I was still in my first year as EMF Mission Director when I was asked to share at a meeting of the EMF Executive Committee my vision for the future. The honest truth was that I didn't (yet) have a vision for the future. I was struggling to keep up with the present! But I would have to come up with something...

Here is a brief summary of my (fairly simple) thought process:

1. EMF exists to help churches across Europe fulfil the Great Commission;

2. At that time we were supporting gospel work in roughly a third of Europe's nations, and in several of those countries we were helping to support only one couple;

3. Surely, any 'vision for the future' would need to involve supporting new gospel workers doing new work in new places;

4. New work would include the planting of new churches; and

5. We weren't doing very much in either the Balkans or the Nordics – arguably, two of Europe's spiritually neediest regions.

So why not aim to take on 15 new workers (or couples), doing new gospel work in new places, in five years, with a particular interest in the Balkans and the Nordics?

The EMF Trustees said, 'Yes, let's do that!' And for that purpose they decided to set up a specific project called Lighting up the Darkness, and a specific fund: the Gospel Growth Fund (GGF). We would explain our 'vision for the future' to our supporters, invite them to get behind our 'expanded vision for Europe', and assure them that any gifts sent to our Gospel Growth Fund would be used only for the support of new workers doing new work in new places across Europe. The official launching of this new project took place in January 2022.

So how has that gone (so far)? And where are we now – in March 2026? The short (and very encouraging)answer is that we have achieved our five-year goal in four years! We have taken on 17 new workers (or couples) in nine different countries (without counting other new EMF missionaries who don't come under our GGF scheme). The nine countries include a Balkan country (Bulgaria), and three Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, and Norway). And Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, and Slovakia were all new 'EMF countries'. All these GGF missionaries are involved in new gospel work –whether church planting, working with new churches (under five years old), or 'church revitalisation', etc. What that means in real terms is that: (1) the gospel has reached new places; (2) many hundreds of people have heard the gospel for the first time; and (3) faithful gospel churches now exist where only a few years ago there weren't any.

‘This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes’ (Mark 12:11) We are thankful to the Lord for guiding, providing, and blessing. We are thankful to all the churches, individuals, and Christian trusts, etc., who, by their kind and generous support, have helped to turn the vision into a reality.

So what now? Where do we go from here? Our vision for Europe is still what it's always been: to help churches across Europe fulfil the Great Commission. Notice that the reason for EMF's existence is gospel-centred, mission-centred, and church-centred. EMF is not a church. EMF helps churches. And it's our clear and unambiguous intention to carry on doing that. But some of the details will change and the way we support all of that will develop.  As the GGF fund closes for new missionaries, it still continues to support the 17 we have and we look to continue to fulfil our core values in new and exciting ways.  The evangelism, disciple making, and church planting won't stop!

If you're reading this, it's likely that you are one of our supporters. (If you're not – yet – we would love to encourage you to consider that.) Maybe you've been praying for EMF. Maybe you've been supporting the work of EMF financially or in other practical ways. Thank you so much! As we look back with gratitude, and as we look to the future with hope, we invite you to stay with us, and to see EMF as one of the many ways in which you can contribute to the spreading of the wonderful news of the gospel across our needy continent!

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