Discipleship in France

The Kennedy’s Ministry

“Why France?” For most people in North America, France is not the first country that comes to mind when considering where missionaries and the Gospel are most needed. Churches are literally everywhere and include some of the most famous in the world, like the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. As you drive through the French countryside, the steeple of a church is the most prominent marker of a town that can be seen from a distance, even in the tiniest and most remote villages. Many mountaintops have a cross erected at the summit, and if you drive through mountain passes high in the Alps, you will find a tiny chapel erected in stone. The presence of “the church” in France is truly and quite incredibly everywhere.

Surely, this must be evidence of a country with a strong Christian foundation and Biblical presence, non?

Sadly, this is not the reality in France today. Despite the historical spread of the church in France (by way of the Catholic Church), most of these buildings now stand as monuments to an old, dead religion. A strong movement of secularism and distrust for the Catholic Church has been growing since the Revolution. Prominent French thinkers have aimed to prove that humanity could exist and find meaning in logic and reasoning alone. Over the last century, the French have decided there was no reason for God to be part of their every day lives, and ultimately France has come to the devastating conclusion that “God is Dead”. The churches in France have since become empty, and remaining believers are but a small minority at the fringes of society.

But we cry out that GOD is NOT dead! Herein lies the answer to the question “Why France?” God longs to restore the people of France to Himself, to bring life and hope back into His Church. This is the movement we feel God is calling us to be a part of. In joining Greater Europe Mission, we have the privilege of being part of a network of missionaries who carry on the vision of discipleship and church planting in France that started nearly 80 years ago.

Make Disciples. Our family’s ministry call here in France is clear. Focused on Jesus’ last words as written in Matthew 28: 18-20:

Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Discipleship in the Savoie. Leaving Canada in April 2024, we have been called to the southeast of France where we are presently settling into life in Aix-les-Bains, a small city in the heart of the mountain region of the Savoie. As a critical foundation for ministry, we will work to perfect our French language and seek a deeper understanding of French and Savoie culture through our first year. We are also serving in the local church with whom we have been in contact with over the past 10 years, and we are building relationships both in this church and in our local community. All the while, we seek God daily for His heart for the people in this region and insight into His plans for us here.

Following the Great Commission, our long term goal is to make disciples who make disciples, and ultimately to plant churches that plant churches. Much like a pebble in a pond, we hope that whatever splash our little family makes in this community would have ripple effects moving outward, reaching much farther than we could hope to go.

The Good News: French hearts are ready! Shortly after arriving here we began hearing news that although the French have long been closed to discussions of church and religion, there is a new and growing openness to spiritual things. We feel we have arrived in France at a time when people are seeking something to fill the void that arts, science, and philosophy have not been able to satisfy. We believe that what they are searching for is found in the person of Jesus and the hope that only He can bring. The fields are ripe for the harvest!

Will you join us? The Church in France is currently small and under-resourced. We believe, therefore, that God is calling the Global Church to rise up and support the advancement of His Kingdom in France. We cannot fulfill God’s vision without you. We cannot do this alone. We need ministry partners like you to join us by:

1) Praying: Pray for us as a family, for the people of France, and for hearts and lives to be changed by God’s love, grace, and hope. Pray that light will triumph over darkness.

2) Giving: The cost of living in France is high. While we trust that God will provide for our needs, we don’t expect that He will rain down money from the sky! We believe He will provide for our monthly income through a team of financial partners who want to invest in our family’s ministry in France.