God is Moving, Even in Europe
“Christianity is dead in Europe. The church has had its time on the continent in the past, and now it is over.”
Looking at the numbers, this statement seems like a fact and not just a popular opinion. Christianity is in decline across the continent, with some countries reported to have less than 1% of the population identify as evangelical Christians. As one church planter put it, the number of Christians amounts to less than a statistical error in some cities. Given Europe’s rich church history, and even its remnants of faith through its well-preserved and yet harrowingly empty cathedrals, this is a painful reality to accept.
But what I experienced at City to City’s first European Intensive in Hamburg was the opposite of what I had heard. Sixteen church planters from across Europe, from Portugal to Turkey, gathered to receive training on various topics in church planting from trainers across Europe. They shared their stories and struggles of sharing the gospel in their post-Christian context. And throughout the two weeks, one thing was clear—Christianity is not dead in Europe, and there is still hope for the church on this continent.
But how does one plant a church in Europe? The diverse group of planters shared their churches’ stories to discuss just that. And the answer, it seems, is “Creatively.”
One church planter from Portugal found his congregants were mostly surfers and skateboarders whose Sundays consisted of barbeques and surfing, so he based his ministry near the beach (he’s still getting the hang of surfboarding).
Another had been trained as a nurse and helped start one of the largest refugee camps in the country—and after that, he felt called to start a ministry in an artistic, family-friendly neighborhood in Greece.
There were two church planters that attended from Paris—one an Assemblies of God minister reaching out to the academic community by hanging out at the local university and joining in on club activities. The other is of a Presbyterian background in one of the richest neighborhoods in Paris. A background in finance—and the fact that his wife still works for a bank to this day—helps him understand the daily lives of the people in his neighborhood.
There was also a church planter from the Netherlands who focuses on the immigrant communities of one of the poorest neighborhoods in his city. Most of them are from Muslim nations, and he shared with others the challenges of contextualizing the gospel to that audience.
Europe may be in a post-Christian era, but the church planters from this year’s European Intensive show what it will take for the gospel to move once again in such a region. God is still calling people from all areas of Europe’s societies—from different ministries and backgrounds—to share his good news with a diverse audience. He has not given up on the continent, and neither have his people. The numbers may be small for now, but Christianity is not dead in Europe.
About the Author
Christina Jung assists in organizing City to City projects taking place all around the world.
Born in Seoul, Korea, growing up in East Coast America, and living in different parts of the world at various points in her life, Christina has developed a love of learning about and fully experiencing different cultures and people.