Upload
parisbarrs
View
216
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
8/6/2019 #2 of Four - Why France
1/2
The Second ofourletters in which we
explain our desire tominister in France.
In the frst letter we described a little o ourhistory. As we now describe The New Dark Continent,ask yoursel, "Why wouldn't the Barr's be called to this place?"
FrenchEvangelicalChristiansareacutelyawareotheirminoritystatus(0.6%othepopulation).TheyliveinwhatisnowofciallyanUNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP,isolatedevenromoneanother.Insomeinstancesparticipatinginworshipandany
meaningulbodyliewouldrequireasmuchasaTEN HOUR ROUND TRIP.InpartsotheParisregion,thereisonechurchorevery80,000othepopulation.ManyousintheStates,especiallyinurbanareas,couldattend
adierentchurcheveryweekorayearandneverdrivemorethananhour.(OK, those o you driving in Chicago trafc might have to drive two.)Justorun,googlechurcheswithinanhourradiusandletusknowwhatyoucomeupwith.
Church?Whentheword"church"ismentioned,whatimagepopsintoyourhead?InFranceitmeanstwentytoftypeoplemeetinginsomeone'slivingroom.Theevangelicalchurchisall but invisible to the French.Thereisstrongoppositionromlocalgovernmentotenprohibitingchurchesromerectingbuildingsormeetinginpublicspaces.(It is illegal in
France to build a church within a hundred yards o a public school.)WemetayoungFrenchwomanhereinthestates,andwhensheheardwhatwewereplanningtodo,shesaid,"Thecathedrals?Theyareortourists.WeFrenchknownothingaboutGod."Sounds like an invitation to us!
Culture WhenvisitingFrancewearestruckbyanapparentdichotomy.Itsbeautyover-whelmsthesenses.Fromertilecountryside,toworldamousartandarchitecture,torichculinarydelightsFranceisamedoritspleasures.Butlookingdeeper,insidethegrandcathedralsandintotheheartsothepeople,wefndanemptiness
thattestifestothespiritualdarknessthathascoveredFranceandmostowestern
Europeorthelastcentury.Thedaybeorewearrivedattheprayerconerencein2005,oneoourcollegeinterns,theretoassistwiththeconerence,waswaitingorarideinoneothemetrostations.Theyoungmaninrontohimleptotheplat-
ormdirectlyintothepathotheoncomingtrain.Weweretoldthisormosuicideisacommonoccurrence,andthatthegovernmentisnowbuildingglassbarricadesdesignedtoopenjustwideenoughtoletpassengersonthetrain.Acul-turethatisspendingtaxdollarsspecifcallytokeepit'spopulaceromcommittingsuicideisintrouble.OnlyChristcanhealsuchaculture.We need to be there. FrenchhistorybearsthescarsoextravagantKings,religiouswars,plague,am-ine,revolution,andsocialdivision.Parisians,wereaskedtosaythefrstthingthat
InFrance31% claim to be Atheists &
half those who claim to be
Catholic also claim to
be Atheists!
Butthereishope62%said they would like to
ask questions about God
but don't know how,
or of whom, to ask.
8/6/2019 #2 of Four - Why France
2/2
And this gospel ofthe kingdom will be
preached in the wholeworld as a testimony
to all nations, and then
the end will come. Matthew 24:14
cametomindatthementionothewordChristian.Thenumberoneresponsewasgenocide.Isitanywonderthe"Enlightenment"startedthere? TodayFranceacesthechallengesogrowingminoritypopulationsthatarenot
eagertoidentiythemselveswiththerenchcultureasawhole.45%othepoulationoParisisMuslim.ThemayorooneothetownswhereWorldTeamhashadachurchorovertwentyyears(and no building to have it in)suggestedtheymeetinaroominthelocalCommunityCenter.Thatmaysoundlikeprogressuntilyourealizethisbuildingisactuallyamosque.It'scalledacommunitycenterinordertogetaroundthelawsinFranceprohibitingthegovernmentromhavinganythingtodowithreligion.Whatwould your response be?
Hope for the French PeopleWepraiseGodthatgroupsareoutgrowingthelivingroomswheretheyfrstbeganmeeting.Havingtostruggleoradequatespaceandacilitiesisagoodproblemtohave.AndweareseeingacropoyoungFrenchChristiansstepuptobechurchplanters.Wewilllikelybepairedwithsomeotheseinthechurchplantwebecomeinvolvedwith.Therearealsosignsohopewithinthecultureitsel.
Le Parisien,asecularFrenchmagazine,onFebruary6th,2011,publishedresponsestotheollowingquestionaboutGodintheirculturesection:Pour quelle raisonprincipale cela vous est-il difficile d'en parler? (What'sthemainreasonyoufndithardtotalk(about God)?
44%fndittoointimate 28%don'tknowhowtoask 26%don'tknowwhototalkto 11%arearaidobeingjudged
Othosepolled,62% said they would like to ask questions about Godinspiteotheculturalbiasandpersonalreticence!Those are conversations we'd like to have!
More to Come! InthenextletterwewillsharehowWorldTeamisattemptingtostartthoseconversations.Watchyourmailbox!But, you don't have to wait to receive the next three letters.
Checkoutourblog:www.parisbarrs.blogspot.com . Betteryet,we'dlovetositdownovercoeeortalkwithyouoverSkype.Giveusacall!Fornow,wethankyouoryourinterestandhopetotalktoyousoon.
Untilnexttime!Russell & Carol Barr
[email protected] www.parisbarrs.blogspot.com
800-967-71091431StuckertRd.
Warrington,PA18976www.worldteam.org
45% o Parisians
are Muslim. Theyare more open to the
gospel than i theywere still in their
country o origin.