Today We Join With Operation World in Praying for the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation, Europe

Switzerland

Switzerland

Swiss Confederation

Europe

See Prayer Information

Geography

Area: 41,293 sq km

Mountainous land; 25.7% agriculturally unproductive. The Swiss Alps are one of the greatest tourist attractions in the world.

Population: 7,594,561    Annual Growth: 0.41%

Capital: Bern (admin); Lausanne (judical)

Urbanites: 73.6%

HDI Rank: 9 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)

Peoples

Peoples: 40 (18% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Official language: German, French, Italian, Romansh    Languages: 26 All languages

Religion

Largest Religion: Christian

Religion		Pop %	Ann Gr
Christians	5,753,639	75.76	-0.3
Evangelicals	336,275	4.4	1.2

Prayercast

Answer to Prayer

Unity is increasing among churches of different backgrounds for the purpose of jointly proclaiming Christ. These include traditional evangelical, charismatic and rapidly growing immigrant churches.

     For an additional 2 Answers to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

Challenge for Prayer

This exceptional nation now struggles with the same social and spiritual malaise shared by its neighbours, despite its traditional policy of neutrality and its relative isolation. Spiritual decline is mirrored by political apathy – in this direct democracy, election/referendum turnout is now 40%, down from 80% a century ago. Low birthrates and a rapidly growing aged population pressure the pension system and require high levels of immigration, in itself a huge social issue. Over 22% of the population are foreigners, many from Muslim backgrounds. Integration of these groups is often a problem, as is the reactionary presence of far-right political groups. Yet, tensions such as the Minaret referendum in 2009 cause many to consider again Switzerland’s Christian heritage. Pray for wisdom for leaders who must attempt to preserve Swiss identity while guiding the country forward.
     For an additional 9 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.

More Information

The Operation World book, CD-ROM, and DVD-ROM provide far more information and fuel for prayer for the people of Switzerland.