Youth Cafe

As we mentioned before, we are involved in two main outreaches here in Germany--one for immigrant kids and one for teens. Last night, we had our weekly Youth Cafe. More specifically, it´s a time when teenagers come to one of our church buildings to hang out, play pool, hear a message, eat dinner, and talk with staff members. It´s really cool, but definitely not like New York. Instead of frantically running around from program to program, the Youth Cafe is relaxed and inviting. Especially for teens that would never step foot into a church.
The kids that usually come are from the rock/alternative, emo, or gothic scene. They come in the building (called Haus Benjamin) looking pretty tough and uninterested.The hard part about ministering to teens in Europe is that many are atheists or simply don´t care whether or not God exists. Daniel was talking to some boys last night, and they didn´t want to hear about Jesus. They just wanted an excuse to debate the existence of God. One guy told us he´s been coming every week to the Youth Cafe for five years just because he likes to discuss philosophy and religion...but he´s not willing to personally believe.
So, the Youth Cafe continues every week, with staff members talking to students, praying with them, and encouraging them to have faith in God. It´s definitely slow-going, but there´s something I´m convinced about.
When I (Michelle) was at a prayer meeting in New York, I remember God telling me, "Europe is not dead. I have plans for the people there." This came to me during the time Daniel and I were talking about getting married and moving to Germany. My biggest concern was the state of the dwindling Church. Would Europe be a discouraging time for my faith? And God said He hadn´t forgotten about the people in Europe. And neither will we.
Please pray with us for the teens and families who are comfortable in their meaningless, atheistic ways of thinking. In some countries, Satan´s weapons are drugs, witchcraft, violence, or disease. Over here, he has swayed the masses with apathy. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would awaken the lost.