From Coffee Conversations to Gospel Curiosity: How Discipleship Happens in Everyday Life in Italy
June 11, 2025
It started with bagels. When Greater Europe Mission worker Theo* and his team members noticed the familiar treats behind the counter at a coffee shop in a large Italian city, they hoped its owner, Allegra, would be open to hosting the English conversation evenings through which the team could reach out to the community. Not only was Allegra willing and supportive, but her shop, in a prime spot across from a subway station, was the perfect location.
From Conversations to Natural Friendships
Neither Theo, his wife Melanie, nor their GEM teammates were trained as teachers, so they hesitated to offer anything resembling a formal English class. Instead, they offered informal conversation, which led to natural friendships and opportunities for spiritual conversations.
The English gatherings flourished in the beginning, but after a while, attendance dwindled. Theo and his teammates considered calling it quits and moving on to other means of getting to know local people. That disappointed Allegra. She loved the vibrant gatherings and wanted to keep practising her own English.
One day, Rosina, a customer in the coffee shop, overheard Allegra expressing her disappointment over the demise of the English get-togethers. Her interest piqued, Rosina inserted herself into the conversation.
“We can’t let this opportunity slip away,” she said. “I’ll organise people to come.”
A retired political journalist with many connections in the neighbourhood, Rosina soon recruited friends and acquaintances to practice English, most of them retirees who wanted to brush up on their language skills before going abroad on vacation.
When Theo explained openly and transparently to Rosina that he and his fellow GEM workers were Christians hoping to one day plant a church in the area, she thought they were a bit crazy.
“How will you ever get Italians to go to church?” she asked, seeming doubtful but finding the whole idea intriguing.
One evening, at one of the English gatherings, the topic of racism came up, leading to a discussion about how a person’s religion should impact how they interact with others. At the end of the meeting, Rosina told Theo and the others that she wanted to keep discussing the topic. Theo and Melanie decided to invite her to their home so they could continue the discussion.
Community, Curiosity, and a Person of Peace
It soon became apparent to Theo and his GEM teammates that Rosina was a person of peace who cared deeply about her community and was always eager to bring people together. Cultured, well-travelled, and gregarious, the feisty woman with red-tinted hair was also clearly seeking answers to spiritual questions and had a growing curiosity about the gospel.
Knowing that Rosina wanted to talk more about “religion,” Theo, Melanie, and their team invited others to join her. It felt like a shot in the dark. What would happen?
Six people showed up at the first meeting, eager to discuss religious beliefs. Some were atheists, others Muslim or Buddhist. Rosina shared that she believed in some God but wasn’t sure what he was like. After three discussion evenings, Rosina said she wanted to learn more about what the Bible said about God.

Soon, she began visiting Theo and Melanie’s home weekly to study the Bible. She kept these meetings a secret, feeling unable to share this newfound interest in the God of the Bible with any of her friends or acquaintances.
When Thanksgiving came around, Theo and Melanie planned to host a turkey dinner, inviting Rosina and her sister, along with some visiting American friends. Theo told Rosina to ask any other members of her family she desired. Rosina agreed to invite them, despite believing they wouldn’t be interested. However, she soon texted Theo, saying, “I can’t believe it! Everyone in my family has agreed to come!”
On the night of the dinner, Rosina showed up with her daughter, granddaughter, and a handful of other family members. With a table extended into the tiny apartment’s living room, it was a tight squeeze, but an atmosphere filled with warmth and laughter.
After the meal, Theo gave a short explanation of the Thanksgiving holiday. He read Philippians 4:6: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Everyone took turns sharing what they were thankful for.
When Rosina said, “I’m thankful for our Bible study meetings,” the GEM team knew it was a bold step. This was her way of announcing to her family members that she was involved in exploring faith in Christ.
The Fruit of Friendship and Faith
That night on the way home, Rosina’s 13-year-old granddaughter, who had brought a friend along, continued the conversation about thankfulness. The two girls spontaneously prayed to give thanks in the back seat of the car. They said they wanted to see Theo and Melanie again and spend more time with them.
“Rosina now carries her Bible openly when she meets with us in a public place, like a coffee shop,” says Theo. “It is her way of declaring that she is moving toward a relationship with Jesus. She tells us she can’t resist picking up the Bible at home and reading it!”

The GEM team’s philosophy of building friendships in the local community has, first through Allegra and then through Rosina, begun to bear fruit.
“We are not looking to force people into faith,” says Theo. “We simply present the gospel and say, ‘This is what we believe; this is what the Bible teaches.’ We don’t push anyone, but rather provide them with opportunities to seek and learn what God says in His Word. This is why Rosina has felt comfortable exploring the Bible with us.”
Theo continues, “We encourage our GEM team members to use their unique gifts and passions to overlap with ministry opportunities. For Melanie and me, it’s sports, hospitality, and just doing life with two small children, making friends with other parents we meet at the local park. Even as we hosted our Thanksgiving dinner, other team members hosted their own dinner, inviting people they’d met in the community. At that dinner, a believer shared their testimony, which had a great impact on the guests.”
Theo continues, “We encourage our GEM team members to use their unique gifts and passions to overlap with ministry opportunities. For Melanie and me, it’s sports, hospitality, and just doing life with two small children, making friends with other parents we meet at the local park. Even as we hosted our Thanksgiving dinner, other team members hosted their own dinner, inviting people they’d met in the community. At that dinner, a believer shared their testimony, which had a great impact on the guests.”
The GEM Italy team continues hosting English gatherings in a new venue now that Allegra has sold her coffee shop. Some of the original regulars have been joined by new people.
Theo believes a relational ministry is the most effective kind. “We use everyday life and interests to get to know people. From there, we can move into discussions of faith naturally.”
Discipleship and evangelism have to begin somewhere. What started with bagels and simple conversations in English turned into Thanksgiving dinners, deeper friendships, and sharing the gospel.
If you would like to know more about GEM’s ministry in Italy, contact [email protected].
*All names in this story have been changed to protect privacy.