Line upon Line

“For it is precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”

To take a fairly well known verse out of context, this has become my method of teaching for our small Bible Training Course. While France may be known for its intellectualism and philosophy, in reality, most people never even attend what we call High School. After ‘Junior High’, most people go into trade or professional schools. Here they learn how ‘to do’ rather than how ‘to think’.

In our church, out of 20-30 people, I can think of only one who went to regular High School. And my group of guys fit this pattern. This is not to say they are not intelligent, they are sharp guys, especially in their fields. If you need a printer, a mechanic or a dock worker, they’ve got you covered.

But they have never been taught how to analyze, how to take notes, or how to read a text and think their way through it. So our course of learning is slow, steady progress each week rather than short, modular courses.

Since January we have been going over ‘How to Study and Understand the Bible’ (context, context, context!!), ‘What is the Gospel? and How to Communicate it’ , and now ‘How to Prepare a Message’. At the same time the passages I choose for examples are those which give us a good theological basis. Sometimes I see them drifting a bit sideways, even if they are still going in the right direction. So I have to be patient with them. My greatest encouragement is to see them using what they have learned.




At church we have been preaching through Acts, which has given me a chance to show the importance of understanding the contexts and how to interpret and apply historical books. This has become an issue as we come into close contact with several other churches participating in the upcoming evangelism campaign.

On Vicki’s side, she just finished leading an 8-week English course with some ladies from the neighborhood. Christine a middle-aged French divorcee and Layla, a young North African lady from a Muslim family. The one-hour sessions never lasted less than 2-3 hours.The ladies really enjoyed the time with Vicki

Her next gig is playing the guitar I made for her at one of the evangelism campaign concerts.




As we have mentioned this year our ministry took a detour, as the ministry we anticipated was sidelined and we have been trying to better prepare Point Bible for our departure this summer. We just returned from our annual conference with France Mission and were informed of some ministry opportunities here in France, one of which would be in a university town in an area of France with almost no Gospel witness. So we have set up some meetings with our leaders and pastors to further investigate these needs.

This is our greatest prayer request right now as we discuss our future ministry. We have been in Marseille for 8 years now and are seeking God’s direction... wherever that may take us.

The Summer Basketball Outreach is just around the corner and we have begun the preparations and meetings with the mayor and other city officials involved. So please be praying for this as we attempt two camps at the same time!

Christmas 2010 at Point Bible

December 19 saw our first Christmas pageant. Radia and Nelly had worked with the kids for about a month getting them ready. They had to 'borrow' some kids for the parts since we only have 5 at church. They did well, especially seeing that the oldest is only 8 and the others younger than 6. They memorized their parts, several Bible verses each and a couple of songs.

That Sunday we were full: 40 adults and 10 kids! Probably the largest crowd we have ever had. We had a meal afterwards. Managed to fit most everyone around a table so

mewhere. It gets tight when it's crowded with just 40 chairs, then you put up tables for everyone as well.

For me the surprising and enlightening thing was a remark Serge made. He was ecstatic about the day's festivities. For me I thought it went OK. But for him, having never grown up in a church, having never seen kids put on a nativity play, never seen a stage transformed into a manger scene, for him it was incredible.

That's when it hit me. For me this is a small, very small mediocre church. Growing in its own way, but nothing spectacular. But for the members here it is incredible. In a desert the smallest tree is a wonder.

Our church would fit in the closet of most American churches. But here in France, here in Marseille, in our neighborhood, we are a wonder. And for the members, they don't know, have never experienced anything else. So at every small advancement they are thrilled.

As a child I was in the nativity plays. As a teenager I wrote and acted in them and so for me they are 'passé', but to our people here, they are experiencing this for the first time.

Never hire a communist

Our next door neighbors are communists. In France the communist party is still fairly strong at the local level, although now losing steam. Our last local mayor was communist and there are still a number of village mayors in the towns around us who are communist.

I asked our neighbor's grandson about watering some plants while we were gone. Nothing big, just a few potted plants and a planter box. It would take about 10 minutes once a week. The neighbors said I didn't need to pay him, that it was just a part of being neighbors. I insisted and gave him the first half before we left.

When we returned, I waited several weeks for him to come by to get the rest of his money. Finally his grandmother called and asked where his money was. I told her I had it, but had not seen him. She arranged for him to come over and pick it up. We talked and I gave him his money. Seems he was a bit bent out of shape that I had not paid him in time.

Now we just found out that he didn't feel that what we paid him was sufficient and his grandmother, the communist, thought he should get more as well. She said he had been upset that we hadn't paid him enough and he wanted 10 euros more.

And all this after saying that he would do it for free since we were neighbors !

France wins Selfishness at Christmas Award

Well to our shame I guess France wins the Selfishness at Christmas Award. 3000 people became stranded in Marseille when their planes were diverted here due to snow in Paris. After two nights in hotels, paid for by Air France, the snow cleared up in Paris and everyone headed to the airport.

Only to be greeted by an airport closed due to a strike by the security checkers. Yep, they decided to hold everyone stranded hostage in order to push for higher salaries.

