Actually, it’s for famille, as in “Associations Familiales Protestantes“. The Associations Familiales are a network of organisations started generally by either Catholic or Protestant churches to allow their churches to have a more social aspect to their ministry.
In France, churches are organised as legal associations, but these associations are only allowed to organize church services. So, if you want to do anything else with your church, from youth activities to delivering meals to shut-ins, you need a second legal association.
In our area, an Association Familiale Protestante has existed for years, but it was completely inactive. Thomas has tried to get in touch with the contact people, but to no avail. His idea was that perhaps OUR ministry could use this existing structure to facilitate organizing OUR activities.
Well, this dream that Thomas has had for years and had proved to be impossible in the past? A couple of weeks ago, a believer that we know from Niort called us and said, “Hey, there are a group of us that want to revive the Association Familiale Protestante. Would you like to be our contact person for the Melle area?
Would he?
YES!
They’re having their first organizational meeting tomorrow morning. Yet again, we see God suddenly opening a door that we had pushed on and found shut in the past. Please be in prayer that this association would allow us to organize our ministry more easily in the future, and would open up further doors for ministry and cooperation.
