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Last month, we hosted EuroSummit 2009 in Alcala Spain. The location’s past was an appropriate backdrop for the conference. Surrounded by hundreds of years of European history, we walked the medieval streets. It was here, Miguel de Cervantes the creator of Don Quixote, was born. It was here an Italian explorer shared his dream with Queen Isabella, and with her backing, Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World. Now it is our turn to share our dream!

NLI is going through a metamorphosis, we are birthing a new dream. After 18 years of work primarily in Eastern and Central Europe, the ministry has now set sight on expanding into all the nations of Europe. Yes, all 48 of them at current count. This dream is well worth sharing and totally worth being part of, it’s too big for any one ministry. It will take partnerships from the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, across the borders of Europe – from every corner of the world!

Over the course of Eurosummit, 140+ delegates from over 15 nations not only heard the dream, but connected with how they could contribute and be part of the change! Youth Leaders from Bulgaria began planning training schedules with pastors from across the border in Albania. Church planters in Romania shared their heart to reach out into neighbouring Moldova. BOOST! (the NLI kids team) recieved invitations to work alongside churches in four new nations to help national leaders reach children in their communities. Hearts and minds opened to ideas on connecting with gypsy populations. Tears formed as the plight of the lost was shared.

It doesn’t finish here at one individual event, EuroSummit was merely another staging point; a snapshot of things to come. Many hours of planning, praying, traveling and implementing lie ahead, but great opportunities await us!

As we speed towards Eurosummit this year, our biennial conference, it seems like the days are getting shorter and the task list getting longer! With 5 days to go we are really excited to be hosting the conference in Western Europe for the first time, Madrid is the location and is where we have been partnering with the Salem movement to deliver leadership development for 3 years and are currently developing a future church planting project.
There will be some interactive sessions that will give delegates an opportunity to experience ministry in modern day Europe which we think will leave a lasting impression on us all. That will make all the mad running around worth it.

We’re in the middle of summer here in Europe, long northern days, sunshine (…almost), the Ashes and teams of people going into communities to make a difference. Young people from Canada, Australia, England and the USA have given up their holidays to come and take part in mission here in Europe. In Romania teams have been helping with outreach and social care, in Czech children’s ministry and community projects, prayer teams go into many communities and regions like the Crimea region of the Ukraine where new church planting projects will start next year. At the end of the day it’s about changing lives, like Helena’s story.

I compiled a presentation a year or so ago on some significant statistics in Europe. Recently the women’s development team have taken that and the result is the following video..

We’re back home after a 2 week work trip to the US National Office. A week of meetings, with members of the IOC, US and Canadian National office, went extremly well and some real progress was made for strategic plans and futures of the national offices.

Lynda and I were able to take a quick trip down to Orlando to surprise friends and catch up with some future staff who are almost ready to make the move to the UK. Then back to Indiana and a couple of days off to go into Chicago. At the end of the 2 weeks Lynda took part in the Emerge conference held in South Bend that was hosted by the NLI women’s development team.

A great trip, that was very busy but also very successful.

I’m sitting in Bratislava airport reflecting on the week that has just been, and have just realised what a crazy week I’ve had. 4 days locked in a small cottage in Stare Hory with 3 other NLI’ers, ploughing through one of our new leadership courses, a very successful 4 days actually with some really promising modules being created.

After that I went to Brezno to work with a member of our Slovakian project team Lucia, on the finalisation of the project at the end of March. She and her husband Peter are also planting a church in the same town. They’re working in a very poor part of Brezno and conduct a thriving ministry to young people. With unemployment at 25% and rising they are committed to bring a message of hope and to have great impact in the teenagers lives, in spite of the economic crisis the young people now face.

You have to see some of these towns in Europe to really understand the desperate need they are in.