“He hadn't talked to his sister in five years because he felt that she didn't deserve his forgiveness.”

As the tragic conflict in Ukraine continues to unfold, Steiger is working hard to more effectively coordinate rescue and relief efforts, establish sustainable rhythms for our people, and make viable plans for a situation that will have countless long-term consequences.

 Steiger International’s Crisis Response Team has been working tirelessly around the clock to support not only our own City Teams in Ukraine, but thousands who have been affected by the horrific conflict in their country.

Thanks to preparation ahead of time, our Steiger Ukraine teams were ready to act quickly once the invasion began and we are so grateful that none have been injured.

In 1991 I went on tour in Mongolia with No Longer Music. We were the first western rock band to tour Mongolia, so all of our concerts were packed out. Sheika was only 16 at the time and hid behind a curtain on the stage at one of our concerts because he didn’t have a ticket to get in.

My first tour with No Longer Music was in 2008. I had been asked to play guitar - even though I’d never really played.

After a whirlwind month of preparation, we boarded a plane and many hours later we arrived in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan - the first country I ever toured in!

“My heart was broken for my home country, Serbia, and the Balkans region. With only a handful of Chrisitans in my entire city and no one reaching the youth, I started praying and asking God, ‘How can I change this?’”

“I was told that New Yorkers have heard everything and it wouldn’t work, but it does.”

Drawing on themes of the supernatural and death associated with Halloween, Steiger teams in 112 cities and 26 countries hit the streets to share the message of Jesus with young people who would not walk into a church. God worked powerfully and stories poured in!

Many of our City Teams in the Russian-Speaking World face this extra threat of arrest each time they engage in any sort of outreach. Even still, they boldly share the hope of the Gospel.

“I hurried. Started running back to the area to try to talk with the police, but when I got there, only a few guys from our team remained. The three girls had already been taken to the police station.”

I’ve been in full-time ministry for over a decade, and have experienced some incredible things. I have seen people kneeling in the main square of Reykjavík, Iceland; praying to receive Jesus in Beirut, Lebanon; and responding to the Gospel in cities from Moscow to Madrid to Warsaw.

The first Steiger Missions School at our International Center in Krögis, Germany in two years was amazing!

When I was a teenager, my mom pulled out a school report from when I was six years old and held it up next to the one she had just received the day before. They both said the exact same thing, “Ben is a good kid, he just never stops talking!”

Seeing the ocean for the first time is an extraordinary experience, but if you see it every day, sadly, the sense of awe diminishes. Soon, you will barely notice it at all. This applies to almost any aspect of the human experience. Repeated exposure to anything, whether oceans, mountains, or ice cream, leads to familiarity, which over time dulls our appreciation for it.

It's critical to remember that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

Growing up, I was frequently told, "Never win the argument, but lose the friend." For someone as argumentative and competitive as myself, this was good advice. Unfortunately, I didn't always follow it.

To comply with Covid restrictions and regulations, six of our leaders came early from Argentina and Colombia and spent 5 days in isolation in the basement of a youth center in Berlin. They then had to be retested for Covid with a negative result.

If we are humble, we can discuss anything with anyone. It doesn't matter how hostile the person or divisive the topic. Humility leads us to listen more than speak. It gives us a genuine interest in other people and a teachable spirit. Most importantly, it frees us from the burden of needing to know everything. The truth is, no one has all the answers, not even Christians.

If we want to change the hearts and minds of people outside the church, we need to find common ground. We spend so much time focusing on our disagreements that we miss a huge opportunity.