Meet Leo Bigger


Leo Bigger  Senior Pastor, ICF-Zurich Church, Zurich, Switzerland

By Ronald E. Keener

When Leo Bigger, 41, talks about his church that’s called ICF-Zurich (the International Christian Fellowship) in Zurich, Switzerland, he references the mission statement about being “a modern church, right on the heartbeat of time.” “Heartbeat of time means understanding culture, trends and the mindset of the people you are reaching,” he explains.

He and his wife Susanna have been married since 1991. “Our two boys enjoy our church and we love to see them grow up in a church at the heartbeat of time,” he says again. Presently he is writing two books, one on 31 tips for marriage, and another on questions Christians have for God.

Share the beginnings of the ICF-Zurich congregation. What is your training, what stirred your interest in church planting?

I started to lead ICF in 1996 after finishing a Bible School (IGW). ICF is a place for young people who do not go to church. We constantly ask ourselves how church needs to be to attract people today.

You have one church, but four locations. What is a typical Sunday service like?

All location pastors meet to pray and prepare message topics together. Some messages are live from our preachers’ team and through live-broadcast. Location pastors preach once a month. A typical Sunday service has big lights, loud rock music, creative elements like video, theater, dance or video, a preaching and a response time at the end.

What is the make-up of the congregation by language, culture, nationalities, age groups. What is the attendance on a weekend?

It’s mostly young people from all kinds of backgrounds going to different celebrations. Every weekend we have eight celebrations on different days and for different target groups like youth, young adults, Gen-x, German speaking, Swiss German speaking, Latin people, and English speaking internationals. The preachers preach in at least four services in three different languages to 2,800 people every weekend. That is, I think, very unique.

Talk about the first 10 years of growth? What were the challenges, the disappointments, and the hardships of growing to your present size?

At first the church doubled three years in a row. The challenge now is to get new people for multiplication with the right DNA. Not to get people from other churches, but put fresh Christians into leadership roles. And that’s not always easy as they were new believers.

What are the church’s plans for the next three years, your goals for growth and maturity?

I am not into planning too much ahead, but rather prefer to grow as a healthy child with food and love. Growth comes automatically if the church is healthy.

I take it the church is near a train station; does that give you access to many more people?

The building is an old factory, mixed modern and old and easy to reach by public transportation. Location is a very important factor.

A typical view of Americans of Christianity in Europe is that the church hardly exists in Europe. Give some detail how you describe the “state of the church” in Europe.

There are state churches in Switzerland, Catholic and Protestant. Free churches (revived churches) are seen as sects. Only 0.4 percent is attending a church regularly in Switzerland. Most countries with Catholic history have more, but the fact is Europe is dead spiritually.

A Vienna-based group called Observatory of Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe recently released a report that voiced concern over the ability of Christians in Europe to publicly express their faith. How might you describe what some call the marginalization of Christians in Europe?

In Europe persecution toward Christians has started: Live and let live! Believe what you want, but keep it to yourself.  Media writes bad things about Christians going to church. Muslims are scaring people.

In places of employment it is often said you can believe what you want, but don’t talk about it at your job. We believe that it is important and challenge people to say what they believe when they are asked and be a living testimony for the people, as Jesus commissioned us to be. When you don’t say anything the devil has reached the goal to keep you quiet.

The report warned that discriminatory laws were preventing the equal exercise of freedom in the areas of speech, conscience and religion, while the introduction of equality legislation was leading to “side-effect discrimination” against Christians. How much of a problem is this where you are, or in other parts of Europe where you are working?

Switzerland is a humanitarian country – people are good, but criminality and immorality is growing. It’s good to tell people there is a life with value and morals. People in Europe haven’t really seen modern, innovative churches. They are amazed when they come.

How do you work around these issues? Others are concerned that the wearing of a cross as a public display of a religious symbol might be interpreted as an attempt to proselytize or a demonstration of intolerance towards people of another or no faith. Have you had to deal with these sentiments?

Each person stays on fire differently. Friends I can share with and have fun with. Play golf to clear mind. Time with my wife and kids. My main motto: Don’t let a day go by without having had fun and joy in what God has given me. I do not endure church, but I enjoy it.

