An Easter Outreach

Last month, we had a team from Switzerland come to Bologna to help us with an outreach geared toward helping students develop better study habits and acheive their goals of graduating from university. The main speaker at our two night seminar has a Ph.D in engineering and has given this seminar all over the world. Yet, he remains on staff with Agape Europe (CCC in Europe) full-time and loves working with students. During one of our meals together, he asked if we were doing anything that allowed Italian students to see and be exposed to the community that we have as believers...something that allowed them to see Christ at work in our lives through our relationships.


That thought stayed with me (Cody) and our team for sometime. What could we host that we could invite our friends to that would let them experince Christ's love through community? We eventually landed on having a dinner or "apperitivi" during the week leading up to Easter and showing the Jesus Film. Our team all committed to being there regardless of who else came but also committed to inviting the students we work with to come and join us. We came together as a team to prepare a feast and be a family. It was great. We had a handful of students join us for dinner and stayed to watch the life of Jesus. From that stemmed a conversation that ran almost to midnight.

It was a real encouragement to all of us, as it allowed us to see that Christ is moving here in Bologna. The work here is slow, and every opportunity we have to talk about the gospel bolsters our faith and encourages us to continue on. The gospel of Christ is being proclaimed in this city! That is ultimately why we came, and we praise God for the hope He has given us to share.