We have been doing ministry as a family without a car in Nice, France for around 5 years. This has been made possible because of the affordable transit system which gets us from our home to church in 20-25 minutes on a weekday. Our church is conveniently located a 10 min walk from the train station if we need to go to other parts of the area quickly. However, since our family has recently doubled in size with the blessing of two children, we are finding it more challenging to find a good rhythm of life. Although there are many positives to not having a car in our life such as the monthly costs, needing a place to park it, etc, without a car, there have been some restraints. For example, to get out of the city consistently to get the family into nature. Also, to visit family or to go on yearly vacations. We believe having extra funds available to rent a car when needed will greatly benefit us in a few ways.
As a family of four, it is becoming more difficult to find affordable places to live in Nice. We believe having a ministry car fund will help us not only to explore options to live in less expensive areas around Nice but also to be able to shop at more affordable grocery stores for food and more affordable department stores for supplies. Moreover, we will be able to get out of the city monthly into nature and have an option on Saturdays (our Sabbath day) to refresh.
Concerning Jeff’s ministry needs, this will help him to spiritually reset and center on Christ as this provides him with a way to consistently get out of the business of the city. With regards to the refugee care teams he is a part of, this will provide the option of more flexibility and support for evangelistic outreach and food distribution efforts between the border of France and Italy in the city of Ventimiglia, approximately a 45-minute drive from Nice. Jeff would also be able to participate more in many ministry training courses that are ongoing throughout the year in nearby cities.
Why rent a car when needed instead of buying a car? After doing the research and talking to other missionaries and families here in Nice, the conclusion is that the costs of owning for our family currently are far greater than renting on a need-by-need basis. Not only are there the up-front costs of a car in the range of 8000€ to 15000€ euros ($11600 to CAD 21900) to find something suitable for our family needs, but also the need to raise an additional 400€ to 500€ of monthly ministry support to be able to park the car, pay for insurance, maintenance, gas, etc. Our goal is to raise 10,000 euros total (15000 CAD) to cover our next field assignment vehicle needs in Nice from August 2024 to May 2026.
Overall, we believe that the ministry car will provide us with a better quality of life, and this will help us have a greater impact on the people we minister to every week.
