He is the builder and keeper of His church. While there is some debate as to what Jesus meant by “on this rock,” what is clear is the import of Christ’s promise to build His church.

In Matthew 16, Jesus makes a promise to Simon Peter: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (v. It is not to be found in the newest fad but in the nature of the church and the promises given to it. And we have it, but, alas, we disagree with the pragmatists and progressives as to where it may be found. What many think we need is a magic bullet of missions and church planting that will cut through the rock hard soil of western Europe. Hope in the church as the sole agent for propagating the gospel has been abandoned by many a pastor and missionary here. Yet others argue for “thinking outside the box” when it comes to ministry in a post-Christian world, and by “the box” they usually mean the church. Others turn to pragmatism, arguing that times like these demand a “roll-up-your-sleeves” mentality, not a dotting of the doctrinal i and crossing of the theological t. Some argue for a toning down of theological convictions as the way to go forward, thereby simply repeating the sins of their liberal forefathers. It is still, for the most part, simply dead and resistant, truly post-Christian. Germany is a good illustration of the latter, as it has not seen the almost proverbial “revival of the spiritual” taking places in other parts of the West. Thus, we are not called to minister, evangelize, and plant churches only in places that promise quick success because they are “white for harvest” (John 4:35), but also in those areas that seem more like valleys of dry bones (see Ezek. We are called to suffer even as Christ Himself suffered (1 Peter 2:21). It is “through faith and patience” that we “inherit the promises” (Heb. We are called to live by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. As believers, we are not called to live comfortable and easy lives. More often than not, Christian hope actually rises despite the situation. God still has His people there.Īs with our entire Christian walk, our hope does not come from the situation we are in. “Is there any hope for us?” While it might be tempting to cave in, throw hands up in the air, and abandon the sinking ship, this is simply not an option. “How can the church possibly survive?” people in Europe are asking. In countries such as France, Spain, Austria, and Poland, the percentage is even lower. In Germany, Italy, and Ireland, evangelical believers comprise at most one percent of the population.

Today, we are faced with the challenging combination of an aggressive “New Atheism,” constant Muslim immigration, negative population growth, and a dwindling Christian presence. These all play their part in explaining the current climate in much of western Europe.

Among them would be the Enlightenment, higher criticism of the Bible, German liberalism, and finally, not entirely disconnected, the havoc of two World Wars. What caused this transformation of western Europe from the erstwhile cradle of the Reformation to one of the most secular places on earth within just two centuries? Many reasons could be listed. But for the people who live in Europe, and I speak as a German national living in Germany, the familiar-looking steeples and the church bells sounding forth into the night are but tragic reminders of an all-too-distant past. Within the space of forty-eight hours, one could tour more than a dozen of Europe’s most beautiful historic cathedrals, emblems of Christianity’s once ubiquitous presence.

Bullet in a bible she