Blog | Supporting Local Churches, Missionaries and Church Planting in Europe

Happy Christmas Almuñécar: Sharing the Gospel in Spain

Christmas in Spain, as in many other countries, gives great opportunities to share the gospel with people. Iglesia Evangélica Reformada, the small reformed evangelical church in the beautiful coastal town of Almuñécar, where EMF missionaries Manuel López Franco and Alba Ortega are based, were eager to find ways to spread the good news of Jesus. But how can a small church make any inroads into reaching a town of 28,000 people?

A Christmas Selection Box

11/1/22

If you belong to a church that tries to make the most of gospel opportunities at Christmas, you were probably more than disappointed when Omicron reared its ugly head in December 2021. Our missionaries had their share of these feelings too. Some of them, like Tim and Debbie Brooks in Haus Barnabas Germany, who went down with Covid, or Michael and Ariëtte Robinson in Belgium, who had a couple of Covid cases in their fellowship, had to cancel/postpone evangelistic activities. Restrictions and legal requirements vary across Europe, and most of our workers have had to figure out whether they could proceed with activities as planned. But across Europe some Christmas outreach events did go ahead, and we thought you might be interested in hearing about a small selection of these…

One cold day in October 2021 …

22/12/21

The annual Passion for the Gospel conference (Pasión por el Evangelio) was held at the end of October 2021. As four of our EMF personnel were involved in the planning of this event, we thought you might enjoy hearing about the content this year. We start with the opening images on the conference video, which set the scene for what was to come…

New EMF Missionaries in Portugal

21/12/21

One of the things which brings us the greatest encouragement is to see godly men and women committing themselves to gospel service, in countries where there is such great gospel need. We're delighted to be able to introduce two new families who are joining EMF in January 2022, both in Portugal and both with the family name Lopes (but not related).

‘Don’t think we can come…we have never done Zoom before!’

8/12/21

In all the excitement we are feeling as a mission on welcoming a number of new missionaries and missionary couples in recent times, we also endeavour to remember that we have a duty to care for and honour those who have worked on the field or as members of our home staff, faithfully and in many cases, for decades. We also know that we must make an effort to look after the members of our EMF family who, while still serving the Lord, have officially retired.

Of Making Many Books There Is No End

9/11/21

Back in the late 1970's, E.M.F. missionary Jean Pleasence was involved in the setting up of a branch of Evangelical Press in Spain. This publishing house, which later became independent, is called Editorial Peregrino, and is headed up by E.M.F missionary Matt Hill. In this article, Andy Woods, (who married Jean Pleasence in 1997), tells us what he has discovered about the complexities of publishing a Christian book in Spain (with similar issues being faced in Poland, where Krzysztof Rutkowscy directs the work of the Legatio publishing house). As Andy discovered, getting that good book onto the reader's shelf is no simple task. Read on to find out more...

Baking, Teaching and Preaching – Backen, Lehren und Predigen

26/10/21

‘Tent-Making’ in Germany! A report by Jonathan Jeffreys, E.M.F. home staff team Tim and Deb Brooks have been in Utzenfeld for over twenty years now, and run Haus Barnabas, a Christian guest house. Utzenfeld is a small village in the Black Forest area of Germany, with a little over 600 people living there; the area is predominately Roman Catholic. The ministry at Haus Barnabas involves the proclamation of the Gospel through preaching, literature, and personal witness.

A Hungarian ‘home from home’ for 20 years.

18/10/21

September 12th 2021 was a Sunday of celebration in the Hungarian Reformed Church in London. Its pastor, István Salánki, had been there for 20 years, and the members of the church, along with others in the wider church community, wanted to show their appreciation of this faithful ministry. Read about this happy occasion…

IFED Theological Days 2021, Padua, Italy

7/10/21

The title for this year’s ‘Theological Days’ event run by the IFED organisation based in Padua was ‘Prayer, this unknown’ (La preghiera, questa sconosciuta). This was essentially a two-day conference, held on the 10th and 11th of September 2021, exploring the great theme and many aspects of prayer. There were approximately 200 people in attendance, including many pastors and church leaders.

