Union APC – Église L’Essen’Ciel de Lens

The APC church in Lens, “Essen’Ciel” has been present in Lens since the early 2000s. The city of Lens has about 31,000 inhabitants. It is located in the heart of an old mining basin with a population of 350,000 inhabitants. Since the closure of the mines, the region has suffered from a large number of problems, including unemployment, alcoholism and suicide. On a spiritual level, the population is represented by a majority of atheists, agnostics, and we note a progression of Islam. The Christian witness is still not very visible.

By the grace of God, in July 2018, our church of around 20 adults was able to acquire a meeting place in the very center of the city of Lens. By our presence in the city center, we want to be visible and accessible, to bring the light of the gospel into this dark world and add color to this region that is lacking so much. We want to help give hope to this population by concretely engaging in the needs of the local population.