Chocolate, cheese, secure bank accounts, efficiency... these are the images the world has of Switzerland. But beyond this very human image, there is also a needy reality and hunger for the true meaning in life.
Introducing Switzerland
Switzerland has a population of only 7.5 million and lies in the heart of Europe. As small as it is, Switzerland is a multiethnic nation with three official languages - German, French and Italian.
Religion
West European churches have become increasingly secular. More and more people are leaving the official protestant or catholic denominations and many who stay are nominal Christians. Only about 4% of the population claim to be evangelical Christians - the same percentage as Muslims in Switzerland!
OM Switzerland faces two challenges:
Just as God has blessed us, we want to be a blessing to the world as well as caring about the marginalised in our own country. The two offices in the German and French speaking regions motivate the churches to invest their people and resources in world mission. The Global Action Team in Zürich is focused on the hopelessness in the Inner City.
Zürich
With its 364,000 inhabitants, Zurich is Switzerland’s biggest city. Although quite small compared to other European cities, Zurich is very cosmopolitan and international. Tourism and banking are very significant sectors of the economy.
Over the last few decades many middle class citizens have left the inner city to live on the outskirts and this has included many of the city’s Christians. Now, close to 100 nationalities live within a few square miles. In some of the city‘s schools, 80% of the children are foreigners. While today immigrants and the sex industry shape the face of the inner city, many of the churches are struggling, some are even shutting down.
Global Action Team in Zürich
We train people to live their everyday lives with Jesus Christ in an urban and secular environment and develop their vision for God’s Kingdom.
The aim of the Global Action Team’s ministry is to show and to proclaim God’s love and hope to the hopeless in the inner city, to those marginalised by society, and to help establish churches among them.
The team is based in the inner city of Zurich. Despite the very obvious human and spiritual needs, it is the most lively and colourful area of the city where you meet people from every corner of the planet.
We work alongside churches and people who chose to share their lives with some of the most despised of in our society: immigrant kids, teenagers, families – most of whom are Muslims or Hindus - drug addicts, alcoholics and prostitutes.
Find out more at www.ch.om.org |
