Faith Takes Root
Wednesday 22 October 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.
Archive > 2025
October
- 10/22/2025 10/22/25, 11:58 AM - Faith Takes Root
- 10/15/2025 10/15/25, 11:49 AM - Don’t Overestimate What You Can Do in a Year
- 10/8/2025 10/8/25, 5:34 PM - “Someone Has to Slay the Dragon!”
- 10/1/2025 10/1/25, 5:18 PM - Unhindered
September
August
- 8/28/2025 8/28/25, 9:57 AM - A New Church in the Heart of Budapest
- 8/26/2025 8/26/25, 11:25 AM - Sharing love in so many ways! (part 2 of 2)
- 8/19/2025 8/19/25, 11:13 AM - Sharing love in so many ways! (part 1 of 2)
- 8/12/2025 8/12/25, 10:30 AM - God's own words of love
- 8/6/2025 8/6/25, 8:56 AM - Another new worker for Portugal!
July
- 7/30/2025 7/30/25, 3:26 PM - One Answered Prayer at a Time
- 7/23/2025 7/23/25, 3:38 PM - "They may be broken, but God sees the potential”
- 7/16/2025 7/16/25, 4:04 PM - Prague: From the Giant Peach to the Hobbit House.
- 7/9/2025 7/9/25, 1:42 PM - Equipping God’s People: A Journey We’re Honoured to Share
- 7/2/2025 7/2/25, 1:35 PM - Sharing Jesus—and Growing Leaders—at Austria’s Summer Camps
June
- 6/25/2025 6/25/25, 1:27 PM - Reaching Romania’s Children with the Gospel of Grace
- 6/18/2025 6/18/25, 1:13 PM - God’s Word on Campus: Training Bible Study Leaders in Portugal
- 6/11/2025 6/11/25, 1:00 PM - Equipping for Abundant Life
- 6/3/2025 6/3/25, 11:41 AM - Groninger Cake in the Court Garden
May
- 5/27/2025 5/27/25, 3:29 PM - From DOS to the App Store: The Story of La Parola
- 5/16/2025 5/16/25, 12:08 PM - Hope in the Post-Atheist Neighbourhood
April
- 4/9/2025 4/9/25, 11:30 AM - Growing a Church that will Last for Generations
- 4/2/2025 4/2/25, 11:43 AM - Jesus is the Way on the Camino: Pilgrims finding God
March
- 3/26/2025 3/26/25, 11:08 AM - Reaching Hearts Behind Bars
- 3/19/2025 3/19/25, 11:55 AM - How God Called Us to Stay at Home
- 3/12/2025 3/12/25, 11:39 AM - How Much my Supporters Mean to Me
- 3/5/2025 3/5/25, 11:33 AM - An experience I couldn’t recommend more!
February
- 2/24/2025 2/24/25, 11:42 AM - Three Years of War, but God is Still at Work in Ukraine
- 2/19/2025 2/19/25, 11:10 AM - From a Bar to the Bible
- 2/12/2025 2/12/25, 12:19 PM - From War Volunteer Centre to Thriving Church
- 2/5/2025 2/5/25, 11:28 AM - How was I called to Europe?
January
- 1/31/2025 1/31/25, 11:49 AM - From Service to Salvation: Sasha’s Journey in Borodianka, Ukraine
- 1/29/2025 1/29/25, 11:05 AM - Breaking Barriers: A Christ-Centered Journey with the Roma Community in Greece
- 1/22/2025 1/22/25, 1:12 PM - How to plant a Church in secular France?
- 1/17/2025 1/17/25, 11:09 AM - A Place of Hope in Christ: Serving Refugees for 25 Years