International Newsletter April 2023

Check out these catalytic stories from Steiger teams across the globe to see how God’s been using our teams to reach and disciple those who wouldn’t walk into a church!

Be Present in the Scene: North America

Our Steiger Team arrived at SWAMPFEST with a heart to serve.

Where do hundreds of young BMX riders go for a rules-free, crazy weekend of partying? SWAMPFEST. Our North America Steiger Team showed up too. “These people ranged from completely apathetic about God to painting upside down crosses on their BMX ramps,” Steiger missionary Jimmy shared. Each morning our team served free pancakes and invited people into spiritual conversation.

One morning, they met a young man named Michael and asked him about his barbed wire tattoo. “I’ve always felt trapped in my own mind,” he shared, “I don’t know how to explain it really. Not many people ask me about it.” When Steiger missionary Allison shared how Jesus set her free from the thoughts and fears that made her feel trapped, Michael opened up about his parents’ faith in Jesus - one he didn’t relate to or care about.

“I needed to have my own faith journey despite my parents’ faith,” Allison responded. “And on that journey, I realized that in all other religions, we are the ones trying to reach out to God, but with Jesus, He is the one who came and reached us. That’s what’s happening right here, right now. Jesus is reaching out to you, Michael.”

Moved by the encounter, Michael exchanged contact information with our team so they could continue the conversation. The team is staying in touch with others they met at the festival as well. It was a powerful weekend of building trust among the community, and we’re praying that God would give our team insight in how to proclaim the Gospel at next year’s event on a larger scale.

Engage in Bold & Relevant Evangelism: Brazil

Steiger missionary Moah shares with a local reporter why he came to the streets.

Every February, millions of Brazilians take to the streets to celebrate Carnival. Steiger teams in six different cities shared the Gospel on these same streets during the festivities!

One young man shared that he had recently started digging into who Jesus was and what his sacrifice meant on his own. Our team was able to answer many of his questions and prayed with him. Another young man they spoke with had “Jesus” tattooed across his face. He explained that Jesus had transformed his life but he didn’t accept any sort of institution or church as his own. Even still, he was open to conversation about what it really means to give Jesus your life.

Our teams shared the Gospel with hundreds of young people over the course of the holiday and continue to walk with many of them (including these two young men) in discipleship. 

Train the Local Church: Eurasia (Georgia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan)

Believers in Moscow gathered to learn how to reach the young people around them.

The past year has seen explosive growth in our mission across Eurasia. Just last month, our teams held Steiger Intensives in Minsk (Belarus) and Chelyabinsk and Sochi (Russia), seminars in Tbilisi and Batumi (Georgia), and a speaking tour across Kazakhstan. And this month they held a Steiger Intensive in Moscow!

At each event, our teams not only inspired local believers to take their faith outside the church doors, but gave them practical tools to do it and invited them out for practice. Regional Leader Misha shared that they weren’t initially planning on going to the streets in Batumi, but the church was so inspired that they decided to go anyway. “The pastors of that church were amazed,” he explained, “that they and their congregation could be in the heart of the city, reaching it for Jesus.”

During the speaking tour across Kazakhstan, Misha met a pastor who shared that as a result of their church members and leaders using Steiger’s creative evangelism tools throughout their city, they’ve planted six new churches!

Our teams trained 138 young believers at the Steiger Intensives, and inspired hundreds more during the seminars and speaking tour. Later this month our teams in Eurasia will be hosting a regional Steiger Mission School. We expect many of the young people who participated in these training events to show up, and can’t wait to see how God will continue to move across the region!