posted on January 1, 2024
aXcess: Relationally Driven Missional Communities in Paris, France
This is a great opportunity for a highly relational person or couple who has a heart to reach lost people in an urban context. As a cohort member, this individual or couple would be responsible for training disciplemakers and making a strong contribution to evangelism and leadership development efforts that go into the forming of new missional communities of faith that will multiply themselves. Missional communities will contribute to and help advance the national church’s vision to plant and multiply churches.
Position Type
- International worker (IW)–aXcess–Clergy Track
- Church planting, discipleship, evangelism, leadership development
- Partially funded
- Single or couple
Responsibilities:
- Build relationships intentionally and disciple new believers
- Participate in creative ministries and model Christ in word and deed
- Work closely with the other Alliance workers in Paris through ministry and community
- Seek and develop intentional relationships with people from the local culture on a regular basis
- Partake in evangelistic outreach regularly through building relationships, creative connections, and events
- Build a gospel-centered community where people are loved and transformed into Christ’s image
Required Qualifications:
- A recognized bachelor’s degree
- Completion of at least 30 hours of Bible/theology/ministry and 15 hours of intercultural studies
- Spouse must hold a recognized bachelor’s degree and have completed at least 18 hours of Bible/theology, 12 hours of missions/ministry studies (with a minimum of 6 hours in cross-cultural or missions studies)
- Completion of Alliance Polity course
- Completion of Alliance ordination/consecration
- Minimum of two years successful Alliance Licensed Ministry Experience
- A minimum Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) score of 50
- Evangelism and discipleship experience
Preferred Qualifications:
- Previous experience in missional communities and/or church planting
Biblical Characteristics Desired:
- Kingdom-minded
- Biblically grounded
- Spirit-dependent
- Competently skilled
- Self-aware
- Self-disciplined
Timeline for Deployment:
Summer/fall 2025. All appointees are required to attend a cross-cultural and language acquisition program and pre-field course/experience prior to deploying.
General Information:
Like most places where The Alliance has a presence, France is a very challenging environment to work in. It is a post-modern society, which generally shows solid resistance to gospel communication. Our experience of ministry in France has shown that people are responsive to the gospel when invited into a deeply relational and Spirit-filled community. The location of the ministry will be Paris, but other specific ministry details will be discussed during the interview process. Final strategy details will await the completion of a two-year language study period in the country.
World Factbook – France
Joshua Project – France
Language Expectations:
Language is an essential part of ministry. Those who do not know the language will attend a language study program. The goal will be to speak, read, and write the language at a functional level in order to mentor, teach, and train others.
Health Considerations:
France offers excellent health-care options in both the private and public sectors.
Expectations for Spouse:
Spousal roles vary based on the spouse’s gifts, training, and abilities as well as the needs of the team. It is expected that both spouses will be meaningfully involved in meeting ministry objectives depending on the nature of family roles, children, etc.
Family ministry is important in this context as the people being reached value family highly.
Children’s Educational Plan and Options:
Local schools and some bilingual schooling options are available. Homeschooling is not an option in France. Black Forest Academy in Germany is an option for children in high school.
Compensation Package
The successful applicant(s) will receive a full compensation package with the expectation that, once appointed, efforts will be made to raise a portion of support costs through the applicant’s network of friends, family, local church, or other resources. Information on support costs will be made available upon application. Training and/or coaching in fundraising is available.
Whole-Life Health
As part of an evangelical denomination, we are committed to biblical holism, which is modeled and reflected through our work. Due to this commitment, part of the required qualifications includes optimal emotional, spiritual, and physical health. These will be assessed during the application process.
Importance Clarification
Applicant(s) should be aware that serving in the international world often requires a higher degree of grace and flexibility. For example, overseas teams can be suddenly and unexpectedly impacted by illness, government decisions, financial realities, team changes, or other factors beyond the team’s control. The challenge for applicants is that these factors can sometimes necessitate the sudden redefining of a position, which may take place before, during, or after the application/interview process has begun or is completed.
Questions?
Please email the IPO office at [email protected].