The first week of October I joined 250 leaders for the Hope for Europe conference in Golem, Albania. It was amazing to meet mission friends from over 30 nations in Europe and learn more about how God is at work in their church movements. There were also several networks present that Serve Globally has partnered with over the years, including Refugee Highway Partnership, and the European Freedom Network. It was good to meet the leaders of these organizations as they represent some of Serve Globally’s core missional priorities in Europe.
This was the first time I attended this gathering which is organized every four years by the European Evangelical Alliance. One thing that stood out to me was the holistic expression of the Gospel throughout the week. One of the ways the organizers did this was through giving space to representatives from over twenty European networks working with peace and reconcilliation, refugees, creation care, youth and children, ministry with muslims, multi-ethnic ministry, and many more. Throughout the week participants joined network hub meetings to learn and make connections. I appreciated that the conference was focused on building relationships and learning how we can partner more closely across our churches and organizations.
A highlight of the week was meeting with our small group each day. This was a wonderful way to go deeper with people in the midst of a large conference. Pictured above is part of our group. Rainer (Germany), Ruben (Belgium), Jiri (Czech), Serhii (Romania) and Richard (UK).
Each night there was a celebration of the cultures and countries represented at the conference. Throughout the evening participants could visit tables hosted by country and church representatives. We learned about their challenges and hopes and then joined together in praying for them. This was a powerful expression of our unity in Christ that goes deeper than our nationalities and ethnicities.
In the picture above Ukraine hosted a table and shared with us about how their churches and communities are coping in the midst of war. They also proudly shared tasty sweets and shared stories about their culture. It was moving to hear how much it means for them to be connected to the wider body of Christ in this time of crisis and hardship. What a privilege to pray with them and to hear how God is working even in these dark times in Ukraine.
During the week we heard from various speakers seeking to ground us in the hope of the Gospel and God’s continuing work in Europe. In this session we heard about an exciting youth movement happening in London. The young speaker is among a new generation of leaders bringing a new vision and energy to mission in Europe.
Pray for God to use everything that happened during this conference to build up and encourage his people. May the friendships, learning, and encouragement bear much fruit as these leaders seek to faithfully serve Christ in communities, churches and organizations around Europe.