God’s Word on Campus: Training Bible Study Leaders in Portugal
Wednesday 18 June 2025 13:13 What happens when students learn to lead others in God’s Word? In Coimbra, Portugal, 15 young leaders are now better equipped to serve on their campus—and in the church for years to come.
The University Bible Group (GBU) with which we work in Portugal, catches people in a very formative stage of their lives. For those who are not followers of Jesus, it is a time where they are often open to exploring faith as an adult, and for those who are followers of Jesus, it is a time where they are able to be matured in their Christian faith and witness as they receive Bible teaching and training through GBU activities.
One of these key GBU activities is weekly Bible study groups in faculty groups. In Coimbra, the city in which we work, several leaders of the GBU Bible studies expressed a lack of confidence in how to lead it, and how to read the bible with others. In response to this, last year, we ran a Bible study leaders training course over 5 x 2 hour sessions during the semester aimed at equipping students with tools to be able to read the Bible well, and be able to lead others in it.
Some key focuses of the training included helping students understand the historical and literary context of a bible passage, how a Bible passage fits within God’s big story of salvation centred around Jesus, and how to make Bible studies welcoming and inviting to non-Christians. These were new concepts to many of the students.
The take up of the training was more than we had anticipated, with 15 students (half of the GBU Coimbra group) taking part, most attending with eagerness to learn and apply what they had been learning.
These are now 15 students who are now better equipped to handle God’s word and love those they lead, not only in the context of GBU Bible studies, but more significantly, in their respective churches across Portugal and beyond, now and for their lifetime.
Archive > 2025
December
- 12/23/2025 12/23/25, 11:15 AM - Merry Christmas from ECM!
- 12/16/2025 12/16/25, 11:03 AM - Standing with Bitaj
- 12/9/2025 12/9/25, 10:23 AM - Join the Team
- 12/1/2025 12/1/25, 5:13 PM - A Continent in Need of Hope
November
- 11/19/2025 11/19/25, 2:22 PM - Love looks like Jesus
- 11/12/2025 11/12/25, 2:06 PM - Walking with God, Walking with Others
- 11/5/2025 11/5/25, 11:35 AM - Joining Forces
October
- 10/29/2025 10/29/25, 11:05 AM - What Is In Your Hands?
- 10/22/2025 10/22/25, 11:58 AM - Faith Takes Root
- 10/15/2025 10/15/25, 11:49 AM - Don’t Overestimate What You Can Do in a Year
- 10/8/2025 10/8/25, 5:34 PM - “Someone Has to Slay the Dragon!”
- 10/1/2025 10/1/25, 5:18 PM - Unhindered
September
August
- 8/28/2025 8/28/25, 9:57 AM - A New Church in the Heart of Budapest
- 8/12/2025 8/12/25, 10:30 AM - God's own words of love
- 8/6/2025 8/6/25, 8:56 AM - Another new worker for Portugal!
July
- 7/30/2025 7/30/25, 3:26 PM - One Answered Prayer at a Time
- 7/23/2025 7/23/25, 3:38 PM - "They may be broken, but God sees the potential”
- 7/16/2025 7/16/25, 4:04 PM - Prague: From the Giant Peach to the Hobbit House.
- 7/9/2025 7/9/25, 1:42 PM - Equipping God’s People: A Journey We’re Honoured to Share
- 7/2/2025 7/2/25, 1:35 PM - Sharing Jesus—and Growing Leaders—at Austria’s Summer Camps
June
- 6/25/2025 6/25/25, 1:27 PM - Reaching Romania’s Children with the Gospel of Grace
- 6/18/2025 6/18/25, 1:13 PM - God’s Word on Campus: Training Bible Study Leaders in Portugal
- 6/11/2025 6/11/25, 1:00 PM - Equipping for Abundant Life
- 6/3/2025 6/3/25, 11:41 AM - Groninger Cake in the Court Garden
May
- 5/27/2025 5/27/25, 3:29 PM - From DOS to the App Store: The Story of La Parola
- 5/16/2025 5/16/25, 12:08 PM - Hope in the Post-Atheist Neighbourhood
April
- 4/9/2025 4/9/25, 11:30 AM - Growing a Church that will Last for Generations
- 4/2/2025 4/2/25, 11:43 AM - Jesus is the Way on the Camino: Pilgrims finding God
March
- 3/26/2025 3/26/25, 11:08 AM - Reaching Hearts Behind Bars
- 3/19/2025 3/19/25, 11:55 AM - How God Called Us to Stay at Home
- 3/12/2025 3/12/25, 11:39 AM - How Much my Supporters Mean to Me
- 3/5/2025 3/5/25, 11:33 AM - An experience I couldn’t recommend more!
February
- 2/19/2025 2/19/25, 11:10 AM - From a Bar to the Bible
- 2/12/2025 2/12/25, 12:19 PM - From War Volunteer Centre to Thriving Church
- 2/5/2025 2/5/25, 11:28 AM - How was I called to Europe?
January
OUR IMPACT IN UKRAINE
Discover our impact in the Ukraine crisis and how you can be part of it.
USA MISSIONARIES: DOING OUR PART
BE PART OF GOD'S MISSION IN EUROPE
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
“Honey, We Brought the Kids on Vacation!”
September - 30 - 2026 12:06 “Honey, we brought the kids on vacation!” It was a joke between Tamás and Virág as they arrived at Lake Balaton with 26 young people. But after years of walking alongside these teenagers, the words carried more truth than they realised. full storyStrength in Our Weakness
September - 23 - 2026 12:04 God is still saving people in Europe — and He delights to work through ordinary people. ECMI worker Matej experienced this when a casual conversation opened the door for a woman to surrender her life to Jesus. His story reminds us that we do not need to be strong or perfectly equipped to serve God. We simply need to trust Him and say yes. full storyUnshakable
September - 16 - 2026 11:16 Unshakable faith shines brightest in difficult seasons. Read how ECMI missionaries across Europe are trusting Christ through loss, opposition, and uncertainty — and inspiring others to do the same. full story 
