Clerical Corner. Without taking risks you ll never know what is possible

Transcription

1 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine mid Jan/February 2016

2 The Chaplaincy of Aquitaine is part of the Church of England Diocese in Europe, working in partnership with The Intercontinental Church Society, in ministry to people who speak English. It covers Gironde, Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne. CHURCH SERVICES, mid-january - end FEBRUARY 2016 (see Around the Chaplaincy for location details) SUNDAY 17 JANUARY 10:30 Family Service Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion Bordeaux 10:30 Holy Communion Chancelade 10:30 Morning Worship - Limeuil 10:30 Prayer & Praise Monteton 11:00 Holy Communion Sainte Nathalène, la salle des fetes 11:00 Ecumenical Service - Temple, Sainte Foy la Grande (rue Chanzy) MONDAY 18 JANUARY 20:30 Ecumenical Service Bergerac Eglise Evangélique Libre (5, rue Durou) TUESDAY 19 JANUARY 19:30 Ecumenical Service Centre Madeleine Delbrel, Sarlat (33 bd Eugène Le Roy) WEDNESDAY 20 JANUARY 18:00 Ecumenical Service Paunat, Dordogne THURSDAY 21 JANUARY 10:30 Holy Communion - Limeuil 18:00 Ecumenical Service St Avit Sénieur 18:30 Ecumenical Service Périgueux (Chapelle Collège- Lycée Saint Joseph) 20:30 Ecumenical Service - Sainte Livrade, Lot et Garonne SATURDAY 23 JANUARY 15:00 Ecumenical Service Ribérac Hospital Chapel SUNDAY 24 JANUARY 10:30 Holy Communion Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion Bordeaux 10:30 Fresh Expressions Eymet Salles des Fetes des Marguerites 10:30 Holy Communion Limeuil 10:30 Holy Communion - Monteton 10:30 Holy Communion Négrondes MONDAY 25 JANUARY 20:30 Eglise Evangélique Protestante du Gers, Auch (Espace Bethesda, Chemin de Marin, 32000) THURSDAY 28 JANUARY 11:00 Holy Communion Condom SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 10:30 Special Service Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion Bordeaux 10:30 BCP Holy Communion Limeuil 16:00 Evening Prayer - Monteton TUESDAY 02 FEBRUARY 14:00 Service of Light for Departed Loved Ones - Limeuil SUNDAY 07 FEBRUARY 10:30 Service of the Word Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion Bordeaux 10:30 Prayer & Praise Limeuil 11:00 Holy Communion - Doudrac 16:00 Evensong Bertric Burée ASH WEDNESDAY 10 FEBRUARY 10:30 Holy Communion Limeuil 11:00 Holy Communion Bertric Burée 15:00 Holy Communion Doudrac 17:30 Holy Communion Bordeaux 18:00 Holy Communion - Monteton SUNDAY 14 FEBRUARY 10:30 Holy Communion Bertric Burée 10:30 All Age Worship Bordeaux 10:30 Fresh Expressions Eymet Salles des Fetes des Marguerites 10:30 Holy Communion Limeuil 10:30 Morning Prayer - Monteton 10:30 Family Service Négrondes 11:00 Prayer & Praise - Condom TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY 11:30 Holy Communion - Envals THURSDAY 18 FEBRUARY 10:30 BCP Holy Communion - Limeuil SUNDAY 21 FEBRUARY 10:30 Family Service Bertric Burée 10:30 Morning Worship Bordeaux 10:30 Holy Communion Chancelade 10:30 Holy Communion - Dondas 10:30 Morning Worship - Limeuil 10:30 Prayer & Praise Monteton 11:00 Holy Communion Carlux, chez the Wiltons THURSDAY 25 FEBRUARY 11:00 Holy Communion Condom SUNDAY 28 FEBRUARY 10:30 Holy Communion Bertric Burée 10:30 Family Communion Bordeaux 10:30 Fresh Expressions Eymet Salles des Fetes des Marguerites 10:30 Holy Communion Limeuil 10:30 Holy Communion - Monteton 10:30 Holy Communion Négrondes Clerical Corner Reaching Out Together in 2016 It is not that difficult to come up with a theme for the year but it is a different thing entirely to put it into practice! The following is intended as a check-list of ways in which we can Reach Out Together. It is, by no means, a definitive list but each of the suggestions has been tried and tested. I hope that you will seriously examine these ideas as individuals and as congregations. 1. The first thing we must do before trying to reach out is to ensure that we are at one with each other. If there is someone in your church with whom you have had an argument or there is any enmity then sort it out. Be the first one to offer the hand of friendship. 2.Think about how many people have come and gone from our churches. Sometimes it is because people have moved away but often it is just that they have slipped away. They don t turn up one week and then that turns into months. There was a young student in Bordeaux that turned up at the church for a while and then disappeared. We decided to keep trying to contact him. Eventually we found him and he was emotionally moved. He said, I thought that no-one cared about me...i was lonely in this city and you came to find me. Pick up the telephone or, better still, go and visit. 3. Who knows we are there? There is a lot going on in our churches but who knows about it? Of course our magazines and website play a huge part in letting people know what is happening but what about those who don t receive the magazine or who don t search the internet? Are we letting the local Tourist Office know what we are up to? Is there a poster in all the local towns for special events like carol services, Christmas or Easter? Ask in the coffee shops, bars, restaurants if they mind you putting up a small poster. It is surprising how it works. Call people to tell them that there is a service on. People often respond better to a personal invitation. 4. Take up petanque! If the only people you ever mix with are people from Church then how are you going to meet new people and tell them the Good News? Take up a hobby...petanque, golf, painting, walking, anything that gets you into a different circle of people. When you are in the new group your job is not to proselytize but to show, through your demeanour and your life just what a difference knowing Christ makes. 5. Have Special more often. It is a long time from Easter until Christmas and for some, these are the only time they visit church. Try to come up with ideas for special services (Youth service, Service of Light, Family Eucharists, Blessing of Animals etc etc). There is always a danger of us keeping the show on the road with the same format month after month. Take a risk! Without taking risks you ll never know what is possible 6. Not on your rota! It is important that new people should feel welcome and I know that we all try to do this well. It is important that new people should not feel that they should have to serve an apprenticeship before they can feel truly a part of our churches. Rotas of readers, singers, sides persons etc are very useful in ensuring that there is someone to do the job. But if someone new comes along ask them if they would like to read or sing in the choir. Because the rota has been established for three months a new person might leave again before you get them involved. Being involved means feeling wanted. If you have been on a rota for years and a new person comes along why not suggest that they take your place? You can still be on the rota but maybe not so often! These are just a few ideas and I am sure that you have many more. Someone once accused me of worrying about nothing but numbers. I have to tell you that it may appear that way because my heart aches at the thought of those we are failing to reach or of those we have lost. Jesus himself told a parable about the shepherd who left the ninety and nine in search of the one which was lost. Being safe within our churches is not enough. We need to reach out to those who are lost (and may not even know it) and risk leaving the fireside for the cold of the world beyond our doors. Reaching Out Together in 2016 is more than a catch-phrase. It is a commitment to serve Christ here in Aquitaine. I would be very happy to receive even more ideas from you. Happy New Year! Bramwell Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 2 mid Jan/February 2016 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 3 mid Jan/February 2016

