France Friday, 3-30-12

“The best praying man or woman is the man or woman who is most believingly familiar with the promises of God.  After all, prayer is nothing but taking God’s promises to Him and saying, “Do as You have said.”  Prayer is the promise utilized.  Prayer not based on a promise has no true foundation.”    

                                                                         -Charles Spurgeon

      Thank you for joining us in prayer today, equipped with the promises of God!  Here's one of my favorite promises about prayer:  

"14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him."     

                                                           -1 John 5:14-15

     God has made it clear that his desire and mission (his will) is to see disciples from every nation (or peoples), so we can go to the throne with confidence that He hears us as we pray for France.  

•    Pray for God to provide as we strive to reach 25% of our pledged monthly support we'll need in France by May.
•    As we've mentioned previously, our friend David Lohnes, World Team missionary in France for over 25 years, is making a special trip to Memphis in a couple of weeks for 9 days to speak on our behalf and to share the need in France.  Pray for opportunities that will make the most of his time here.   
• Pray for the churches and missionaries in the towns of Meru and Gisors as they seek to use the "Alpha Course" to introduce the French to the gospel.  It's about a 12-week study and they are finishing up the course in Meru and making preparations to begin the course in Gisors.  Pray that God will open up their eyes to the good news of the gospel! 

  

 

"All About France" Friday!

36 "Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

                                                                                                                                  -Matt. 9:36-38

Did you know...

• In the area of France where we will be serving there is approximately ONE evangelical church for every 80,000 people. If you live here in the southern US, you, like us, will pass two to three churches on the way to your own.
• 51% of the French population describe themselves as Catholic, but only half of those believe in the existence of God.
• 31% of the French are professing atheists.
• The Muslim population in France is at 7% and growing.
• Evangelical Christians make up less than 1% of the French population.

When I read the passage above, and then look at these stats about the spiritual condition in France, I can't help but picture Jesus looking down on the French people with compassion for His "lost sheep."  Verse 38 gives one of the few times that Jesus tells us what to pray for: pray for God to send out workers to His harvest fields!  Thanks for praying that God would send us (among others) to reach the French people.  

• Pray that God would provide as we strive to reach 25% of our pledged monthly support by May.  
• Pray for me (Brandon) as I go to Blue Mountain College this Sat. morning to participate in their ministry conference and share about our calling to France.   
• Pray that God would bring about a time of harvest in France which has been so spiritually dry. 

Wanna find out more about the need in France?  Check out this short video.

FRANCE FRIDAY!

Did you know?...

Here are the prayer updates for this week...

      *  PRAISE!- We have had several people join with us this week financially bringing us a little bit closer to our goal of 25% by May.  Continue to pray that we will reach that goal.

• Pray that God will raise up people that can help us with the logistics of our support raising (graphic design, babysitting, prayer support, event planning, etc....).  We have also had a few people share an interest in helping us in different ways.  Specifically, I could use some help with childcare while we are meeting with people.
• Two of our three kids have been battling the flu this week.  Pray that the rest of us stay healthy and that we are able to keep pushing forward and not lose momentum as life happens.
• Our friends and missionaries to France, the Lohnesses, are finishing up "The Alpha Course" where the basics of the Gospel are being presented in a series of several weeks in Meru, France.  They have seen a good response as well as resistance from the enemy.  Please pray that they will not lose heart and finish strong.  Pray that those who are being prompted by the Holy Spirit to respond will do so.

Thanks again for partnering with us in prayer each Friday.  We know that your prayers are being heard and that our God is showing Himself to us through this process.

Fridays for France, 3-9-12

Hello to all!  Thank you for setting aside some time to pray for us and the work in France today.  In case you missed it, check your email for our March newsletter.  If you're not on our mailing list and want to be added, please let us know!  Here are some ways you can pray specifically this week: 

• Please pray that we will reach 25% of the pledged monthly support that we will need by May. 

• For God to raise up people that can help us with the logistics of our support raising (graphic design, babysitting, prayer support, event planning, etc....).  There's a lot to be done and Michelle and I struggle to find time to do everything, or we lack the skills and knowledge to do some things in a timely manner.  
   
• For one new contact this week that could join our support team

• Please pray for the Huss family.  Noah Huss worked with the U.S. mobilization team in the World Team U.S. office and was killed in a car accident this week.  Pray for his wife Rachel and their three boys 

      Thanks again and remember that we serve a big God!  Have a great week,  The Burches

First Friday for France

"Cease striving, relax, let go" "and know that I AM GOD; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."  -Psalm 46:10

As Brandon said in his post earlier this week, we are going to be more intentional and specific with posting prayer requests each Friday.  We invite you to join us in prayer.  Here are the specifics for this week:

• Pray that God will provide our financial monthly support.  We are currently at just under 10% and have made it our goal to be at 25% by May.  Pray that God will put it on people's hearts to give and/or pledge to give.  
• Pray that we will have more opportunities to share about the needs in France and how people can partner with us in this ministry.   
• Pray for the Shorbs who moved to France just over a year ago to do church planting.  They have two sons, one born since they moved there.  You can find out more about their adventures here.

Thanks so much for praying with us.  We look forward to updating you on God's goodness each week as well!

*I did not take the picture in this post.  I saw it on pinterest.