Lausanne World Pulse – Urban Articles – A Focus on Western Europe: 234 Least-Reached People Groups Remain
Overview
Christianity seemed defeated until the latter decades of the tenth century. Animistic Vikings invaded Western Europe with little resistance, burning churches and monasteries, along with precious hand-written copies of the scriptures. The Magyar Empire pressed in from the east. Muslim armies moved north with their zeal for Allah. During the sixteenth century the Reformation revitalized the Church to become a force for world evangelization. In the last 250 years the gospel has advanced worldwide; however, it is declining in Europe today. European political ideologies such as humanism, secularism, socialism, Marxism, fascism, Nazism and amoral capitalism have contributed to such evils as global wars, colonialism and oppression.
The twenty-nine countries of Western Europe are going through a period of unprecedented peace but, with political and economic integration, there is also ethnic fragmentation. Many of Europe’s great cities today hold in their straining arms a multitude of cultures and languages, drawn by education and opportunities or fleeing from war, famine, economic deprivation and sometimes horrifying situations. The situation is both rife with problems and rich with opportunities. Western European churches are usually empty edifices filled with more dust than worshipers. Nearly 234 least-reached people groups live here. From tiny Gibralter with seventy-four percent of its population least-reached, to France, Western Europe’s greatest challenge in terms of the gospel with a population of over seven million least-reached people in forty-one different people groups, now is the time to bring the gospel to those searching for answers in Western Europe.
Prayer Points
- Finding the Father. These people are far from the Lord. Pray that they will turn their hearts to their creator who can give them eternal life and will find the Father who seeks them continually.
- Firmness of faith. For the few Fulani believers, may they continue to grow in their faith in the Lord. Pray for those translating the scriptures into languages needed for these 234 least-reached people groups.
- Fearless witnesses. For others to come to the Fulani and these 234 people groups of Western Europe and give them a true testimony of the Lord.
- Fruit that remains. That those who have heard the word and are now far away will come back to the Lord and come to know him fully. For wisdom and clarity for those who are sharing the gospel among the Fulani and others.
- Fullness of life. For good health for the Fulani as they often die at an early age due to malnourishment and sickness in their homeland; pray also for those who are seeking to minister to their physical needs and for all 234 ethnic groups in Western Europe to find the fullness of life Jesus offers them.