With the Il Rifugio community now established, the focus of the missionaries is to pass off the leadership to European nationals. Currently a servant leadership team has been established and they are taking more and more responsibility for the decisions within the community. Some of the members of the leadership team share in the teaching responsibilities for Sunday, especially Andrea who has the spiritual gift of teaching. Others also serve in leading small groups within the church.
Jesus’ Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) is clearly to focus on making disciples, allowing the Holy Spirit to raise up leaders and grow Jesus’ church. Making disciples has become our primary focus as missionaries, helping the members of the servant leadership team and other faithful men and women, and emerging leaders within the community.
Another ministry activity includes evangelism at the University of Torino with others in the church. We do this primarily by engaging students with a Spiritual Interest Survey. Most seem to enjoy talking about issues of philosophy and spirituality, but most cling tightly to their atheistic or agnostic beliefs.
Recently Paul has been serving Great Commission Europe in a number of ways, including the Expansion Servant Team, United for Europe 2014 (a joint initiative to start new churches in new cities and countries in Europe), and with the planning and administration for the bi-annual AWAKEN conference that unites churches from all over Europe.