Berlin – The US-American International Commission (Lewisville/Texas) is planning for short-term missionary assignments throughout the globe. During a recent, three-day gathering of its European department at the headquarters of Germany’s Federation of Evangelical-Free Churches in Elstal near Berlin, a number of European projects were prepared. This independent organisation, which cooperates with a large variety of mostly Baptist congregations, reported on these developments in a press release. The release also stated that the Elstal gathering involved more than 30 persons from 14 European countries.

The Elstal meeting was initiated by Jerry and Janice Byrd, both Regional Directors of the International Commission’s programme for Western Europe. Jerry Byrd stressed the necessity of developing mission projects jointly with those congregations that are directly involved. Hosting congregations are given a free hand when conceiving such projects.

Scott Corwin, Coordinator for the European projects of Impact Missions and Pastor of Berlin’s International Baptist Church, noted that international missions projects are a vital evangelistic tool for hosting congregations. Many European congregations are in a process of transition, which results in a greater openness to new forms of congregational evangelism. 

In Elstal, six short-term projects were planned for the coming year. They include prayer walking in Liege/Belgium, family retreats in Oslo, family and children’s retreats in Rome, a youth event in Heemskerk/Netherlands, a Bible school retreat in Finland as well as a not yet clearly-defined project in Hungary. Further projects are planned for this year in Belgium, Norway, Italy, Ireland and Scotland, some of which are restricted to US-American participants.

Dietrich Fischer-Dörl, head of the Austrian Union’s youth programme, reported positively to the EBPS on assignments already completed by International Commission in his country. In the congregations of Vienna-Beheimgasse, Vienna-West and Bad Ischl, numerous projects were carried out with teams from the USA and Holland last year. A children’s avenue was set up in a local park, face-painting for kids took place in church quarters, Gospel music and English-language conversation were offered in a home for the blind. A humanitarian project  involved tidying up the cellar flat of a handicapped young man. Highlights included an evening of line dancing, Gospel concerts offering dishes from the Southern US, and rock concerts with the Dutch The Circle Ends band. Fischer-Dörl described the reaction to these events as ‘terrific.’

The Commission’s address is: www.ic-world.org.