After five years living in a remote Central Africa community, Sam Knight spoke to SIM UK’s Engagement Officer, Hannah Penwright, about why he’s now serving in a new role to help strengthen the church in France.
After previously serving in Africa, Sam Knight continues to follow God’s call to mission as the Head of Mobilisation at SIM France Belgium. When asked how his new ministry came about, Sam shares:
“My wife Katie and I felt God was leading us to be part of a change that needs to happen in the church in France. Having received great blessings, it now has the opportunity to be a great blessing to others and the rest of the world.”
Although on average a new church is planted every 10 days in France, few participate in overseas mission. The SIM France team works hard to change this by connecting with churches, visiting them, and speaking at services.
Sam was recently invited to meet a group of young Christians excited to pray about opportunities for their generation to get involved in mission.
“Young people are both an important part of the church of today and the church of tomorrow and it was so encouraging to see how God is working through them. I can’t convince people to be involved in mission in my own strength, but God can bring people into something that will allow them to serve people in other places.”
Throughout our interview, Sam’s passion for building up and equipping churches for mission shines through. When asked what he finds most rewarding and challenging about mission work, he says:
“One of the most rewarding things is being able to see God working in people’s lives and communities transformed. Being de-rooted from our lives can bring challenges, but it can also bring rewards. While it’s hard being far away from family and friends, and not having a home in any particular place, it means we can invest and build our lives in a new place which can be incredibly rewarding – and it’s so good to see God at work!”
There are two French teams currently looking to expand their ministries: In Strasbourg, where SIM workers are sharing the gospel with international students, particularly those from a Muslim background; and in Toulouse, where SIM France is sharing the good news with refugees and immigrants.
If you have a heart for working with international students or refugees and immigrants and are interested in finding out more, enquire about serving.
Pray for Sam:
- As he supports pastors and individuals who want to see more people have a heart for mission in their churches.
- For a new era of mission workers sent from churches across France.
- That there would be people praying and supporting those sent out as mission workers.