8/6/2019 #2 of Four - Why France

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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

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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

913-393-1373parisbarrs@gmail.com 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.