"God is up to something," says Deb Heefner, with contagious confidence dancing in her eyes. "We've seen more people making decisions to receive Christ than we have in years, and there's a fresh awareness that we can be culture shapers."
As coordinator of Student Ministry in Europe, Deb feels like she's sitting in the front row. Staff members are stepping out on faith, trying new ideas, and God is beginning to reveal some things that work. Strategies like Freshman Survival Kits, internships, and relationship-building events have led to good results.
Partnerships between countries are growing, also. This year 93 people serve in Europe with the STINT (Short-term international missions) program. Most are from North America, but there are also Koreans in London and a Finn in France. Next year, a group from the Baltic countries hopes to begin a campus ministry in Northern Ireland.
The Student Ministry still has a long ways to go in its efforts to take the gospel to every student in Europe, of course. Not every new idea works, says Deb, but with each failure, something is learned. And one thing they've learned: despite the post-modern mood, there are indeed students in Europe who want to follow Christ, and will, if given the chance. 
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