Our vision
Serve Jesus on the Plateau
The Evangelical Protestant Church of Palaiseau Saclay is dedicated to sharing the Good News on the Plateau de Saclay: the residential neighborhoods and university campuses. Our calling is to bring together these two populations of the plateau around the same God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We aim to be instruments that God uses to transform these lives and equip them to be disciples of Christ and instruments of God in turn. We rely on the Word of God, prayer, and praise. We believe that the message of the Gospel is always relevant and addresses the challenges of the society in which it is situated. Our members aspire to an authentic faith, lived out in a welcoming community.
Our Church and Our History
We are families, singles, and students from the Saclay plateau, some of us having settled here recently, while others have been here for up to 35 years. The majority of us, around twenty people, reside in the Camille Claudel eco-neighborhood of Palaiseau or its surroundings, such as Pileu plateau or Les Joncherettes.
We share special times together. The highlight is when we gather on Sunday mornings for worship where we sing, praise God, pray, and listen to a short meditation based on biblical passages.
Whether you’ve been a Christian for a long time, are curious and have never set foot in a church, or are searching for what the Bible says, we would be delighted to have you visit, whether it’s a one-time or regular occurrence. Join us for a worship service on a Sunday, or for a mid-week Bible study, or for more recreational activities like children’s clubs where we enjoy outdoor games in the Palaiseau forest, or evenings where we, as students, share our questions and opinions around a passage from the Bible.
Almost 100 years ago, in November 1926, the first worship service of the Protestant Church of Palaiseau was held on Rue de la Saussaie. The following year, Mr. Dapozzo, along with his three sons, built his house nearby at 26 Rue Anatole France, part of which would be used for regular worship services, as well as various church activities (meetings, Bible studies where the people of Palaiseau were warmly invited, etc.).
About a decade ago, in 2012, just a few hundred meters away on Rue Anatole France, on the Palaiseau-Saclay plateau, the cornfields were harvested for the last time on a plot of land that would soon become the Camille Claudel neighborhood.
Families and singles moved in. Today, they attend this local church in Palaiseau, which was born a century ago. They meet students from local universities or Christians who have lived on the Palaiseau plateau (Pileu plateau, Les Joncherettes) for a few decades. However, the church premises have become too small, despite holding two separate services on Sundays.
Yet, a larger building was indeed constructed to accommodate more people: the church located at 41 Avenue du 8 Mai 1945. But that was back in 1982, and this church is now bursting at the seams.
Therefore, after several years of reflection and prayer, the Church of Palaiseau (link here) has decided to establish a ‘daughter church’ on the plateau, to address these current needs and also better anticipate the influx of newcomers expected on the plateau, not to mention the increasing number of students.
But let’s go back a little further. This modest building entrepreneur, Mr. Dapozzo, who spent all his spare time sharing his faith with his neighbors and friends from Palaiseau, was one Protestant among others.
Since the late Middle Ages, several voices, including the priest Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wycliffe, rose in various countries, “protesting” against the moral and religious decline of the official Roman church of the time. They advocated a return to the sources: what the Bible teaches, and what should be put into practice. For this purpose, they contributed to the printing of Bibles, after translations into the languages spoken by the respective peoples, so that everyone would be encouraged to study and apply this teaching in their daily lives. That is why they contributed to encouraging people to learn to read and write, so that they could study the Bible for themselves…
This return to biblical teaching did not obtain consensus and led to the Protestant Reformation, whose fundamentals are the 5 solas:
– Scripture alone (the Bible is inspired by God and the sole source of authority, Sola scriptura);
– Faith alone (man cannot add any work to “earn” his salvation, Sola fide);
– Christ alone (whoever believes in his sacrifice on the cross has his sins forgiven and eternal life, Solus Christus);
– To God alone the glory (Soli Deo Gloria)
A part of Protestants are called ‘evangelical Protestants’, a relatively recent term (19th century), although very centered on the fundamentals of the Protestant Reformation.
