None of this is really about us. We, the Kennedy family, are included in but a few chapters of God’s Great Story. We hope as you read the stories of our journey as disciples of Jesus, that you too are inspired to consider how God is writing your life into His Story. |
“So Joshua said to the Israelites: ‘How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you? Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me.” Joshua 18:3-4 |
Now entering into our seventh month of life here in France, we feel ourselves moving past “setting up” life to “settling into” life here. We are no longer figuring out how things work, but rather we are beginning to understand how things work. What a profound difference! As life increasingly makes sense to us here, along with this has come a new sense of home. There is so much joy in that word: HOME. We are making home here and that feels so good. |
Finding HOME in the Savoie |
As we get to know the Savoie region of France, it is increasingly clear why God has called us here. These are our people. Surrounded by mountains and nature, the savoyard people are deeply connected to creation. They are a proud people who work hard and take little for granted. They celebrate the origins of the food they eat, where cows happily roam the mountainside blessing us with amazing milk, cheese and meat. The savoyard people are truly “down to earth” in the most literal sense. We are continually amazed at how easily we have felt accepted and welcomed by the people in this region of France. It is as if God placed inside of us a longing that is fulfilled here. Our hearts are here. |
More than a good feeling… When we first visited this region ten years ago, we felt God impress upon our hearts that this is where we needed to be. But we never fully knew WHY Aix-les-Bains, or WHY the Savoie. Over the past year and a half or so God has given Joel (the visionary of our family) a metaphor to direct our future focus for ministry. It can be summed up in the concept of “Discipleship Ecosystems”. Both profound and broad, the metaphor of an ecosystem perfectly describes how we feel called to disciple others. Why? Simply said, ecosystems are how God works in the world. Period. Take a moment with us to picture an ecosystem in your mind. What elements do you see? No doubt your image includes aspects of fertility, sustainability, biodiversity, interdependence, complexity, and fruitfulness. Ecosystems are behind God’s design in ALL of His creation. And in reading the Great Commission in Matthew 28 and in Mark 16 we hear Jesus’ final commands to his disciples: “‘I have all authority in heaven and on earth therefore go and make disciples…’ and ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation’”. In the Great Commission and throughout scripture, we see God’s design in creation (as ecosystems) played out in His design for the church. |
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So how do we use the metaphor of an ecosystem to create a mindset for discipleship? A concrete example can be found in observing the practices of a farming movement known as “regenerative agriculture”. Very basically, this farming philosophy aims to build farm-sized ecosystems which strive to foster holistic growth and vitality of all life : in the soil, above the soil, and amongst all living things connected to the ecosystem of the farm. As we compare and contrast Jesus movements that multiply disciple makers (seen today and in church history) with the principles of regenerative agriculture (building ecosystems), the parallels are overwhelmingly numerous. In many of Christ’s parables and echoed throughout scripture, Jesus himself teaches through metaphors of soil health and the created world to define progress and health within the church in terms of sustainability, complexity and fruitfulness. The Bible frequently references creation to bring understanding to concepts like spiritual growth, maturity and multiplication. Grounded in scripture, we have confidence that the vision of “establishing discipleship ecosystems” is God-inspired and has been given to us to steward as our foundation for ministry.
This is the vision that WE have been called to realize here in France. And this is the vision we believe God wants YOU to partner with Him (and us) in: establishing discipleship ecosystems. Discipleship is at the core, it is the goal. Ecosystems are the how, the way to do it. |
A perfect place to plant… As we take opportunities to get to know the Savoie region, its people and their culture, we are discovering something rather amazing. The Savoie people are by very nature perfectly suited to receive and understand the concept of discipleship ecosystems. As people of the “terroir” who live off the land and are connected to nature, this discipleship framework is so culturally relevant in this part of France. Incredible, non? Establishing Discipleship Ecosystems: |
As we settle into life here in France, our daily rhythm in ministry is becoming increasingly focused. We are now in a season of more intense language learning and cultural understanding with our tutor Valérie. And with the start of school and building other connections in the city, we are finding new avenues to establish relationship and community. Through these aspects of “living life” we find ourselves in a season of “soil analysis”, essentially, understanding the “spiritual soil” of this region and nation. There is so much richness in paralleling the health of the “earth’s soil” with man’s “spiritual soil”. Stay tuned for the next chapter where we will discuss our thoughts on this further. |
Noëlle & Brennan making HOME… |
It is with so much joy and gratitude that we report that school is going very well for the kids. Both Noëlle and Brennan LOVE school. In fact, Brennan recently said that he is a bit sad that he doesn’t have school on Wednesdays because he likes it so much (French kids don’t go to school on Wednesdays). Wow. Thank you God. They both are making friends, and as per Noëlle, this makes France feel like home. Outside of school, the kids are also both settling into life here with activities they love. We found a great ballet school for Noëlle so she could continue her love of dance. And Brennan has been able to continue his martial arts passion at a Judo club just down the street. |
Our church family: Le Rivage We are so thankful to be growing in relationships and getting involved in our church here in Aix-les-Bains, Le Rivage. We have also joined a new small group made up of young families whom we are getting to know. |
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- Pray for the Savoie People, that God would create opportunities for us to share love and Jesus’s message of hope with them.
- Please pray for our family. Pray for physical health and spiritual protection. There is much spiritual darkness in France. Spiritual warfare is real and we often feel we are right in the middle of the battle. Please pray God would fill us with His strength, courage and light. Pray for wisdom as He guides us to shine this light into the dark places around us.
- God has put into motion a unique opportunity to buy a house here in a neighbourhood that we feel is a perfect place for our family to establish community and put down roots. Please pray for wisdom moving forward in this, that God would make His will clear.
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Excited about discipleship ecosystems?
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If you resonate with the concept of discipleship ecosystems and want to join in the conversation, we would love to hear from you. We are so encouraged by those who are growing in excitement along with us and want to partner with us as we put these ideas into practice. So reach out! We would love to hear from you. |
Want to help us meet our funding needs?
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As we discover the true costs of living here, our long term financial needs are presently in flux. Because rent is so high, the prospect of buying a home will certainly relieve some of our financial shortfall. However, if we are to remain here long term, we still need to increase our monthly support through new financial partners. Would you consider joining our financial team? Increasing your giving? Or sharing our ministry story with a friend who might be inspired to partner with us? |
In love, gratitude and joy, |
Greater Europe Mission CanadaPO Box 82540, Ritson Centre, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada |
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