Friends For The Journey

Much has been said in recent years about “post-Christian” Europe. Religion in general and faith in Christ specifically, has fallen to all time lows in Europe according to most measures. If Europe is not to become totally secular (some would argue that it already is) there must be people who are willing to respond to God’s call and go to Europe with a mission and a message of God’s love.

This is the challenge that our friends the Petries have embraced in the midst of great personal difficulties. Along the way, God has unexpectedly opened amazing doors of opportunity for Paul to present the ethics of Jesus to people in diplomatic and political circles.

Paul was instrumental in starting the European Prayer Breakfast nearly ten years ago that draws together members of the European Parliament, various national parliaments including those who are secular, left, right, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish and Islamic. The Prayer Breakfast draws them around a common commitment to prayer, and to the ethical teachings of Jesus.

No one could have ever strategized or even attempted to initiate the kind of ambassadorial role God has given Paul in Europe. This kind of opportunity only comes along once in lifetime, if that. Although Paul is the point person, all of us who pray for them and contribute to their support are part of their efforts to “make disciples of the nations” in Europe.

Let us offer up a prayer of blessings for Paul and Rebecca and their family today as they strive to be peacemakers and heralds of ‘good news’ in a world torn by ethnic, ideological and religious conflict:

“Oh God, Creator and Father of all of the tribes, languages and nations of the earth, we lift up to your our precious friends, Paul and Rebecca Petrie and ask for your richest blessings to be theirs as they devote their lives to the wonderful ministry of peacemaking and reconciliation. Please Lord, watch over them and grant them strength and health to continue to walk with you and serve you as well as others. Grant them oh God, the necessary resources, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and financial to continue to hold forth your light in dark places. We ask this in the name of your precious son, Jesus. Amen.”

To request to be added to Paul’s regular email updates, you can email him at

Paul_Petrie@compuserve.com.

To contribute to their financial support, you can mail a check to:

IOM (International Outreach Ministries)
P.O. Box 2140, McComb, MS. 39649.

or email Mike McCarty: mmccartysr@pobox.com

For more information on the Petrie’s: http://paulpetrie.com/