In the midst of a Europe dying of scepticism and shrinking back in fear and pain, there is still room for hope, and that hope is brought by the children of God.

The ground and the goal of our hope is in the Tri-une God, who never changes no matter how much our circumstances change.

Putin views his predecessor as the architect of the disintegration of the Soviet Union. He denied the former Soviet leader the national day of mourning and grand state funeral.

Who knows how we might view the outcome of Putin’s ‘special operation’ when the dust finally settles? 

Ships are part of YWAM’s story. Today the fleet has grown to twenty eight vessels operating on all oceans and continents.

Many feel Pride parades display too much body. Yet perhaps our problem in the church is too little body emphasis.

Albania is expected to start accession talks concerning full EU membershis immediately, while North Macedonia will first need to make changes in the constitution.

Some reformers talked of the Book of Words (the Bible) and the Book of Works (creation), both of which were to be explored to reveal more of God’s glory.. 

Without truth there is no trust, no genuine communication, no real community, no true democracy. Only manipulation.

We can glibly confess that He is Lord of all, but do we really believe it? Can we see God’s hand of common grace at work in the public spheres, outside church circles? 

The ministry of hospitality brings comfort, peace and hope to the heart, mind and soul of those who have been uprooted.

June should have meant the start of the summer holidays for the young Ukrainians. But almost two out of every three children have been wrenched out of home, school and playground.

The volunteers who chose to stay in Ukraine encounter lines of grateful survivors anxious not only for food but also for Bibles and prayer. 

The hybrid State of Europe Forum’s theme ‘Seeking shalom’ (Paris), was addressed in three bi-lingual plenary sessions, seekingto ‘understand the times’ and ‘to know what God’s people should do’.

Today is Europe Day. For a generation, the ‘peace narrative’ meant little. For millions of new Europeans, war was not part of their story. Yet suddenly, all that changed in February.

Russian historian Andrey Zubov: “Putin says ‘Russia wants this’ or ‘Russia demands that’. No, it’s Putin and the Kremlin making demands — not Russia or Russians”.

Putin’s messianic pretensions as saviour of Russian civilisation have deep religious and historical roots. Yet our western secular world tends to filter out religion and pre-Enlightenment history as irrelevant.

Doubts about the new (proposed) laws which cover talking therapy are being expressed from within LGB (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual) circles themselves.

The biography of Columbanus and Robert Schuman, is a unique contribution filling a major gap in literature on the making of Europe.

The story shows no sign of dying. Even here on the streets of Amsterdam, nativity scenes sprout in unlikely locations.

Sometimes we need to risk sticking our heads out over the parapet to look beyond our own church, organisation, neighbourhood or nation. 

Public theology informs the faith community when moving beyond personal discipleship and church life into the public square.

We need others from different backgrounds to help us think outside our own box. We need to hear what God is doing in other parts of Europe.

Europe 2021 is a document which church and mission leaders everywhere should download and study. It is an evangelical rarity.

Evangelical Christians ought to be the first to be committed to seeking truth, standing for truth and spreading truth.