Planting Refuge and Hope
Just as the miracle of a seed transforming underneath the soil, the Greenhouse Community project in Schwerin-Lankow, Germany is transforming from the inside out.
A once run down and abandoned restaurant is slowing, but surely becoming a community centre for the people living in the surrounding seven apartment buildings and beyond. Even during the ongoing demolition and remodelling, the Greenhouse has already proven itself to be a blessing to its neighbours.
On Christmas Eve, the team hosted a dinner and 30 people attended despite the lack of heat and toilets. This seemed like a huge problem, but the owner of the neighbouring building, although hesitant at first, opened the doors for the party-goers. “That was essentially a sign of trust, which means a lot in our context,” said Gerard de Wit, who is leading the project.
In the winter, they also hosted weekly “Bible Discovery'' coffee meetings. “Reading the Bible with people who have never read it before is exciting- to see how they read a passage that is so familiar to me with very different eyes,” said de Wit. And now that the weather is nicer, they meet with neighbours every Monday for a coffee and garden work on the terrace. There is a feeling that the Greenhouse belongs to the entire community.
There is an emphasis and understanding that the Greenhouse isn’t there just to serve the community, but it is there for the community itself to serve others. During this construction phase, the team relies heavily on the practical expertise of the community. And not only that, neighbours are also involved in the planning, dreaming and governance of the project.
They met and decided together on the rules for the Greenhouse: No smoking, no alcohol and clear communication. At the very centre of the Greenhouse project is the love of Christ for this community, and the love for one another. Step by step, that love is changing not only the abandoned restaurant, but the hearts across the neighbourhood.
The team has chosen the verse Psalm 34:8 to lead them. It says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” Soon, the outside terrace will be decorated and in full bloom. Let us hope and pray for each neighbour that sets foot inside the Greenhouse will indeed find refuge and continue to grow and bloom into a relationship with Christ.
Archive > 2024
December
- 12/10/2024 12/10/24, 12:36 PM - Portugal, Our Mission Field
- 12/3/2024 12/3/24, 11:51 AM - Disability Ministries Network
November
- 11/27/2024 11/27/24, 11:00 AM - "Small Towns Like These"
- 11/20/2024 11/20/24, 11:48 AM - Why Send to Europe?
- 11/13/2024 11/13/24, 12:57 PM - Messengers of Reconciliation
- 11/6/2024 11/6/24, 1:27 PM - "My Call to Europe"
October
- 10/30/2024 10/30/24, 1:07 PM - Why I Pray for Europe
- 10/23/2024 10/23/24, 12:59 PM - Slovenia, 0,1% of Evangelicals
- 10/16/2024 10/16/24, 12:14 PM - Why is Europe Important?
- 10/9/2024 10/9/24, 11:53 AM - More than Brick and Mortar
- 10/1/2024 10/1/24, 12:29 PM - 'In Europe everything will be fine'
September
- 9/25/2024 9/25/24, 1:25 PM - Learning the Language
- 9/20/2024 9/20/24, 11:45 AM - Fruits from Our Labour
- 9/16/2024 9/16/24, 1:03 PM - Starting the Missionary Journey
- 9/10/2024 9/10/24, 11:55 AM - One Month in Greece
- 9/4/2024 9/4/24, 1:42 PM - Creating Memories
August
- 8/26/2024 8/26/24, 11:16 AM - Believing and Belonging
- 8/13/2024 8/13/24, 10:30 AM - God was at work at the Paris Olympics!
July
- 7/23/2024 7/23/24, 12:01 PM - 110 campers heard the gospel this month!
- 7/23/2024 7/23/24, 10:17 AM - Romanian ECMers make the New Testament accessible in their own native language
- 7/17/2024 7/17/24, 12:42 PM - Planting Refuge and Hope
- 7/5/2024 7/5/24, 12:34 PM - The Blessings of Summer Camp
June
- 6/20/2024 6/20/24, 2:03 PM - Talking about Jesus (without being THAT guy)
- 6/3/2024 6/3/24, 8:12 PM - Jesus in a Jazz Club
May
- 5/21/2024 5/21/24, 10:13 AM - Living out multiplication today!
- 5/16/2024 5/16/24, 10:32 AM - A place of rest... and salvation
April
- 4/16/2024 4/16/24, 9:22 AM - ECM's ministry continues to grow
- 4/12/2024 4/12/24, 7:16 PM - Ukraine: training and caring for volunteers
- 4/9/2024 4/9/24, 10:30 AM - Can a church multiply quickly in the UK?
- 4/2/2024 4/2/24, 9:32 AM - Multiplying young leaders in Slovenia
March
- 3/29/2024 3/29/24, 10:20 AM - On this solemn day...
- 3/5/2024 3/5/24, 2:48 PM - Come help us reach Muslims in Berlin!
February
- 2/28/2024 2/28/24, 10:00 AM - Portuguese university students being transformed by the gospel
- 2/20/2024 2/20/24, 10:43 AM - Why Europe?
- 2/6/2024 2/6/24, 2:58 PM - Multipliable Mission Teams