Missions in Europe

[BroBarry]

Hello all,

I've recently been offered the opportunity to be part of a mission in France and Ireland, helping too preach to much of the youth and give help to protestant churches there.

I've never been to that part of the world, and I've really only had experiance working in third-world countries so I really don't know what to expect. What is the state of Christianity there? What are the views on protestants?

 

[Kiwi]

well kind of like doing missons in america, except amongst people who don't like americans (especially in france), it is really difficult there (especially if you don't speak french). My aunty and uncle worked as missionaries in france for 10 years and saw less than 10 people come to christ.

 

[Antigone]

well kind of like doing missons in america, except amongst people who don't like americans (especially in france), it is really difficult there (especially if you don't speak french). My aunty and uncle worked as missionaries in france for 10 years and saw less than 10 people come to christ.

Well, I wouldn't go to Ireland - protestantism has a bad rep over there because of Northern Ireland, and I doubt you're going to 'break' (so to speak) a Catholic stronghold like Ireland.

As for France, you really don't want to go there, especially as an American. You'll just get laughed at. France is notoriously secular - not just when it comes to christianity - but even in as far as they have christianity, again, it's a catholic stronghold.

If you're going to make a choice between the two, I'd opt for Ireland, but I really, REALLY don't recommend France.

 

[ncznnout]

Wow sounds like an awesome opportunity.

 

[BroBarry]

Well, this doesn't sound too hopeful. I'm really ready to go now! As for France, let them laugh, whether it be for the fact that i'm and American or a Christian or both. Thank you for the replies! I'll know what to look forward to.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

 

[goatheadalien]

I agree with both of those places being difficult, however I would nevertell someone not to go there. God has already said go to ALL nations (not meaning countries, but peoples)....but yeah, you might not get to see much fruit, but God still wants people to be helping to plant seeds.

 

[Antigone]

I agree with both of those places being difficult, however I would nevertell someone not to go there. God has already said go to ALL nations (not meaning countries, but peoples)....but yeah, you might not get to see much fruit, but God still wants people to be helping to plant seeds.

Yeah, but personally, I'd rather go to a poorer nation. It somehow seems more rewarding to go to a country where you could actually do some good - not just preaching, but also helping out in health care and education etcetera - than a nation such as France, which doesn't want to be saved and frankly, is doing quite well (financially/politically, that is). It just seems a little futile when you could be doing something more worthwhile somewhere else.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

Hello all,

I've recently been offered the opportunity to be part of a mission in France and Ireland, helping too preach to much of the youth and give help to protestant churches there.

I've never been to that part of the world, and I've really only had experiance working in third-world countries so I really don't know what to expect. What is the state of Christianity there? What are the views on protestants?

Ireland, traditionally, is a very Roman Catholic country, although the Church of Ireland is in fact Anglican. With increasing prosperity, the importance of religion is diminishing rapidly. The state is still based on religious observance, though, with an established church. Most people will have been exposed to the Christian faith in their schooling, even if they don't go to church now. They will be able to recite the Hail Mary, for example.

In France, it is a completely different situation. The main religion in France is Roman Catholicism, but it is a very secular country - even more so that the USA. Church attendance is relatively low, and there are large pockets of Islamic observance.

 

[goatheadalien]

"somehow seems more rewarding"

If you want it to be rewarding, then you aren't doing it for the right reasons. I'm not going to go somewhere because it's more rewarding, I'm going to go somewhere because that's where God called me to go. If He says go to the US, I'll be there, if He says go to Swaziland, I'll be there, if He says go to England, I'll be there. There are people in every country that need to hear God's word. Sometimes He does leave the door open for where you specifically can go, but don't go because it seems more rewarding, go because you want to spread the gospel.

"It just seems a little futile when you could be doing something more worthwhile somewhere else."

If God says go to France, then there isn't something more worthwhile that You can do. Nothing is more worth this persons time than following God's call, whether it's to France, or to an African orphanage.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

"somehow seems more rewarding"

If you want it to be rewarding, then you aren't doing it for the right reasons. I'm not going to go somewhere because it's more rewarding, I'm going to go somewhere because that's where God called me to go.

IME, missions are very rewarding. Most young people I know who come back from missions have grown tremendously as a result.

God may call us to do missionary work, but he is not always so specific as to where we should go exactly. Missionary work is often dependent on links your parish or diocese already has with receiving parishes or missionary organisations. One mission may be a stepping stone to another.

Bottom line is that we need missionaries everywhere. The needs in Europe are very different from the needs in Africa, for example. Europe tends to need more spiritual missionaries, working with disaffected young people etc. In Africa, where they could trump us on our faith 20x over, they often need more practical help.

 

[shanester]

Having lived in Europe for several years, the state of Christianity is hard. The belief that everyone already knows Christ is prevalent. They just know the real Christ. Their knowledge is based off of rules, regulations, images, churches, icons and artifacts. Go in there and proclaim the love on the cross, grace and mercy of our Lord. They have not heard that in Europe for a very long time!




