“Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road?”
Luke 24:32
Just as Jesus joined the two who were on their way to Emmaus that day; He joins us. He walks beside us patiently explaining who He is. Finally, when we recognize Him, we are surprised by joy in the realization that it has been Him all along and that we are now in love with Him who has first loved us.
Ministry Goals
Ministry Areas
About us
Paul and Ellie's Ministry Objectives:
To and with youth: These are explained in depth below, but our focus is the following...
- Bringing youth of many cultures to faith in Christ
- Affirming their value as God’s children
- Discipling them in trust based relationships
- Finding their God-given gifts for service
- Enabling them in ministry to others
Our ministry takes place in THREE unique settings:
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Evangelical Christian Academy (ECA) is a 1st - 12th grade school which primarily serves the missionary community working in Spain. These youth are unique in their potential to reach the world for Christ because of their heritage, training, and language and cultural skills. Our challenge is to make them aware of their potential and God's unique call on their lives NOW to communicate His love to a lost and hurting world. Read more at www.ecaspain.com
"180 Degrees" is a youth ministry of our local Spanish church (see: Iglesia Evangélica de Chamartín). This ministry has been developing in stages over the past seven years.
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First, we needed to reach out to the youth with connections to a several Madrid area churches, giving these youth opportunities to come to Christ and grow spiritually in a setting that encouraged them to express themselves, interact positively with other youth, and develop their gifts for serving others. Now they are being trained to live out their faith on a daily basis while developing depth and maturity in their Christian walk. We are also beginning to train them in real ministry to other youth through leadership training and practical outreach activities. The final step is nurturing these young Christian leaders to be mentors and teachers for the next generation of youth and be self-initiating witnesses to their peers in secular society. Read more at "Do a 180"
The THIRD setting is in the US either in person or in long-distance communication - Involving individuals from the US in Great Commission living!
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As you may know, all of our income for living and ministry comes from the voluntary donations of those individuals and churches that believe in us and consider our work important. Without these people's investment in God's work, it would be impossible to carry out the responsibilities to which He has called us. We would be happy to have you join our team through regular prayer and/or financial support.
What is Great Commission living? Whether we go or not, we must all be actively and purposefully involved in communicating the message of salvation in Christ Jesus to those next door AND those around the world. We do have a greater responsibility because of our knowledge, economic resources, and available human resources in the USA! There are many ways to do this but it always starts with being informed of what God is doing NOW and beginning to pray consistently and in detail for God’s Word to go out and His Work to go on. (see our "Prayer" page)
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Would you consider investing in the re-evangelization of Spain? You can be a part of reaching these young people now by joining with us through your prayers and gifts. This ministry depends on the gifts and prayers of people who will partner with us, in dependence upon God’s provision, to faithfully support our ministry. All gifts are channeled though our mission agency, thereby providing for support services as well as the daily costs of ministry. (See "What about...?" or options for giving on partners/links.)
The chart summarizes giving over the last year and a half. Although giving in the last quarter of each year tends to be higher, your faithful part in our ministry on a regular basis MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE as we face the challenge of living by faith in God's provision through you each day.
More About Paul and Ellie:
Biographical Information
Paul is the son of WGM missionaries, Leslie and Mary Ruth Madsen. Growing up on the mission field, he was deeply impressed by the faith and commitment of his parents, and so gave his life to Christ. Later, while attending college, he felt God’s call on his life to Christian ministry. Paul has found immense joy in trusting his Savior on this journey of faith.
Ellie is very thankful to God for Christian parents. She wanted to experience what God could do in her life after seeing the example of her parents. She accepted the Lord as her personal Savior at age eleven and has intimately experienced His love and peace as she has sought to be used of God to bring others to Him.
Paul and Ellie met in Spain where they were both involved in a ministry to Spanish youth. After our marriage in 2002 we spent several months connecting with churches and families in the US before returning to the work in Spain. We are convinced of God's calling on our lives to serve Him, specifically with youth, who need the assurance of God's love and the value that He places upon them.
We also have two sons who accompany us in life and ministry, Silas and Timothy. They were both born in Spain, Silas in 2006 and Timothy in 2008.
Experience
Paul has taught English as a second language in Hungary, working with Hungarian youth in educational and social settings. He has developed youth and music ministries at a church in Nebraska. He taught for two years at a Christian school in Florida, directing the music program for pre-K through 8th grade. He has taught and directed the music program at Evangelical Christian Academy in Madrid, Spain since 1998 while working with youth in leadership training and ministry in both school and church settings. Paul completed his Masters in Music Education from the Univ. of Nebraska in July of 2005 to aid in curriculum development, the accreditation process, and further outreach through music opportunities in ECA and the surrounding community.
Ellie has taught children’s Sunday school classes, trained and led church cell groups, worked as an assistant to the director at ECA, and worked with Paul in youth ministry. Her transition to Spanish culture as a teen has enabled her to understand and connect with children and youth who are struggling with their value or role in a second and third cultural setting. Since moving to Spain in 1998, she has had many opportunities to care for and encourage youth at many stages in their walk of faith.
Iglesia Cristiana Evangélica de Chamartín
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Our local church is a church plant (in the Chamartín area of northern Madrid) which has been growing over the last ten years. It is one of about 120 churches in the Madrid community but is the only church in this area of the city. Madrid has over 4.5 million people and there are another 1.5 million in the surrounding communities, which means that the Madrid area churches each have a possible target of about 50,000 people.
Andrés López, a Spaniard, is a very effective pastor, spiritual leader, and teacher. The development of effective Christian Spanish leadership in both the church and the community is essential for the evangelization of Spain. A Spaniard has the potential to be far more effective than a missionary could ever be. The role of the missionary then becomes one of training, mentoring, and equipping the national, who better understands how to communicate the message of salvation within their own cultural context.
The Chamartín church reaches out to its community through providing free classes in English, marital and family counseling, technology classes, food and clothing for the needy, youth ministry, special seasonal and cultural events which have an evangelistic element, and the regular weekly Sunday worship, Bible classes, and prayer ministries. Read more (in Spanish of course) at www.ichamartin.com