TeenStreet: ‘The spark that reignited the fire of my faith’

Over recent years, many young people from Spain, Italy and Portugal have travelled to Germany to attend the long-running, large-scale, week-long TeenStreet event held each summer. 

While the event is a fantastic experience, with teenagers getting the chance to connect with other young Jesus followers from across Europe, OM teams in their home countries also hold TeenStreet activities to maintain that excitement about their faith throughout the year. 

Spanish networks 

OM in Spain is passionate about Spanish teenagers having a vibrant relationship with Jesus and actively contributing in their local church. One way in which the team encourages young people to do that is through involvement in a year-round TeenStreet in Spain network. 

Lidia, one of the Spanish teenagers who has been to the TeenStreet event in Germany, shared that she fell in love with the atmosphere from the first day. “I love that there are people from so many different cultures, with whom I can talk and connect in English, and in my own language, Spanish,” she said. "TeenStreet has had a huge impact on my life. Not only did I learn important lessons from the sermons, but I’ve also made new friends. I’ve stayed in touch with people from my own country, and even with others from abroad, and we’ve continued to nurture those friendships, whether online or by meeting up in person. Those people who have also been to TeenStreet and with whom I can maintain a friendship throughout the year are a great help, because we can encourage one another and grow spiritually all year round.”

Another of the group, David, said, “I would describe my experience at TeenStreet as a spark that has reignited the fire of my faith. TeenStreet has had a profound impact on me in many ways, especially spiritually. I’ve also met lots of people — some very good friends and others who are very important to me. It has been like a breath of fresh air, this spark that has reignited my Christian faith; seeing that there are more young Christians like me around me and worshipping the Lord together is something truly precious. 

“TeenStreet has had a huge impact on my life. At times I even felt a bit lost, lacking in identity, not quite living according to God’s Word, and TeenStreet really helped me refocus and gave me new encouragement; the whole TeenStreet experience guided us in the same direction, which is to have a relationship with the Lord, because that is the best thing you can have.” 

God speaks in Portugal 

Teenagers in Portugal had their first experience of TeenStreet in 2025 when 16 teenagers gathered in Porto. Isabela, one of the participants, said, “During TeenStreet, in Porto, I felt God speaking to me in a very intimate way. In the moments of worship, in the messages and even in conversations with people, it was as if He was reminding me how much He loves me and that He has something for me.” 

Small group leader Larissa said TeenStreet is valuable for the young people. “Teenagers need to experience for themselves not only the moving of the Holy Spirit, but also to realise that there are other people, just like them, who are intensely seeking the same God,” she said. 

Teenage challenges in Italy 

Growing up in Italy as a Jesus follower can be challenging for teenagers. Christine, a worker with OM in Italy, said, “Some churches have tried to create a regional youth group, but it is difficult because of the distances involved. So TeenStreet is a big boost for their faith: to see many other believers their age on fire for God and see that there are Christian youth also in other countries is very encouraging.” 

OM has seen more and more young Italians travel to Germany for TeenStreet’s one-week camp, joining young people from all over Europe to grow in faith, in intimacy with God, make new friends and have fun. This is a unique opportunity for teenagers from a context such as Italy, where churches are small and young groups even smaller or non-existent. 

Christine said, “The purpose of TeenStreet is not only to organise a camp once a year, but to bring a deepening into the personal lives of young people, which goes on all year round. We are trying to develop an Italian event to help to keep the spirit alive, but since the territory is vast, this is not available to all teens. TeenStreet and the local summer camps usually are the only moment in the whole year where they meet other Christian teens and can also share maybe more freely about some struggles.” 

• To find your local TeenStreet event or group, visit https://teenstreet.life/

Please pray that TeenStreet may continue to impact a growing number of teenagers, equipping them to influence their churches and share their faith boldly. 

Pray for the young people to keep in their hearts what they have learnt and experienced in TeenStreet so that they will live their lives more and more for Jesus with courage.