Gifting the Gospel in Hamburg

Scott and Rachel Partridge are church planters and International Mission Board team leaders for North Germany serving in Hamburg, Germany. Though living in a country rich with Christian heritage, Scott estimates less than 2 percent of Hamburg’s two million residents identify as evangelical Christians. Instead, Scott and Rachel find hearts have hardened and people often view faith as a private matter or thing of the past. As they meet people and build relationships, Scott said, “We are always looking for a way to bridge the gospel.” And despite the obstacles, those gospel conversations are leading to new churches planted and believers who are being discipled in evangelism.

Scott and Rachel have prayed to meet national believers, and they saw those prayers answered at a furniture store checkout stand recently. Frustrations with furniture delivery took them back to the store several times, but that turned out to be a blessing—their American accents offered an opportunity to share why they live in Hamburg. The cashier and his brother, both former Muslims, were searching for a church in Hamburg. Now close friends and partners in ministry, these brothers were instrumental in bringing a neighbor to Christ. From this small group a church was planted. “The Lord truly worked a frustrating situation for His good so that we could meet these men and partner together for the gospel,” Scott said.

The Partridges count prayer as the number-one factor in spreading the gospel in Hamburg. “We have learned that the more we are desperately praying for God to reach people in this city and see more churches planted, [the more] God will answer,” Scott said. As they pray for opportunities like the one they had with the brothers, Scott and Rachel find God using them to make Him known. Their goal is to offer the gift of the gospel to those they meet, people who—when they believe—then gift it to others.

Pray Scott, Rachel, and their children would be bold in their faith and in sharing the gospel with others. Pray for more workers to come to serve in Germany and among the nearly one billion people of Europe. Scott said, “This continent is so lost spiritually, despite its rich history with Christianity.” Pray for their friends to believe in Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Lynn Durham lives along the Mississippi river in West Tennessee.