Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden are charaterised by similar structures of society and cultural traits. This results, not only from similar Nordic environmental realities and thus traditional livelihoods, but also from a shared history. Traditionally, they are Christian, with Lutheran as the adopted state church.

Encompassing much of Western Europe, the Atlantic region has been privileged to benefit from wealth and relative stability since World War II. The hand-print of Christianity is very evident, but has unfortunately translated into a largely irrelevant religion, rather than a living faith. The challenge is to see the church stirred and roused to reach these now secular societies.

The Mediterranean nations display various similarities in culture - the most apprent being the influence of the Catholic or Orthodox church and the significance of family. All of these nations have rich histories that stretch back thousands of years and have shaped much of the modern western world. These nations have undergone significant change as modernization, humanism and immigration have changed the political, religious and cultural landscape. There is a strong need for new and radical churches to be planted throughout these nations.

The reunification of Central Europe occured in 1991 with the collapse of the Iron Curtain and the Cold War. Accompaniying this was freedom for the church and an awakening of God's calling. This region encompasses both Western European and former Communist nations, all of which have diverse and rich cultures. Many of these nations are emerging into prosperity and new economic independence. Large parts of the region include Gypsy or Roma communities, who are often seen as outcasts because of the culture they are born into. Interestingly, those that are Christians tend to display a faith that is vibrant, alive and truely life changing.

The Balkan Region has emerged from Communism and dictatorships, with declarations of independence for many nations only recently recognised internationally. Ethnically fueled wars crossed geographical boundaries; the affects of which are still reflected today in the people, infrastructure and governments. As the Balkan region continues to develop, the potential for positive input and impact of communites is both striking and unparalled!

This region is an extremely large and very diverse group of countries, not to mention the diverse ethnicities within each nation. The predominantly Russian-speaking nations - Russia, Belarus and Ukraine - alone have very large populations and occupy huge geographic areas. Religous influence, including the Orthodox church and Islam, are as much a way of life as a faith.