Narnia Revisited

21/9/21

Summer camps and children’s activities are features of evangelistic effort across Europe, especially during the summer. We have had great reports of how children’s camps have been truly blessed this year, with leaders and children trying to get back to some kind of routine in these Covid days. This is one such story, which is all about what the Lord is doing in Moldova, the poorest country in Europe, where Mihai and Irina Chisari (new EMF workers; see the report in the latest issue of ‘Vision for Europe’ magazine) have a remarkable ministry among the children of Chisinau, the nation’s capital.

Building a New Church with Twenty-six Poles

8/9/21

Church planting is hard work. It is also exciting, because any growth in gospel work is good news. It usually means believers are taking seriously the command to spread the wonderful message of hope in Jesus Christ. It means that more people who have never heard that message are given the chance to come into contact with true Christians, perhaps for the first time in their lives. Krzysztof Rutkowski and his wife Aneta head up a church plant project in the Polish town of Włocławek. You will be encouraged by their story.

It happened in Rome

17/8/21

Stuart Olyott writes an imaginary account of the day when the apostle Paul's letter was first read to the infant church in Rome... It’s the year AD57. One million of the 54 million inhabitants of the Roman Empire now live in its capital and some of them are Christian believers! These include Jews converted in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, Jews and Gentiles converted in other parts of the Empire, and citizens and slaves converted in Rome itself...

(Definitely not) a romantic tale from Transylvania.

10/8/21

We always try to tell the truth about Gospel work in Europe! It is not usually a story of fervent evangelism being responded to with a widespread and joyful embracing of the Gospel. More often than not, we have to report on quiet, persevering efforts that are being made over a number of decades by faithful workers who see less fruit than their hearts desire. Read on to hear one such account about the ongoing outreach efforts of three groups in Romania.

Bears, Snakes and Baptisms

10/8/21

Within the area of Transylvania in Romania, EMF supports Sándor and Napsugár Kelemen, both of them ethnically Hungarian. Sándor and Napsugár live and work in the town of Târgu Mureș, not far from the Carpathian Mountains. They have four children: Sara 14, Jared 10, Rahel 8 and David 4. Sara is at the point of change to high school, whereas David attends nursery school in the mornings. As Hungarian is spoken in the home, the children are not bilingual, although schooling happens in both Hungarian and Romanian, so they will become increasingly familiar with both languages.

Gossiping the Gospel in Greece

14/7/21

The beautiful lakeside city of Ioaninna in north-west Greece, is the setting for the Greek Evangelical Church where Leonidas Kollaros ministers, supported by his English-born wife Irene. They have a real passion to see the gospel shared amongst the people in Ioannina, most of whom would consider themselves to belong to the Orthodox church. But in a society where evangelical Christianity is widely regarded as a heretical sect and treated with great suspicion, how can they share the gospel? The greatest opportunity, Leonidas and Irene believe, lies in gossiping the gospel, striking up conversations within their friendly café culture, where many people are willing to engage even with strangers, and turning these conversations towards the gospel. Martin Tatham interviews Leonidas and Irene about their work in Ioannina.

Oksana and her Garden

29/6/21

Many of you are aware that Volodia and Oksana Kostyshyn (EMF missionaries at Grace Church, Ternopil, Ukraine) have two children, one of whom, Zechariah, is profoundly disabled. Late last year we launched an appeal to raise funds for a new specially-adapted minibus that would help the family in their ministry to others in situations similar to theirs. We have already reported on how that project has gone so far. Thanks to the generosity of many of you, the “Happy Wheels” bus was bought, with funds to spare that could be used to provide a sensory room for disabled children. This ministry is helping to open gospel opportunities to many in Ternopil, and we praise God for that. But there is one important character in this story who has until now stayed out of the limelight. Meet Oksana Kostyshyn…

New labourers for the mission field

25/6/21

Europe is the spiritually neediest continent on the planet, with the lowest proportion of evangelical Christians. So to see mature, godly Christians from European countries with a heart for the gospel going into the mission fields of their own countries, is a particular answer to our prayer: "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38). We're therefore delighted to have recently welcomed three new EMF missionaries: Benjamin Pap and Tamás Moroz, two young pastors from Transylvania (the Hungarian-speaking part of Romania); and Mihai Chisari, who's leading a church plant in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova - and the first ever EMF missionary in this country.

