Being the Light of Jesus in Your Community
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
July 4, 2018
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
It’s the 4th of July here as well as where you live, but it is business as usual here! This morning I was out doing banking and Judy was having a meeting with the ladies of the Tournefeuille Church discussing plans for children’s Sunday School classes for the next few months. We hope you are enjoying the holiday along with your family.
The past weekend was filled with fellowship. Sunday, after the morning service, the church families met at a nearby park to enjoy a shared picnic. The evening before, Judy and I had a dinner together with some of the folks in Mazere where we worked for over a dozen years. God continues to be at work using the believers there.
The month has also included large social events with folks who are not from the church. One of these was our neighborhood annual pot luck dinner. God has often opened doors during these gatherings and this year was no different. We had excellent discussions with some present. One neighbor told me that he had not forgotten our earlier discussions and certainly wanted to come attend a service.
Another event, held a couple of weeks ago at Philip and Amanda’s home, was a piano recital of her students. The place was packed and snack and chat time followed. I had a lengthy discussion about spiritual things with a young married man who lives across the street from Philip and Amanda. These, along with the daily contacts that we have with our neighbors are the primary means of being the light of Jesus in our communities. France is a very secular society. Roughly half of those who make up the population proclaim without hesitation to be atheist and there is a general aversion to religion, so it is out in the community that we share Christ.
The witness of believers of all ages is important. We continue to see God at work through middle and high school students who are part of our church. During this past year there have been 13 youth from our assembly and 18 others who are their friends who have come to youth meetings. Typically there 15-20 kids at each meeting where a clear presentation and discussion of the Gospel of Jesus Christ take place.
Thank you for your faithful prayers and giving.
In France to live and proclaim Christ,
John and Judy
John Mark & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online
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Recalling the Start of Making Disciples in France
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
June 4, 2018
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The question arises from time to time, “How did you start the church where you are?” This is an excellent question. This past week we were vividly reminded of how the process of making disciples here began. We had the privilege of receiving for dinner and the Sunday meeting, Ursula, the first person to be touched by the Lord at the beginning of our efforts here. Ursula was here with her daughter, Veronika, who was about five when she and her younger sister came with their mother to Sunday School. She is now a fine young lady of 23 doing internship near us.
John & Judy with Ursula and Veronika
The neighborhood had a special welcome home party potluck for John & Judy. The party theme was “Dress like an American”.
Children at the neighborhood’s special welcome home party potluck for John & Judy. The party theme was “Dress like an American”.
In September 2000, we moved to Tournefeuille where we knew no one. The day we signed the rental contract on our house we were invited to a neighborhood gathering in the street a few dozen feet from our house. One of the neighbors organized the snack time so that all the new home renters could get to know each other. That event was an answer to prayer in ways I do not have the space to retell here. At this gathering, word got around that we were here to communicate the word of God and Ursula introduced herself and let us know that she would like to come to Bible studies. She a key person that God used to help us start here. She was very friendly and brought her friends and people she befriended. Ursula and her family returned to the home area of Germany in 2003. She expresses the fact that the crossing of our paths here changed her life. It was great to review those early days. I am including a picture of Ursula, Veronika and us following Sunday morning service.
One of our neighbors stopped by in early May to say that since we had been out of town for so long and missed the last couple neighborhood gatherings they wanted to have a special welcome home party potluck for us. The party theme was “dress like an American.” I am including pictures of the adults and children at this party which will give you an idea of how they visualize Americans. You might try to guess who Judy and I were trying to impersonate from an old TV series that was quite popular here. It was great to renew these acquaintances and keep the links warm for communicating the Good News of Jesus Christ. That evening I had the opportunity to spend a good amount of time giving the message of salvation to a man who is a new neighbor next to us.
The annual neighborhood party is to be held this coming Saturday evening. We thank God for all of these opportunities He gives us to link up with people and build credibility to communicate the Good News.
Thank you for your participation which enables us to be here as lights in this and other communities. God continues to work through the believers here for His glory and we are encouraged.
