Update from Paris 🇫🇷 23 days in!
JESUS IS WORTHY OF PARIS: What is Needed, How we are Responding, and How You Partner with us in Prayer
It has been 23 days since we arrived in France and we have already overcome some real challenges with God's gracious help.
A lot has changed in the last 2.5 weeks since our last update. By the way, God healed Madison Rose’s teeth! No root canal needed. After two weeks, the horrible pain and inflammation are gone, hallelujah!
We have updates on what is needed here, now, how we are responding by faith, and how you can partner with us in prayer.
While we are very much still settling in to life in Paris, God has been moving in powerful ways. According to some faithful leaders in the local community of faith here, we arrived at just the right time.
What is Needed!
The Lord has highlighted a few key needs here:
There is a serious need for discipleship, especially for young leaders, for new followers of Jesus, and for those who are interested in God, intrigued by Jesus but not yet committed to following Him.
Our church is growing and there is a serious need for more community group leaders willing to start new community groups and host weekly dinner parties at their apartments around the city. These dinner parties are a fusion of a community group, food, and house church. These dinner parties are the primary means through which discipleship, fellowship, and relationship-building happen at our local church.
We have over 80-90 souls gathering weekly in just a handful of tiny apartments. We’re bursting at the seams. Some groups have so many souls that they cannot welcome any newcomers because they have no space left!
Our current dinner party community is so packed into a tiny living room that there are people sitting in hallway, out of view but close enough to hear the discussions.
It’s time for multiplication!
At the church, there is a need for worshippers willing to join the corporate worship team.
At the prayer & worship ministry, there is a need for faithful servants without an ulterior agenda and someone willing to lead corporate prayer and intercession, inviting all those present and tuning in to pray and respond to our awesome God’s love, grace, & goodness as ambassadors of Christ and His Kingdom in Paris.
How We Are Responding!
We need prayer and we’ve received some clear confirmation on how we can partner with the Lord here.
[Re Discipleship] It is clear, discipleship is essential. Madison Rose and I are committed to responding to Jesus’ Great Commission and God is already providing new friendships, growing relationships, and numerous discipleship opportunities and ongoing conversations as we walk alongside people here.
God’s also provided a prospective opportunity to come alongside some faithful leaders to really invest in young leaders here. We’re really excited about this and cherish your prayers as we follow the Lord and seek His will on this.
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:18-20
[Re the need for more community group leaders] Our church asked asked if we are willing to lead a community group and host weekly dinner parties and after some trainings and prayer, the Lord granted us clear direction!
We get to start a new community group/dinner party at a new friend’s apartment in the 15th arrondissement next week.
We will get to facilitate discipleship, fellowship, and relationship-building, welcome newcomers, help prepare weekly meals we can all enjoy together, and be a part of Christ building His church in this city! Hallelujah!!
[Re the need for worshippers] God beautifully provided Madison Rose a guitar through a woman of God we met since arriving and connected us to worship leaders who are thrilled to welcome Madison and her heart to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.
[Re the need for faithful servants and corporate prayer and intercession] The Lord has encouraged us to serve in the worship & prayer ministry, to share our love for Christ, and to be willing to lead times of corporate prayer & intercession.
We are so excited for what our Lord has in store. It is such a privilege to be apart of what our God in doing here.
We need prayer!
First and foremost, pray as the Lord leads you! Below are just a few specific prayer requests.
[Re Discipleship & Serving] We ourselves are disciples of Jesus and want to faithfully follow Him and walk in His ways, with humble and tender hearts before Him. We want to encourage others toward our Good Shepherd and make disciples in His image, not ours, led and empowered by His Spirit of truth. It’s our honor to invest in souls that our Savior cares for more than we can fathom. We need prayer to see and love these souls more and more like Jesus does!
[Re Community Group Hosting] We’re so blessed to get to start this new community group/dinner party in SW Paris and need God’s grace, strength, wisdom, & love, and to lead well by following Christ as He works through us to facilitate discipleship, fellowship, and relationship-building, welcome newcomers, help prepare weekly meals we can all enjoy together, and be a part of Christ building His church in this city!
[Re a Home] We plan to be in this ~10x10 studio for nearly 3.5 more months. Re a longer-term home-base, the Lord has instructed us to wait on Him and trust He will bring the place He’s specifically prepared to us. We know we need a miracle. Good thing our God is quite the miracle worker. We cherish your prayers and desire to trustingly wait on our faithful God to provide as only He can, rather than disobey and seek to take matters into our own hands. By faith, we believe He will provide a space for us to grow, not damp and dark but bright and sunny, and not far away from all the Kingdom work He’s called us to do. We believe the Lord wants us to be present and available to be apart of what He’s doing in Paris, not far off where things might be bigger and cheaper. All things are possible with God!
[Re Finances] God has already provided 1/4 of what we need monthly! We trust our mighty God can and will provide for us. He is able. We are not fearful nor stressed. We do need faithful ones to support us and God’s wisdom to reach out according to His will. Please pray for hearts to be prepared and moved by God to partner with Him in what He is doing here in Paris through us by partnering with us through praying and giving.
Thank you for your faith-filled prayers. We need them.
Sincerely,
Tanner & Madison Rose