I got involved in this as two sons of friends were on their way to Kiev from LA and were diverted to Marseille, about the only airport in France still open. They spent two nights here before they contacted us. They were in line to go through security when an announcement informed them that all the security people had gone on strike and the airport was closed.

A number of planes that had landed took off empty as no passengers were allowed to board without having passed through security. The planes had to continue to make other connections. The state police were called out and tear gassed some of the frustrated travelers. I imagine after waiting two days for the weather to clear up and being told that now the security people were striking was just too much.

On the news even the French were upset, but admitted that the workers did have 'the right' to strike. In France, the right to strike is an 'unalienable human right'. Just as being selfish and egotistical is a part of the unredeemed human condition.

Merry Christmas from the Anthonys

Before anything else, our prayers are that you are able to have a great Christmas, surrounded by family and friends. Second, pray for your missionaries, most of whom will spend this season separated from families and in places far from ‘home’.

summer vacation at Lake Tahoe

Back at Point Bible

We are preparing for our Christmas program and outreach this next weekend at Point Bible. The group has grown and become even more ‘international’ after a group of Romanian Gypsies, who are squatting in the vacant apartments of the building, have started sending their kids to our Sunday School!

Simon, Radia and their kids, Michèle & Serge

A note on our being back at Point Bible: Last summer, after talking with the leaders here, the decision was made for us to leave the church to Simon and Radia to enable them to ‘take possession’ of the church. We had proposed a ministry of training which would encompass the three churches here. Thus not abandoning any of them, but helping all of them. Since the proposal was initially well received, we began preparing for this and gathering materials.

Well...when we returned we learned that the best plans and intentions do not always work out. Several crises had developed, some members were even talking of leaving Point Bible. We were asked to help intervene to smooth things out. We continued researching the needs of a training program here and a number of people contacted us, looking forward to growing in their understanding of the Bible.

I had been asked to prepare a written proposal of our future ministry, but the day the proposal was submitted our future took a different path than anticipated.

We were informed that our proposal was not acceptable by the team here in Marseille. This led to several meetings, one with several from Point Bible, who told us that the church desperately needed us and several wanted Bible training. We were asked to come back to Point Bible and further train the leaders there.

Our classroom

And so now, based out of Point Bible, we have started CFB = Cours de Formation Biblique. The goal is practical studies: How to study the Bible, How to teach it, How to preach it, and Evangelism. The first three students are a Sicilian, a Frenchman (Serge) and a Gitane (Spanish Gypsy).

The first group of CFB

At present we have made a commitment to be at Point Bible until this next summer. The churches of Marseille are organizing a large evangelistic campaign and we have a basketball outreach planned as well. Afterwards we will need to reevaluate the situation of the church here and our place in it.

The next six months our emphasis is on training and preparing people to take over once we are gone. Rob will continue preaching, but also training Serge to be a part of the teaching team.

Vicki is again doing the music, but working with another lady to help her become the music leader. This lady has never led music before, but Vicki told her that she also had never led music before. They hope to train a worship team in the coming months.

Serge & Michèle continue to lead the efforts in evangelism at the church, and so Vicki and Michele are working together to see what activities can be organized to reach into the community.

Basketball Camp in the Projects

Just a quick update on the basketball outreach into the Projects. 3 team members arrived in Marseille Monday, June 7. We capped off the first week with a youth meeting at Serge & Michele's. A mini-concert, testimony and then singing at the service on Sunday morning and distributing flyers in the afternoon.

Monday June 14th the 2 team members from Geneva arrived. James Glass and Nabil, from the International Evangelical Church of Geneva. We headed out to the courts and had 30 boys show up. Two gypsy girls we had talked with on Sunday also came. They were too good, too cute and I couldn't find it in my heart to say 'No' to them. I asked the boys and they said it was ok. Later one of the girls won a basketball shootout. The boys were really well behaved and attentive, especially for the first day. Sergio from Los Angeles gave his testimony.

It was encouraging to see a good number of people from church come out to support us.

Tuesday morning saw thunderstorms hit this whole part of France, very unseasonal, but we received about 3 inches of rain in 12 hours. Noon saw the wind blow the clouds away and blue sky replaced all the clouds...for about 15 minutes. Another line of thunderstorms. We left for the courts during a lull in the rain, set up quickly just as the rain started again.

In spite of the rain 15 boys and one girl showed up and played as the light sprinkle turned into a downpour, soaking everyone, everything and we finally had to admit we had been rained out. Unfortunately there are no covered courts in Marseille. We will try to start a bit earlier tomorrow to make up.

Praying that our efforts give glory to God.

Rob

First Contact with the Gitanes

This isn't the exact camp I visited. The one close to us has more trailers, but otherwise very much the same.

