“A church whose congregation at our first service numbered 26 of whom six were members of our family.”

“One of the main challenges is creating Christian community in a culture of fierce individualism and resistance to commitment."

Belleville beginnings . . .  

Charlie Cleverly takes up the story of the work in Belleville. “In 1992 with the help of Crosslinks we moved – with four children aged 6 to 14 – from a detached vicarage in leafy Essex with weeping willow trees in the garden to a cramped flat in the grimy multicultural Muslim area of inner city Paris called Belleville. I went at the invitation of the ERF (French Reformed Church) to pastor a church whose congregation at our first service numbered 26 of whom six were members of our family. On our first Sunday, someone came to Christ and the pattern continued. Over ten years the church grew to 400. From start to finish, it was a work of God. 

For Andy and Uta Buckler who led the student work, Belleville was a jumping-off point before going with Crosslinks to pastor an ERF church in Mantes la Jolie. At one youth event a Togolese student, Sena Ounate-Lare came to Christ through a powerful vision. Sena is now planting a church as a Crosslinks mission partner in his homeland, a crossroads of four nations and a frontier of Islam. 

The nations of the world come to the cities of the world and the Church has an unmissable opportunity to ‘win, train and send’ them back to their land with the glorious, powerful Gospel of Christ. In 2002, we moved back to Oxford to try to win a new generation of students to world mission. But the work in Belleville continues under the able leadership of Serge Jacquemus. Please pray for the work in France; for the survival of churches like Belleville; for new churches which are planted and old ones that so desperately need renewal.”

Meanwhile just 40 kms away 

In 2002 Andy Buckler with his wife Uta left Belleville to pastor a struggling French Reformed Church parish on the edge of the Paris region at Mantes la Jolie that was on the brink of being closed down. Two years later they have seen numerical growth from 10 faithful souls to about 60, with new people coming all the time and considerable expansion in the children’s work. However Uta explains: “One of the main challenges is creating Christian community in a culture of fierce individualism and resistance to commitment. Building community involves commitment, trust, openness, honesty, and a desire to know God. These are our heart-cry as we try to develop the church through homegroups, children’s activities, and individual contacts. One of the things we learnt at Belleville was that for a fellowship to grow, it is crucial for people to come to respect each other in Christ. We long for spiritual growth in individuals as well as the church as a whole and are encouraged to see glimmers of spiritual hunger in certain people. One big challenge is to remain faithful to the Gospel, as well as gracious and loving amidst personal criticism and in-fighting. Another is to bring up our children in a culture that is openly hostile to the Gospel. The outliving of these challenges was modelled to us by the leadership in Belleville, which reminds us time and again that it is possible for a church to thrive, even against all the odds.” Click here for more information about the Bucklers. For more information about financial support click here

And down in the Loire valley 

Matthew & Roz Payne served as Crosslinks mission partners in Belleville from 1996 - 1999. Matthew is now in parish ministry in Angmering,West Sussex, and is a member of Crosslinks’ General Council. Nevertheless, the French connection remains strong through leadership of ‘InterAction France’ summer camps in the Loire valley. Under the umbrella of the French Scripture Union (La Ligue pour la Lecture de la Bible) and with assistance from Crosslinks, these bi-lingual camps host youngsters and leaders from France, UK, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. As well as offering multi-sport activities from kayaking to horse-riding, the camps are Gospelcentred. The daily pattern of meetings, dormgroup Bible studies and personal conversations open the scriptures and let the living God speak. Matthew comments: “We believe this is a strategic ministry to English, French and ‘thirdculture’ kids: teenagers facing 21st century temptations and challenges, and some of them church leaders of the future. It is wonderful to see the Lord at work in their lives.” Do you know anyone who would be interested in these camps – either as a young camper or as a leader? Perhaps you could tell your church youth leader, or the French teacher at your local school. For more information: www.interaction-france.org  

Crosslinks magazine January 2005 index