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"Canada has
been a tremendous
learning
experience..."
Pettys included: 5
1 7
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God's Fellow Workers, Inc. /<//A
Steve Petty or luiii Lui In l l il' ^Yot/^-6
Kentucky Christian College
Box
jrNC.
Steve and Joni Petty are making preparations to enter
fellow workers
for the Truth, 3rd John 1:8". Our choice of France comes from somewhat of a special
"Macedonian Call", Steve says. " I worked a summer internship with Dennis Messimer
in Belgium in 1980 and we visited the Petronelli family in France. Mr. Petronelli
said if I would come and help him, he would help me. Presently, the independent
Christian Churches have no works in France.
Steve Petty was born Feb. 15. 1960 and grew up in the Black Oak area of Lewis County.
Kentucky. After graduation from high school, Steve enrolled at Kentucky Christian
College in Grayson, Kentucky. He graduated May 8, 1981 with an A.B. degree and was
ordained May 10, 1981 at the Black Oak Christian Church with definite plans for foreign
missionary service. Steve has participated in several facets of the ministry such as
music, a public campground chaplaincy, youth work, a missionary internhsip, and the
teaching/preaching ministry.
Joni (Rice) Petty was born March 1,1962 and is a native of Zanesville, Ohio where
she attended the North Terrace Church of Christ. She had three years of french before
graduating form Zanesville High School. While attending K.C.C., Joni and Steve
shared their interest for missions and continue to do so after their marriage in
October, 1981. Joni has participated in the Bible Bowl program, teaching, music,
secretarial services, and youth work.
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would be appreciated. Funds may be sent to and information obtained from. God's
Fellow Workers, Inc., sfetoP^SSf'^or Steve Petty, Kentucky Christian College, Box
-ase, Grayson, Ky. 41143-1199, phone: Tom Burbrink (606) 474-6613^ Or" r>/-5
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All Aboard or should it be All Abroad! Yes, this Is our Bon Voyage letter! Our
next letter will be prepared while we are in France. The departure date is set
for May 30th. from Columbus, OH. with People's Airlines. Soon all of the aggra
vation of traveling, living out of suitcases, not knowing if this shirt or that
pair of shoes is in the attic of my parents house, in our U-Haul trailor, or in
one of the boxes in the bedroom, awaiting a response from many of the unanswered
support letters, scheduling speaking engagements, and all of the other trials
found in the life of a missionary recruit raising support will all be over. Of
course, there will still be the adjustment to the French culture and moving to a
place where we can finally put down some roots, but this 1s all a part of reach
ing the goal of two years preparation. We hope that through the update letters
you have been able to share just some of these feelings with us.
I feel sure that you can imagine how hard it will be to say good-bye to families
and friends and board the plane for France, but the blow for us will be soften
ed somewhat since Bruce & Janet Duffy will be flying over with us. The Duffys
-will -be -irtterni-ng with the Messimers -in-Belgium and-we will fly into LondoF^
from there the Duffys will go on to Belgium and we will go to France. The four
of us will be able to spend a considerable amount of time together doing some
survey work in southern France where we plan to begin full-time work. Bruce and
Janet will be returning to the States in August. Janet will be finishing K.C.C.
and they will be raising support for their return to Europe 1f all goes well
this sufimer with their internship. Our first furlough is scheduled for the 3
summer months of 1986 and we hope the Duffys will be able to return to France
with us to begin full-time work as fellow workers for the Truth.
Our present schedule Is packed! Every weekend Is booked except for Resurrection
Sunday which we will be spending with our families. From Feb. to May 30th, we
have or will have visited our 20 supporting churches plus a few first time stops
to possible supporting churches. Some churches will be left out this time but
we promise to catch them during the '86 furlough. We are also using some of our
time to visit families and friends that we will not have the opportunity to see
very often after May 30th.
