Europe (MNN) — You’ve likely heard that Europe is post-Christian. Last spring, UK researchers claimed, “Christianity as a default is gone, and probably gone for good – or at least for the next 100 years.”
Helen Williams with World Missionary Press just visited partners in four European countries. She brought back some good news to share with MNN.
“We believe that the Lord is opening doors in Europe and awakening things.”
Find more details in this WMP newsletter.
God moves the nations
Europe received a massive influx of refugees and migrants between 2014 and 2015. As recorded here by Pew Research, 1.3 million people filed asylum applications in 28 member states of the European Union, Norway and Switzerland in 2015. While this flood of humanity strained resources and infrastructure, it also activated the Church in several European nations.
(Photo: Ben White/ CAFOD, October 2015 via Flickr)
“People that had been using the booklets on a limited basis were experiencing these people (refugees and immigrants) coming up through Italy and Greece and Hungary and Germany. They saw [an] opportunity to reach these peoples through the booklets as they came off the trains [so that’s exactly what WMP partners did],” Williams recounts.
So, “some of it (revival) is [due to] the movement of people,” she acknowledges. Additionally, “some latent things [are] being revived, if you will – stirred up by the Spirit.”
According to Operation World, Christianity remains the largest religion in Europe. The Protestant Reformation began in Germany; legends of the faith like Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wycliffe, and more all hail from the European continent. “They were missionary-sending countries; they were stalwarts of the Gospel. But now, these nations – between politics and just the spirit of the age – things have dulled.”
Today, God is using World Missionary Press Scripture booklets to grow His Kingdom in Europe.
“This one man and his church sent a request in for about 10- or 12,000 booklets. They have an intensive summer campaign to reach out to their community. They’re part of the city of Oslo,” Williams describes as one example.
As noted here in WMP’s newsletter:
WMP currently has 103 active distributors in Norway, with more than 80 in and around Oslo. A couple in the far north uses WMP literature in their AirBnB apartment rentals, in which many different nationalities stay. This year, five people came to faith in Jesus through reading the Scripture booklets while on vacation.
“[Another] man that came with another group… he just sat there and kind of looked at me and smiled at me all evening. He’s Iranian; he doesn’t speak English but he’s part of a church of 300 ex-Muslims from Iran and Afghanistan in Stockholm,” Williams shares.
Next steps
(Photo by Artem Beliaikin @belart84 from Pexels)
As the Lord opens doors of opportunity, WMP seeks to walk through them. Right now, Williams and others are organizing Scripture booklet shipments to new contacts in Romania and Sweden. Some contacts also submitted an “urgent request” for the How to Know God booklet in the Swedish language, she adds.
“They believe that will help offset some of the confusion with the Jehovah Witnesses and the Mormons… I really have a burden on my heart to get that booklet available to them.”
You can help send Scripture booklets to Europe for less than $5 USD.
“Because our booklets only cost about three-and-a-half to four cents to print, even $1 will provide 25 booklets. And, each booklet is used by more than one person,” Williams explains.
“We are printing about 7 million pieces a month, but I have orders on my desk for 130 million pieces.”
Most importantly, please surround WMP and its leaders in prayer. Pray for wisdom regarding new ministry opportunities. Ask the Lord to guide leaders’ decisions. Praise God for opening many doors of opportunity in Europe, and pray for financial provision so WMP can send Scripture booklets where they are needed.
“We just ask that they (MNN readers) pray that the Lord would provide for those needs… And for us to know how to go through this open door.”
Header image is a representative stock photo obtained via Pexels.