Ciudad Real, Spain - A happy problem in church growth

15/6/21

‘The path of true love never does run smooth’, they say. Is that also true for church buildings? A church (Iglesia Cristiana Evangelica) was founded forty-five years ago in Ciudad Real (pronounced Th-ee-ew-dath Ray-al, meaning Royal City), central Spain, a town with about 75,000 inhabitants.

Online Bible Training in Portugal - well-spent Saturday afternoons!

1/6/21

Theological education is crucial to loving God, knowing Christ, and pursuing godliness; it’s vital to handling the Scriptures, defending the truth, and preaching the gospel; and it’s indispensable to planting new churches and strengthening existing ones. In short, it’s hard to overstate the importance of teaching people the truths of God’s Word. And that’s why EMF has always placed a strong emphasis upon theological education. A number of our missionaries are engaged in training and equipping men and women to know and serve God. One of these is Rogério Ramos.

Prison Ministry in Alcázar de San Juan

21/5/21

EMF missionary, José (Pepe) Moreno Berrocal pastors an evangelical church in the town of Alcázar de San Juan in central Spain. As part of his preaching and pastoral duties he has been ministering to prisoners in the local prison since 1999.

“I wanted to follow my dreams”. An interview with Bruno Pires

11/5/21

“I wanted to follow my dreams”. For some years Bruno Pires tried to push to the back of his mind the sense of calling to the ministry that came to him in 2015, the year he was baptised. Maybe a career in politics instead? That had always been his ambition, after all. But God had other plans, and today Bruno is studying at the Portuguese Bible Institute in Lisbon, where he is receiving a grant from the EMF Training Fund. https://www.europeanmission.org/train

Ruth: That’s a strange name!

27/4/21

Not many little Greek girls are given the name “Ruth”, so when Ruth Yfantidis introduces herself, she knows the other person will be wondering if she is truly a Greek citizen. Evangelicals, typically those most likely to give their infant daughters Bible names, make up only about 0.2% of the Greek population. EMF missionary Ruth told us a little more about living out her faith in her work as a nurse (now in a Covid ICU in an Athens hospital), and about other areas of ministry.

The Gospel in the Centre project

21/4/21

Just over one year ago a website was launched by the leaders of the evangelical church in Siedlce, Poland – Ben Layer (American missionary), Jan Stefanoff (church elder) and Adam Urban (EMF missionary). Its purpose is to supply trustworthy biblical teaching in the Polish language which exalts the glory and grace of God and equips the church for Christian discipleship and gospel outreach.

A heart for the heart of Spain

13/4/21

Xavi Pérez Patiño is known for having a heart that beats with love for the gospel and for those who still have not experienced its truth. He now has a wife (Paty) who shares his passion for others to know the Lord Jesus as Saviour. Together, they are working in the heart of Spain, in the enormous region of Castilla-La Mancha, whose arid landscape is dotted with towns and villages that are still relatively untouched by the message of hope that grabbed hold of Xavi some decades ago in Mallorca. Here is an update on what the couple are doing in three towns: Cuenca, La Solana, and Ciudad Real.

Sanida Ministry in Thessaloniki

1/4/21

Work is progressing well on the renovation of two apartments in the city of Thessaloniki, northern Greece, which were donated to the work led by Antonis Topaloglou. They are intending to use these apartments as part of the Sanida ministry, focusing on supporting women suffering domestic violence or coming under pressure to have abortions. The Greek word Sanida means 'Life-Saving Board'.

“Since Michael married Mary”...a continuing story

30/3/21

Anyone could have forgiven Michael and Mary Steedman for wanting to dedicate their married life to getting to know each other and to settling down into full-on leisure. Michael was in his retirement year (2014) when he wed this godly Scottish lady, and he had already for many years boldly and diligently used his strategic position teaching in Bologna University, and then in Forli, to invite his students to come along to “inductive” Bible studies. Would that evangelistic zeal die down in what some call “the golden years”? Read on to find out what has really happened, and what is still happening...