From southern France,
John and Judy
John Mark & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280
Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online
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Every Disciple is a Missionary
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
August 31, 2017
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The news from Southern France is good. Participation in the Sunday meetings has been good. This coming Saturday, September 2, will be the first youth meeting for the new school year. It has been a great blessing to have Philip and Amanda and our grandchildren serving with us. What great missionaries they are. Our Granddaughters have been very effective in reaching their friends in the public schools where they attend. Their parents have done and continue to do a great job in encouraging the girls in their walk with Christ and have been great examples as they reach out to their neighbors, co-workers and others with whom they have formed relationships in their community.
Our passion is to make disciples and every disciple is a missionary. This is how the Gospel impacted lives in the first decades following the baptism of the Holy Spirit at Jerusalem on Pentecost. Note Luke’s inspired words, “And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (emphasis is mine) Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. (Acts 8:1-4) Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. (Acts 11:19-21)
Judy has completed the therapy following her kneecap surgery but continues to work hard at getting full normal use of her leg. We walk in the neighborhood and exercise at the YMCA in Evansville. In these two activities, we have been able to make many contacts and have had many good conversations. Judy is now meeting weekly with a lady she met who needs Christ. They are studying through the Gospel of Matthew.
Peggy is doing better. One of the blessings we have is to participate in a Bible study she has with a couple in her home. The lady trusted Christ after being in a Bible study with Peggy for over a year and a half. She has followed the Lord in baptism. The husband is very interested. Just since we have been here the study has gone through the two letters from Peter and is now in first John.
Thank you for your faithful participation in the ministry in France and the continued support as we serve here while waiting to return to France.
Rejoicing in Christ, John and Judy
Temporary Address
John and Judy Hatcher
1901 Shepherd Dr.
Evansville, IN 47715
jmhatcher[at]aol.com
Field Address
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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New Video from France!
A new video with information about John Mark & Judy Hatcher’s ministry in France is available on our YouTube channel.
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [July 2015]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
June 27, 2015
Dear Fellow Servants,
It hardly seems possible that I last wrote you just 4 weeks ago. This has been a busy and blessed month and it seems to me as if 3 months have passed since my last letter to you.
On Tuesday of this week our daughter Lydia gave birth to a beautiful daughter, our 11th grandchild. We are full and running over with God’s blessings. I will insert here a few words from Lydia written the morning following Jeanette Miriam’s birth:
Jeanette: a form of John, meaning “God is gracious”, also a bit of a family name for me. This name reminds us (and hopefully someday her) of the gracious gift of legacy she has. A legacy that includes, but extends far beyond the “Johns” in her family line. A legacy not focused on great acts performed for God, but on God’s great grace extended to those who go before her. Grace that has been extended in all seasons. We want her to know this legacy, because we want her to know this God, whose grace will carry her.
Miriam: the Hebrew form of “Mary”, mother of Jesus. A woman who surrendered herself to the will of God as his servant. Clueless, as she treasured the early events of her son’s life in her heart, what her surrender would mean. Bearing the weight of social stigma was only the beginning of the sword that would pierce her own soul as Simeon prophesied. She was called to be a refugee, to face the fear of a twelve year old runaway, to be “pushed out” of her son’s life on account of strangers, to watch her eldest child crucified surrounded by lies. May our daughter someday have the faith to declare herself fully surrendered to the will of God, even though she has no clue what His will may bring.
Judy was able to be there at the time of the birth and is staying 3 more weeks to help with the newborn and 3 other children. I am in France with the weeks scheduled tight and basking in the sunshine of God’s grace though missing Judy tremendously.
Just as Jeanette was being born, I was at funeral in a town north of us. A brother of a man I discipled for several years was killed in a paragliding accident. The Religious structure was packed with people and many were standing outside the door. There were over 300 people present in the middle of a work day. The man whose empty body lay in the casket before us was 48 years old at the time of his death and left a widow with 2 teenage sons. I grieved at the empty pagan christianity displayed in the traditional religious ceremony. I observed my friend who was with his family while not participating in the hopeless activities other than to help his mother as she got up and down to participate in various parts of the mass. I prayed that God would open the eyes of the family and draw them to Himself. I prayed that Jean-François would have the privilege of leading them to Christ.
