ESPOIR 2024 Presentation
After ESPOIR 2023, many of the participating churches, as well as others who were unable to take part, expressed the wish to repeat the event in 2024. The same partners are joining forces again to launch “ESPOIR 2024”: the Alliance Évangélique Francophone de Belgique (AEFB), the JONAS association and the CMM (Christ de Maison en Maison). Their leaders form the “ESPOIR 2024 Working Group”.
Our role is to initiate, coordinate and provide support. Each local church retains responsibility for its own project within the common framework defined.
Why "ESPOIR 2024"?
Because HOPE is what we are called to share. According to 1Peter 3:15: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." Hope in Jesus Christ is still what people need in 2024, even if they are not necessarily aware of it. We do not communicate the Gospel out of obligation or duty, but because "Christ’s love compels us". While we are privileged to be saved in Jesus Christ, many are still lost, without hope and without God.
Our vision
It remains the same in 2024: “In these times of repeated crises, we want to reach out to people close to us who are looking for help and suffering, and bring them the Hope of the Good News of Jesus Christ.”
Objective
To initiate a simultaneous project to communicate the Gospel in French-speaking Belgium (Wallonia + Brussels) by proposing to use the same format, the same theme, the same logo (adapted for 2024) and the same dates, in order to really and concretely reach out to non-Christians.
When ?
- From Friday 18th October to Sunday 20th October 2024.
Who?
By a single church or by several churches coming together to pool resources.
- Local pastoral groups ensure that each local church is informed of the project in good time and has the opportunity to get involved if they wish.
- Churches wishing to join the project complete an online application form. This form contains various commitments. The form is available at the following link : https://www.aefb.be/espoir/formulaire
- On the basis of the completed form, the application must be validated by the ESPOIR 2024 Working Group.
How ?
3-day format :
- Friday evening :
- Screening of an evangelistic FILM for adults (with a concluding talk if possible).
- If possible, screening (simultaneously) of a FILM for children and/or young people.
- Suggestion: it may be useful to link the theme of the film to that of the evangelistic message on the Sunday.
- Don't forget to pay the broadcasting rights to the film distributor SAJE.
- Saturday daytime :
- Activities developed by each community to connect with non-Christians and create contacts.
- Suggestions: breakfast of Hope (meal + testimony), social activities, neighbourhood outreach, concert, cultural events, theatre, sport, walks, etc. Many good ideas were implemented during ESPOIR 2023 and can be used again.
- Activities developed by each community to connect with non-Christians and create contacts.
- Sunday morning :
- proclamation of the Gospel during an “open doors” welcome service (which can be followed by a meal).
The framework is designed to be flexible. It takes into account the size, context, resources and creativity of the churches. Projects must follow the same format (same logo, same theme “Hope 2024”, same dates, same visibility) without being identical.
Training
Three areas of training :
- The training videos recorded for ESPOIR 2023 are still available at https://www.aefb.be/intranet. The password will be sent to participating churches.
- Training on demand and à la carte for churches, to respond more precisely to the community’s needs.
- A half-day of preparation for HOPE 2024 will be organised by each pastoral group from April to 15 September 2024, with the following programme :
- 2 hours with a speaker on a theme related to communicating the Gospel. Pastoral teams are invited to propose a theme for the 2-hour presentation.
- 1 hour with a panel of specialists in Gospel communication to answer questions specific to each pastoral.
Training and preparation will also be provided in English for participating English-speaking churches.
Literature
The CCM will again provide literature to participating churches that request it.
In the interests of unity and consistency, it is requested that the literature made available by CCM be used.
The "Finding Hope" flyer will be the main tool. It is linked to the name of the project.
Other brochures or flyers are also available (How to witness in 3 steps, Roadmap 21 days of prayer to reach the goal), etc.
Churches are invited to order CMM literature from the National Coordinator, Philippe Resse, at [email protected] by 30 June 2024 at the latest. CMM does not ask for payment, but these publications have a cost. CMM lives on donations and must continue to carry out its mission. This is why a donation to CMM is strongly encouraged. For this reason, a literature "value" sheet will accompany each order.
Prayer
We attach great importance to mobilising Christians in prayer.
To this end, the CMM brochure “Road map, 21 days to reach the goal” will be used as in 2023. The mobilisation will take place from 27 September to 17 October 2024.
Pastoral groups may organise times of prayer together with the participating churches.
Timeline
- March 2024 : information communicated to pastoral groups.
- April - 15 September 2024 : half-days of preparation for ESPOIR 2024 and training on request.
- 16 May 2024 : training for the Brussels pastoral group.
- 31 August : training for the pastoral group in the province of Brabant Wallon.
- 30 June 2024 : deadline for ordering literature from CMM.
- 15 September 2024 : deadline for registration for ESPOIR 2024.
- 27 September to 17 October 2024 : 21 days of mobilisation in prayer.
- October 18 to 20, 2024 : HOPE 2024.
- 20 October to 10 December 2024 : ESPOIR 2024 assessment.
For the Espoir 2024 Working Group,
Marc Van de Wouwer