Welcome to
the ministry site of Paul and Ellie Madsen
"Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road?" Luke 24:32
Journey of Joy
As a multi-cultural family in ministry in Europe since 1998, we love seeing young people come to understand that God is using them now to reach their world for Him. We currently live near Budapest, Hungary and are working with Christian schools across Europe and locally.
ministry settings
Serving Christian schools through ACSI Europe
Involving Christ-followers in Great Commission living
Serving Christian schools through ACSI Europe
ACSI Europe, headquartered in Budapest, Hungary, is a service ministry committed to supporting school leaders and educators in more than 300 Christian schools throughout Europe and Central Asia. Our office serves as one of several regional offices for ACSI Global, providing training and resources for national Christian schools. It is our joy to serve our members in several language groups including English, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Romanian and Spanish. We also have members in many other countries who have access to our English language services, events and publications.
Partnering with our local community
Involving Christ-followers in Great Commission living
Serving Christian schools through ACSI Europe
Local ministries and personal evangelism are a part of our every day life as we interact with our neighbors, our local school community and contacts through our local church. We cross paths daily with many people and have opportunities to develop friendships that lead to sharing our faith and the reality of God's love and gift of salvation.
Ellie serves as an elementary teacher aide and has many opportunities to pray with and support students and teachers in their walk of faith. Paul speaks at events, preaches, leads music and occasionally publishes articles and blog posts:
Involving Christ-followers in Great Commission living
Involving Christ-followers in Great Commission living
Involving Christ-followers in Great Commission living
We maintain connections with our prayer and ministry team and occasionally spend time in the US to develop these relationships and encourage engagement.
Would you consider investing in the youth of Europe? You can be a part of reaching these young people now by joining with us through your prayers and gifts. We depend on the gifts and prayers of people who will partner with us, in dependence upon God's provision, to faithfully support our ministry.
Our family
Paul and Ellie met in Spain through church and youth ministry activities. We were married in 2002 and have two boys, Silas and Timothy.
We love living in Europe but understand that this involves unique challenges and commitments. It also requires an intentional focus on living out our values and priorities in a culture that is both familiar and strange to us. In 2014, Paul prepared a presentation that addresses education issues for those who live cross-culturally. This may be useful for others, so feel free to share: Planning Ahead
We are convinced that God does not call one family member to serve on the mission field - He calls each family member. The official ministry of the parents is only one aspect of how God uses our lives in service to Him. Children (or MKs) are most certainly called to ministry in that God will use them as a blessing within the new culture/language setting even as they are learning of their own need for a personal relationship with Jesus. Young people who understand their calling as Christians have their own unique potential for ministry in the host (foreign) culture, often with a better practical understanding of that culture built on their experiences growing up there.
About Us
Ellie
Ellie grew up in the mountains of Ecuador where her parents were involved in church ministry and education. After completing her education, she moved to Spain where she hoped to work for 2 years and support her family before returning, but God had other plans for her.
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. She now serves in ministry and educational support roles at the International Christian School of Budapest, hosting activities in our home and developing relationships for spiritual support. She has many opportunities to care for and encourage youth at various stages in their walk of faith. Her transition to Spanish culture as a teen has also enabled her to understand and connect with children and youth who struggle with their value or role in a second and third cultural setting.
Paul
Paul is the son of missionaries and grew up on the mission field in Haiti and at a mission school for Native Americans in Arizona. After completing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and Bible/Theology at Vennard College, Paul spent a year in Hungary in ministry and then 4 years in church ministries and teaching music in the US. He taught and directed the music program at Evangelical Christian Academy in Spain from 1998 to 2012 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. After moving to Hungary in 2012, Paul began serving as an educational consultant with ACSI, providing training in Biblical integration for teachers throughout Europe while continuing to minister with youth through music and student leadership development.
Paul leads the ACSI Europe Student Leadership Conference, which impacts over 400 participants from about 40 christian schools each year. Paul manages the ACSIEurope.org multi-language website as a resource for over 300 ACSI schools in Europe and other web-based tools for Christian school administration and professional development. Paul is particularly interested in developing cross-cultural ministry relationships which will impact young people and their understanding of God's call on their lives.