In last month’s letter I mentioned that a lady in the assembly at Tournefeuille had given birth to a baby girl. The day after I wrote was Sunday and the child’s father insisted that they come to Sunday morning service on their way home from the hospital. This was a first for me. In over 40 years of pastoring, I do not remember anyone bringing their newborn child to church on the way home from the hospital. This father has attended regularly for several years. He asked that we sing a particular song of praise (not available in English) for this special Sunday. This young man lost one parent when he was 10 and the other when he was 13. They both claimed to be atheist. We continue to pray for him.
In the last letter, I also mentioned that we were to have a Youth meeting later in the day. A young lady was here for the first time brought by one of the kids who comes to church here. On the way home she told the mother of the youth who brought her that she felt like she was barging in because she did not believe in God. This opened the door for the mother to witness to her.
These are just a few of the incidents where we have seen God at work this month. We have had great Bible studies at all of our locations and new visitors who showed a real interest. Thank you for participating with us in what God is doing here. The dividends are out of this world!
You fellow servants in France,
John and Judy Hatcher
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [February 2015]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
February 5, 2015
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We hope this finds you well. Your faithful support reflects your faith in God whose grace is evident every day. In a couple of days we will be blessed with the arrival of Darrell and Shirley Messer. Since we are having unusually cold weather they will have a bit of adjustment to make. They are stopping by here on their return from the tropical climate of Kenya where they have been visiting the Tates and Radfords, our fellow missionaries. Modern travel is certainly easier than the way Paul and his companions traveled.
A few hours of travel can land you in a place that is very different from your place of departure. However, this past month shows us that a few hours can bring many surprises even if you are not traveling. The 7th of January was my birthday, just two days after I last wrote you. Little did I know as I was typing the letter to you how outstanding my birthday would be this year. On that day I received a notice from the Prefecture that I had been granted a 10 years resident card. It has been 10 years since we first applied for this card for which we then, in theory, were qualified. The granting of this status now means that we can avoid several days of navigating the administrative corridors each year. We hope to get Judy’s card later this year. Yes, it is a separate process.
The other event, more shocking, on my recent birthday, was the breaking news of the mass murders that took place in Paris. This became the subject of many conversations and has opened doors for sharing the gospel. Society here is very fractured and those in leadership scramble to find solutions. The attempted solutions, however, have led to more deeply embedded divisions. The need of the gospel and its application to the everyday lives of believers becomes more evident against the backdrop of animosity resulting from sinful behavior and rejection of the true God Who is love.
This is underscored by research done recently here that shows that 80% of French young men who have joined the jihad movement and become warriors (There have been a surprising number of these and it is often on the news.) are from mainline atheist families. It would seem that these young men are seeking a reason to live and in so doing are caught up in radical movements which claim to be doing God’s will.
Last week, just before our Bible study in Mazere started we heard about an incident that illustrates the hatred of human behavior. A young man about 12 years old who comes to this meeting had been threatened with death by a schoolmate because he represents “the other side”. His mother was quite worried about the safety of her son. Last night, I heard a wonderful ending to this story. In this Bible study we are studying the Sermon on the Mount. The command to “love your enemies” was imprinted on this young man’s heart and without saying anything to anyone he went back to school and told his “enemy” that he loved him. They have become friends though they live in different “camps”. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we, God’s children, really applied this principle daily?
Well, this is a glimpse of what has been happening here. Thank you for faithful support that enables us to announce the Good News from our wonderful Creator and Savior.