3 From your Editor Hello everyone, Happy New Year to you all and I hope you enjoyed a blessed and peaceful Christmas season. We certainly had some wonderful services at Limeuil and I can see from the sector reports that you did too. Now we are into I can t believe it was 16 years ago we were all so worried the computers would crash as the 21st century began! Now we have smartphones, smart TVs, Ipads etc etc. - well some of us do anyway!! Bob and I are about to embark on a new adventure for us: we re taking a cruise in the Caribbean, hence the timing of this magazine (don t forget it covers Feb as well as the rest of January). We re really looking forward to our trip and hopefully will have some photos for you to see on our return. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the items in the following pages. You ll see I have put in a plea for more articles - my store cupboard is rather empty! Do send in an item if you think it could be of interest to others. I look forward to hearing from you! Love Gill Our new Chaplain - there is progress! There is good news and the process is moving forward. But we are all going to have to be patient! Following the interviews in Oxford last week, a recommendation for an Appointee was made to the Bishop. Approval has now been received for the next step to take place, which is for an incognito formal visit to be made to the Chaplaincy. Plans are in hand for this to take place. Following this visit the appointee will give their final decision as to whether or not they are going to accept the appointment. Everything is going to take time; a break after finishing their present post, then moving to France and setting up a new home. In response to this anticipated delay Bramwell & Jennifer have been asked to extend their time with the Chaplaincy and to defer their departure to new pastures. More news to follow when it is available, but please be patient and continue to pray for the success of the final stages of this journey. Finally our thanks to the Interview Team of Sally Davies, Peter Luson and Ian Strachan for all their hard work. Well done to you all! David Albrecht and Paul Mazzotti Chaplaincy Wardens Dec 2015 Generous Charitable Giving in 2015 This year so far, Chap-Aid has distributed 13, 916 to 24 charities, 5 of which are focused on the needy in France and received 5900 : Emmaus, France Fraternal, Resto de Coeur, Cancer Support France and France Altzheimer. The balance of some 8000 went to 19 charities across Europe, Asia and South America, who help those affected by natural disasters. The majority of these donations went to Shelterbox and Christian aid in Iraq and Syria. Every year each of our 8 sectors nominates two charities that they would like to support, one in France and the other International, usually involved in disaster relief. In addition we have a general fund which we use for quick response to a disaster emergency. Chaplaincy and Chap-Aid Annual General Meetings: April 16th, hosted by Bordeaux The next Chaplaincy AGM will be held on Saturday April 16th, 2016, to be hosted this year by Bordeaux. Local sectors have planned the dates of the local annual meetings to be held this winter. Please contact a local warden for more information. Please note this date in your diary, all are encouraged to attend and take part in this special day gathering many from all over the Chaplaincy. Please contact a local warden for more information. Women s Retreat Friday 1st April - Sunday 3rd April Ladies, would you welcome the opportunity to withdraw for a couple of days? How wonderful does it sound to simply step away from the noise and the pressures of our everyday lives and then set aside that precious time and spend it with God. If that appeals to you then why not join us for a short retreat - We will be based Parcoul where we will be welcomed and looked after in the home of Adrian and Suzanne Reason The theme of our retreat is The Prodigal Daughter and it will be led by Amanda Allchorn, Madeleine Holmes and Rev d Deacon Charlotte Sullivan. The retreat will include times of teaching, discussion, prayer and creative activities as well as time to rest and reflect on our personal relationship with God. The cost of the retreat is 100 per person (based on two people sharing). Places are limited so to secure a place please send a 10 deposit to Suzanne Reason, Fayette, Parcoul Have you looked at the Chaplaincy website lately? Sermons, Events, Photos, general information and lots more. Amy & Charlotte work hard to keep it updated so why not check it out on a regular basis! Come and see at www. churchinaquitaine.org God s voice. God s voice. I love it. I love to hear Him speak to me. God s voice It can be soothing, encouraging, comforting, reassuring. Again it can be corrective, directive, even authoritative for when I need it He does rebuke. But His voice is never harsh, petulant, impatient, nor critical. When I come to God with my joys, I expect Him to share them. When I come with my sorrows, I expect Him to comfort me. When I come with my hurts, I anticipate His healing. When I come with my trophies, I expect His approval. And when I come with my questions, I expect His answers. However, sometimes God is silent And it is His silence that troubles me. Silence can be so frightening and unsettling. I m so used to sound that silence can seem almost deafening. But I think I m beginning to learn that even though He doesn t always choose to speak, He has not forsaken me. That His silences do not always mean disapproval. That because He is God. He doesn t always have to explain His silences, nor His purposes. That His silence could mean that He trusts me in this trial that I will neither panic nor doubt Him. That though He may be silent, He still is there. And most important of all, that even in silence, there can still be fellowship. Chaplaincy Retreat at Belloc 2016: Thursday/Friday May 12th/13th - Sunday May 15th The 2016 dates have been confirmed for the annual retreat at Belloc! Join us from Thursday/Friday May 12th until Sunday May 15th, Save the date in your diaries! As in previous years, we hope to have plenty of time for joyful fellowship, informal discussions, enjoying Belloc's surroundings, participating in communal worship etc etc. Besides there will be music...noisy meals... silence for those who choose to be silent... Although we pray for a rich experience, we also aim for a light touch... We are currently working on the programme, and the registration material should be available around Easter. For more details, please contact Amy Owensmith: Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 4 mid Jan/February 2016 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 5 mid Jan/February 2016

