A taste of Tours

I’ve been supporting France Mission for some time, and praying for the church to grow in France, so in autumn 2023 I was thrilled to be able to combine a holiday in Tours in the lovely Loire valley, with time getting to know a group of Christians there.

Paul Cooke kindly put me in contact with Sarah & Jack Winterburn who are ECM missionaries at the Perspectives church in Tours. I had the privilege of “shadowing” Sarah in her usual work. A big thank you to her for all her planning for my visit and for her welcome. Meeting everyone from Tours church and elsewhere was an inspiration and real blessing.

We went to a meeting of leaders from many different churches busy organising events and another time of praise in a Catholic church open to all.

On the Sundays I went along to the church services in Tours and helped with different children’s groups. All ages learn about the same Bible stories in their own way, so I shared in learning about the Fall, and then how God rescued people through Noah. Sarah leads worship with other musicians and Jack shares in the preaching.

I was so encouraged by Tours church because alongside more mature Christians to give support and guidance, there are new people coming to church and to faith. There was an atmosphere of expectation and excitement as people discover the love and power of Christ in their lives.

Both Sarah and Jack also volunteer at a nearby community centre. I welcomed and chatted to people with Sarah, and with Jack leafletted the surrounding houses to advertise a forthcoming jumble sale! The centre has two charity shops, one selling clothing and the other bric-a-brac and books, and is also the base for the local food bank which is a lifeline for many families in the area.

We also visited the little town of Loches south-east of Tours. There a very small group of Christians have a lovely shop-front church. They are faithful and full of life, but desperately in need of help and leadership to be able to grow the church. Please join me in prayer for this fellowship so that they can be encouraged and also for the Tours church to grow in numbers and in maturity in Jesus.

Paul Cooke adds… Three months after Jennifer returned from France, I received the following news from Naomi Berthonneau at the Perspectives church in Loches:

When I gave the last update in June, I said many questions remained unanswered but that we serve an amazing God who takes care of His people. This has certainly been true for us the past few months. I’m happy to report that things are going well in Loches. Marc Van Eijden (who pastors the Perspectives church in Tours) has settled into his role, and we’re blessed to have him 3 out of 4 Sundays. This has brought a much-needed stability and reassurance to the members. Marc’s experience and wisdom have proved invaluable and have helped clarify many questions leading to renewed enthusiasm. Some new people have started attending and the Youth Alpha course that we started last year has opened up amazing conversations with teenagers. Financially, God has provided wonderfully. We’ve gone from barely having enough money to pay the rent to being able to budget for projects in 2024. How amazing is that! So, my heart is filled with gratitude, excited to see what God will do in and around Loches, where He will lead us in 2024 and how we can partner with Him to make disciples.