Germany Mission Trip

Germany – Summer 2024 Recap

July 5 – 13, 2024

Crossroad Global Initiative, CGI, went to Germany to partner with the Minden Evangelical Free Church and to provide a baseball and cheer camp experience, for children and teenagers, ages 10-18. This was the 10th year to conduct a camp in Minden and the relationship with the church has seen “fruit” in several lives changed for eternity and even some improvement in baseball skills.

New this year we offered a cheerleading option to this week of camp to reach more kids in Minden. If you have a love for Jesus and are able to teach/coach cheerleading skills, start praying about coming next year!

Why go to Germany?

  1. Only 3% of the German population has a personal relationship with Jesus.
  2. Our Partner Church has a heart for these kids and their families as they reach out to their community, and this trip serves as important tool in strengthening the churches in an area that has little evangelical witness.
  3. They know soccer not baseball, but they are a sports/outdoor loving culture. The methodology of utilizing a baseball camp to reach 10-18 yr. old German youths has been very effective. Several German children and adults are being reached by this approach who otherwise may not have been reached, (about 40% were new baseball campers last year).
  4. Our baseball knowledge is a help but also being from the USA is a “draw” which opens the door to sharing the gospel and your salvation testimony.

Why does the Church at Minden want to do Baseball Camp?

  1. To help cultivate a “mission mindset” in the church.
  2. It will provide activity during the first week of “holiday” for the kids in the area.
  3. It will serve as a way to build relationships with their community and have conversations to talk about God and the gospel.
  4. Sports ministry is a great way to build team relationships and a bridge to talk about spiritual things. American coaches will encourage German youth to talk about a relationship with God in their daily lives.
  5. It will make an overall difference in Minden and the church. The church recruits volunteers to serve in various capacities and it brings new members and long-time members together in community. Plus, it impacts the schools through publicity and relationships created with the church, too. Even the city “mayor” came out to a game!

Do you have to be a baseball player to go?

Absolutely not! There are many different roles to be filled, and everyone can participate. However, individuals with baseball expertise and skills are encouraged to prayerfully consider going. Also, remember that most Americans have a greater baseball knowledge and skill level than most Germans. This approach is about relationships and the amount of daily time with these students that is important. A willingness to share your knowledge and be a positive coach is the key.

Who can go on this trip?

Any person that meets these requirements:

  1. Strongly senses God’s calling to go. Loves Jesus, likes baseball.
  2. Completes and participates in the pre-trip training/planning sessions.
  3. Prioritizes the missional purpose, not competition, of the trip and commits to full participation in the group’s schedule and guidelines during travel in Germany.
  4. Possesses good team communication skills. Do I need to be fluent in German? The language barrier is minimized by the English language skills of the German participants and the availability of German translators.
  5. Fills out a mission trip application and completes Safe and Secure training.

What will I be doing?

Each team member will have 1 of 2 roles during the camp. You will either be a Coach/Assistant Coach for a team and work with them all week, OR you will be a Station Leader, who instructs every team in skills/drills for the week. In the evening, you will be a part of the service and then stay around the fields talking with players, eat lots of brats, before going to host home.


Typical day of Baseball Camp and the week
o 8am-8pm
– CGI team meeting
– Camp Teams gather
– Baseball Stations (team time, hitting, fielding, rules)
– Lunch
– 2-3 Games
– Nightly service
o Sunday – morning worship, afternoon evaluations, Opening Ceremony
o Tuesday night – Ballpark Block Party
o Wednesday – afternoon off/game vs Minden Millers
o Thursday afternoon tournament begins
o Friday afternoon/evening – Awards, Closing Ceremony and “BBQ”

What’s next?

Pray for the summer 2025 trip!

Dates: July 11-19, 2025