September- October 2022
Dear Friends,
I had an unusual back-to-back pair of trips in September and October, dictated by a Europe Team meeting in late September and a long-planned trip to Croatia in mid-October with some of my ECP Board members.
Here's a snapshot of September 18-28:
Tirana, Albania- Had good visits with Altin, church planting leader there, and also with Tony, a new church planter. Altin squeezed in a visit to neighboring Kosovo for us to meet with another CP there. Tirana is developing into a church planting hub for Albania and Kosovo.
Lisbon- Our anchor church there is doing remarkably well, post-pandemic. Services are packed at the Lapa Church, they planted a church last year that is now self-sustaining, and have an intern who will launch a new plant in January.
Dublin- The Dublin Collective ( church planting network) is thriving. Several new plants are in the works. Enjoyed worshipping with 2 of them on Sunday, one in the city center, the other in north Dublin.
David Martin, church planter at Christ Church North Dublin.
Edinburgh - It was good to be here with CTC Europe team, reconnecting, revisiting goals for Europe wide (25 cities to be developed into CP hubs), and strategizing for the next few years. Our ECP 3-year plan fits in nicely to those of City to City Europe.
Bonus: I had a free afternoon, and snuck out to play a round of golf with a fellow pastor in Edinburgh. Great fun. When in Scotland...
City to City Europe Team meeting in Edinburgh.
October 8-22
The October trip was arranged so that a few of my ECP Board members could see first hand the challenges and opportunities in three cities in which I work.
Madrid - We worshipped with a new plant in the north of Madrid, and next day met with another planter at Plaza Major, hearing how his new church (Raices Madrid, or "Rooted" in Madrid), was faring post -pandemic. His church is doing well, and actually grew some, and has about 40 solid members now.
ECP Board members with Esteban, church planter in Madrid.
Barcelona - The Ciutat Nova (New City) church likewise got through the pandemic in good shape, even thriving during a recent pastoral transition. Founding pastor Xavi Memba retired, and leadership is now in the hands of men Xavi had trained and prepared. We met with their leadership, along with David Oliver, pastor in Sant Cugat neighborhood, to discuss how we might re-start the Barcelona church planting network, and introduce church plant training as a way of developing planters and accelerating the gospel.
Steve, Becky, and me with David Oliver, pastor and City to City leader in Barcelona
Croatia - Our last stop was Cakovec, Croatia, where we met with our long-time friends to celebrate and give thanks for their new building. A new building there works like a new building in the U.S., enabling higher visibility and new growth for the church. They have grown by about 30% since the building opened, pretty good for a dominant catholic country. Praise God.
Lunch after church outside new facility in Mackovec, Croatia.
My travel companions, friends, and ECP supporters: Steve, Laura, Ben, Anita, Becky and me, Jodean, Anne, Mark, and Donna.
Challenges, Frustrations, and Thanks
God greatly blessed the trips. There are always challenges and frustrations in the travel (delays, waiting, middle seats, airport security checks, finding meeting locations...) and day to day life management (finding healthy food, remembering to get bottled water, jet lag, different climates, language barriers, a good bed for a good night's sleep...). I am a bit tired at the end of each trip, and now at the end of a year of 6 two-week trips, I'm ready for some down time.
But in the midst, God is always faithful and good. I love what I do, and thank God for the opportunity. I count it a privilege to serve in this ministry and am immensely grateful for your partnership in the gospel with me.
Grace and peace,
Walter