Source: Joel News International 888, January 9, 2014
Almost 3,000 young people from 40 nations in Europe started the New Year at the Mission-Net congress in Offenburg, Germany, where they received faith, hope, and vision for their continent. Jeff Fountain was one of the speakers who shared about seven signs of hope he sees in Europe today. These signs are:
1. New prayer initiatives are emerging across the continent.
2. The shakings of God: [God] has been shaking the Marxist world, the Muslim world and now the world of Mammon. “Everything not based on God’s kingdom will be shaken,” says Fountain.
3. New spiritual hunger: Despite (or because of) secularism, spiritual hunger is rising. Here is a ripe harvest field for incarnational mission.
4. New expressions of church are emerging outside of traditional church walls.
5. The New Europeans: Look who God is bringing to Europe – from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Almost half of all EU migrants are already church members. Migrant churches contribute to urban church renewal bringing lost gifts of spiritual discernment, colorful worship and bold proclamation.
6. Unity of heart: Never before has there been as much convergence as today between old rival church traditions – Pentecostal, Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox. Spiritual renewal movements have swept over denominational barriers.
7. Recovery of the gospel of the Kingdom: The awareness that the Gospel is not just good news about salvation, but about Christ’s lordship over all spheres of life is leading to expressions of mission involving the transformation of individuals, families, and communities.
» Subscribe to Joel News. For more perspectives on Europe from Jeff Fountain, read his Weekly Word (The Schuman Centre).
» See also Faith Rising in East, Setting in West – Europe and Christianity (Christian Post) and Sharing the Gospel in the UK: A Nigerian’s Perspective (Christian Today).