An article adapted from Evangelical Focus

On 10 May, more than 700 believers gathered in Sintra, Portugal, for Forum Evangelico 2025, hosted by the Portuguese Evangelical Alliance with the support of over 100 dedicated volunteers.

Under the theme “Welcome to the Mission Field”,  the event served as a heartfelt call to action for local churches to embody the Gospel in daily life—through compassion, creativity, and cross-cultural engagement.

Some of its highlights shared on the Evangelical Focus website:

Churches on Mission “out there”

Held at the facilities of Missão Cristã Internacional, the Forum offered a full-day program that combined inspiration, training, worship, and networking.The mission was to awaken and equip the Portuguese evangelical community for the missionary challenges of our time—both locally and globally.

From the vibrant opening worship to the final evening’s Concert of Prayer, participants were continually reminded that the mission field is not only “out there”—it begins right at our doorstep.

Keynote address: Jim Memory of Lausanne Europe

The Forum’s keynote speaker was Jim Memory, co-director of Lausanne Europe, a movement committed to the global evangelization of the world, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024.

His message challenged participants to reimagine Europe—not merely as a post-Christian continent, but as fertile ground for revival and new beginnings.

“We must not lose hope”, Memory urged. "God is at work in the margins—among migrants, youth, and those disillusioned by secular promises. The Church must be present with humility, courage, and creativity."

He shared a striking comparison: “Only 3% of the world doesn’t know Coca-Cola—but 25% of the world has yet to hear the Gospel”. These 25% represent the unreached peoples—groups that do not yet have sufficient access to the Gospel in their language and culture.

According to mission organizations such as Joshua Project and Operation World, that includes over 3 billion people.

Challenges and strategies for future mission

On Friday night, ahead of the main Forum, Jim Memory also addressed over 50 pastors and leaders at a special leadership event titled “At the Table with Lausanne”. This intimate dinner provided a space to share challenges and reflect on strategies for the Church in the 21st century—trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Workshops, immersive prayer & evangelical expo as well as forum kids and lunch tables fostered meaningful networking throughout the event.

In the closing, the Concert of Prayer, uniting voices in worship and intercession for Portugal, Europe, and the nations was a reminder of the promise from 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

The article concludes: "Portugal may be a small country, but the 2025 Evangelical Forum demonstrated that its evangelical Church is vibrant, active, and globally minded.

'As secularization deepens across Europe, the call to embody hope, justice, and truth has never been more urgent, the organisers of the gathering believe. The Evangelical Forum 2025 reminded Christians that every believer is a missionary, and every neighborhood, school, and workplace is a mission field."

“The church in Portugal is awakening with a new fire”, said one young participant. “And we want to share it with the world”.

 Read the full article here

Find out more about Jim and Christine Memory's work with ECM here

And... ECM's work in Portugal here