Our Field of Service: Serving God in France is for us an outstanding opportunity and awesome responsibility. France is smaller than Texas, but with nearly 60 million inhabitants, it has about one-fourth the population of the entire United States. We have been serving here since September 1999. During this time we have been witnesses to the presence and activity of God in us and around us.
You should have no difficulty locating where we serve on a map of France. Follow the border of France with Spain from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Just north of this border, about halfway between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, you should see the dot marking the city of Toulouse. The Toulouse Metropolis is the third largest metropolitan area of France and the center of the European Aerospace Industry. The Department (similar to a county) has a population of about one million. The Metropolitan area is made up of 27 cities. Tournefeuille is the third largest of these cities with a population of about 23,500.
We live much further north than most of you. The latitude of Toulouse is the same as parts of southern Canada. However, due to the influence of the Gulf Stream, the climate is mild. We get very little snow and the ground does not freeze hard in the winter. Summers are similar to what one would experience in northern portion of the United States.
French people place a high premium on education. In the city of Toulouse there are 115,000 university students. The second oldest University in France, nearly 700 years old, is in Toulouse. It was originally started as a school for preachers to counteract the “poison” of the Cathars and other “heretical” groups. These groups did not agree with the teachings and practices of the established Roman Catholic Church. The University of Toulouse is now a public school, and there are several other institutions of higher learning in our metropolitan area. The primary need of the French people is Jesus Christ. Only 3 out of 100 attend church. Only 6 out of 1,000 claim to have trusted Christ personally as Savior. These figures do not tell the whole story. The church we attend in the city of Toulouse is about 20 years old. It has about 80 members. About 10 of these are French. Two or three families are from Asia. The remainder are African Christians who have migrated to France. This is a typical situation.
Though very visible in the political world, France seems to have been nearly ignored by Christians. A recent poll published in a French newspaper indicated that despite the fact that few French people are active in organized religion, nearly 50% claimed to be interested in spiritual matters.
Nearly four hundred years ago, Blaise Pascal, a Frenchman, said that there was a God shaped vacuum in every man. We believe that France is ripe for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we are delighted to be a part of what God is doing in this nation.
Thanksgiving to God – Great Things He Has Done: “It is good to give thanks” to God, and we have much for which to be thankful. Here are a few of the blessings that we have received during the past year-and-a-half:
1. Progress in learning the language – Those who have learned a second or third language as an adult may identify with the difficulties of this task. God has provided graciously for us as we have attempted to meet this challenge. Knowing Portuguese certainly aided in the learning of French. Having the opportunity to study French before moving to France also contributed to easing the difficulty of this project. However, it has not been a “piece of cake”. We are now able to communicate reasonably well, and this has enabled us to begin speaking of our Savior. Please continue to pray for our communication skills because we desire to improve far beyond our present skill level.
2. Identifying the exact location in which to begin – Considering the fact that in all of France there are only about 150 Baptist churches; considering that there are over 36,000 cities and towns; and, considering that we are only 2 people working among nearly 60 million who need the Gospel of Jesus Christ deciding where to begin was of major importance. What could we do? What should we do? The Bible screams out the answer – pray. And, pray we did. Many of you prayed with us and God answered. We have now moved into the city of Tournefeille. There is one Roman Catholic church in this city, no other churches of any kind. God has placed us in a neighborhood of people who have been very receptive.
3. Open doors – On the day we signed the rental contract, God began providing opportunities for us to build relationships. On the second evening one of our neighbors organized a “block party” so that all of the neighbors could become acquainted. In one evening, God did what we thought would have taken months, maybe years. That very evening, one neighbor asked if she could come to a Bible study when we began having them. We have become good friends with many of these families. The friendships continue to offer us opportunities to share the gospel. We have also been able to maintain a growing relationship with a family from the city where we lived while going to language school. They have listened and ask questions on several occasions when we have talked about what we believe. The son in this family regularly attends an evangelistic outreach for young people that we hold along with two other couples from England. This outreach has about 30 young people ages 11-14 participating. Other contacts have given us ongoing relationships with people to whom we are able to minister in a number of cities extending over a length of 200 miles. As we review the openings our Lord has given we are truly astonished.
4. “Brothers, Sisters, houses and lands.” The Lord promised to provide for the first disciples far more than they had given up and He has certainly provided likewise for us. Through other believers in France from many different countries representing every continent, as well as through you in America, God has given us fellowship and support. Even now, as we are in the U.S. unexpectedly for the treatment of cancer in Judy’s body, friends are caring for our home and obligations in Tournefeuille. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! To Him be the glory forever! Amen.”
