France

Matt & Margaret in France: There is an evident move of the Holy Spirit in Matt and Margaret’s church. Each Sunday they put out more chairs. They ask: ‘Pray for a family who came to church recently, to see what an evangelical church was like. They were thrilled with the welcome, and hardly ever miss a meeting. They now plan to marry. Do pray for them to be kept by His power.’

Please pray as Jesus instructed in Luke 10 v 2: "The harvest is plentiful” (more than 700 million people in Europe don’t know Jesus) "but the workers are few” (our mission has only around 250 workers). "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field please pray for more missionaries.

There are currently (mid-February 2024) two major ethical issues in France that are in the political spotlight. (1) Likely legislation on end-of-life matters where much will depend on whether palliative care and assisted suicide are linked in the same bill or made the subject of two separate pieces of legislation. French Christians are praying that they will be kept separate. (2) The possible inclusion of abortion as a "guaranteed freedom" in the French Constitution (abortion has been legal, and widely practised, in France since 1975). French MPs voted in favour at the end of January; French senators (who play a similar role to the House of Lords in the UK) are currently debating the issue. Evangelicals (and others) are arguing against the change, on the grounds that it is unnecessary and would diminish the rights of children and medical staff. They would appreciate your prayers on both these topics.

The situation in Israel and Palestine has exacerbated tensions in France which has the largest Jewish and Muslim populations in Western Europe. In particular, over 1500 antisemitic acts have been recorded in France since the events of 7th October 2023 and there is real concern among the country's Jewish population. Pray for politicians, faith leaders, media outlets, police, and the judiciary as each plays their part in trying to defuse tensions and promote peaceful co-existence.

Please pray for ongoing and urgent renovation work at the Nogent Bible Institute near Paris (www.ibnogent.org). The work is crucial for the Institute to continue its mission of training the next generation of francophone pastors and other church workers, so prayers for staff and students would also be very welcome!

We thank God for several people who have contacted the church in recent months wanting to know more about Jesus. People show up out of "nowhere”. Pray that they will grow to be faithful disciples of Jesus and become powerful witnesses for the Gospel! As new people show up, others are being attacked in their walk with Jesus. Pray that we will stand firm and be able to support one another.

Summer sees a lot of Christian youth camps taking place in France. Please pray that the young people attending these will be drawn closer to Jesus, not just during the camps but also as they return to schools and colleges in September. Please pray for French society in general following the angry rioting at the end of June and beginning of July. Some blamed the police and "the state", others blamed criminal gangs; many were just shocked and confused by events. Pray that people on all sides might turn to Christ and know His salvation and peace.

From the CNEF (National Council of French Evangelicals): “Pension reform, water management, inflation: French people are worried. The National Institute of Statistics reported in March 2023 that the Household Confidence Index is deteriorating. As children of God, we remember that we have a great and sovereign God who has a plan for peace for humanity. We encourage prayers for social peace in our country, so that elected officials and political and union leaders might have wisdom and discernment. Let us pray for the most vulnerable in French society and for those who have responsibilities in our Churches.”

BMS World Mission’s partner the Federation of French Evangelical Baptist Churches (FEEBF) finished their annual congress yesterday. Pray that as delegates return to their communities, they will be able to carry out their new commitments so that more lives will be reached with the love of Christ. Pray too that in a time of so much uncertainty and darkness across the world, God will use FEEBF to spread his light and hope across France.

Give thanks for the growth of the evangelical church in France. The most recent statistics show there are now 745,000 believers, a figure 15 times higher than in 1950. Praise the Lord for this increase and please pray for continued growth, as the figure still only represents just over 1% of the national population. Please pray too for more pastors to lead these believers; it's estimated that at least 1000 new pastors will be needed over the next decade.  

Opportunities among Jews: France contains the largest Jewish community in Europe at around 447,000. Pray for Jews, particularly in Paris and Marseilles, to encounter Jesus. Pray that God would provide French-speaking Christians, especially Messianic Jews, to move into predominantly Jewish communities and introduce our Messiah to them.