Category Archives: Partnership

02/1/18

From France to down under: A word from the France field director

France Field Director

Jerry and Carolyn (while still in Paris)

The director of our France team, Jerry, and his wonderful wife Carolyn, have taken on a special new assignment that we’d like to share with you. They have accepted the task of serving part-time in Australia with the goal of recruiting more Australians to join the mission work with World Team around the world. For decades, World Team has had a sending center in Australia, but in order for World Team’s presence to continue there, we need more Australian missionary colleagues. So our international director, David (along with several other very wise people) asked Jerry and Carolyn if they were up for the task and if God could be leading them towards this. Which they are and He is!

So let’s hear from Jerry and Carolyn about this new assignment…

What will your job look like in Australia?

In it’s initial stage our job is to promote World Team in Bible Colleges, Seminaries, Churches and to other mission agencies. We want to let people know of the great opportunities that exist to serve with World Team around the world. We will be meeting with many friends and mission colleagues with an eye to creating partnerships to further the work of the Gospel. As we meet with students and other mission minded people we will have two main questions. What is your missionary passion? How can we help you in fulfilling that passion? Later we also want to advise the Board of World Team Australia on putting in place a process that will take someone from the point of saying, “I am interested in one of the World Team projects” and accompany that person all the way to the mission field. We will need to see volunteers recruited to help in this process as well as seek the resources of partnering missions.

What excited you most about this new challenge?

I am so excited about the possibility of new people joining the mission of God to bring the Gospel to people around the world who are trying to find their way spiritually. I pray so often that the Lord will send new people to work with us and there just always seem to be more needs than people to fill them. I am also excited because though there are some fine mission agencies in Australia doing some extraordinary mobilization I really believe that World Team fills a needed niche. We focus specifically on people who want to engage in mission but also want to be developed as they work on teams and are mentored by experienced disciple makers.

How long of an assignment will this be?

We have a maximum engagement of three years. My plan is that we can do the main part in the next two years and that 2020 will be a transitional time.

And what would success look like to you in 3 years (or even beyond)?

Success would be simply a dozen or so potential missionaries going through a clearly defined process to join a World Team project somewhere.

Does this mean you are no longer the France field Director?

Absolutely not! France Field Director is my only job title right now. I don’t expect to remain France Field Director forever and we have several very capable people on our team who could take over the job at any time if needed. But for now, I still am passionately committed to the team and the project in France. I would not have taken on the assignment in Australia if it meant me leaving my job in France.

Lastly, how can our ministry partners pray for you both during this time?

  1. The best things come from unforeseen meetings and encounters with people. These are things the Lord works out in advance. Pray that we may grab these opportunities.

  2. The leadership abilities of so many members of our France Team are growing every day. Pray that we may be a good support to them even from afar.

  3. Carolyn and I are sharing the leadership load for both France and Australia. Pray that we would continue to complement each others abilities.

  4. We are far from our two boys who are just launching out into adult life. Pray that they will recognize the presence of the God and Father who leads them.
05/31/17

Tour de FranceVIE 2017

 

Sunday, May 28, 2017: I got up early today. But the flight was delayed.

I’m headed to the airport shortly to pick up a team of short-termers ! Yes, World Team France is welcoming 15 short-termers from Cedarville University (my alma mater !) for the Tour de FranceVIE.

Everything has come together rather nicely. This really should be good fun.

There is no way I could even begin to tackle every problem that could go wrong. Apparently, it will be very hot.

The Tour de FranceVIE is an idea that we have toyed around with for some time. It’s finally happening today. The team will start out at a campground in Senots, to the north of Paris. After a day and a half of orientation and team building, the group will bike to Gisors (12mi one way) where they will visit a church plant for the day. On site, they will get the chance to meet French Christians and the church planting team, learn about how God is working and pray. Back to the campground.

The following day, the team will bike to Méru (9mi) for a similar visit and then on to Neuville-d’Aumont (6mi) in order to see the groundbreaking steps of a brand new work. Back to the campground.

Then we give them a day off. And the group specifically asked to organize a time of worship that night. The fellow campers will get to see what a true Kumbaya experience is like. Minus the campfire, no campfires in France.

The next day will be stretching. 70mi down to the Saint-Quentin area in order to visit a church plant in Montigny and a work amongst immigrant populations in another town nearby. While there will certainly be time to pray, the team will also attend a Gospel Café concert, help organize a grand barbecue for refugee families and worship with the local church on Pentecost Sunday.

Then the team heads in to Paris in order to visit our church plant and do some sightseeing.

The documents you see posted here are a few elements of the group’s welcome packet.

Would you pray with us for safety and good weather for our cyclists ? Would you pray that God would speak to each of the participants individually about their role in cross cultural ministry ?

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Are you interested in exploring cross-cultural missions in France ? Do you know a young person who is ?

07/28/16

July 29: Day of Prayer for France

Following the most recent attack at a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, the National Council of Evangelicals in France (CNEF) has issued a call to prayer tomorrow and this weekend. And thus, we want to extend it to you as well. After the attack in Nice, their press release put it well: “Given that all agree these attacks are very difficult to predict and that no safety level could ever entirely prevent them, we urge all our countrymen to turn to God, the God of Jesus Christ, who alone is capable of changing the human heart and giving true peace.”

