Italy (MNN) — According to Operation Mobilization, evangelical
Christians make up less than 1% of the population of Italy.
Over 100,000 practicing magicians live in Italy, and Turin has one of
the largest satanic churches in Europe.
OM's response? Train up others
to do short-term outreach across the country, and send Italians to serve in
other parts of the world with OM.
The team also developed a training and conference center in Bobbio
Pellice to serve the Italian church. With that groundwork laid, they're now looking into unique ways to draw
more people to the Gospel.
The spiritual climate of Europe is hard, but sometimes it is the arts
that can speak the truth to ears that would otherwise fail to listen. Enter: OM
Arts International, a ministry of Operation Mobilization.
OM Arts utilizes artists to share the message of hope through
dance, music, theater, photography, visual arts, and many of the high art
disciplines. They also provide opportunities to engage cultures on short-term missions
trips and by facilitating artists into long-term roles throughout the nations.
The program has grown enough to where they hope to launch an internship
program by this time next year. The program
will be at Forterocca, home of OM Italy's conference and training
center.
Leaders and potential team members met recently to discuss
possible avenues for local arts outreach. "Our visit was mind-bending and
spirit-stretching," reflects one leader. "We went in with one idea of what
the training program would look like, and left with another!"
Aside from the team building, the group also got to know the
spiritual landscape and legacy they were working with. This same leader writes, "We visited the
stone mountainside huts where the Waldensians trained their best men to take
the Gospel across Europe…and stood at the foot of the cliff from where they
were thrown for not renouncing their faith. We return to the States with much
to do and consider, sobered by the example of the martyrs."
Pray for wisdom for the team as they plan and prepare for this
internship. Pray that God will send
artists to be trained and equipped to use their gifts in mission outreach.