4 Spiritual Direction am half way through my Course I training to be a Spiritual Director (Soul Friend). The Course is run by the Diocese in Europe and takes 2-3 years and those of us on the course come from all over Europe. We study, read, write assignments and meet at Woking for three days of study and teaching plus have monthly Skype group meetings. Part of our training is that we have to practice, practice, practice and for this we need people to come forward as directees i.e. be willing to help us practice what we are learning. Below is a brief description of what Spiritual Direction is and if there are any of you out there who would be willing to spend an hour with me and hopefully benefit us both, I would be truly grateful! Thank you for reading this. Yours in Christ Madeleine Holmes madeleine@peladis. plus.com or text What is Spiritual Direction? Spiritual direction could be defined as taking place when one person (the director) prayerfully supports and encourages another person (the directee) to attend and respond to God. As a fellow pilgrim, the spiritual director accompanies the directee on this journey of faith. The real director is God the Holy Spirit, who initiates and inspires the directee s deepening relationship with the Trinity, with his or her own self, with other people, and with the realities of life in the global village of the twenty-first century. Christian spiritual direction seeks to help directees: Dive deeper into prayer and draw closer to God in everyday life; Discover God s care in the midst of difficulties; Become aware of the sacred within the ordinary events of life; Honestly share with God their feelings, doubts and questions; Become more like Christ and experience the fruits of the Spirit Move from a preoccupation with their sinfulness to a grace-full life of love and service. An Oxford Tale The Prologue. The delight at The Pro-Cathedral of Holy Trinity Brussels when Paul was appointed, sent waves of activity across Aquitaine, with the Chaplaincy Council and Wardens moving into overdrive to identify a team to upgrade and re-write the Chaplaincy Profile, and a threesome of pilgrims to represent the Chaplaincy on the Interview-Selection Panel at the CMS centre, Oxford sometime in the autumn. Weight restrictions on Flybe made no concessions for the volume of paper each pilgrim had to pack away completed application forms, personal references, StrengthsFinder profiles, banks of questions, letters and a laptop, to mention but a few. Travel by hire-car was to be easier than the seasonal camel, especially in the hallowed precincts of Trinity College, Oxford; our thanks to Peter Luson, once an undergraduate there some forty years ago, for arranging such a perfect venue. Such comfort and privilege to breakfast in Hall, dine in the local hostelries, and stroll at a leisurely pace around the colleges, down St Aldate s past Pembroke College and Christ Church, enjoying the view of the spires from Christ Church Meadow, with our own guide! When shall we three meet again called for diary entries to prepare for the laptop presentation The Chaplaincy of Aquitaine Today, kindly drafted by Deacon Charlotte, and to finalise the preferred mix of ICS and our own prepared questions for the three Formal Interview Teams - Theological Convictions & General Ability, Pastoral & Leadership Skills, and Personal, Family & Practical - Peter, Ian and Sally respectively. The whole cycle was well timetabled and punctual, with each phase calling for the highest level of concentration, reflection and prayerfulness. Once an agreement was reached for the ICS Director to make a recommendation to the Bishop, we were bound to silence. The drive back to Southampton along the dark, wet carriageways took our minds back to the Three Wise Men taking another route home. The one bottle of Shiraz was so enjoyed until sleep beckoned. WANTED! Articles for this magazine! If you are able to write an article yourself or have an idea for one, do get in touch with the editor. bobgills24@aol.com Fasting for Climate Change: 1st day of each month It's been inspiring to read about the recent progress made during the Climate Change Conference in Paris, historic negotiations which have the potential to be a new dawn for the international effort to address climate change. From the pilgrimages, to worldwide marches and community level action, churches have been and continue to be a huge part in this movement. So inspiring! People of faith have been fasting together on the first of every month. During the climate talks faith leaders and fasters gathered around a table set with empty plates. It s lunchtime, but we re not eating! We re fasting for climate justice, and for all countries to play their fair part in tackling climate change. Perhaps an idea for a New Year's Resolution, to join with others to give one day per month for the climate? Visit the Fast for the Climate website.: Visit the Green Christian website, which features prayer guides, worship materials, and suggestions on how to learn more and get involved: A visit to the Charente Ron and I recently had the good fortune to spend a few days in the Charente region and while there took the opportunity to visit several beautiful churches and some other interesting places. We started in Cognac where we enjoyed the riverside walks and wandering around the town which has some interesting architecture. We spent a day in Saintes where we visited the Cathedral St Pierre which can be seen in this photo taken from the nearby beautiful park. The first cathedral was built in the 5th century by Bishop St-Vivien. This was destroyed and rebuilt several times due to the Norman invasions and the 100 years war. Today s cathedral was built in the 15th century in a Flamboyant Gothic style though lack of resources has meant that a complete rebuild has never been possible. The heavy appearance of the tower for example results from the lack of the spire intended to finish it, the present dome constituting a more economical substitute. The interior is made striking by it s lack of decoration and by the wooden ceiling which was only completed in The sunken amphitheatre, situated just outside the town centre, was fascinating It is one of the oldest and largest in existence in France. It dates back to 40AD and in it s heyday could hold between 12-18,000 people. The next church we visited was the Church of Saint Eutrope which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the pilgrimage sites on the route to Santiago de Compostella. Saint Eutropius of Saintes is venerated as the first bishop of Saintes. According to tradition, he was a Roman or a Persian of royal descent who was sent to evangelize Gaul. The crypt is of particular interest because of the Roman stone pillars and arches. In a rather mouldy church in a tiny village, we also saw some beautiful stations of the cross and a very ornate altar. Just sorry we didn t take note of the village! We can highly recommend this area for a peaceful, enjoyable few days. Pam Meakin Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 6 mid Jan/February 2016 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 7 mid Jan/February 2016

