Baptist team turning tide by sharing gospel in Europe

Baptist team turning tide by sharing gospel in Europe

Amsterdam. Berlin. Brussels. Frankfurt. Paris. Madrid. Rome. Premier cities like these in Western Europe conjure up images of vacation travel. Well-heeled tourists stand in line to snap haute and cuisine and spend fortunes on fashion and entertainment.

But for millions of immigrants and refugees who call these cities home, there is no glamour.

Instead of financial success, they find language barriers. Instead of a new life, they find alcohol and nightclubs. And instead of hope, they find spiritual darkness and despair.

Outreach efforts

Southern Baptists would like to change that.

With a vision for reaching these seven strategic gateway cities in Western Europe, a ministry group called “Tsilent Tsunami” (silent soo-Nah-mee) has made inroads with the gospel. Tsilent Tsunami’s team members are reaching out to pockets of immigrants and political refugees, many of whom enjoy Europe’s religious freedom in contrast to that of their birth countries in Asia, northern Africa and the Middle East.

The name “Tsilent Tsunami” came from the idea of a tsunami, or tidal wave, of prayer and outreach spilling quietly across Western Europe. Using avenues like praying, teaching English, crafts, dancing, singing and cutting hair, team members are sharing the gospel among otherwise closed people. “Many refugees come from closed access countries where it’s illegal to witness or to convert to Christianity,” says Alabama Baptist Chris Mills, associate director of International Mission Board work in Western Europe.

Volunteers are needed for prayerwalking and disturbing Christian materials in a variety of languages.

In most countries, evangelicals account for less than 1 percent of the population. Spain, dotted with ornate cathedrals, is considered one of the least evangelized countries on earth. In France, practicing Muslims outnumber Catholics and evangelicals combined.

Tsilent Tsunami teams want to present the New Testament idea of church as a living, vibrant extension of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Mills believes now is a strategic time for reaching Western Europe with the gospel. With a goal of placing 1 million volunteers, plus long-term and short-term missionary personnel in the seven gateway cities, Tsilent Tsunami team leaders want to give Bibles to every member of an unreached people group.

Contact Tsilent Tsunami at info@silenttsunami.com or call toll-free 1-888-836-5464. Information can also be found at the Web site www.tsilenttsunami.com.

(BP)