After our arrival in London, we plan to spend a week with Fred Miller, a fellow
missionary serving in England. We will then go to Lille, France by boat and
train to the Petronellis. The Duffys will be joining us in July for a survey
trip to the south. Later, we will join the Messimers and travel to Venice, Italy
for the European Christian Service Camp(July 17-26) which Is conducted by and for
missionaries and military personnel in Europe each year. From Italy, we will
return to the Messimers in Belgium. The Duffys and we will then attend the
European Lectureship (July 31-Aug. 4) which is conducted yearly by the non-in
strumental missionaries. The Lectureship is held in Nantes, France. These
meetings will be great opportunities for us to meet the missionaries in Europe
and to gather much advice and helpful information for beginning our work in
France. After the Lectureship, the Duffys will be returning to the States and
Joni and I will begin survey and demographic studies of these southern cities;
Montelimar, Avignon, and Nimes. We hope to be permanently settled in one of
these cities by early September. Please be in much prayer about this matter
because in one of these cities we hope the Lord will establish His first con
gregation through us. These cities, as were the cities that Paul evangelized,
are located at the intersection of major highways and are listed as major
cities. If Paul started this way it must be a good place for us to start also.ATTENTION! Important news in following paragraph - Don't miss it, especially
if it concerns you as a fellow v/orker for the Truth!
ATTENTION!
ATTENTION!
ATTENTION!
ATTENTION!
Box 268
$6612.26
Total assets at year end: $13,503.01(You will recall that we had set a goal
' for a $10,000.00 starting fund, well
the Lord through youfes more than ful
filled that goal)
Our monthly committments stand at $1250.00 and again our goal for this was $1500$2000 per month so we are just short of the minimum figure. We still have a few
more churches to visit to present our program for support so we are confident that
He will provide. From one fellow worker to another,"THANKS!" for your part!
cide what group you want to work with. 7.Be married. 8.Let the people study you.
9.Be sure they understand God's word. 10. Baptize. Christopher is the son of
David & Sylvia Corts, East 38th Street Christian Church, Indianapolis. At age 7
I think we could learn much from Christopher. The term "missionary" comes form
the Latin word for "apostle". Usually when we hear the term apostle, we tend to
think of the "twelve" and Paul and the magnificient, miraculous works recorded for
us in the New Testament. But basically the term means,"one who is sent out to
preach the Gospel." France is what church growth scholars call a resistive fieldthat means as a whole the country will not readily accept the Gospel. One of the
greatest reasons for this fact is Catholicism. Catholicism is a big part of
French history, in fact the seat of the papacy was once moved from Rome to Avig
non, France in the late 1300's. As "missionaries/apostles", Joni and I may not
be able to perform the great miracles that the Apostles did, but we will preach
the Gospel and we also recall the words of Christ In John 14:12, "I tell you the
Truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do
even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." Is there a
greater work than preaching the Gospel, the power of God unto Salvation, which
brings those obedient to that Gospel into the New Covenant?! That is a wonderful
miracle! I hav& mentioned all this to make this point that we ask our supporters
to consider and pray about. All of the European missionaries that we have been
in contact with have warned us against discouragement. Many have served many
years with only a few converts as opposed to Africa where hundreds may be won in
only a few years. We are prayerfully aware of this matter and pray you will be
also. Pray for us and for the French people. Pray for us as we communicate the
Gospel and for them to hear and obey the Gospel. Pray that the Holy Spirit pre
pares both Joni & I and the French.
Thanks again for your support and we invite your questions and comments.
1983 EXPENSES: Telephone $249.03; Printing $213.71; Equipment $280.00; Ontario
Christian Seminary $1424.07; Hansa Language Institute $1350.00; Steve & Joni
Qod's d^^^ow^^Ajotkets.^nc.
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4
DEC 1 1 1984
"iVe^come to -dT^^AyiOS!"
