Thanks again to IMB for these realistic portraits. I meet young people like this every day and the young people of our church are part of this group (except with an idea of the Gospel and a knowledge of the choice they have to make.)

International Mission Board

Richmond, VA 23230-0767

"Elodie sits in her room and scans through her twitter feed, half-noticing the music videos playing on her television. She is appalled at the constant polarization of politics in her country. From election to election it seems France swings from right to left and back. Always extremes. Always debates. Always outcries that the country is crumbling. She knows the issues: immigration, taxes, retirement, gay marriage, wages… She knows her parents consistently hold conservative viewpoints, but has never understood why. She wonders if it may have something to do with the Catholicism to which her grandparents ascribed.

When Elodie’s phone buzzes she gives a quick response to her friends, promising to come join the evening hike as soon as her typical Sunday family luncheon ends.

Pray for the new generations of France, who are growing up without the religion of their grandparents and without the political conviction of their parents. Pray for central France, a loosely populated area known for agriculture and a slower pace of life. There are few churches within impacting distance of most people in the center. The people in central France are slow to change and weary of outsiders, but this region has influence throughout France."

International Mission Board

International Mission Board

"Lisa and her family moved to the city of Marseille for work opportunities for her and her husband, Frank. They work, shop, and take their kids to school all in the same neighborhood, trusting the comforts of local experience. Marseille is now home, but rarely a day passes where she does not hear about the violence, drugs, and underworld that permeate her city, especially at the youth level. She worries that her family cannot stay long in this city.

Some studies say that nearly 34% of students in Marseille will use drugs and a third of those will deal in drugs. Far too many deaths in Marseille are premature and violent. Throughout the southern region, unemployment sits around 18%, meaning opportunities are hard to find and many families feel stuck in their situations, desperate for help. There is not a church in Lisa’s neighborhood, and the thought of God as a protector, refuge, or guide has never really crossed her mind.

Pray families like Lisa’s in Southern France would hear about the hope found in Christ. Pray that lives in Southern France would be transformed through repentance and a life devoted to God."

A typical Sunday congregation: there's not that many of us!

Here we are sending words of encouragement to persecuted Christians through the  Open Doors organisation. We have it so easy in some ways in this secular French society: freedom of worship is guaranteed. Open Doors informs us that there have never been so many Christians persecuted for their faith in all of history. So with this freedom we have, why aren't more people coming to Christ in France? Because, we are not fulfilling our part of the Great Commission.

We must start the Vitality Pathway - and learn what it means to stand out as Christians in a very secular community.

However, you should know that we do suffer a very subtle form of persecution in France. This so-called tolerant society is not so tolerant when it comes to faith questions. Example: The Gideons came and distributed New Testaments in front of the local High School (where my daughter goes). There was an outcry especially from the teachers who claimed to want to protect minors from aggressive proselytisme! During a parent information evening which I attended, the Principal explained he had been contacted by the Gideons about their future action and had indicated his opposition to the idea. However, legally they are allowed to do it on public walkways, so he couldn't ask the police to intervene. He called the Bible 'evangelical literature'!! Spot the error!

After the meeting, we were invited to drink something. I was talking about the incident with another parent. I suddenly noticed 2 posters next to the row of lockers where we were standing. One poster had a large question mark filled with different types of sexual tendencies: an ad for a telephone counselling service for High School students who want to talk about their sexuality. The other was a photo of 2 soccer players head to head but in a friendly way and it was an ad against insulting homosexuals with a website www. alert homophobie.com. In France, anyone expressing the idea that homosexual practice is not normal or desirable from God's point of view is called a homophobe. And these posters were on the school premises. And the Bible is not allowed a look in!

Other examples are in the legislation surrounding religious congregations and associations. We are penned in by rules and regulations for pastoral salaries, our premises, how we count the number of members, limited in the money we can raise and how much, health and safety issues. I heard just recently that the Government is going to bring in laws about the appropriate training certificates needed for the people who teach Sunday School! (or anyone who is going to work with children in any area).