Sharing from saints on the Shepherding Trips:
1. Lille
I’m a 67-year-old widow from New Zealand. Last year, I was able to participate in the gospel trip during OL3 in Lille. The Lord opened the way for me to spend 31 days on a shepherding trip during May-June 2025 with the saints in Lille. What a marvelous experience! I feel like I saw the God-ordained way lived out before my eyes. Each new one is being shepherded one-on-one, progressing steadily through the Basic Elements books. The enjoyment of these dear ones is clearly seen in their enthusiastic singing and their openness to share their experiences and ask questions. Many of them are now being grouped together with local saints in small group meetings. There is no Lord’s Day meeting yet, but a sweet organic church life is developing in a normal way. It was so sweet to be welcomed warmly and to simply join in. We would go from house to house, bring food to share, and simply enjoy the Lord together in the Word and singing. Crucial to my enjoyment was the morning coordination and prayer times with the team, and the small group meeting for the local saints on Fridays. It is also a joy to see quite a number of children being raised up – joyfully singing the children’s songs. There is a new generation of French-speaking saints in Lille! It has been a privilege to be part of what the Lord is raising up in France. May the local saints be strengthened and upheld by the all-sufficient grace, and may the Lord continue to send saints to support them in their tireless labor.
2. Lille
We’re very thankful that we could come for 7 ½ weeks and participate in the Lord’s move in Lille. There have been many saints coming from New Zealand for the shepherding trips since the original gospel trips and each one who comes home shares with others that all must go to France and experience what the Lord is doing. We felt this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—even though we didn’t know at all what we could do. When we arrived in Lille in April, we still didn’t know what to do. Thank the Lord for the heavenly team in Lille. Everything was prepared—we just joined in the schedule, joined in the prayers, joined in the fellowship, and joined in the meetings with the new ones.
We did struggle a lot with the language barrier. Most of the new ones in our group spoke little English, and we couldn’t speak French at all. But a sister told us, “You can cook, and that’s good enough.” So, we just prepared food, opened the door, and welcomed these ones all into our little lounge with big smiles. That was all we could do. Day by day, meeting by meeting, the language barrier may have limited conversations in some ways, but it never stopped the flow of the fellowship of life in the meetings.
It was very encouraging to see the growth in the new ones. It was a great joy to see the veil being rolled away and a smiling face full of joy saying, “I’ve been studying the Bible for sixty years and I have never seen anything like this!” Some of the new ones took over an hour on public transport to come to the meetings. That really touched us. They were so seeking—how could we not try our best to present to them all the riches of this ministry?
Each new one started from The Basic Elements of the Christian Life, Volumes One, Two, and Three, then moved on to The Economy of God—one chapter in each meeting. Those who had been pursuing The Economy of God for a while shared with us their enjoyment. We could see their eyes being opened—they were seeing more and more of the vision of Christ and the church. For years, we often struggled with how to shepherd the new ones and what materials to use to help them. We often brought them to home meetings, hoping that the care and love of the saints would keep them coming. This time in Lille made us realize that our spiritual babies not only need care and love, but most importantly, they need healthy milk. And these books are the best heavenly milk formula—well prepared for them and freely available in both hard copies and e-files.
We thank the Lord for His mercy and grace that brought us through this trip. We truly appreciate the support from the team in Lille and all the prayers from the saints in New Zealand. It is not about what we can do, but about what God wants to achieve. Glory to Him who desires all men to be saved in Lille. He will gain His lampstand here.
3. Toulouse
It was a sweet opportunity to participate in the shepherding trips, particularly in the city of Toulouse.
A few months ago, a brother encouraged me to consider going to France to join the shepherding trips, mentioning the need for support and care among the saints. As I brought it before the Lord, I began to sense that this was not just a suggestion—it was the Lord’s invitation. I now thank the Lord for eight precious weeks in France.
My family of seven with two dear young people from our locality, came to Toulouse. In these past weeks, we experienced the joy of faithfully maintaining what has been labored on in Toulouse. The saints here—most of whom have been gained in the last nine months—gather together in three home meetings, with an average of 20 attending. The age group spans from teenagers to college students to working saints, and a few dear retired ones. What a beautiful picture of growth in the Body!
In the home meeting we have a love feast— a time full of fellowship, enjoyment, and mutual care, and often our gatherings are four hours! It’s been a real blessing to see the sweetness and vitality of these meetings. The saints have opened their homes and their hearts.
There is a group of Spanish-speaking saints in Toulouse. In the meetings we have translation into Spanish, French, and English. Among us are two Spanish-speaking siblings, aged 19 and 17, who are faithful to come to all the meetings. Their presence and openness is a real encouragement and a sign of the Lord’s drawing and shepherding.
Many of the new ones come from territories in Africa as well as ones from the Caribbean, and the Pacific islands, that were formerly under French governance. We currently have one brother from Tahiti and one sister from New Caledonia meeting with us. What a testimony of how the Lord’s move in France can become a gateway for His spread through these new ones throughout the “whole inhabited earth.”
As our time in France comes to a close, many of the saints here have been asking, “When are you coming back?” or “Who is coming next?” These questions speak to both the love that has been built up amongst us and the need that still remains.
Our shepherding trips—when done in fellowship and under the Lord’s leading—can open wide doors for His move. In many cities where the Lord is just beginning to advance, our simple presence gives Him more ground to operate. These shepherding trips are not just about visiting—they are about participating in the Lord’s move and supplying what He needs at this particular time.
For every place where the saints are laboring, loving, and looking to Him for increase, may the Lord continue to shepherd us all into His heart for Europe. I encourage you to consider France—to pray, to visit, to blend, and to labor, even in small ways, for the sake of His move in this part of the earth.