During the meeting of the Executive Committee for the Inter-European Region (EUD) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the presidents of the various Unions presented an overview of the Church’s mission in their respective countries. This was achieved through programs based on different cultural contexts.
These programs were created primarily to meet the need for an effective evangelization in a region of the world that is mainly considered “original”.
The work of a hospital chaplain, centered mostly on actively listening to patients, awakened a great interest for an in-depth study of the Word of God in the Czech Republic, a country steeped in atheism.
Small Bible study groups galvanized many other local groups in various European countries. It remains one of the most effective programs in terms of results.
A significant number of the EUD countries have adopted the concept of Urban Centers of Influence (UCI). These UCI are centers that offer a space for dialogue and comparison of various social themes from a religious perspective. In France, the current UCI are Chez Théo in Montpelier, Maison de l’Espérance in Paris, Save’Heure in Marseille; Café Chrétien in Brussels, Belgium; and Centre d’accueil “La cassette” in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg. In Germany, the UCI are focused on creating a multi-generational meeting space, like in Bad Aibling, or spaces to combat prejudice and cultivate appreciation for services offered, such as in Hannover, Bremen and Bensheim.
For some time, in almost all the EUD countries, projects have been organized for the disabled, the blind, and the deaf. These projects are primarily humanitarian-based and can give rise to in-depth religious studies where the Lord becomes even more accepted as an important figure in the personal lives of those in disabling situations.
There is no shortage of programs and projects organized with and for the youth, such as “One year for Jesus”, a project mainly carried out in Germany, which allows the youth to experience a unique evangelism opportunity. Another such project is the “Romania Youth Challenge”, which Romanian youth had to carry out in a society that is growingly distrustful and secularized. 10 young students decided to live in ten different cities in order to spread the message of the gospel.
Another organized project, again in Romania, is the “Religion Olympics”, in order to promote Bible reading among children and to help them realize the beauty of studying the Bible.
In Portugal and in Italy, the project “Kids in Discipleship” continues to galvanize the children and families that attend the programs. This project is focused on helping children (and families) to recognize Jesus as their personal Saviour and share Him with their friends at a young age.
In Switzerland, various programs are organized, including “Colporting Students”, through which students dedicate themselves to spreading Adventist literature; “His Hands”, through which students spend a certain amount of time in service to the church. One well-attended project was Twister Reality, in which young people participated in the showing of a film prepared by them, with the goal of introducing them to Media-Based Youth Evangelism in small groups. This was an experience that galvanized not only the youth but many others.
In various European countries, the iCOR, Church of Refuge, initiative is developing. This is a concept with the goal of involving the entire church in the creation of a “protective” context (from which the concept derives its name). The goal is also to create an atmosphere for development in relationships, spiritual growth, empowerment, and Mission promotion. (for more details, see iCORE).
In this era of digital communication, even evangelism has adapted. In Romania, the “Discovery” program allows for the online distribution of a long list of topics related to in-depth social and religious studies. In Portugal, for some time, streaming programs that are organized have been followed by numerous households, with stunning results in terms of conversions.
Also in Portugal, health expos are organized; these are real centers of attraction for the professional dissemination of a suitable living style. A majority of the people who attend these expos request in-depth religious studies.
The method of direct evangelism is still applied in various countries within the EUD, as in Romania, where there is an intense training of lay preachers. Under the motto It is time to be one of the 7000, many laypeople dedicated themselves to sharing the message of salvation. Many pastors and laypeople transformed their homes into churches for weekly meetings. “Waldensian pastors and Waldensian students” are programs that call for the sale of Bibles and books, with a high yield of results in terms of establishing contact and Bible study offerings.
A special long-term evangelism program organized by the Spanish church foresaw a spiritual renewal within the family and the church as well as a total member involvement (TMI). Every year, the project focuses on a complementary spiritual concept to foster a concrete community growth.
Evangelism in Europe is subject to a variety of cultural approaches that determine the abundance of approaches in terms of creativity and diversity. Although the postmodern European context gives the semblance of a secularization of circumstance, and although the results seem to suggest a limited growth, the perspective presented by the presidents of the various religious entities still offers a picture of an active church that is strongly projected towards the fulfillment its mission.