5 Cooking in February with Frances Pengelly am writing this article in January I and we have just had a very big thunderstorm. Minty, my little rescue dog was absolutely terrified and would not eat her breakfast. What a wonderfully warm winter we have had up to now. Seedlings prosper in the greenhouse and plants in my cold frame. I am waiting for it all to go pop. Jack Frost surely cannot stay away for long. He certainly makes our home a frost pocket for a few months, killing and weakening all my flowering plants and covering them with his icy, crystal cloak. In the chicken and bantam orchard, all is well. Unfortunately the two little chicks that hatched in the summer are both cockerels. Midas is a yellow gold colour and his brother, who only crowed for the first time yesterday, is cream and iridescent black. I might call him Raphael. We certainly did not want cockerels. However, the whole flock is really a collection of beautiful birds, it does not matter, colour and interest has been added by their arrival. The Feast of the Epiphany with all its mystery is a wonderful time in the calendar of the Church. Was the star a super nova, planets moving together or a comet? Who were these wise men from the East who brought the Christ Child such incredible gifts? This year time moves quickly, it is just over a month to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. All adults in the Catholic Church are required to give up meat on Fridays and eat fish or eggs. We try to give up the things we like, meaty soups, rich food, cake, chocolate bars and sweets. The richness and drama of Gateau Pithiviers eaten at Epiphany leads us to the stark reality of the Lenten fast. In the kitchen I ve been attacked by lethargy. Cooking is the last thing I want to do. I m a little worried about it and hope that former enthusiasm will return. Funnily enough, and it is the proper time, the only food that tempts me are pancakes. The recipe for ordinary pancakes is 110g of plain flour, 2 large eggs, 200mls milk and 75ml water, finally adding 2tbs melted butter. I make these like drop scones, keeping them warm and adding a final layer of salty butter, cream cheese or honey. They can, of course, be any shape you want. The addition of oats to pancakes is good. Halve the plain flour and add 55g of porridge oats you have ground to utmost smoothness in your food processor. If you want an especially fluffy, risen pancake use a packet of dried yeast, egg white or baking powder to get the risen effect. Blinis are made like this. Carrot pancakes amuse me. Using the liquid measures for milk and water above, add four chopped carrots and liquidise until smooth, then add the remaining ingredients and after adding a little nutmeg and cinnamon cook as usual, roll up and serve. Sweet potato pancakes amuse me even more. Use the basic recipe again, but add half a cup of cooked and mashed sweet potato. Keep the balance between the pancake mixture and potato even. Once again add nutmeg and cinnamon to the flour. Cook, pile up and serve with maple syrup and pecan nuts. You can do the same with pumpkin or squash. In fact people love Pancake Day. Go mad, colour them all differently and make rainbow pancakes for the kids. Using the ordinary pancake mixture, produce pancakes that can be stuffed with delicious sauces containing seafood or vegetables or both. Roll them up, put them in a dish, cover with grated cheese and pop under the grill until golden. Wonderful supper dishes, simple ingredients and easy. Who could ask for more. A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their sixyear-old daughter and said, 'Would you like to say the blessing?' 'I wouldn't know what to say,' the girl replied. 'Just say what you hear Mommy say,' the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, 'Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?' Deception, self-deception and the truth, that sets us free The second half of my career as a senior police officer was spent in the world of financial crime, specifically fraud. Fraud is a very broad area of crime, increasingly so with the new areas of opportunity offered by the Internet. Nevertheless, a crude definition of fraud would be theft by deception. Let me explain; If I steal something from you I take it from you against your will, but If I deceive you into believing my lie, you willingly give the thing to me. It is the victim s willingness to believe the lie that gives success to the fraudster Analysing many frauds it became obvious to me that whilst victim naivety played a part, in most cases the reason that the victim believed the lie was because of their own greed, pride or even dishonesty. For example, the Spanish Lottery Fraud in which the victim is told that they have won on this lottery and they just need to send bank details or some advance fee to release the funds and the money will be theirs. The fact that the victim has never bought a lottery ticket does not prevent them from being engaging with the fraudster. In many cases the victims were even willing to involve themselves in what they believed to be a criminal enterprise. I assume that many readers will be aware of what is commonly known as the Nigerian Letter Fraud (although the favoured medium these days is ). There are many very imaginative variations of this fraud but basically it goes like this. One receives a letter from someone purporting to work for a bank / oil company etc. and has access to a large amount of money, often saying that this money no longer has a rightful owner. They ask for assistance to get the money out of the country. By agreeing to help them the victim is entering into a criminal conspiracy. However, having taken the bait the fraudster then bleeds them of as much money as they can. In some cases fraudsters played on people s pride by using pseudofinancial terms and fictitious financial instruments, which the victim would be too proud to declare their ignorance about. In high value corporate frauds often it was the desire of the fraudster s line