Missions Minute - Hawkins (August 2024)

This week’s missionary highlight is from Tom and Bev Hawkins based in a small town called Agnetz, 45 minutes north of Paris, France. They have been a Part of Greater Europe Mission (GEM) since 2014. In a country where 98% of people identify as agnostic or atheist, one of their main goals as missionaries is engaging the local community and building trust and acceptance of Christians and the church.

Since January, Tom has been commuting to Paris two days a week to work at the Ensemble 2024 office, known as “The Hub.” This office is designed to be a central resource for ministry activities in the city, offering rest and supplies for evangelism teams. Located across from a fan zone in the 12th district, The Hub will provide visitors with water, a large-screen TV for events, and restroom facilities. Tom’s HUB activities are on a temporary pause between the Olympics and Paralympics, with the team using this time to clean up and take a break. They will soon resume their full schedule in preparation for the Paralympics. For updates on their work, including a significant story about a Dutch runner who completed 14 marathons in 14 days, you can visit the Ensemble website blog.

At the gallery, the opening night of the art show was a success, though daytime visitor traffic was slower over the next two weeks. A memorable highlight was connecting with a group of Penn University students who were in town for the games. We discovered they were part of a well-known acapella group and enjoyed a special performance from them, which created a delightful exchange of art and music.

The choir directing workshop Bev recently completed was intense but rewarding, offering significant learning opportunities and fostering deep relationships with other participants. This experience demonstrated how quickly artistic people can form strong connections and engage in profound conversations. Even though there weren’t explicitly spiritual discussions, she believes that building these relationships often leads to future spiritual growth.

Prayer Requests:

• Stamina and Physical Renewal: Pray for rest and renewal for Tom and Bev after a busy summer, including intense travel and ministry. They need energy for the upcoming back-to-school period when all activities they participate in will start again.
• Legacy of the Games: Pray for lasting impact from the Olympics, including continued collaboration among churches in France, increased awareness of faith in sports, and ongoing engagement with the gospel.
• Bev’s Fall Planning: Pray for Bev to have focus and energy to plan her fall outreach choir program, Bible study, and other projects.
• Tom’s Transition: Pray for a smooth transition as Tom hands over his Olympic-related roles to a younger successor and as GO+ resumes its leadership in sports ministry. Pray for wisdom and diplomacy during this period of change.