Faith Church’s theme this year is Loving Our World. With that theme in mind, it is our privilege to have the opportunity to reach other countries through the gospel! Through mission trips, conferences, and simple word-of-mouth, the message of the gospel and even the ministry of Vision of Hope spreads.
It is amazing to see residents and interns here in our program from all around the world. Whether here for intensive help with enslaving problems as a resident, or here for biblical training as an intern, we all have one goal: to learn to glorify God in everything that we do.
Having several interns here from other countries, we have the opportunity to learn about the spiritual needs that exist all around the world. This can help us to know how to pray for and love other countries. One of our interns, Dani, came to us from Germany. We asked her to share what she sees as some of the needs for Christ in her country:
“I mainly think that we have tons of knowledge without having faith. We have theology classes (divided in protestant, catholic and Ethics) from Elementary School till the end (we have up to 13years of schooling). There we learn from all the basic Bible stories up to theology questions like Theodicy.
Looking at the Demography, we have 60% Catholic and Protestant Christians, which are mainly evenly split. However, there is a remarkable difference between the former East and West Germany. Where the Communism once dominated, there is now an area which is predominantly atheistic. Besides that, we have a small amount of Orthodox Christians and Muslims.
Nonetheless, most likely everybody has heard the gospel and stories multiple times, but their hearts are hardened, blinded by deceit and desires. God is not needed, everything is explained with science. It is more tradition, which probably binds those 60% to the churches – but they don’t have faith to a living and active God. He is decoration in every classroom, a monument around many corners; church towers greet visitors from miles away. The people look forward to holidays like Christmas or Easter, and the tradition even fills the churches during these days. Besides those times there is no real need, because people will say: ‘I am mainly a good person. I have not murdered or killed anybody and God is love right? We will all go to heaven.’ But Romans 1:21 says, ‘For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools,…’”
Join together with us and with Dani, as we pray for Germany and the great need for the true gospel there!
