Eleanor Datson is part of the inter-denominational M4 Ready church planting course which finishes in June. Our grant from The Bill Snelson Young Ecumenists Fund supported Eleanor to go to Berlin for a study trip in March 2025. Eleanor writes…
I met up with my M4 course team at breakfast. This was the first time we met in person as we’d only ever seen each other via Zoom before. We discussed backgrounds and got to know each other. There were members from Brazil and Portugal who worshipped at Free Methodist Churches. As did our team leader, who was from the UK. We were joined by two Estonians who attended Catholic schools. I go to a Baptist church.
In the other teams, there were attendees from the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Serbia and Montenegro…I’m sure there were more, but these are the ones I can remember!
On the second day, a giant map of Europe was spread across the conference floor, and we were invited to walk onto the map and pray for our home countries. This was a hugely moving and powerful moment. It was incredible to witness all the young people from all over praying passionately for God to move in their home countries and churches of all kinds of traditions.
During the conference, we heard interviews with active church planters. I found it very real and encouraging when they shared about the reality of failure and the perseverance needed to endure the slow growth of planting a church. They also shared their success stories and had lots of very good advice and helpful guidance for aspiring church planters, such as myself. One piece of advice I noted down was how important it is not just to connect with the community around you but also with the churches already in the area (no matter their denomination); to try to work together, not against them.
On our last day, we were given the freedom to attend a Sunday service of any of the churches in Berlin that we wanted. My team chose to attend a Hillsong Church. This was my first experience of a Hillsong service, I was surprised at how much of it was taken up by encouraging people to give financially to their church.
Overall, I found the whole experience hugely insightful. I feel this experience has helped clarify my next steps towards becoming the church planter that I believe God is calling me to be. It has put me in touch with invaluable people from whom I can continue to learn and pray with. With God at the heart, I want to move forward in faith and pursue this calling to grow his church here on earth.
Our church, Beacon Baptist Church in Stafford, fits the model of a network church. We’re one body made up of many ‘micro-churches’. My pastor is knowledgeable in the area of church planting and it has been interesting to compare her understanding of this with what I learnt on the trip. I hope to continue to learn from her and our church’s example on my journey to becoming a church planter. I am keen to attend Cornerstone Bible College where I can further grow my knowledge and learn from the international and multicultural community there and their different perspectives and understandings of church.
In summary, it was truly wonderful to be in Berlin with Christians from such a variety of cultures and church backgrounds, all coming together to praise the Lord and learning how God is moving in Europe.
Watch a Facebook reel from the M4 Ready Study Trip in Berlin.
Find out about The Bill Snelson Young Ecumenists Fund and read about the experience of other grant awardees.
Eleanor is pictured in the centre of our main photo. All photos courtesy of M4 Ready Europe.