As we stopped along the highway to take this picture back in June,
it seemed as if a new life was about to start for us. And it truly
did, a new life of a different style, language, and people. That
was five months ago and still the newness is present. I've always
wondered how a newborn.baby views the world around him and now I
think I can identify somewhat with those feelings. The initial
"culture shock" is over and we are adjusting more and more as we
eyes of the T.V. or films- the attractions are different but the
feelings are -the same. It is for this very reason that we have alot
of opportunities to share our faith because the number one question
is,"Why are you here?" People seem to be really interested in what
we are doing, but for the most part, it is still curiosity more than
a genuine interest. Hopefully, time and understanding will turn the
curiosity into a heart felt desire to know Christ themselves.
and methods.
a knowledge and belief in Christ where> on the other hand, that bar
rier of unbelief or ignorance must be broken .down. Yet other work
ers don*t want to deal with correcting religious doctrine and want
to start with those people who have no religious background or know
ledge.
We will be glad to start with anyone that is willing and our main
outreach right now, since we are still lacking in language skills
and can not truly share our faith effectively in this way, is the
dining room table. We have no conversions to report but we are
making contacts. We also have a home Bible study started in a home
of one of the members of the Lille congregation. I meet with three
fellows my age every Monday to prepare the study and then one of
them presents it the following Friday. Our French course keeps us
busy, also. We have three hours per day five days per week. We
especially enjoy it because it gives us the opportunity to make
many contacts. We are trying to open our home to as many of the
university students as possible. Many young people we have con
tacted have been warned by their parents to watch out for those
Americans because they are with some cult or religious sect. They
do so with reason.
well, the number two question is "Are you Mormons?" Lille just
happens to be the regional center for the Mormon Church in north
ern France, but in some ways that is to our benefit because we thus
are able to explain the Church of Christ and who we are.
of pigs.
discussion was "pets". I said I would like to have some fish. Not
too funny again but the verb for to fish is "pecher" so I logically
concluded that it would work the same as english, we say I'm fish
General DeGaulle once said/ "How do you govern a country that pro
duces 400 different cheeses?" This respect for individuality has
its roots in french philosophy, a subject which has replaced reli
gious education in French schools and, being largely atheistic, has
moulded the religious attitudes of the French nation.
Jean-Paul
nation?
nation.
It is est
ench people for the most part just living from day to day not rea
lizing their need for Christ- like many people in the States that
you may know. The French are a people tired of "tired religion".
Catholicism has long taught that God is reached through the Church.
The problem is that the Church has made God unreachable, in fact
the clergy has become almost unreachable. This impersonal ministry
is one of the main reasons many Catholics have stopped practicing
their faith.
down His hand for us personally to take hold of. They can not be
lieve- that we study the Bible without a priest's guidance. We pray
that they will begin to study with us and find that Hope that is
found in Jesus Christ and not a religion, men, work, or anything
the world can offer.
found their findings very interesting and think that they would
certainly help Churches to understand and better perceive the needs
of their European missionaries. The following was taken from the
Mallory's newsletter (June 1984).
Barbara and Dale have prepared a questionnaire which has been sent
'''a
I f
that Europe is a slow, hard faeld, many missionaries have not been
busy doing his work, cosequenitly, one becomes frustrated, burns out
to carry on the work he was doing. In
:Y
the past fifteen years, thirt missionaries have come to Germany
and returned home. Works hay been started and left to flounder
:y leaves. This lack of continuity has
and/or die when the missionat
limited the effectiveness of mission work here. The Germans find
it difficult to have any trus;t in a Church that is here today and
It is true that the work in Europe is hard and slow. The largest
~ental) in France numbers around 80
Church of Christ (non-instrum
and has been here over 30 years. The next numbers around 45. It is
hard but we have had over 10 non-christians in our Bible study,
quite some time before our first baptism but the Lord adds to His
Church as His people continue to witness by their words and the
we continue to work with the Lille congregation. Pray for the Lord
to lead us as we prepare to Isettle in a city where there is no congregation, after our languag^ study.
each day and what our respon e to that fact should be. Just as He
didn't leave us thinking of is death alone. He arose from the
grave and this should be our response also, to live a "risen" life
in service to God.
P.S. Several people have asl^yid,"What are some of the things you
miss most from the States?"
other than our families whic 1 we miss the most, here's a list of
FRANCE
2 Rue Breve
II im