Insights into ministry in Greece
martes 24 octubre 2023 14:28 Irish ECMer Anna Crawford gives a look behind the scenes regarding what it is like to work in Greece.
Working on the island of Samos was an adventure, a stretching and challenging experience, but so rewarding. It was an unknown to me especially as I didn’t know anyone on the team serving in the purpose -built refugee camp.
- It was stretching because I had never driven on the right-hand side on hilly slopes.
- It was challenging because I had never planned Sunday services or done the teaching each Sunday.
- It was deeply fulfilling because I got to have weekly member care (pastoral care) conversations with each team member and have an input into their lives.
- It was fun cooking meals twice a week for an international team.
- It was humbling to be part of a team who always made sure I was included in any impromptu activities…I was never made to feel my age.
- It was eye-opening to see this group of young people so eager to serve the refugees.
- It was also familiar - the member-care situations, the training I gave on cross-cultural issues, going into the refugee camp and seeing the desperation in some people’s faces.
- It was also dehumanising - the long, long process the refugees have to go through to get any type of visa.
So what’s next?
I feel ready to do a longer stint. So, I plan on being in Athens until early December.
- I will be staying in an ‘open house’ run by a young Swiss Christian worker who has different people staying in the apartment and offers meals and hospitality to those in need. It will be an interesting experience for me and I am looking forward to it.
• Threads of Hope (https://threadsofhopehellas.org) - I will be volunteering with this project (training women who have been rescued from trafficking and prostitution) twice a week.
• Petalouda Project - I will be teaching English (TEFL) to another key leader, Ivan, possibly one day a week. The Petalouda project works with the Roma community on the outskirts of Athens. One of the aims of this project is have a church plant initiated.
- Kypseli church plant - I hope to attend this very strategic church plant in the centre of Athens and contribute where I can with my basically non-existent Greek.
Thank you for the way your prayers carried me through my time in Samos. I was very conscious of God’s nearness throughout my time there.
Find out more about Anna’s ministry here
Stories from Europe > 2023
diciembre
- 31/12/2023 31/12/23, 23:30 - Happy New Year from ECM!
- 19/12/2023 19/12/23, 10:15 - Connecting with the Global Church
- 12/12/2023 12/12/23, 10:00 - Connecting across Europe
noviembre
- 28/11/2023 28/11/23, 0:39 - Christian or Kingdom?
- 20/11/2023 20/11/23, 4:20 - Why Pray for Mission? | Sam Boog
- 14/11/2023 14/11/23, 9:55 - New book dealing with rest and recovery
- 8/11/2023 8/11/23, 12:59 - Christian leaders gather from across Europe
octubre
- 27/10/2023 27/10/23, 10:44 - A Great Book: "Church Planting in Europe"
- 24/10/2023 24/10/23, 14:28 - Insights into ministry in Greece
- 17/10/2023 17/10/23, 13:08 - Sharing the vision for European ministry in… Uruguay?
septiembre
agosto
- 25/8/2023 25/8/23, 12:44 - News from Ukraine
- 16/8/2023 16/8/23, 14:01 - A Summer's Story
- 4/8/2023 4/8/23, 11:09 - Wild at Heart, a Testimony
- 2/8/2023 2/8/23, 17:07 - "Camino Antiguo" Guesthouse in Spain
julio
- 21/7/2023 21/7/23, 15:19 - Trauma Healing Small Groups in Slovenia
- 14/7/2023 14/7/23, 15:06 - Church Planting in Slovenia
- 6/7/2023 6/7/23, 14:54 - Equipping a New Generation
- 3/7/2023 3/7/23, 14:02 - Mum & Baby Club in Spain
junio
- 28/6/2023 28/6/23, 16:00 - Life and Ministry in Times of War
- 6/6/2023 6/6/23, 11:05 - United in Prayer, discover Mahabba
- 2/6/2023 2/6/23, 13:34 - Camino Guesthouse in Spain
mayo
- 22/5/2023 22/5/23, 15:23 - Greenhouse Repaired!
- 15/5/2023 15/5/23, 11:00 - Freedom in Christ: a testimony
- 8/5/2023 8/5/23, 12:42 - The Irpin church: a testimony of love and service
marzo
- 15/3/2023 15/3/23, 10:04 - Angry and Grateful
- 13/3/2023 13/3/23, 21:37 - Living through the war
- 7/3/2023 7/3/23, 10:07 - Let's walk!
febrero
- 24/2/2023 24/2/23, 11:34 - They were living in a 15m2 hut...
- 2/2/2023 2/2/23, 17:57 - The war has torn down many houses, we are building them up.
enero
READ our stories about what is going on across Europe,
PRAY for the projects and the workers involved!
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