The DAWN Vision in Europe

The DAWN vision has been present in Europe since the late 1980's. Since then, strategic church planting processes have been initiated in several European nations - some successful, some "subject to change". They go under various names, the national "carriers" vary, but the vision is the same: strategically plant churches into every town, neighbourhood, and social segment of a nation. 

 

Norway

All major churches and denominations are working together in a national DAWN project since 1994. 350 churches have been planted 1994-2005. Leader: Oivind Augland.

 

Portugal

Official project “Portugal 2015” since 2004, carried by the Portuguese Evangelical Alliance. Goal: 1 church per 3000 inhabitants by 2015. Leader: Paulo Pascoal

 

Great Britain

There was a DAWN-type project in the 1990s. Re-launched as “Together in Mission”. Leader: Martin Robinson

 

Switzerland

After 12 years of Focusuisse and a motivational process towards church planting, the Church Research Institute FIGS has been established in 2008. Goals: gather information, provide church planting related data and motivate to plant new and relevant churches. Leader: Reinhold Scharnowski.

 

Germany

In 2008, a national "Consultation for church planting" was established. The Church Planting responsables of all German denominations meet 2-3x per year.  A spirit of cooperation provides the basis for a strategic long-term collaboration process with the goal to "saturate Germany with a net of living churches". Strategy: network, learn, research and set goals.

 

The Netherlands

Several Church Planting related streams have emerged in NL since the Millennium, pursuing strategic church planting in a relational way. A recent national meeting of the leaders demonstrated clearly that a common process is under way, without an official organizational framework but held together by strong relationships.

 

Spain

The Evangelical Alliance of Spain has expressed keen interest in a national church planting process, based on what they see happening in Portugal. A network is coming into place which might be the platform for a future common strategy.

 

Sweden

There is a team in place, consisting of representatives of every major denomination. A DAWN research has been launched in February 2008, and later in 2008, around 200 leaders and church planters met for a national consultation.

 

France

Researcher Daniel Liechti has produced an excellent research of France by departments. As a leader of the commission for evangelization and church planting, he is propagating the goal “1 church for every 10.000 inhabitants”.