When times are difficult, what keeps you going and energized?

A good team and a strong vision. It is most important for me to passionately build churches in Europe. Europe does not need old fashioned answers, but true, honest answers. It is better not to give an answer than one which is not true.


Church planting movement in Europe

ND Strupler administers the International Christian Fellowship that was begun by his parents, Heinz and Annelis Strupler, and that is observing its 15th anniversary this month. Strupler is compiling an eBook of the ICF story that will be downloadable at www.icf-movement.org. And ICF is starting a one-year college in August to train pastors, leaders and worship leaders.

Here he shares more about the movement and the church in Europe:
My parents started ICF as a non-denominational service for international people in Zurich. The first service was in August 1990 with 380 people.

ICF has started more than 30 churches in seven countries in Europe since 1990. The goal for the next five years is to help start 300 new churches.

Church planting is very similar to what is done in America, but in a European context. This has a lot to do with culture, quality and local customs. Every city has its own vibes and needs to be understood in order to start successfully.

Pastors are trained for one year in our ICF Zurich pastors training. After that year they are sent to “learn by doing” in a existing ICF church. From that ICF they will be sent out into a new city to start a new church. We start with a BIG BANG. This is the first public celebration after a teambuilding phase. Our aim is to grow quickly to 150 people. Within three years a new location should be started. We want all our church plants to be reproducing.

We had seven Big Bangs in five countries in 2010. This means we launched seven churches with an average of 250 people. It’s the moment the church goes public with a weekly high quality celebration. Small groups are in place to integrate new people as they come. For the Big Bang everyone on the team invites all their friends, neighbors and relatives. It’s the grand opening with good music, multimedia, message, fireworks, gifts, surprises, and more.

The main challenge in planting churches is language and finances. Europe has so many languages and as of now we work with 13 languages. That means everything needs to be translated and culturally relevant and interpreted. Finances are a big challenge as well.

Most of our pastors are part-time workers in the beginning. We wish to find donors to sponsor matching funds or provide gifts for the first 12 months.

In seeking young leaders to plant churches, we are looking for leaders with a passion for God and the church. Matching with our DNA, we are looking for innovative and unconventional people. No theological background is required.

There is a house church movement and a mid-size group movement. We talk about being “high impact,” and “high impact” means we are combining the attractional “big event” with the incarnational “small group” model.

New church plants are growing faster and reach more un-churched people than old existing churches. It’s the most effective evangelistic way to reach people.

ICF is not longing to be a denomination. Its goal is to encourage, train and accelerate church planting in Europe.

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4 Responses to “Meet Leo Bigger”

  1. Cleret Fernandes

    Dear Pastor Leo,
    I am a preacher from Goa, I heard your message on God TV about tithing, I believe we are in the period of the Gospel to be preached honestly and without contempt. I am sorry that i disagree with your doctrine and it applies to a period on the old Testament. It appears many of you have not understood the truth of Giving by heart and giving in law. we are in the period of Grace and you seem to be pulling people into law and exposing their sin. We focus on the salvation of the Gentiles as well as the present christians who are mis communicated and not money. how can you ask of people who are in the city very very few are with fields and herds etc. although money was being used at that period of tithing it was never incorporated at the exchange. Mathew 23:23 is where last Jesus rebukes the pharases and it was written of at the cross. how do you fool people into this????
    keep your heart clean Pastor not on money. Jesus threw everyone out of the temple doing business hence Jesus is clear with it.
    Have a nice day
    RGDS

  2. Dear pastor Leo, Greetings to you in Jesus name, i am working as a pastor in rural arias in India, i heard your messages through God TV, especially you spoke about ”Being an example in christian life” we have been blessed through this message i request you please pray for Andhra pradesh in India,we pray for you,and, your ministry,pastor Devadas,

  3. Elba van der Heever

    Hi Leo, I have a pastor friend, his sister live in Germany and I would like her to go to one of your churches. Were can I find a list of churches in Europe.

    I’m from South Africa and love your teachings!! Blessings!!! Elba

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