Share God’s love with the sociable and fun-loving people of Spain: a country famous for its fiestas (parties), siestas (afternoon naps), food, beaches and football. Spain also has economic struggles and high levels of unemployment.
Share God’s love using your skills and passions to get to know local people. You can teach English or other languages, play sport, share art or music. You can take part in the 'Camino de Santiago', a week-long hike when you could share Jesus with other walkers on the route. Spanish people are generally relational so it’s easy to start a conversation with them.
Spain is a beautiful country with great spiritual needs.
It is estimated that 10 million people in Spain live in communities without any evangelical presence. Many people don’t even have the opportunity to meet someone who follows Jesus. By discipling new believers and helping them form new communities of Jesus followers where none currently exist, Spain can grow in awareness of God's love.
Spain is a traditionally Catholic country. Around 68 per cent of the population identify as Catholic, yet only 14 per cent regularly attend Mass. Evangelical Christians, of which two-thirds are immigrants, count for less than one per cent of the population. This makes Spain one of the least reached countries in Europe. Formerly, the evangelical church in Spain was persecuted, and is still viewed negatively by Spanish society today. But there is a growing hunger for and interest in spirituality, especially among the younger generations.
As a Jesus follower, you can share love through relationships, simply by sharing your personal testimony and how God has changed your life. You may be the first Jesus follower a local person meets.
“I’ve found that whilst people often don’t want to hear about religion, they are open to hearing my story of how Jesus has changed my life”, explained an OM worker in Spain. “Sharing a short example of Jesus working in my life can open the door for deeper conversations about faith and what it means to follow Jesus”.
Whether you come for a long, or short time, or whether you pray, or invest in lives through financial support, there are many ways for you to share God’s love with the people in Spain.
