Pray for Lyon city, France
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Lyon Population: 1.26 million people; includes 150,000 Muslims
Lyon - Who Wants Jesus?
It is no simple task to proclaim the gospel in the Lyon area. With a largely Catholic past, the city follows French national trends and has been formally dedicated to the Virgin Mary. While 70% of French people call themselves Catholics, less than 10% are practicing. Protestants and evangelicals form about 1.75% of the population. About 25% of the French place their faith in astrology and mediums; over 15% spend several billion euros per year on occult consultations. Others profess no religion.
Muslims in Lyon
The majority of Muslims in the Lyon area, many who have lived there for several generations, come from North African countries such as Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. Cities such as Vanissieux in the greater Lyon area are well known for their large Muslim population, which includes a hard core of fundamentalists. A South African Muslim preacher who died last year, Ahmed Deedat, poisoned their minds for many years against the Bible with his video teachings. He influenced many young Muslims in the area with his statements against the Bible, which were rarely scholarly or honest. Christian workers are often confronted with accusations against Christianity rather than with hungry seekers. In addition, there is a growing lack of respect among the younger population, not only toward their elders, but also toward their own religion, even though they publicly express their opinions loudly and repeatedly in its defense.
The Christians in Lyon
Most former Muslims say they came to faith through the steady witness of French Christian friends. Some are growing in maturity but others still carry heavy baggage from difficult childhoods. Of the 150,000 Muslims in the Lyon area, there are about 40-50 practicing Christians from a Muslim background; most of them have been believers for several years. A few more convert each year. Since 2001, a group of former Muslim believers has been meeting regularly with culturally appropriate worship songs and special meals. This group is growing in faith, encourages church participation, and is involved in active witness to Muslims.
Missions to Lyon
Eight people from different missions are specifically reaching out to Muslims, as are some of the 5,000-plus evangelical/charismatic believers in the city. Several Catholics in the Lyon area have made significant efforts to build relationships and dialogue with Muslims, however they generally do not seek to bring them to faith in Christ in an explicit way.
Prayer guide for Lyon, France:
* Pray for a spiritual breakthrough in Lyon among the Muslims and the French people.
* Pray for workers, who can be culturally sensitive and determined in the face of opposition, to work among the young Muslims.
* Christians working among Muslims in France almost always need to address occult influences in the lives of Muslims as well as resentment over experiences of racism and prejudice from portions of the French population. Ask God to equip His servants to deal with these challenges.
Background on France (World Factbook)
Although ultimately a victor in World Wars I and II, France suffered extensive losses in its empire, wealth, manpower, and rank as a dominant nation-state. Nevertheless, France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. Since 1958, it has constructed a presidential democracy resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier parliamentary democracies.
In recent years, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common exchange currency, the euro, in January 1999. At present, France is at the forefront of efforts to develop the EU’s military capabilities to supplement progress toward an EU foreign policy.
Economy of France
France is in the midst of transition from a well-to-do modern economy that has featured extensive government ownership and intervention to one that relies more on market mechanisms. The government has partially or fully privatized many large companies, banks, and insurers, and has ceded stakes in such leading firms as Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales. It maintains a strong presence in some sectors, particularly power, public transport, and defense industries. With at least 75 million foreign tourists per year, France is the most visited country in the world and maintains the third largest income in the world from tourism.
About France
Population: 64,057,790 (total)
note: 60,876,136 in metropolitan France (July 2008 est.)Life Expectancy at Birth: 80.87 years
Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities
Religions: Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%
Languages: French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Literacy: 99%
Lyon (France) - the Video
Sights and Sounds from Lyon City, France
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March 14th, 2007 at 10:36
[Trackback] Background information about France can be found on this page. [...]
October 12th, 2007 at 9:04
An Algerian couple now living in France were born and raised in Kabylie in Northern Algeria. When the wife, named Djouzia, was eight years old she became furiously angry when she was told by other Muslims that God only speaks Arabic and that she must communicate with Him in that language only. (Many Kabyles, who have their own Berber language, hate Arabic because it reminds them of centuries of oppression). One evening as a lttle girl Djouzia went outside and looked up at the sky and saw the face of a man smiling down at her. She was so excited that she ran to get her mother and tried to show her the face, however, her mother did not see anything. This happened for three consecutive nights, until her mother forbade Djouzia to go out for fear that her daughter was losing her mind. But that gentle smiling face never left Djouzia’s mind.
Years later, after her marriage, Djouzia asked her father-in-law, an iman (an Islamic religious leader), whether that face could have been Mohammed. He replied : “No, that could not have been Mohammed. It was surely Jesus because the Koran clearly states that Jesus is the only prophet who never sinned. And therefore, it could not have been Mohammed.” Djouzia then asked how she could contact Jesus and her father-in-law replied : “That would be wonderful, unfortunately, Islamic law forbids us to do that.” This was extremely frustrating for Djouzia!
Several years later when both she and her husband arrived in France, they met some Kabyle Christians. Djouzia’s husband was a practicing Islamic fundamentalist who wanted to overthrow the Algerian government in order to establish an Islamic Republic. He was not interested in Djouzia’s search for the “gentle face.” However he did not want her to go to Christian meetings alone and without his protection and supervision. Therefore he accompanied Djouzia and it was during those meetings that they both believed in the Messiah.