Our Modus Operandi:
1. Goal – To make disciples who in turn will make other disciples. This is our God given mandate. We are the servants of Christ and an arm of your church in this mission.
2. Process – We are in a community with no existing churches after the New Testament Model. The task begins with ground breaking. So here are the steps that we are attempting to take:
Prayer – we are convinced that this must be the first and unceasing step. Our Savior and Father promise to lead us, empower us and provide all that we ask for if we are in Christ and He is in us. This is not just theological trivia. The Word of God declares that prayer in Christ is essential for bearing much fruit that pleases our Father. Judy and John pray together each morning for direction, strength, and intercede for the unsaved that we know as well for the saved. One morning each week we meet with at least one missionary in the Toulouse area to intercede for each other and God’s work where we live around the world. Another time each week we pray with lay Christian people from another town who have a heart to reach those around them.
Seek out people – the example is clear in the Life of Christ who came “to seek and save that which was lost.” Paul went to the market place as well as to the synagogue to meet and proclaim the gospel to people. We go to events where we are likely to meet people. We go to parties and dinners when we are invited. We have people into our home anytime we can find a reason to invite them. We volunteer to baby-sit for our neighbors and friends. We look for activities that we can invite other people to do with us and accept their invitations to do things together. We pray that God will give us credibility and opportunities to share “the reason for the hope that we have.”
Service – We look for ways that we can serve our neighbors and the people that we know.
Bible studies – if people show an interest in spiritual matters, we invite them to study what the Bible has to say. We also plan to begin children’s “Bible Studies.” This is something like a Daily Vacation Bible School one day each week. On Wednesdays, children in French schools have only a half-day of school. We plan to use Wednesday afternoons for this ministry. We have Christian friends in France who have found this to be very effective. We want to simultaneously reach children and adults.
Encouragement of believers – Not only are Christians few in France, but as in America, they are often a bit unbelieving about what God can do. We often find ourselves in the same boat. Therefore, we look for opportunities to meet with other believers for prayer, Bible study, encouragement and worship. It is amazing to see the results of this simple step of grace. Each week we meet for Bible Study in the town of Montaigut-sur-Save with three couples who are already saved. They are from England and New Zealand and are in France with jobs. They have a desire to reach the people in their community for Christ. Once a month a group of singles, most of whom are saved, meet in our home for Bible Study. We have been very encouraged by their spiritual growth.
3. Perspective – It is our privilege to “cast our bread upon the waters” and wait for God to bring the increase. Some principles that we think are important are:
Sowing broadly – Since most people do not get saved the first time they hear the gospel, since Christian growth is a long-term process after the new birth, we want to sow in many directions at once. This principle is what my father calls the “nesting hen principle.” He reminds me, and anyone else who will listen, that a nesting hen can produce one or many chicks in the same amount of time depending on how many eggs she sits on.
Divine surprises – God has a way of graciously intervening in our planned activities with fruitful “interruptions.” So, we should always be ready to adjust to what He is doing. This does not mean that it is wrong to plan. Paul and his companions were already on a planned trip when God interrupted them with the “call from Macedonia.” Paul and Silas were already preaching when God interrupted them with jail and the foundation of the Philippian church.
Spiritual goals – We need to keep in mind that our mission is the “making of disciples” by teaching the gospel, baptizing believers and training them in righteousness. The includes gathering them together in churches, seeking to prepare trustworthy leaders, and then entrusting to them the responsibilities of the Kingdom.
God will give the increase – All true fruit comes from God and God promises to honor His Word in our lives. We can expect great things as we walk in His Spirit.
What You Can Do: You are probably reading this because you are already cooperating with us. You may be wondering what you can do, or what else you can do. Here are some suggestions:
1. Pray. When we are in Christ and His Word is in us, God promises to give what we ask for. (John 15:7) We need your prayers. When you pray, you are helping us. (II Cor. 1:11) Pray for yourself. God wants you to be fruitful where you are. Make a list of everyone with whom you have an ongoing relationship. Ask God to open the door and enable you to be a witness to the unsaved and an encouragement to the saved. Ask God to thrust laborers into the fields. Pray for your pastor or pastors. Pray for other believers in your church.
2. Do around you what we are attempting to do in France. A future missionary to France may now be living in your neighborhood or working near you.
3. Give. God is meeting our needs and the needs of other missionaries through the giving of His people. You will find instructions for sending your offerings in this Mission Sheet.
4. Ask God if He wants you to serve in France or some other needy country. Do not do this unless you are already being a missionary where you are. It will not be easier on the other side of the Atlantic.