In France in Christ,
John and Judy
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [January 2015]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
January 5, 2015
Dear Teammates,
We wish God’s richest blessings on each of you during the coming year. Yesterday evening we were looking through some family pictures with our granddaughters and their parents and one of the pictures was of my mother and father. It was taken on dad’s birthday many years ago. The cake made by my sister was inscribed in Portuguese with Psalm 65:11 – “Thou crownest the year with thy goodness.” How true this is for us this year.
Your faithful support is one of the blessings that we have received. It is a blessing to us as well as to those who hear the gospel or are helped in their Christian walk through our service here. We are thankful for the blessing of being able to shine the light of Christ in a country that is so dark. We are grateful that we do not have to do this in our strength. God opens doors. God gives contacts. God gives us the ability to communicate the Good News as the Holy Spirit empowers His Word through our mouths. How great is our privilege to be ambassadors for Christ.
Some moments are more difficult than others because we live in a fallen world where there is tribulation. Just a couple of weeks ago most of our time was spent helping a young couple whose baby died 6 days after an early birth. However, this couple knows the Lord and they have the hope of Christ in the middle of their sorrow. As we waited for the funeral service to start, I was able to witness to the wife’s distant cousin whom I had just met.
I am including a picture of the group that meets in Mazeres worshiping together. This group is quite an encouragement to us. We meet in the apartment of a single Christian lady who moved to this city for her library/museum job. She is truly a missionary in this area. During the week, she has two other Bible studies with ladies. She is one example of believers who have grown in the Lord and are truly disciples who are reaching others.
The group in Mazere worships together.
The group in Mazere worships together.
We are thrilled to see individuals of all ages, children, teens, men and women who attend meetings regularly who seem to be attentive to spiritual matters. It is our hope they will soon make public commitments to Christ.
Don’t give up praying for and seeking to share Christ with those that you know. We received the good news last month that our daughter’s father-in-law trusted Christ. He was led to the Lord by his son, our son-in-law. We have been praying for this friend since meeting him at our daughter Lydia’s wedding 10 years ago. “In due season we will reap if we faint not.”
Until next month,
John and Judy
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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Missionary Update: John Mark & Judy Hatcher in France [July 2014]
Missionaries John Mark and Judy Hatcher have been serving the Lord in Tournefeuille, France since 1999. They define their ministry as “disciple-making.”
July 5, 2014
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We hope this finds you enjoying the Lord. What a privilege we have as God’s children with continuous access to our Father and Saviour and with His Spirit united to ours. It is also a wonderful honor to represent the Eternal God, Creator of all things to the people who live around us.
Just after writing our last letter we participated in the annual outdoor dinner of our neighborhood which takes place in the street in front of our house. We made new friends and were able to reconnect with some people that we have not seen for a while.
During the past month we have spent part of our time reviewing the past year and making plans for the coming year. We discussed what we would teach in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and Youth meetings. We determined changes that needed to be made in class groupings and how to effectively do what God has placed us here to do. We have also discussed ways that we can connect with the people that we are here to reach.
One of the things that Judy and I are going to be doing this coming year is an English Club to help young children in our neighborhood get started learning English. This is a result of a request made by the parents of these children. Judy and Amanda did this for several years in Tournefeuille and Judy and Wendy had an English Bible Club in the city of L’Union for several years. These have given us many long term opportunities. Several of the young people who now come to our monthly youth meetings are from families that we served in this way in the past. We follow the example of Paul who said, “I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.” Judy also donated her time to teach English twice a week for several years in the past in one of our local public elementary schools.
English proficiency is required for anyone wanting to advance in white collar jobs and this is a need that opens doors for us. Parents are very interested in their children learning English to prepare them for the future. We want to serve them in this area to open the door to prepare them for eternity.
This is also a good time to remind you to pray for Philip, Amanda and their family, and Wendy who serve with us. Wendy is a single missionary who is supported by friends and churches in the US and Philip works as an engineer here to support his family while they serve with us. We thank God for your prayers and faithful support over many years.
Attendance in the services and Bible studies has been good and we see evidence of the Grace of God.
Serving with you for our Saviour in France,
John and Judy
John and Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher[at]aol.com
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