THE PLACE
The Nordic and Baltic nations have growing economies and modern cities, but in many areas, a simple rural life is still common. In the Baltic countries, decades of communist influence led to insular churches with little outreach to youth, causing an entire generation to be raised without knowledge of God or the Bible. In the Nordic countries, the rise of secularism and the resistance to the historical connections between the Church and government have resulted in discontentment with organized religion.
With vast expanses of natural beauty, the Nordic-Baltic region is surrounded by the wonder of God’s creation. Whether its fjords and glaciers or the way modern urban cities intersect with medieval villages, the sights you experience are nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Situated in very close proximity to Russia, Nordic-Baltic countries are cognizant of their neighbor to the East. Memories still exist of a past filled with occupation and brutality. Much compassion is shown to the Ukrainian people and is confidently on display.
The People
With the region situated near the Arctic circle, long periods of darkness and cold envelop the winter months. These seasonal aspects have deep effects on the culture resulting in a strong-willed, determined people who often disconnect from their brokenness. Depression, alcoholism and hopelessness are common realities. Often, relational connections can feel distant and cold in the beginning. It is then somewhat surprising to find Finland, Denmark and Iceland at the top "Happiness Index" of all countries worldwide (Sweden and Norway are 7th & 8th). Factors driving these results are national GDP, social support structures, life expectancy, freedom and generosity.
Over the years, there has been a steady decline in church attendance and the percentage of people who identify as Christian. We estimate that today only 2-3% of the Nordic-Baltic region’s 33 million people claim to be followers of Christ. In addition, the number of gospel-proclaiming churches and leaders pales in comparison to the need.
THE IMPACT
There is hope and momentum in this area. We work to plant churches, care for pastors, develop leaders and raise up a generation of spiritual champions.
Our workers gather local pastors and come alongside local leaders to help train, equip and encourage them as they share the gospel. Converge has already built relationships with the evangelical presidents in four of the eight countries, and we have sponsored and led regional church planting conferences in Estonia, Sweden and Latvia that drew in local leaders and others from surrounding nations.
We partner with local ministries to reach the older generations who left the church during communism. We launch camps and ministries for youth outreach and systems for developing young leaders passionate about disciple-making. Through this, we are seeing young people become open to sharing their faith, and they are beginning to bring the gospel into their communities.
In Tartu, Estonia, we now own and operate an apartment as a ministry center. Most Estonians hesitate to enter a church building. The goal is to use the apartment to introduce 2000 youth to the message of the gospel. The Refuge, as we call it, hosts multiple small groups throughout the year, using a variety of approaches including cooking. Multiple leaders are being discipled to lead these groups. In addition, the Refuge can host interns aiding in our efforts to mobilize more workers for the region. The Refuge ministry is led by an Estonian national.