Be my friend at www.DittyTalk.com - The Christian MySpace Alternatve

 

[Proverbs3]

I am having similar questions about going into that part of the world. I read an article about a Bible college in Europe where you also share your faith quite frequently and I don't know if that is God's will for me. I am praying and trying to see if that is where He really wants me. Sometimes, its hard to tell...

 

[stray bullet]

Hello all,

I've recently been offered the opportunity to be part of a mission in France and Ireland, helping too preach to much of the youth and give help to protestant churches there.

I've never been to that part of the world, and I've really only had experiance working in third-world countries so I really don't know what to expect. What is the state of Christianity there? What are the views on protestants?

If I may inquire, why do missions in a country where the Word is already available? If you are going to spend that much time to go somewhere in another part of the world, why not a place like Africa or Asia, where people haven't heard of Jesus Christ?

It's been two thousand years and despite billions of Christians, there are way too many villages that have not had someone come to speak about Christ. Just wondering.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

If I may inquire, why do missions in a country where the Word is already available?

Because an alarming number of people are not aware of the life-changing power of the Word.

 

[joanna1]

Wow i can't believe people are saying "you don't want to go to France"! It's one of the areas in the world that needs missionaries the most and yes it's tough, that's why it needs missionaries. No, americans are not laughed at unless:
-they try to convince people that George Bush is God's gift to humanity and expect to have a captive audience
-rant on about how america is better than france
-try telling christians that drinking a glass of wine with your meal is a sin
-do not make the effort to learn the language even when spending over 10 years in the country
-get american food, american clothes and american books and american songs sent over constantly, and make no effort to integrate.

I'm actually an MK living in France and we went to a missionary conference where we received the instructions "if you feel unhappy drinking out of french bowls, please bring your own mugs". We had a good laugh, but when we got there, you know what, a load of american missionaries HAD brought american shaped mugs with them. IMO they deserved to be laughed at and I didn't hold myself back.

 

[joanna1]

Yeah, but personally, I'd rather go to a poorer nation. It somehow seems more rewarding to go to a country where you could actually do some good - not just preaching, but also helping out in health care and education etcetera - than a nation such as France, which doesn't want to be saved and frankly, is doing quite well (financially/politically, that is). It just seems a little futile when you could be doing something more worthwhile somewhere else.

err, you don't seem to have got the point of mission. It's good to go to countries where conversions happen by the dozen after every evangelistic outreach and giving a free t-shirt and box of meds to a poor person makes you feel good. It's also good to try and reach out to those who are richer, but poor spiritually. Short term missions have done a lot of good in France, a large number of french christians I know have been converted through them. Except it took years of follow up by the local missionaries, not a simple meeting were people flocked to the front after an appeal.

 

[Naomi4Christ]

Excellent posts, Joanna

 

[*Soulwings*]

If I may inquire, why do missions in a country where the Word is already available? If you are going to spend that much time to go somewhere in another part of the world, why not a place like Africa or Asia, where people haven't heard of Jesus Christ?

It's been two thousand years and despite billions of Christians, there are way too many villages that have not had someone come to speak about Christ. Just wondering.

Europe would be in a horrible state if their weren't people willing to share the Power of the Gospel.
Europe needs fresh blood, so to speak, because people are stuck in their narrow views of how christianity is.
Christianity seems like a dusty religion here, based on the church building and its rules, rather then the redemptive work and the Power of the Cross.

People know the Name of Jesus, but they have no knowledge of who He is. They need to hear, with the witness of the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray for more workers to be sent out into the fields...

 

[*Soulwings*]

Wow i can't believe people are saying "you don't want to go to France"! It's one of the areas in the world that needs missionaries the most and yes it's tough, that's why it needs missionaries. No, americans are not laughed at unless:
-they try to convince people that George Bush is God's gift to humanity and expect to have a captive audience
-rant on about how america is better than france
-try telling christians that drinking a glass of wine with your meal is a sin
-do not make the effort to learn the language even when spending over 10 years in the country
-get american food, american clothes and american books and american songs sent over constantly, and make no effort to integrate.

I'm actually an MK living in France and we went to a missionary conference where we received the instructions "if you feel unhappy drinking out of french bowls, please bring your own mugs". We had a good laugh, but when we got there, you know what, a load of american missionaries HAD brought american shaped mugs with them. IMO they deserved to be laughed at and I didn't hold myself back.

I think that would be the general thing in any European country. Nobody should try anything like that here... haha

 

[Godssong]

A key in missions, especially in someplace like France where a lot of people don't like Americans, is to remembe that you're an "arrogant American." It makes a big difference...do your best to be humble and loving, at all times, no matter what people say about you to degrade you...at least, that's what I've found to be effective in Europe and even Africa...and it's amazing how God will work through that humility!!!