Recently I was online investigating what other mission organisations were saying about the needs in Europe. I ran across some great thoughts by the Europe Region of Assemblies God World Missions. I hope you find them insightful. 

They said:

Low access to the Bible

The mission field is obvious. Missionary videos and materials portray certain groups’ exotic clothing and unique rituals, and we see huge cultural groups in need of a prophetic witness of Jesus. 

But there is another less obvious group not represented in our traditional idea of missions: secular people. Like the cultural groups often envisioned when we think of missions, secular people are made in God's image yet lost. They look like your neighbor, sit next to you at the soccer game, or serve your coffee at the café. 

Our biggest challenge in Europe is access. Because evangelical Christians make up less than 3 percent of Europe's population (and much less in many places), the secular European most likely lives his or her entire life without encountering a person who could introduce them to Jesus.

 Excluded, endangered, trafficked

 Compassion ministry in Europe is not about digging wells or building hospitals but rather...

There are millions of marginalized people groups–victims of human trafficking, refugees, Muslim immigrants, Roma / Sinti (Gypsies), and many other minority groups.

We are involved in short-term efforts when crisis hits as well as long-term solutions that put the Church on the front lines of compassion ministries in Europe.

Our missionaries combine loving, practical help with our message of truth through refugee relief, Project Rescue, Convoy of Hope, development programs among the Roma, and more. This is expressed in community centers, tutoring, cultural integration programs, hospitality, and meeting physical needs as part of an authentic, whole-person witness, turning hearts to the Lord.

 The answer is the Church.

 The New Testament answer to gospel access is and always will be the church, a community of faithful disciples who are making disciples.

Team is key to the future of church planting in Europe. We are committed to launching missional teams to the least reached peoples of Europe, working alongside our national church partners to plant new faith communities.

We envision healthy teams centered around various people groups for language and cultural acquisition as well as in gateway cities, university towns, and rural settings. All of these are part of the blueprint to see Europe reached with the gospel.

(Here’s a link to the original article)

What do you think of what they said? What do YOU think about Europe’s needs? We’d love to hear your thoughts at ecm.gb@ecmi.org