Galeazzo Caracciolo - Marquis of Vico

22/3/21

Vico del Gargano, the town where EMF missionary Antonio De Noia came to faith in Christ and where today he ministers to a small congregation of believers, was also the home of a famous Italian Reformer called Galeazzo Caracciolo. Antonio recounts the story.

The story of a Polish builder (and friends)

16/3/21

Nearly three years after the church in Zywiec, Poland began their important building project under the leadership of their pastor, Dawid Kozioł, the work is nearing completion. Dawid has himself given many hours to the job, even during the pandemic, when he and his wife went down with Covid-19 and his aunt Danuta, a retired EMF missionary, was called home after contracting the disease. Read on to find out more about this sacrificial labour.....

The Hungarian Baptist Seminary in Oradea

9/3/21

Pál Borzási is an EMF Missionary and pastor of the Hungarian Baptist Church at Pericei, in the region of Transylvania, Romania. In addition to his pastoral responsibilities, Pál lectures in the Hungarian Baptist Seminary in Oradea. We interviewed Pál about seminary and his involvement in it.

Vitalii ordained as co-pastor

3/3/21

On 14th February 2021, EMF Missionary Vitalii Mariash was ordained as co-pastor of his church in Kyiv, the Bible and Life Church, to serve alongside the current pastor, Borys Borysovych, and co-pastor Yevgeniy Yashchenko.

The Christian and Politics TV Debate

23/2/21

When you think of Italian politics, you might recall TV images of brawling parliamentarians, or stories of scandals and financial intrigue. What place has a Christian in that world? How should we as Bible-based Christians view the issue of involvement in politics?

The Gospel in Italy

1/2/21

Jonathan ‘JD’ Gilmore lives with Annette in Palermo where they are church-planting (LifeHope Church). He is also Area Lead for Acts 29 for southeast Europe. His parents: John and Maureen Gilmore, were missionaries to Italy with EMF back in the 1960s. Jonathan has lived in Italy since he was four months young and therefore is well able to give an introductory article on: The Gospel in Italy.

Interview with Romuald

19/1/21

EMF are passionate about training a new generation of people for gospel ministry. Here we get to know one of the students who is really benefitting from our training fund.

Peschici Food Bank

22/12/20

How do you reach a community with the gospel when you’re viewed as an outsider? That’s the problem faced by many evangelicals in Italy. In fact, many Italians view the evangelical church with great suspicion, believing it to be a kind of cult or sect. Evangelism in such a context is therefore especially challenging.

New Church in Włocławek

8/12/20

Plans to establish a new church in the city of Włocławek, central Poland are progressing well. Krzysztof Rutkowski who is leading this new venture reports that strong foundations are being established with a group of over twenty people now attending meetings.

Help for Happy Wheels

24/11/20

We are excited to announce the launch of our brand-new project called ‘Help for Happy Wheels’. The purpose of this project is to raise funds for a new minibus for people with disabilities in the city of Ternopil, Western Ukraine.

Passion for the Gospel

16/11/20

Back in 2016 EMF missionary (now EMF Director) Andrew Birch attended the ‘Together for the Gospel’ conference in Louisville, Kentucky and was greatly blessed by worshipping with ten thousand fellow Christians, listening to excellent preaching and enjoying rich fellowship.

From Student to Teacher

23/9/20

Vitalii Mariash in Kyiv, Ukraine, as a young person wanted to study theology, and in this article outlines his journey and the importance to him of ‘handing over the baton’ to the next generation.

Paul's Legacy for Leaders

23/9/20

1 & 2 Timothy; Paul's legacy for leaders. An article by Steven Bowers.

New Mission Director - Andrew Birch

2/9/20

A short autobiography.

PIETRO LOREFICE (17th February 1938 - 5th July 2020)

9/7/20

A personal appreciation by Daniel Webber.

Openings for the Gospel in Ioannina

28/4/20

For many years Leonidas and Irene Kollaros have worked in Ioannina and this article gives an up to date account of the work in that university city in north-western Greece

Comment on the Coronavirus by Mission Director Steven Bowers

16/3/20

An article by Mission Director, Steven Bowers, commenting on the Coronavirus problem at the present time and encouraging us to renew our trust and commitment to the Gospel, our trust in the God of that Gospel and our efforts to give that Gospel to Europe.