Gitanes are one group of Gypsys. They originate from Spain. Most speak Spanish, but somehow are related to gypsies from Romania. I will tell you that I am not prejudiced, but all gypsies are pickpocket, low-life thieves. The two times I have had someone try to pickpocket me, it has been gypsies. They invade the city, occupy the intersections and offer to wash your windshield...for money. That's great if your windshield is dirty. If you wave them off, they usually take their squeegee and draw a heart on the windshield right in front of your eyes...now they have to wash it off. Then they ask for money for having washed your windshield. Drives me and everyone else crazy. They are obnoxious, aggressive, demanding and pushy ...and I think that is why I think God has begun putting them on my heart.

I recently read a magazine article on how they were also rounded up and put into concentration camps like the Jews and a large number were also sent to the gas chambers. While most gypsy groups are constantly on the move (each city in France must have a campground reserved for them) some have taken to squatting on unused land. There is one such camp near us.

A couple of weeks ago a company that sells shoes to large sporting goods stores gave us their samples. About 100 pairs of shoes...all the same size. We usually give them away to the kids at our basketball camp. But I thought why not take some over to the gypsy camp and see what kind of contact we can make.

The camp is basically a wide place in the road, between a hill and a large dry water runoff resevoir. A few rundown camping trailers, now turned into somewhat permanent housing. I walked in and shouted out...no one opens a door. I can hear people inside, but they have no idea who I am. Probably the last stranger to set foot inside their 'yard' was an immigration official. Right about then a van pulls into the yard with two men inside. I introduce myself as the evangelical pastor from down teh road. Turns out these are gypsies from Spain. They are traditionally christian, evangelical, usually somewhat pentecostal.

I open my sack with a couple of pairs of shoes (brand new and next year's models) some left over t-shirts from the basketball camp. Now the doors to the trailers open up, two women come out and a handful of kids. Some are still in school at this hour. I ask their shoe size and have shoes that will fit several of them. We talk a bit about the church they go to. I have heard about it, but never met the pastor or actually seen it. Gypsies keep pretty much to themselves. I tell them I will come back Sunday afternoon with some more shoes for the rest of the kids.

Still curious to see if God might have anything in store for all of us together...I might ask them if they would be interested in a Bible study ??

The church matures: first deacons

Our small church just crossed an important bridge with the installation of our first two deacons. Just after our arrival in 2006 we began home Bible studies. I remember that summer Michèle asked me if we could start some Bible studies. She wanted her husband, Serge, to have a better grasp of the Bible. Four and a half years later, after studying our way through Romans, ! Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians and the Return of Christ, the home Bible study produced its fruit. Sunday January 31 we asked Serge and Michèle to join the team as deacons. Since Simon is English, his wife Radia is Arab, it is good to have some native French to take part of the responsibility. It is priceless to have their advice and insight into the French mindset !!! Serge also makes the best pizza in the world. You can ask any of the Basketball Outreach team members. He even has his own wood-fired pizza oven.

Winter News

It doesn’t seem like that long ago, but now we have been in France for seven years and we are in our fifth year at our church plant, Point Bible. Our purpose for coming to France was to come along side French pastors and help in planting churches among the less reached. Marseille has been a good fit for us, heavily immigrant, probably the least French city in France.

This last year has been the fullest for us and we have seen God’s grace in the work. The English Club has given us both a presence in the neighborhood and a good number of close contacts. The English Week outreach during the Spring Break exceeded our wildest dreams. The Basketball Outreach was recognized by our local Mayor’s office and they have said they want to support us even more this next year. Our Home Bible study has given our members a good, deep understanding of the Scriptures and we are amazed at the growth and hunger of Serge and Michèle. I have proposed them to become our first deacons.




On a more somber note, we have made this year a time for evaluation and reflection. As I look back over the last year, I counted over 50 people who have heard the Gospel, none of whom have responded by following Christ. This does not count the kids from the Basketball camp; that would bring the number to over a hundred. We have seen people greatly touched by God’s Spirit, acknowledging their need, but realizing the cost, they have turned away. None have openly rejected it, but just let it slip from their grasp like sand through their fingers. Really sad.



It has been a great joy to be part of starting a new church. In evaluating Point Bible we see that the church is entering a second phase. Here are the ways the church has matured:
Original situation:
o No building: limited space and an uninviting meeting place
o No trained/mature members: all new believers: unable to help
o No other male leadership
o No community activities/outreach
o No Sunday School
o No Bible studies

Current situation:
o Building finished, space for growth, attractive facilities.
o Most members now grounded in the Word and engaged in ministry
o Additional trained male leadership available
o Several community activities organized, recognized by the mayor.
o Almost all members involved in a home Bible study. We have studied Romans, 1 Cor, 1 Thess and just finished ‘The Return of Christ’.

At this point it seems that the local pastoral couple we have been helping should be able to assume the full leadership of the church, assisted by the other members.

As for us, this means that we will be able to invest in a new work. We are already starting to investigate several opportunities. One is in an area where there are no evangelical churches near Marseille. Another would be helping start a church targeting Arab speakers.

We will not be making a final decision until next Fall, so there is no hurry, but we appreciate your praying with us as we look into these opportunities.



For the cause of Christ among the less reached of Marseille, Rob & Vicki