April /May update
Hi friends!
First of all I want to say thank you so much for all of your prayers over this past month. I said many goodbyes and officially left Marseille at the end of April and I’m now in South Africa enjoying some much-needed time with family before I start seeing current ministry partners, and also raising more support for new adventures in Glasgow, Scotland! But in my previous newsletter, I promised to send you some ministry news from my last few weeks in Marseille, so here are a few highlights (in between packing up my flat and handing over all my ministry responsibilities!)
Practical discipleship training
It will always be a priority to train people in how to make disciples and I strongly felt it was important to have a practical day- not just teaching theory, but providing very practical scenarios where people could practice and ask questions, and give some critical feedback to each other. In our Every Nation world, we have some excellent resources for making disciples (the One2One book, the Purple Book etc), but I have become increasingly aware that not everyone knows how to use them effectively. Discipleship is so much more than just going through the Biblical foundations with someone, but knowing how to use the resource relationally. Basic people skills are often overlooked in ministry training, as well as the importance of understanding who the person is in front of you - their culture, background, family upbringing. Oftentimes, people just need help with how to bridge the gap relationally to the material being discussed. We had a great day learning together, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, so I am excited to hear the testimonies of what comes out of this day in the future.
Community outreach
Pancakes are always a good idea in France! Every now and then we open the church to the community and invite people for a free “goûter” - an afternoon sweet treat. This is a great way of meeting new people and answering any questions they have about God or who we are as a church. We post invitations to all our neighbours, and everyone is welcome. This time we had a handful of visitors, and 2 ladies came back on the Sunday and have been coming to church services since then.
Julie and team making pancakes to bless our neighbours
Celebrations and goodbyes
Transitions are never easy, and it is hard to say goodbye after 9 years of building relationships and building the church! But knowing that I am stepping into something new that God has prepared for me, the excitement of a new season made the goodbyes a bit easier. Here are a few moments of celebrating life together!
I braved one last swim in the Mediterranean (it was freezing!) as I shared an apéro on the beach to say goodbye to some friends from church
Really going to miss this amazing bunch of people who have been my small group over the past few years. Jean-Claude made us a delicious meal for my farewell celebration.
I’ve been a spiritual mom /mentor to this beautiful girl, Christina, ever since I came to Marseille in 2017. This was taken at our friend, Josué’s wedding on the Easter weekend, which was such a fun celebration and great timing for me to have a fun moment with everyone before I left.
Support raising
For those of you in South Africa, I would love to see you whether in person or on Zoom to share with you all about what’s ahead for me in Glasgow. I am based in Joburg until the end of July so please get in touch if you would like to chat!
My South African phone number is 0675871508 but I can still be reached on my old WhatsApp. Will be great to see you!
I would also appreciate any connections you might have with anyone else you might think would be interested in joining my team of supporters. I am trusting God for new ministry partners, so any contacts you may have who have a heart for missions would be hugely helpful. I hope to be in Glasgow by August, but I need to raise enough support before I leave.
A glimpse into Glasgow…
I’ll leave you with a fun fact about Glasgow which makes me excited about what lies ahead. The official motto of the city of Glasgow is Let Glasgow Flourish, which actually originates from a 17th century prayer by St Mungo, who prayed:
“Let Glasgow flourish through the preaching of Thy Word and praising of Thy name.”
What an incredible foundation we get to build on centuries later!
I took this photo when I visited Every Nation Glasgow in February! What a great declaration over this city! Let Glasgow Flourish, Lord!
Thank You
Thank you so much for your partnership. Your financial support and prayer have sustained me in full-time ministry and you have played a vital role in all the lives touched and transformed through this ministry in Europe. I am deeply grateful.
Please send me your news and let me know how I can pray for you!
Sending much love,
Fiona
Every Nation Marseille (and soon to be Every Nation Glasgow)