Missionaries need exercise and a break from their normal ministry activities. So why not play golf! That was what AGWM personnel, Suzanne Spolarich in France chose to do. But she found that even on the golf course, she had opportunity to share Christ. This happened in a surprising way recently.
Missionaries need exercise and a break from their normal ministry activities. So why not play golf! That was what AGWM personnel, Suzanne
Spolarich in France chose to do. But she found that even on the golf course, she had opportunity to share Christ. This happened in a surprising
way recently.
The course has a “sheriff” as one enters the playing area, verifying that one has paid and places individual players with others to play a round of golf.
On this day the sheriff chatted and asked Suzanne what her work was. She replied that she shared the Gospel, primarily with university students. He
said, “Oh, that’s why you are so calm! A woman of God!” Suzanne states, “I was full of joy that he had noticed there was something different about
me.” He then asked how he could find Evangelical resources in English so Suzanne referred him to Jesus.net.
The “sheriff” then placed Suzanne with two gentlemen to make a threesome for the round of nine holes. Suzanne was pleased that she actually played very well. Then the fellow players asked her to join them for refreshments before leaving the course. Suzanne continues, “We talked and got to know one another. God arranged a wide-open door for me to share my relationship with Jesus. One of the young men had so many questions and admitted he had never read the Bible. He even asked if he could have my phone number so we could meet again. On his cell phone, he indicated in a note under my profile: “golfeusebiblique”…biblical golfer! What a joy to be known as the biblical golfing lady!”
The Bridge International Church in Paris, France held an event which they call “Open Doors” in early Fall. In preparation for that, a team gave invitations to people returning to Paris from summer holidays or arriving in the city for the first time. This was done at various metro subway stations in Paris, distributing invitations to people who were on their way to work. They also gave out balloons and invitations on a Saturday at a park.
At least once during every season, The Bridge has what is called a “Q-Sunday”. People can send in their questions regarding the Bible and the Christian life. The responses are prepared and presented to the congregation at a Sunday service.
In 1999, Isabelle de Joode- Berthon had the opportunity to spend three months on an evangelism tour with the Celebrant Singers, an itinerant musical group based in the USA. The group came to France for three weeks during the tour. It was then that God birthed the desire within her to evangelize her country with a French traveling musical group. This seemed impossible in France and she felt inadequate to make it succeed alone! But God had put a message of hope in her heart that if she would just set in motion such a project, he would support her!
In 2001, God used Isabelle and Didier to gather together about 20 young singers and musicians to form “Solidéo”. Their first tour was launched in July 2002.