We have no memory of a public call to prayer and fasting like this one, which is also being covered by the media. It could likely become the largest day of prayer in recent history. What might God be orchestrating? Let us pray together that he would change hearts and grant repentance to a large number of the French population.

HERE is an international news story addressing the attack and religion in France.

Below is a translation of the press release sent by the CNEF regarding tomorrow’s day of prayer:

Dear colleagues, dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

The tragic attack that took place yesterday in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray against a priest and faithful member of a catholic church compels us to send out a pressing call to prayer.

We’ve already invited you to be in prayer in our press release from yesterday, but we’d like to insist on the importance of this for 3 reasons:

  • As a sign of Christian solidarity with Catholics who have been horribly devastated by this attack and are consecrating this Friday, July 29th to prayer and fasting;
  • Because the most helpful thing we can do for our country is to intercede on her behalf before God, asking that He would bring to naught the plans of those who want to take lives with the goal of sowing terror. We pray that God would pour out His peace on our citizens, the peace that the world does not know, fruit of reconciliation between God and man called to repentance and to salvation in Christ.
  • Because we have need of all His grace, and all the strength of His Spirit, to remain faithful witnesses, not usurping the beautiful name of Christ that we carry: loving even our enemies and blessing those who hate us, while continuing to proclaim the Gospel to all those God places on our path.

Concretely, we encourage you to seize all individual & collective opportunities to intercede this Friday July 29th and during this weekend’s worship times in favor of:

  • our country—that God would grant the necessary peace for the evangelical testimony among our contemporaries;
  • our authorities–that God would give them wisdom and discernment in governing and protecting our nation;
  • our population–that it would be touched with salvation in these troubled
    times;
  • our Christian brothers and sisters–that they would be faithful witnesses who do not give in to fear or desire for vengeance.

With our brotherly salutations,

Etienne et Clément
(on behalf of the CNEF board)

06/28/16

Announcing: Tour For France!

On Sunday July 24th, after three weeks of racing and a 3519 km “Tour de France,” cyclists from around the world will be ending their race up the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

cycling

That very same day, friends of World Team France from around the world will be getting on their bikes to support the SEEDS OF HOPE initiative, an event we’re calling the TOUR FOR FRANCE. Along with their sponsors each will be a big winner that day in bringing Hope to France.

We are looking for more participants! You can participate, whoever and wherever you are. Here’s how:

  1. Find some friends and a place to go ride your bikes on the weekend of July 23rd-24th. Decide on the distance together. You don’t have to be professionals taking out your road bikes. Go ride on the boardwalk or the rail trail or take your family on a tricycle ride! Be creative!
  2. Let us know your desire to participate by emailing carolyn.moyer (at) worldteam.org. We’ll get you registered on the fundraising page.
  3. Spread the word around you looking for sponsors and collect donations by sending them to our site.
  4. When the day arrives, meet for your Tour For France in your corner of the world, have a great time, take some photos and videos for us, and spend some time praying for church planting work in France.

Interested in donating right away? Currently there is a team in Harleysville, Pennsylvania, and Word Team France members getting ready in Paris. Go find your favorite cyclist on our CrowdRise page and follow our progress there as we aim to raise $10,000. Then help us spread the word!

What is Seeds of Hope? It is a strategic three-year fundraising initiative to help launch more church planters in France. The focus is on helping new French and European church planters get started in ministry by funding internships, providing academic scholarships and other training opportunities, or offering a three-year launch fund to help a worker get started while securing the rest of needed financial support. All of the money raised goes directly to mobilizing, training, equipping and supporting new church planters in France. For more details about Seeds of Hope, go to  SeedsOfHope.WorldTeamFrance.org. A full project description and spending plan is available upon request.

 

(photo credit: JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images, Boston.com)

06/18/16

More Observations from our Intern

Kevin returns to describe a bit more of his experience at the Prayer Conference…

Over the last couple of days we’ve taken in a large variety of information that affected many emotions and feelings. It has been a long week and we have taken in a ton of information about France, the spiritual environment and the specific church plants. Although we were exhausted we were just as attentive as day one because each church plant is just as important as the other.

Our first stop was in the village of Chevreuse. The Barrs have a very different ministry that connects with French people deeply. Russell is a potter and graphic arts designer. Carol is an artist and teacher in her own right. Because of their arts background they have been holding art classes in their home for children. Additionally they have been teaching English lessons using the Bible for discussion. The French children and families have responded extremely well to this combination and their classes have outgrown their current space.

The second church plant that we visited is in a new, upper middle class town (Montigny-Les-Bretonneux) that includes the largest business district outside of Paris proper. The whole dynamic and atmosphere of this town is completely different from the narrow, old, and hectic atmosphere of Paris. The Manu and the Plasters have been building relationships and making contacts in several ways, including asking to pray for various strangers in the streets, and playing Christian music in a local bar. It is phenomenal how willing the World Team workers are to make themselves vulnerable in order to connect with the French.

Finally we visited another group ministering in a Muslim community outside of Paris. All of the church plants have their challenges but the additional challenge of penetrating the barrier of Islam made this stop an especially heart-warming one.

The diversity yet laser focus of World Team’s work in France is remarkable. Lasers are in focus and the same size no matter how close or far away from the surface they are directed. Although the team have to site and aim at targets of differing distances or different terrains, they all use the same laser focus of multiplying disciples and communities of believers. Please pray that God will do amazing things and work out all of the details for the teams to keep pursuing that simple, powerful purpose!