New friends - the case for missionaries to Europe

Already some weeks ago, before I went to Rwanda, a group of 7 church interns from the US visited us in Münster. They came to get to know what we in EPIC and Christian Associates are doing in Europe, some of them considering joining us. We had a great time together and some great new friendships got established.

Europe has seen almost 2000 years of Christian influence. One can very well argue that Europe is what it is largely because of this Christian influence in the past - the good (like education, civil service, equal rights, rich culture and art, etc.) and the bad (like the crusades, anti-cultural and fundamental attitudes, self-centered dualistic thinking, etc.). Today, however, Christianity as we've known it for several hundreds of years is declining in Europe, despite the enormous interest in matters of spirituality as such. It is clear that what started as a movement long time ago became a disappearing culture these days. Most churches are a vivid reminder of the rich history but are barely more then museums, or, at best, own little sub-cultures these days. It is of utmost importance to the Christian faith in Europe to regain it's movement ethos around the person of Jesus, ending a 1700 year long period of institutionalized Christendom, as authors like Alan Hirsch or Stuart Murray argue convincingly.

Though some - good friends of mine among them - see it different, I am very glad about non-Europeans like this group of American Christians coming to Europe in order to help us regain the core of our faith. We need their outside perspective and the values they bring, like for example the entrepreneurial mindset and emphasis on healthy leadership. These people invest their lives so that, in the end, others might live. What a gift. In case you are one of those I described here: THANKS for coming to Europe!