The 17th annual FEUER conference brought together 189 university evangelists from 39 countries in Calpe (Spain).

Despite representing different organisations, participants were united by a shared commitment to publicly communicating the Christian message across Europe’s universities.

A strong theme of the conference was the renewed spiritual openness emerging across the continent, particularly among young people.

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Wave of interest in the Christian faith

Reports from numerous countries highlighted increased interest in Christian events and evangelistic initiatives. The UK’s Bible Society presented research showing a significant rise in youth church attendance, while countries such as Spain and the Netherlands described unusually high engagement at Events Weeks.

Sample talks reflected this cultural moment, addressing growing curiosity about faith and the relevance of Jesus today.

Social challenges in Eastern Europe

At the same time, the conference acknowledged that openness exists alongside major challenges. Delegates from Belarus, Ukraine and Serbia shared how they continue to run Events Weeks amid political restriction, war and university closures. Many also noted rising political polarisation.

Training sessions, including those led by Becky Pippert, addressed how to present the gospel wisely and compassionately in such volatile contexts.

Academics and evangelists in partnership

Partnership between evangelists and Christian academics proved to be another major encouragement. Academics from various fields—physics, medicine, philosophy and law—reported how their expertise opened doors for thoughtful evangelistic engagement across Europe.

Cross-national mission teams also helped pioneer work in places with few evangelical Christians, with plans for further expansion next year.

Equipping young Christians

A strong focus of FEUER is the development of evangelists. Every delegate delivered a practice talk, and a new year-round training initiative 'The Emerging Evangelists Network' has begun. Speakers emphasised not only skill-development but also the importance of character.

The conference concluded with testimonies of long-term impact, including students who had come to faith and gone on to lead their own evangelistic work. 

Peter J. Williams, Principal at Tyndale House in Cambridge, said: “FEUER plays a unique role in uniting and equipping evangelists across Europe. It was very encouraging for me to attend and to see what God is doing across the continent through a rising generation of innovative yet faithful communicators of the gospel”.