Faith Takes Root
Mittwoch 22 Oktober 2025 11:58 Gerrit and Jorine van Dijk are seeing their dream come to life in Rostock Evershagen. Through early-morning Bible studies, growing community involvement, and partnerships with local churches, faith is taking root—and lives are being transformed by the gospel.
"It’s a Tuesday morning at Haltepunkt E. Our team gathers to discuss our work and the tasks ahead, but before that, we always take an hour to read the Bible and pray together. Today, we read from Hebrews 11, exploring together how faith and trust work."
The beauty of these moments is that what began as a small core of believers at Haltepunkt E. is steadily growing. More people are joining in, cautiously at first, but with increasing openness. This changes the conversation about faith and trust.
A man in the group, who has been part of Haltepunkt E. for many years, shares his struggles: “Truly trusting God isn’t easy. It’s hard to trust someone I’ve never seen and cannot touch.”
Across from him, a woman further along in her faith journey reflects on her own experience. She describes how she became more open to faith and then encountered a deeply personal, transformative experience. Since then, she is certain: “I want to follow Jesus.”
The conversation unfolds naturally as the team discusses the faith of biblical heroes and how they trusted God through their challenges. At the end of the study, the group sings a song together—a modified version of a Johannes Oerding tune, akin to a German Guus Meeuwis song. They sing about going “all in” in faith: giving everything—even oneself—so that, in the end, victory is found in following Jesus.
The van Dijk family is grateful to see their dream for Evershagen becoming reality. This summer, two women hope to be baptized, ready for a fresh start with Jesus and open to letting Him transform every part of their lives.
The family also appreciates the wider team supporting this work. Delegating tasks and empowering neighbours to take responsibility is a slow process, requiring many years of patient investment. Yet, a strong local team—including two German Christian couples—shares responsibility for the work, giving space for growth and sustainability.
One of ECM’s core values is partnering with local churches. In this spirit, ECM collaborates with the Freie Evangelische Gemeinde in Germany. Together, in Rostock, Schwerin, Hagenow, and Ribnitz-Damgarten, we are exploring new ways for the gospel to take root in the hearts of East Germans.
Stories from Europe > 2025
Oktober
- 22.10.2025 22.10.25, 11:58 - Faith Takes Root
- 15.10.2025 15.10.25, 11:49 - Don’t Overestimate What You Can Do in a Year
- 08.10.2025 08.10.25, 17:34 - “Someone Has to Slay the Dragon!”
- 01.10.2025 01.10.25, 17:18 - Unhindered
September
August
- 28.08.2025 28.08.25, 09:57 - A New Church in the Heart of Budapest
- 26.08.2025 26.08.25, 11:25 - Sharing love in so many ways! (part 2 of 2)
- 19.08.2025 19.08.25, 11:13 - Sharing love in so many ways! (part 1 of 2)
- 12.08.2025 12.08.25, 10:30 - God's own words of love
- 06.08.2025 06.08.25, 08:56 - Another new worker for Portugal!
Juli
- 30.07.2025 30.07.25, 15:26 - One Answered Prayer at a Time
- 23.07.2025 23.07.25, 15:38 - "They may be broken, but God sees the potential”
- 16.07.2025 16.07.25, 16:04 - Prague: From the Giant Peach to the Hobbit House.
- 09.07.2025 09.07.25, 13:42 - Equipping God’s People: A Journey We’re Honoured to Share
- 02.07.2025 02.07.25, 13:35 - Sharing Jesus—and Growing Leaders—at Austria’s Summer Camps
Juni
- 25.06.2025 25.06.25, 13:27 - Reaching Romania’s Children with the Gospel of Grace
- 18.06.2025 18.06.25, 13:13 - God’s Word on Campus: Training Bible Study Leaders in Portugal
- 11.06.2025 11.06.25, 13:00 - Equipping for Abundant Life
- 03.06.2025 03.06.25, 11:41 - Groninger Cake in the Court Garden
Mai
- 27.05.2025 27.05.25, 15:29 - From DOS to the App Store: The Story of La Parola
- 16.05.2025 16.05.25, 12:08 - Hope in the Post-Atheist Neighbourhood
April
- 09.04.2025 09.04.25, 11:30 - Growing a Church that will Last for Generations
- 02.04.2025 02.04.25, 11:43 - Jesus is the Way on the Camino: Pilgrims finding God
März
- 26.03.2025 26.03.25, 11:08 - Reaching Hearts Behind Bars
- 19.03.2025 19.03.25, 11:55 - How God Called Us to Stay at Home
- 12.03.2025 12.03.25, 11:39 - How Much my Supporters Mean to Me
- 05.03.2025 05.03.25, 11:33 - An experience I couldn’t recommend more!
Februar
- 24.02.2025 24.02.25, 11:42 - Three Years of War, but God is Still at Work in Ukraine
- 19.02.2025 19.02.25, 11:10 - From a Bar to the Bible
- 12.02.2025 12.02.25, 12:19 - From War Volunteer Centre to Thriving Church
- 05.02.2025 05.02.25, 11:28 - How was I called to Europe?
Januar
- 31.01.2025 31.01.25, 11:49 - From Service to Salvation: Sasha’s Journey in Borodianka, Ukraine
- 29.01.2025 29.01.25, 11:05 - Breaking Barriers: A Christ-Centered Journey with the Roma Community in Greece
- 22.01.2025 22.01.25, 13:12 - How to plant a Church in secular France?
- 17.01.2025 17.01.25, 11:09 - A Place of Hope in Christ: Serving Refugees for 25 Years