managers to maximise their bonuses (greed) that enabled the internal fraudster to practice their deceit by presenting falsely inflated accounts. Space prevents me from detailing the many (interesting and often amusing) ways in which fraudsters deceived their victims. The main point that struck me in examining frauds is that the victims wanted to believe the lie. They wanted to believe that they would get the money from the Spanish lottery, from the Nigerian bank, that their star trader was indeed making millions for the company etc. etc. My experience has shown me that the most powerful form of deceit is selfdeceit. That is true in all aspect of life, and not least of all in spiritual life. My own spiritual journey is testament to that. My childhood was steeped in the Catholic faith and growing up it formed a significant part of my life. In my late teens I drifted away from the church. In my early thirties I began considering faith and religion and would often (but not regularly) go to the nearest Christian church to where I lived at the time, irrespective of denomination. I believed that God was less interested in my being involved in religious ceremonies and rituals and what He really wanted from me was that I lived a Christian life. Now this is where the self -deception really kicked in. I genuinely believed that I was living my life according to God s standards and therefore I was saved. Perhaps, compared to the moral standards of many in our society, my life could have been considered good but with the benefit of spiritual hindsight I realise just how far from the path I had strayed. I am not going to declare my previous sinful ways here, but it is relevant that when I began reading the Bible, the first passage that jumped out at me was what benefit did you reap from the things that you are now ashamed of (Rom 6:21- NIV) I believe that, left to our own devices, we all are very effective at deceiving ourselves. Like me, we magnify our self-defined good deeds as if through a telescope, but turn the telescope the wrong way around to view our sinful ways. But much more devastating than that is if we deceive ourselves, as I had done, that we are saved by our own hands, because of what we are doing for God. We might believe that we are saved because we are living a good life (that was me), or by going to church or because we are religious etc. It is for this reason that I frequently refer to Jesus words in Matthew 7:21-23 in which He says, not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven I now realise how convincing my previous self-deception was and how I was confidently but blindly walking down the broad path leading to destruction. I now know that it is by grace I have been saved, through faith, not from myself, not from works, (Eph 2:8). TT Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 8 mid Jan/February 2016 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 9 mid Jan/February 2016

6 On the first day, God created the dog and said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years." The dog said, "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?" And God saw it was good. On the second day, God created the monkey and said, "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span." The monkey said, "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?" And God, again saw it was good. On the third day, God created the cow and said, "You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years." The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?" And God agreed it was good. On the fourth day, God created humans and said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years." But the human said, "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?" "Okay", said God, "You asked for it." So, that is why for our first twenty years, we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years, we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone. Life has now been explained to you. Come join me on the porch! You may remember Anne Penfold from Limeuil spent 3 months as a volunteer on Africa Mercy back at the beginning of She has now spent another 6 weeks on the ship and this is her final report: We are at the end of the year for many on the Africa Mercy. The big departure starts tomorrow, people heading home. Some for Christmas and some for good. The dental team have been working flat out. The patients are presenting with more and more complex conditions, challenging for some of the younger dentists, we are thanking God that we have more experienced volunteers amongst the team. As is often the case, the most ordinary problems become major when left for years to fester and develop occasionally into something life threatening. Tomorrow one of our patients from last week, who came with an old dental abscess is having half of his lower jaw removed. Our surgeon on the ship is replacing it with a titanium plate, but it's still a shock. The nurses speak though of the many hundreds that we have to turn away because they have serious medical problems and we just are unable to deal with them. There are local hospitals, large and set in unkempt grounds. If you need surgery here, they will give you a list of every item that they need you to buy, before the operation can happen. Everything from the scalpels to the surgeons gloves. Dressings, sutures, antiseptic, pain medication, intravenous lines and even units of blood. They are instructed to bring everything with them on the operation day. It s the stuff of nightmares. On a lighter note, we are expecting the arrival of the 'Logos Hope'. She is a ship of a similar size to us, with 400 Christian volunteers. They visit for 2 to 4 weeks in a port and bring books, a work force and a ministry. I had never heard of them before this week and we are really excited to be able to work alongside them and share some of our projects. They are people from over 60 nations and have been sailing the world for 40 years. Spreading the message of Jesus and enabling education and supporting basic projects like fresh water to poor communities. I have to pinch myself that I am counted amongst those who are bringing our Lord s message to people who have to live with fear, disease, poverty, corruption and hopelessness. They sent a 6 person advance party to join with us tonight as we had our Thursday night devotions. We prayed together, sang together, shared stories, wept and laughed, together. Then the whole ships company, gathered for ice-cream night. I think that this remote port on the Indian ocean will wonder what has happened with 2 ships full of Christians in town and filling their churches over Christmas. Please think of us and pray for us, especially those who are travelling home. Anne Penfold Bonjour and hello. My name is Annalise Patzer, and I'm a 16 year old high school student from Boston in the US. I am a hopeful exchange student looking for a Christian or Catholic family to host me for