May newsletter
Hi friends and family
What a month! It has been a very full few weeks but I’m excited to share some of the good things that have been happening in Marseille since my last update.
The power of praise and worship
On the 6 May I had the privilege to preach on one of my favourite topics of all time – the power of praise and worship! It remains one of my dreams to have a worship school here in Marseille – to raise up and equip worship leaders and artists in the French-speaking world. So, this message felt like a leap of faith in that direction as it is the first time I have shared on this in French. You can listen to it on the link below if you can understand French.
Building foundations for freedom
At the beginning of the month, I launched our Preparation for Freedom meetings – we have 18 people signed up for our Freedom Day in June, which is a day dedicated to breaking free from sinful habits, addictions and foundational lies we believe about who God is as well as lies concerning our identity as believers. We have been working through some preparation material and meeting once a week to discuss and share what God is highlighting to us. This has been an incredibly rewarding journey, and the feedback so far has been very positive. Please pray with me for a significant time of breakthrough and healing for all 18 people signed up, and grace for those of us teaching and facilitating the times of ministry.
The material for this Freedom Day was combined using resources from other Every Nation Churches, but a lot of work has gone into translating and editing the material from English into French so that we can have an effective resource going forward for the French-speaking world. A lot of my time this past month has been dedicated to that process, but I am confident that the fruit in people’s lives will be well worth it!
Building community
I also started a brand-new small group in May which has been a lot of fun, and extremely life-giving. It’s amazing what happens when you step out in obedience and just provide a space where people can feel safe, share freely and plunge deeper into the Word of God together. I am grateful for these spaces of being able to see the power of real community, and the incredible things that happen when people talk about the Bible together. The Word is truly living and active and always accomplishes its transformative purpose in our lives!
In my last letter I asked you to pray for Emma, my friend Geneviève’s daughter who tried to commit suicide a few weeks ago. A huge thank you to those who prayed! Emma is doing so much better, and she even came to church last Sunday and said she enjoyed it. God is faithful and is working in her heart. We will continue to pray for her salvation!
Go Europe 2040 vision
Pastor Matt Rasch and some of the Monaco scout team
In other news, a team from our church recently went on a scouting trip to Monaco, which is about a 2.5-hour drive from Marseille. They had a great time of sharing the gospel and made great connections to start a Bible study there. The hope is to eventually plant a church, as part of our Go Europe 2040 vision which is to plant a campus reaching church in every European nation by 2040. You can read more that here.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for your continued support, both financially and in prayer. Your partnership in the gospel is changing lives here in Marseille, and the impact will be felt all over Europe. I am extremely grateful for you and pray for God’s continued provision and blessing in your lives.
Sending much love,
Fiona
Every Nation Marseille