Calling All Youth Pastors

Germany -- A recent poll of Europeans says many find religion important but few find time to attend service. Based on face to face interviews taken between Mardch 1999 and October 2000 with representative samples in 32 countries throughout Europe. The poll was conducted by an European Values Study Foundation for "The European Values Study: A Third Wave," a newly issued report. The tables were prepared by Tilburg University.

In western Europe, most people did not find themselves belonging to a denomination; however revealed high considerations for religion and attend services at least a few times a month. France showed most frequent attendance in service while Germany showed highest degree of consideration for religion.

Germany -- While a recent poll of Europeans found Germans to have the highest degree of consideration for religion, less than half of Germany’s towns were found to have no evangelical church. In the churches that do exist, most are not equipped with ministers to garner the youth.

According to Joe and Shilli Sellars, Bridge International Youth Missionaries to Germany, the pattern must change in order for the future of nation’s church.

In the two-State district where the Sellars search, there are only three full-time youth pastors, all of them foreigners. Consequently, only 1 to 2 percent of the young people in Germany claim Christ as their Savior.

The Sellars pray that God will call many people to youth ministry in Germany and that the country's youth will be where revival starts.