A cancelled visit did not mean a cancelled vision for the OM team in France.
When Logos Hope scheduled a visit to Europe in 2020, OM in France organised a huge, one-day outreach in Rouen, inviting churches from around France to join forces to reach this town. But after COVID-19 spread to Europe, the ship’s visit was cancelled. Instead of abandoning all plans, however, the OM team in France pivoted to create an outreach kit for French Jesus followers to share the gospel in their own communities, respecting COVID travel restrictions — a decision that’s led to an annual event now spearheaded by local believers that’s become a core part of France’s mobilisation strategy to reach the least reached.
The least reached of France
According to Operation World, only one per cent of France is evangelical — a potentially surprising statistic, as the common perception of the country is that it’s already been reached with the gospel. But according to Paul Dixon, the leader of OM’s work in France, just because someone has access to the good news of Jesus doesn’t mean that they’re reached. In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells us to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. “At no point does Jesus say there is a special emphasis on the ends of the earth, where people have no access,” says Paul; Jesus told us to tell everyone, including peoples who might be able to do an internet search about Christianity but who’ve never actually had the gospel explained to them before.
This principle — that Jesus followers are called to be witnesses wherever they are — has become foundational for the OM team in France. This includes four spheres of ministry, where they’re ministering to the least reached in their nation: (1) least-reached peoples and ethnicities, including a thriving Turkish-speaking ministry; (2) a least-reached generation of young people who may never meet another Jesus follower in their schools or neighbourhoods; (3) least-reached regions of France, where the goal is to see at least one church for every 10,000 people; and (4) mobilisation of French people to their own communities.
A lifestyle of evangelism
For the first outreach event planned after the cancelled Logos Hope visit, 15 teams participated around France. The event included Bible teaching and worship, then intentional time doing practical outreach in local communities. The day ended with video calls connecting the teams, so participants realised they were part of something bigger.
After the success of that original outreach in 2020, the OM team in France has adapted to better cast vision for participants to see the ministry not just as a one-day event but, rather, as a day intentionally set aside to launch their churches into a lifestyle of evangelism. Indeed, the resources OM provides in the event kit can be used as tools for local Jesus followers to better reach their neighbours and friends all year long. And same-culture French OMers serve as an example by helping inspire participation in their own churches.
During the annual outreach events, OM also looks for like-minded participants who could be long-term partners and friends of the organisation.
A culture of mobilisation
The annual outreaches are only one part of OM in France’s mobilisation strategy, which they hope will catalyse French Jesus followers to get more involved in sharing the gospel — both locally and abroad. Many are “on fire for God,” says Paul, but need an on-ramp into intentionally reaching the least reached.
Along with mobilising French participants and volunteers for TeenStreet, the OM team in France has also launched a series of outreaches called Acts 1:8 trips.
“We intentionally target TeenStreet participants in the first instance, inviting them to join us, within the security of an all-French team, led by experienced leaders, to take their first steps into missions, to different least-reached destinations. The goal is to identify and disciple potential future leaders and co-leaders, who we invite to return the following year so we can multiply the number of teams that are mobilised.”
With mobilisation as a key component across the different spheres of ministry that OM in France leads, they’re seeing local believers engage more deeply in world missions. Just because France is itself a least-reached country, says Paul, doesn’t mean that it can’t bless others.