A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting with a couple who will be serving as missionaries in France.  Ryan and Erin Bennett met with me to discuss what they will be doing as they set out to help establish churches in a part of our world that remains largely un-churched.  We had a great talk and I asked them if I could share some of our discussion here on Leading the Follower.  Here’s what we talked about:

LTF: What part of France will you be in?

R&EB: We plan to be in Paris, which is capital of France.

LTF: What kinds of things will you be working on there?

R&EB: We will be working to establish a movement of house churches in the city. This involves a host of different activities like building relationships with our neighbors, starting Bible studies, mentoring new Christians, and training people to be leaders. Through all these ministries we want to invite people into a relationship with Jesus, then gather them together with other believers into communities for worship and growth, and finally equip these communities for mission in their own city. Once we see a church established and growing, we start the process all over again in a different part of the city.

LTF: How many others will be working with you on-site?

R&EB: At first we’ll be on a team with two to four other people, but from the very beginning we want to equip indigenous leaders who come to know the Lord to work alongside us.

LTF: What is the timeframe for the mission?

R&EB: It varies. In 1 Corinthians Paul compares starting new churches to growing crops in a field. You need to clear weeds, scatter seed, and give them plenty of water, all the while dependent on God to make them grow in his timeframe. In France to see a church take root and grow can take five to ten years. We’re praying for God to do amazing things, but we’re committed to the process, however long it takes.

LTF: What are your hopes in terms of outcomes there?

R&EB: Our vision is to see Paris transformed by the power of the Gospel. As these churches take root and multiply, our hope is that the culture itself would change, that many people would come to know and follow Jesus, and that the city itself would experience a revival of faith that sends shock waves around the world. We have big hopes, but we know that we serve an even bigger God.

LTF: When will you be going?

R&EB: Right now we’re in the fundraising process with about 30% of goal still to be met. Our plan though is to be in France by the end of August of this year.

If you would like to learn more about Ryan and Erin’s work in France or to support them in their efforts, you can visit their blog or contact them at ryan.bennett@worldteam.org  or erin.bennett@worldteam.org.

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