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4000-445-Austin Kauffman

Reaching The Youth in Austria

While completing an undergraduate degree in engineering, God shifted my desire from working as an engineer to a passion for serving Him cross-culturally. Shortly after graduating, I moved to Accra, Ghana to support International Justice Mission in the fight against human trafficking and slavery of children on Lake Volta. God continued to develop this passion for serving Him, but the focus shifted from care ministry to discipleship of youth. I began volunteering with the student ministry in a local Ghanaian church. As this desire to disciple students grew, the Lord led me back to the United States to pursue formal education in Theology. I completed my M.A. in Theology in the summer of 2022 at Colorado Christian University. While I had always envisioned returning to Africa, God opened my eyes and broke my heart for the desperate need of youth leaders in Austria. During this time, I continued to volunteer with youth ministry alongside my now-wife, Alyssa, who is also passionate about discipling middle and high school students. Alyssa lived in Europe for part of college and met many students who had never heard the Gospel before. This cultivated a desire to return to Europe with an intentional focus on leading students toward Christ.

Through partnership with the Bund Evangelikaler Gemeindeni in Österreich (BEG or Association of Evangelical Churches), our ministry focus is reaching German-speaking youth in Austria. After thoughtfully reflecting on the conversations with various church leaders in Austria, it became evident that the current youth leaders are not equipped to lead this ministry. Many current youth leaders lack the basic biblical training and foundations to effectively disciple the youth without structures of preparation and mentorship within the church. Alternatively, many churches have no youth ministry, and this age group does not have the opportunity to grow in their faith alongside other students. Our goal will be to give these students a safe community to learn about Jesus Christ and how they can have a personal relationship with Him. We will also be assisting with leadership development for current and future leaders of youth ministry, through support for local churches.

Prayer Requests:
• That the church in Austria will grow not only in numbers but in the depth of their relationship with Christ.
• For the discipleship and mentorship of the current ministry leaders in Austria so that they can be well equipped to reach the youth.
• That the youth’s eyes will be opened to their desperate need for the Lord.
• We will find rest in the Lord in the midst of the busy and will continue to draw near to Him as the source of our strength.

Articles/Videos Posted by Austria Field Leaders (Nate and Bethany Johnson):
The Needs in Austria
Why Austria Needs More Missionaries
9 Misconceptions About Being a Missionary in Europe

Location:
Austria, Europe MENA
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