Praying 365 in FranceDave Roberts - 3 Dec 2013

France is a nation of great spiritual need. 80% of French people have never opened a Bible. It is one of the most medicated nations in the world. There are more New Age workers than there are Christian church workers. 

Dave Roberts, who helped Pete Greig write Red Moon Rising, and his wife Sharon, moved to France and planted a Prayer Room with a passion to mobilise a year of prayer for France across the nation. The adventure has also led them to open a retreat centre in Dieppe, a port town of strategic importance, known as La Passarelle.

Why La Passerelle?

It’s a French phrase meaning bridge or gateway. Dieppe is a significant French port as a link to Britain, a place of commerce and a place from which the French explored the world. We believe it can be a gateway for a new Holy Spirit breakthrough. It has a heritage of radical Christianity, was loved by Impressionist painters and has a communist mayor. It’s a wonderful melting pot which needs a bigger Jesus ingredient.

What would an average month at La Passerelle involve?

We have a dedicated Prayer Room in the house. Some people come on personal retreat, others because they have a heart to pray for France. We also host student groups, French pastors and youth groups who come and pray here as part of training days.

We’ve hosted people from 4 different Normandy churches and that has sparked a prayer training weekend in a town called Lillebonne. We’ve started creating a wide range of prayer resources in French for use in local prayer rooms and 24-7 prayer weeks around France and further afield.

What is the Pray365 France year of prayer all about?

We’re seeking to recruit 50+ churches, prayer groups or individuals, who will make it a priority to pray for churches and mission in Upper Normandy in all their normal meetings and small groups during a designated week.

The area has 1.8 million people and about 68 Protestant churches. There are many Catholic churches and positive signs of growth with several doing the Alpha Course – but some priests have as many as 20-35 parishes to look after.  A town like Eastbourne, where we come from, has about 68 churches for 110,000 people.

Prayer can help change our hearts and prepare us for mission.

You can find out more about La Passerelle Retreat and Pray365 France