Five ways to live the Gospel during the #coronavirus

12/3/20

As a church, how can we live the Gospel in practice in the midst of the pandemia of the coronavirus? An article by Stefano Mariotti. Stefano and Jennifer Mariotti are missionaries with the European Mission Fellowship in Budrio, Italy.

Norway - A Needy Land

5/2/20

Europe's northernmost country, the Kingdom of Norway is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It’s famed for its rugged mountains, spectacular fjord coastline, the magical northern lights and the midnight sun. It’s also one of Europe’s most prosperous nations, and regularly ranks as one of the happiest countries in the world. A report by Phil Dunn, the EMF Northern Ireland Representative, on his recent visit to Norway to see EMF missionaries John and Oline Taylor.

Anchored to the Rock - Adversity in Italy

4/2/20

What do we do when our mid-week meetings are empty? What do we do when the local authority changes and we find ourselves struggling as a church? What do we do when the law changes to limit the activity of Muslims and it affects evangelicals too? These are some of the questions EMF missionaries Stefano & Jenny Mariotti have been asking themselves as a couple in the last year!

Moving to a new Mission Field

4/2/20

In September 2019 Pál and Anna Borzási moved with their family from Luna de Sus to Pericei (Transylvania, Romania) to do mission and pastoral work there. An article by Pál Borzási speaking about their move and the challenge to save the lost and build up the church. How? By preaching the powerful gospel of our Lord Jesus!

Spiritual Climate Change in Europe

19/11/19

On 9th November around 100 people gathered for a missionary conference on the theme of ‘Spiritual Climate Change’. It was the 60th Anniversary of EMF.

Casiodoro de Reina's translation of the Bible into Spanish

21/10/19

450th ANNIVERSARY OF CASIODORO DE REINA'S TRANSLATION OF LA BIBLIA DEL OSO. An article by José Moreno Berrocal pastor of the evangelical church in Alcázar, Spain.

What is the religious or philosophical culture situation in the Czech Republic?

15/10/19

Recently I was asked an interesting (and difficult) question – what is the religious or philosophical cultural situation in Czech Republic. I have tried to respond with great humility for I am aware of the limits of my observations. And you may consider my response as an invitation to join us in prayers for we need it indeed. An insightful article by Jan Hábl.

Freedom to tell the truth

30/9/19

‘Freedom’ writes the hero Winston in his illicit diary in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, ‘is the freedom to say 2+2=4’. That’s pretty banal, you may think, but a climax in the book comes when the rulers force him under torture to say that 2+2=5, because they say so. Truth in that world is simply what the highest authority, backed up by force, says it is. A article by Mostyn Roberts, Pastor of Welwyn Evangelical Church and former lecturer in Doctrine of the Church at the School of Biblical Studies.

Contending for the faith against secularism: 'Mind the gap!'

30/9/19

France and Belgium are perhaps two of the main countries in Europe to be classed as Secular. In France 1% of the population is regarded as evangelical and in Belgium 1.2% where even the Catholic church is in rapid decline [source: Operation World]. Michael Robinson working for many years in Belgium gives a concise article outlining the difficulties that secularism can bring in the way of outreach.

A biography of Jan Amos Comenius by Jan Hábl

20/6/19

Jan Amos Comenius (1592 – 1670), Komenský in Czech, was a Protestant Moravian (currently a part of the Czech Republic) pastor, philosopher and educator who is celebrated especially for his revolutionary approach to education. His universal (holistic) notion of education and international success earned him the epithet “the teacher of nations.”

What is Gospel Work?

19/6/19

We are easily distracted from our work. This is as true in gospel work as in any other field. We must, then, be clear about what gospel work is. The Lord Jesus gave a clear statement of the essence of the work,which Luke recorded in Luke 24:44-48. There are three elements.

New HQ

1/3/19

As of 1st March, we’ve made The Old Rectory, Glenfield our formal headquarters and we’ve closed down the office at Guessens.

New Home - New Opportunities

24/1/19

Steven Bowers, EMF Director, walks us through the strategy behind the move to Glenfield and pays respect to the legacy of the past.

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