Derek & Jane French
Derek and Jane began serving with Grupos Bíblicos Unídos (GBU) in 2007. GBU is a Christian student organisation affiliated to the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. They are based in Bilbao in northern Spain.
Latest mission report
Derek and Jane’s mission work
The work of GBU principally involves evangelism among students and the discipling of Christian students. GBU’s vision is to reach all non-Christian students with the gospel and to develop student leadership which, in the future, should contribute to the growth of evangelical churches in Spain. GBU also seeks to contribute to the transformation of Spanish society through evangelical graduates and professionals who have been helped by GBU.
Derek and Jane are excited to be actively involved in a new project with the publishing branch of GBU (Andamio Kids). The project aims to provide resources for Sunday school teachers, youth leaders and devotional materials for children and teenagers. These resources will have a huge impact in developing young disciples in the Spanish speaking world. Many of the books are translated from English however, recently, Andamio Kids were thrilled to publish their first book written by a Spanish person. It is a devotional book that emphasizes God’s plan of redemption throughout Scripture.
Currently they are also heading up the Bilbao Team Project and have a team of 6, including Neil and Jenny Stewart (and family), who are also global mission workers. The vision of the team is to reach out to the community and plant a church in the area they live in.
Derek and Jane are also involved in local church ministry in Bilbao, serving in the Bilbao International Church (BIC) and working alongside the local Spanish church. Derek serves as the pastor of BIC, and Jane is part of the team ministry. Derek’s role is to oversee ministry and mission at BIC and their other ministry roles include preaching, teaching, pastoral care, Bible study groups, 121s, outreach and other initiatives. They are encouraged by ministry in both churches. Many non-Christians attend and their prayer is that they will soon respond to the gospel.
Derek and Jane met and got married when they were studying at Belfast Bible College, they have two children. They were commissioned for service in Spain at a service held in Drumbo Presbyterian, their home congregation, in January 2001. They served firstly in Valencia, Spain from February 2001 to 2007, working with the Levante Presbytery of the Spanish Evangelical Church (IEE).
Prayer points
- Pray for the Bilbao Team Project as they reach out to their community and plan to plant a church.
- Pray for Christian students to catch the vision of being evangelists and making disciples at university and that this would continue as they enter the working world and for good relationships between the student work and the local churches.
- Pray for full time staff workers to lead the work of GBU in the seven cites in the north of Spain.
- Pray for the work of Andamio Kids and the valuable resources they are providing for kids and families in the Spanish speaking world.
- Pray for the French family, that they will be a good witness in their community. Pray too for their children, that they will grow up to have a vibrant personal relationship with God.
Derek and Jane have recorded a short film clip which can be downloaded and used in church services, prayer meetings or events to raise awareness and prayer for what God is doing across the world, as we seek to go deep and wide in global mission involvement.
Latest report June 2026
Summer is fast approaching, which is always a time of change for BIC. Give thanks to God for the BIC students who have been attending and helping out at church this past academic year. Pray for them as they sit exams in June and as they return to their home countries, that God would clearly lead and guide them on the next step of their journey. Pray for the core group of people in BIC that live permanently in the Basque Country, it is hard to have to say goodbye to people they have come to love and care for each year. Pray that they would be encouraged and give thanks for their faithfulness. BIC would also like to have more people on their core team, to help out full time with the student work, evangelism, worship and kids’ ministry.
Pray for Joaquin Hernandez, the General Secretary of GBU. He is currently on sabbatical until the end of August. Pray that it would be a time of refreshment and encouragement for him and that God would strengthen him for the coming years.
GBU is gearing up for the various camps that will be held in the summer. Pray for the preparation for the camps, that God would prepare the hearts of the young people attending and that those who are giving seminars and talks would know God’s guidance during their preparation time.
In May, a lot of damage was done to the Sarriko church building due to a leak from the flat above. There was substantial structural damage and sadly a lot of resources had to be thrown out because of water damage. Pray that the insurance will come through and repairs can be made as soon as possible. We are thankful that the church more than just a building!
Prayer points
- BIC and the students during this time of transition.
- Preparation for GBU summer camps, for those attending and those preparing talks.
- Joaquin as he is on sabbatical, for rest and refreshment.
- For insurance to come through for the damage caused by the leak in the church.
Mission report archive
Download a printable PDF of this and other recent bulletins below.