an academic year or a spring semester starting Sept/Aug 2016 or January 2017 respectively. I am Christian myself, and believe learning the French language and culture whilst in a Christian family would be best for me. I have written out an explanation in both French and English of all the details, but I was wondering if there was some way I would be able to post the message and/or video for French or Belgian or Swiss (Francophone) Christians to see. Hopefully you have some contacts or page that could help me do this. Thank you very much, merci bien, Annalise anpatzer@ outlook.com WANTED! for Church House Limeuil We have use of a delightful stone house at the rear of the Church and the owners need some extra furniture and would like to buy the following... * 1 double bed * 3 chest of drawers ( minimum 3 drawers) * 1 small round coffee table * 3-4 sitting comfortable chairs * a working desk-table up to 1.4m long 0.7m wide * a small book case * 1 small narrow wardrobe Please contact Ian Strachan if you are able to help ian.strachan24@gmail.com Do you know who your Ancestors were? For just 50, all of which goes to Chaplaincy Funds, Gill will research your ancestors and then provide you with a report and a family tree. Or why not make it a special gift for a relative? For more information speak to Gill Sweetman on bobgills24@aol.com Advertising rates per edition Full page 60 Half page 40 Quarter page 20 7cm x 5cm 15 Long-term booking discounts available Camera-ready artwork should be sent to the Editor together with the appropriate amount made payable to The Chaplaincy of Aquitaine. Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 10 mid Jan/February 2016 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 11 mid Jan/February 2016

7 Around the C haplaincy Ste. Nathalène (24) East of Sarlat, Parish Church, on D27 CW Sheila Campbell Alexandra Billing ML Alexandra Billing PC Sheila Campbell Monteton (47) east of Duras, (notre Dame Parish Church) WE Paddy Atkinson CW ML Vanda Walton PC Helen Raphael Sunday 17th January Holy Communion Revd. Gill Strachan service to be held in the Salle op the church. Tuesday 19 January 19:30 Ecumenical Service to be held at the Centre Madeleine Delbrel, Sarlat (33 bd Eugène Le Roy: there is parking and heating) 21st February Holy Communion Revd. Liz Morris At the Wilton's. Past Events We had a wonderful service with Charlotte at the Wilton's home on 6th December. We pray that our life and services are where people can come to know and experience the love of Jesus for themselves. The bilingual Carol service went really well on the 17th December. Gill and Charlotte were joined by Pere Philppe Demoures. Dave, Jan, Rebecca and Henri played for us. Thank you to them all for the practice time that we don't see, but our Father sees. Thanks to Dave for preparing the service for the projector and to Sheila for operating it. The committee did a wonderful job of decorating the church. Sheila made the mulled wine which was delicious and very welcome. The song 'Mary did you know' was played via the computer and was very touching. Everyone left with the warmth that comes from knowing, we are greatly blessed, highly favoured and beloved by God. Sunday 24th January Holy Communion Revds Angela and David Marshall Sunday 31th January Evening Prayer TBA Wednesday 10 February Ash Wednesday Holy Communion Revd Liz Morris Sunday 14 February Morning Prayer Michael Torne Sunday 21 February Prayer and Praise Revd Gill Strachan Sunday 28 February Holy Communion (followed by our Local Annual Meeting) Revd Liz Morris The Monteton Service of Lessons and Carols was held on Sunday 13 December and was a most joyful occasion. The church was full and looked beautiful, decked as it was with candles and festive greenery and berries. The service was led by Revd Liz Morris and Roger Verrall. Liz began the service by welcoming the congregation in both English and French, thanking the local Roman Catholic parish priest, Pere Thibaud, for his continued support and encouragement of the Anglican congregation. Roger then lit the second candle in the Advent Wreath and explained to us the meaning of the wreath, how each of the candles around the wreath represented one of the four Sundays in the season of Advent, the fifth, the white one in the centre, being lit finally at Christmas. The Choir, directed by Marjorie Holdsworth Etschmann and accompanied on the organ by Jonathan Smalley, led the singing of traditional carols beginning with a lovely soprano rendering by Hazel of the first verse of Once in Royal David s city. Choir-only carols included a rousing a capella Past three o clock and Harold Darke s beautiful In the Bleak Mid-winter, with solos by Marjorie and George, and the lesserknown version of Away in a Manger. To finish, Jonathan gave us a wonderfully uplifting Alleluia Chorus from Handel s Messiah with most of the congregation joining the impromptu singing! As one visitor was overheard commenting, How could you fail to enjoy a service like that! A big thank you to all of those concerned in the organising of the service and in the preparation and serving of the mulled wine and mince pies afterwards. Our love for Jesus and each other should be visible to others and draw them to Him. Christmas Eve at Monteton was very well attended despite the fact that many of our regular congregation were away. We were delighted to welcome for the first time Revd Father Robin Nash, who was celebrant for the service of Holy Communion and who joined with the choir in the singing of the hymns and carols. It was a wonderful start to Christmas with the choir giving us a feast of carols before the service began, to welcome everyone as they entered the church. Father Robin lit the final candle on the Advent Wreath and in his sermon, spoke to us about the real meaning of giving at Christmas. He said that just as God s gift to us was his Son, a gift of true love, so the best thing that we could ever give to another person is not something material but simply that: love. The next series of monthly Saturday Coffee Mornings at the home of Norma and Leslie Eckett will begin in March; more information soon. Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 12 mid Jan/February 2016 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 13 mid Jan/February 2016

