why would God call someone to serve in this capacity? Maggie Green, a Resident Assistant at Black Forest Academy shares several reasons; “To work at BFA is to support ministries across Africa, Asia, and Europe. To support missionaries working in the 10/40 window, or with refugees or translating the Bible, or to end human trafficking. The list goes on and on.” The workers at this school aren’t just ‘doing their jobs’, they are allowing other workers to fulfill their callings, as well as ensuring their children are being trained up in the way they should go. “When you break this job into pieces – making breakfast, or driving a student somewhere, or helping someone with their homework, there’s a lot about it that may seem mundane, but all stitched together, this job is literally life on life discipleship,” Maggie explains.

These students are continually in community. What an amazing discipleship opportunity these workers have, to be in community with these students and display what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus.

Katrina Custer, a middle school teacher at BFA says, “I think anybody who gets into education as a teacher does so because they want to make an impact. I think being at BFA as a teacher, it just maximizes that impact because it’s a world-wide scale.” Katrina is excited about the possible impact that serving missionary kids can have, “Statistics show us that a quarter of these students could end up in missions someday… that’s a generation I want to be a part of!”

In 3 John 1:4 it says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth”, and although Paul wasn’t referring to actual children, I believe we can apply it to those the Lord entrusted to us – our children. Yes, there is so much joy in knowing that our children are walking in the truth, and thankfully we don’t have to carry the entire weight of teaching them on our own shoulders.

Let’s pause in our busy lives to pray for those working at Black Forest Academy and schools like it. They have a great responsibility in not only ensuring these kids receive academic success, but also in raising up the next generation to know the Lord and to walk in His ways. That is something these kids will remember the rest of their lives!

About the author:

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

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!

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About the author:

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

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/

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About the author:

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