KARLSRUHE, Germany – Thousands of European students welcomed the new decade of the Twenties with a six-day evangelism conference, seeking ways to respond to Europe’s spiritual hunger with the gospel. The “Revive Europe” conference inspired hope that a continent dismissed by many as “post-Christian”, might yet experience spiritual awakening.

While the world was preparing for the arrival of the New Year, many university students were making their way to the city of Karlsruhe, Germany to help make the new decade a time of spiritual revival in Europe.

Christian university student movements throughout Europe had spent two years preparing to welcome 2020 with “Revive Europe” as their theme. Some arriving students were amazed to see so many Christian young people in the same place.

Student:

“My main (observation?) about the Revive conference is to see how many people from different contexts have the same joy of worshiping Jesus.”

Although the focus was Europe, university students and graduates came from a total of 68 countries. An international group of speakers took their audience back to the days of the early church so they could better understand how to share the message of Christ in their universities, and in the nations of Europe, which many consider a post-Christian continent.

Gernot Elsner, Founder, Gospel Tribe:

“In the last couple of years there has been an increase in conferences of any sort where thousands of young people come together. I can speak for Germany. We have a movement called the Holy Spirit night where in several cities, people come together in the thousands, sometimes even in the ten thousands. It’s a sign for young people who are hungry for more of God. And we really see this as encouraging signs.”

Revive Europe’s main focus was personal revival, followed by the need for revival on university campuses and across the continent.

Andreas Boppart, Campus fur Christus, Switzerland:

“There is hope for Europe because Christ is in you. The question is are you willing to share this hope with others?”

Becky Pippert, Author & Speaker:

“We have been sent into the world to be inwardly strong, outwardly focused, and ablaze with the love of Christ.”

Between sessions, attendees explored the artistic expression of students’ faith, learned about Christian ministries and missions groups, and shared and prayed with each other The year-end conference was organized by the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, which works with student movements in over 170 nations.

To read more news on Europe on Missions Box, go here.