8 Limeuil (24) near le Bugue, Eglise de Sainte Catherine in Limeuil Haut CW David Albrecht Christine Scott ML Ian Strachan PC Jeff Bottger Sunday 17 January Morning Worship Roger Cheale. Thursday 21st January Holy Communion Revd Gill Strachan Sunday 24 January Holy Communion Revd. Liz Morris (followed by Bring & Share chez Sullivan) Sunday 31 January Holy Communion BCP Rev Gill Strachan & Rev.Deac.Sullivan. Tuesday 2 February Service of Light. Revd Gill Strachan. Sunday 7 February Prayer & Praise Revd Deacon Charlotte Sullivan Sunday 14 February Holy Communion Revd Bramwell Bearcroft Thursday 18 February Holy Communion Revd. Liz Morris Sunday 21 February Morning Worship David Albrecht & Revd Deacon C.Sullivan (followed by Bring & Share chez Sullivan Sunday 28 February Holy Communion TBA Carols from Eglise Ste.Catherine With the Church fully decorated with banners, branches of holly, pine needles, ivy and poinsettias, and lit with countless candles, the congregation of English and French speakers enjoyed the full range of carols, readings and prayers, admirably supported by the organ (David), keyboard (Nasrine), guitar (Roger) and flute(clare). After the soloist had set the scene with In the Bleak Midwinter, the readings told of the unfolding of Christ s birth to St.John telling the great mystery of the Incarnation. The singing of John Rutter s All bells in Paradise, The People who walked in Darkness and O Hear the Angels Voices by the choir added to the sense of spiritual occasion. By the end of the service there was no room for darkness the lights came on, the mulled wine with mince pies served, and all left leisurely by shuttle car to enjoy the rest of the evening the choir and friends to La Trefle de Quatre Feuilles for a well deserved dinner. Our sincere thanks to all who helped with the Service. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We had a well attended Candlelit Christmas Eve Mass and then with the unseasonally warm weather inviting all to celebrate Holy Communion, we welcomed the Ven.Chris Sims and his wife Catherine the following morning. How many of you have opened your presents were his opening words, and what did you receive? Gloves came a reply from the back! The joy of the carol singing resonated around Limeuil before the talk reflected on various journeys at the time of the birth of the Christ-child that of the Wise Men from the East, Mary and Joseph to their place of birth and then to Egypt, and finally our own journey. Most thought-provoking at a time when so many find themselves on forced journeys. For several families and friends, lunch was enjoyed at Le Bistrot d Epicure before wending their way home in late afternoon sunshine.to open their presents!! 3rd Annual Carol Singing outreach project Once again, our informal carol singing events have been well received (7 events!) at local retirement homes and Le Bercail, a centre for developmentally disabled adults. Accompanied by piano, flute, guitar, and tambourine, the repertoire includes traditional English, French, and bilingual carols (alternating verses in English and French) such as Joy to the World and O Come all Ye Faithful, and of course the French favourite, Il est né le divin enfant, and also an Occitan carol, «Reveillatz les Pastourels.» Residents and staff receive booklets with the words to sing along, which makes for a shared musical experience. Praise God for giving us this opportunity to share the Christmas message with the residents, so many of whom are lost and lonely at this time of year. This experience has opened our choir to allow us to share Christ s love with others outside of our church. Click here to see more photos: limeuil#news This project has really been a team effort, and huge thanks go to all the musicians and carollers who have been involved, whose enthusiasm and suggestions are always so welcome! We continue to hope that this project will lead to more long term volunteer projects at the retirement homes. There are English-speaking residents who would benefit from pastoral care visits from time to time. This could include game playing, a monthly chat over a cup of tea, singing together informally... If you would be interested in helping with the evolution of this project, or have any suggestions to share, please do let us know. Friday Lunch Hour Concert. Our first Friday Lunch Concert Cinquore was held at Limeuil on 27th November. The blend of music for the oboe, flute and piano with the duets of the two sopranos was inspiring and uplifting for the audience of French and English music lovers. Two pieces by Vivaldi, Laudamus Te and Domine Deus, opened the programme, and later in contrast there were four delightful folk songs. The Jacques Ibert Deux Interludes for flute (Clare), oboe (Olivia) and piano (Nasrine) paved the way for Lakme Flower Duet by Leo Delibes and the finale of Henry Purcell s Sound the Trumpet. Oh if music be the food of love, play on and now we wait with great expectations. Thank you Cinquore. Come Dine with Me & Meet the Author. Friends gathered for Mister Nick to talk about his open, honest and transparent autobiography, as we travelled from the business challenges of London and Barbados to the high life of flying, yachting, wining and dining with celebrities from around the Caribbean. Bayac s chestnut soup, venison or pintade seemed to fuel the zeal for question after question, yet our very private, Mister Nicholas smiled with full replies and donated 18 euros per book sale, helping the evening raise 500 euros for Mercy Ship off the Madagascan coast for two months, with our friend Anne Penfold aboard. Copies of Mister Nick by Nick Hudson, published by Bene Factum Publishing, 28 euros, ISBN , available from Ian Strachan with 18 euros of each sale going to the Chaplaincy. Our sincere thanks to Nicholas and Veronica. Church House Limeuil. When Dr & Mrs Judge, from Oxford, came to the Pet Service at Limeuil in August 2015 more by accident than design, little did we know what was to unfold. They were staying in St Cyprien, but did not know of the existence of the church at Limeuil. MeeYan wanted to go to church, Stuart looked for a website, and they were amazed to find that an Anglican Church was a mere twenty minutes away. And so they came to the Pet Service, were even more surprised to find two women leading the service, and took photos of Charlotte and Gill! They came again to Limeuil a week later and shared their hopes of buying one of the little stone houses behind the church. They would use it intermittently, but they wanted the church to use it between times. Bring and share lunches, home groups, times of prayer the possibilities were suddenly endless! We were all astonished at God s provision once more, and then on New Year s Day 2016, Ian and Gill were invited to tea to discuss further arrangements for the church to use the delightful little stone house. Finding God in Unexpected Places came to mind Meanwhile we await further developments and are deeply grateful to Stuart and MeeYan for their kindness and generosity. Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 14 mid Jan/February 2016 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 15 mid Jan/February 2016