Watch the video (FR) made by the CNEF (National Council of Evangelicals of France) to understand the nuances characterizing them.
Each of the evangelical Protestant churches is ‘independent’ and not linked to an external religious authority or hierarchical structure. But like the majority of churches, it has freely chosen to join a network of churches, for sharing and to avoid any risk of drift.
For Palaiseau-Saclay, it is the network of CAEF (Communities and Evangelical Assemblies of France), themselves members of the National Council of Evangelicals of France (CNEF), representing 70% of the unions of evangelical churches in France.
In order to rigorously comply with the rules established by the authorities of our country, we have two separate associations to manage our various activities: a “cultural” association, and a “worship” association:
– The association “Évènement Ciel”: This is a “law of 1901” association, a non-profit “cultural” association. It manages our various activities that do not fall within the scope of those of the 1905 association. (Website)
– The association “Église évangélique de Palaiseau-Plateau”: This association allows for holding activities considered “worship” according to the law of December 9, 1905. For example, it is within the framework of this association that its members hold regular worship services.
What We Believe
Our Statement of Faith
We believe in the divine inspiration and sovereign authority of the Holy Scriptures, composed of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, free from error in their original writings. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 / 2 Peter 1:21)
We believe in one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Creator of the universe and all that is in it. (Genesis 1:1 / Matthew 28:19 / Exodus 20:11)
We believe in Jesus Christ, in His perfect deity and eternal preexistence, in His birth of a virgin, in His complete humanity, in His atoning death in our place, in His bodily resurrection and ascension, and in His imminent personal, visible, and glorious return. (John 1:1 / Colossians 1:15-19 / Colossians 2:9 / Matthew 1:18-25 / 1 Timothy 2:5 / Romans 5:8 / 1 Corinthians 15:1-7 / 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
We believe in the Holy Spirit, in His deity and personality, in His reception at the moment of conversion to God, in His indwelling in all those who believe in Jesus Christ, and in His action in the Church. (John 16:13-15 / Romans 8:9 / 1 Corinthians 12:12-13)
We believe that human, created in the image of God, have fallen, and that all humanity remains under the dominion of Satan, in rebellion, corruption, and condemnation. (Genesis 1:27 / Genesis 3 / Romans 3:10-23 / 1 John 5:19)
We believe that man’s justification is accomplished by the grace of God in Jesus Christ and is received only through faith. We believe in the necessity of repentance and new birth leading to a life of godliness, sanctification, testimony, and service to the glory of God through the action of the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 2:8-9 / John 3:1-19 / Romans 3:24-28 / 1 Peter 1:3-8 / Acts 1:8)
We believe that the universal Church consists of all the redeemed of Jesus Christ, from all nations and all times. Its true unity is in its sole head, Jesus Christ, through the work of the Holy Spirit. We believe that its visible expression is in local churches. (Matthew 16:18 / Ephesians 1:22-23 / Ephesians 5:23 / Acts 9:31 / Galatians 1:2)
We believe that water baptism is preceded by the baptism of the Spirit, which signifies for the believer death to their old sinful and lost nature and new birth to the new life of the spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the act by which God “immerses” us into the death of Christ to raise us up with Him and unite us now with the Church, which is the body of Christ. (Acts 2:38; 10:47-48; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:22-23)
We also believe that water baptism is, for the Christian, the visible image of this invisible reality of the baptism of the Spirit. We believe it is also obedience to the command of Christ, a testimony of our faith, and a commitment as an active member in the local Church. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:37; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 12:7-13)
We believe that the Lord’s Supper, instituted by our Lord, is the sign of the new covenant of grace. We should observe it in the Church out of love and obedience to His Word, in remembrance of His death in our place, and do so until His return. (Mark 14:22-25 / 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 / 10:16-17)
We believe in the resurrection of all men, in the eternal bliss of the redeemed, and in the eternal punishment of unrepentant sinners. (John 5:29 / 1 Peter 1:3-5 / Matthew 25:31-46)