La Lumière: November 2019
The makeup of Cru's ministry in Paris is widely diverse. Let's take a closer look at some of these expressions of God's love. First, Agapé Art is passionate about showing the beauty of the gospel of Christ through artwork. These are painters, photographers, and sculptors who strive to reflect God the creator and challenge people to believe. They work together, share ideas and use expositions for outreach. There is also Crescendo, a network of professional musicians, both classical and jazz, who explore creative ways to express their faith through music. They have concerts and "Play and Pray" events where music resonates with prayer. Crescendo is related to the summer institute in Hungary that Silas and Efrem have participated in three times. They are excited to get to know Crescendo locally. Now we come to the 700,000 students in Paris, where the campus ministry takes on a few different forms. A team of American interns is active on a half dozen campuses. A second team is reaching out specifically to Chinese speaking students. And yet another team, which is newly forming, is aiming more broadly at international students. Did you know that 20% of students in Paris are international? Let's pray that their steps of faith will bear fruit. There are other exciting things happening in Paris, but this is to give you a feel for the landscape. In spite of the tall, intimidating buildings and overwhelming scope, God is working here! Thank you for joining with Him and partnering with us to shine the light of the gospel in the "City of lights."
Please pray
- that we continue to adjust to life in a new city, make new friends and become involved in church.
- for our upstairs neighbors who continue to cause undue stress. We're looking for solutions to dampen the sound of our music.
- that Silas and Efrem can practice in unhindered freedom.
- for Christ to be our anchor and peace.
Silas (red cap on the right) at his graduation ceremony in October.
Silas had one last chance to play for his classmates (and the dinosaur on the right)..
There are at least 74 evangelical churches in Paris. We visited five. It would take a year and a half to see them all, but the churches we visited were a good experience. There was a traditional Baptist church dating back over a hundred years. Then Hillsong, representing a completely different style on the spectrum, where the music and enthusiasm are turned up to eleven. Both churches were refreshing in their own ways. We also had the somewhat surreal experience of the American church in Paris, where the service is entirely in English. Their sanctuary is built in the 15th century Gothic style with high vaulted ceilings and colorful stained glass windows. As often happens, we ended up choosing the first one we visited, l'Eglise Saint Lazare. A short walk from our apartment, the Sunday morning service is held in a movie theater. It's a young church, only a few years old. There are former Agapé students who are invested in the church, an encouraging testimony to the impact the ministry is having on young lives. We look forward to seeing how we can be involved.