9 Chancelade and Négrondes (24) Chapelle de Saint Jean, opp. The Abbey NE of Périgueux Négrondes Church Sunday 17 January 10:30 Holy Communion Father Stephen Traves Chancelade Thursday 21 January 18:30 Ecumenical Service at the Collège-Lycée Saint Joseph, avenue Pompidou, Périgueux, Sunday 24 January 10:30 Holy Communion Rev'd Stephen Traves Négrondes Sunday 14 February 10:30 Family Service Patrick Sturges Négrondes Sunday 21 February 10:30 Holy Communion Rev'd Stephen Traves Chancelade Sunday 28 February 10:30 Holy Communion Rev'd Gill Strachan Négrondes Carol The Chancelade Carol Service on the 13th December was attended by about 115 people, including Variations Choir. We had been a bit worried because the Brantome Police Horses Charity had decided to hold a Dan Jones Concert on the same afternoon and the Bishop of Périgueux was giving a special service in the Cathedral. That meant that there wasn t a priest from the Abbey co-celebrating at our service and we had been told that there wouldn t be any Catholics coming. However, about 25 French Catholics turned up, which was encouraging. It was a lovely service, led by Father Stephen Traves, Keith Lowe played the organ and the choir sang beautifully. Mulled wine and mince pies were served in the presbytery rooms after the service. The Négrondes Carol Service was on the 18th December at 6pm. Charlotte Sullivan kindly came to lead this for us and Mags Parry played the keyboard. This service is a small local one, no choir, but it was intimate and friendly. The congregation sang enthusiastically and Charlotte gave a moving homily. After the Service refreshments were served, sparkling wine and delicious chocolate cake brought by the birthday girl, Beryl, along with some Christmassy biscuits. Then 18 of us went to the local restaurant Les Aromes, which is excellent. Future Events Please note that there is an Ecumenical Service in Christian Unity Week, on the 21st January, details above. The Bishop of Périgueux will be present and ministers from about 6 Christian religions in Dordogne. Patrick Sturges will represent the Anglicans in the absence of a Chaplain. Refreshments will be served after the Service at 7.30pm then there will be a talk (in French) at 8.30pm from the Romanian Orthodox priest. It would be great if some Anglicans could come to represent us at the Service, not obligatory to stay for everything! Our annual meeting will be after the Service on 13th March in Négrondes. If you would like to be on the committee or help in any way then please could you let Liz Oaten know. Lin Tarrant will be updating the Electoral Roll in the next 2 months. If you have been a regular church attender for the last 6 months you can apply to be on the Electoral Roll. Ask Lin or Liz. House Group. The House Group has been taking a break. If you would like to join a group for Christian discussion and Bible Study and/or you would be willing to hold it in your home then please would you contact Liz Oaten. We are planning to hold 2 extra in the next quarter. Mothering Sunday on the 6th March in Chancelade and Good Friday 2.30pm in Négrondes, more details later. CW Chris Billing CW Liz Oaten ML Philip Pearce PC Lin Tarrant Lot et Garonne: Allez Dondas Doudrac St Médard West of Villeneuve-sur-Lot. just off the D215, north east of Agen. on D50 between Castillonès and Villeréal. (on D245 north-east of Agen) Envals CW Richard Morris ML Eve Warner-Howard PC Helen Raphael to the north of Montflanquin. Sunday 7th February 11:00 Candlemas Holy Communion Doudrac Rev Liz Morris Wednesday 10th February 15:00 Ash Wednesday Holy Communion Doudrac Rev Bramwell Bearcroft Tuesday 16th February 11:30 Holy Communion Envals Rev Liz Morris Sunay 21st February 10:30 Holy Communion Dondas Rev David Jones DOUDRAC The first of our December services, led by Rev d Liz Morris, was on Sunday, 6th at the usual time of 11am. Over the past months, Jennifer Bearcroft has been leading a small Sunday school and the 6th was scheduled for the Nativity rehearsal. A number of the children involved joined the communicants for a blessing. Coffee was served after the service in the Salles des Fêtes. Standing room only!! Our Carol service on the morning of the 13th December, attracted more numbers owing to the addition of family members of the little thespians who presented the Nativity. Sixteen children took part, with two of our regular teenagers narrating the story of Our Lord s birth. The tableau even featured live animals! It was a delight to see children enjoying themselves so much in church. A small choir sang The Holly and the Ivy, an arrangement written especially by our organist/pianist, David Warner-Howard, with all other, well-known and loved, traditional carols sung heartily by the congregation. More presents were provided by members of the congregation for homeless families, to be distributed through Restos du Coeur. After the service a much appreciated glass of mulled wine, provided by Liz and Dave Rolfe, was consumed before we sat for our shared lunch. Besides the pleasure of sharing a meal, it gave us the opportunity to catch-up with folk and exchange the usual glad tidings of the season. A glorious Christmas morning, sunny and warm, drew a good number of visitors to join us for our service of Holy Communion led by Rev d Bramwell Bearcroft. A number of children were present for whom Jennifer had prepared a small talk during the service Our next service, Candlemas Holy Communion, will be on 7th February 2016 at 11.00am led by Rev d Liz Morris. DONDAS At the eleventh hour we had to move the third of our services of Morning Worship on Sunday, 15 November at 10.30am from the church (which was being re-roofed and its porch re-surfaced) to the Mairie Annexe, formerly the village school, across the road which had the dual advantages of heating and comfortable chairs. It was led by Margaret Opie- Smith as part of her CWL training and we started with a period of silence while we remembered those killed and injured in Paris two nights earlier. In the absence of a musical accompaniment we were glad to have Angie Hanford and Peter Grey-Hughes to lead our singing. Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 16 mid Jan/February 2016 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 17 mid Jan/February 2016

10 Our bi-lingual Carol Service, taken by Revd Liz Morris, will be on Wednesday, 16 December at 6.30pm and our singing will again be led by Chant Allez accompanied by Marilyn Morrow. It will as usual be followed by mulled wine and mince pies in the Salle des Fêtes. We are hoping that our Parish Priest, Fr John Hennessy, will be able to join us as he did last year. And Revd Liz Morris will be returning on Sunday, 20 December at 10.30am to celebrate our final service of Holy Communion for ALLEZ During December we had two services at Allez; Advent worship on the 8th at our quarterly Holy Communion which was attended by a representative from the ecumenical group, who spoke to those present about some of their aims and to outline the plans for the 2016 programme and to encourage people of all the Christian denominations to visit one another s churches and discover our common roots. On the 22nd, very near to Christmas, we enjoyed our service of readings and carols, at which our wonderful choir, Chant Allez, opened the service with Tomorrow Will Be My Dancing Day, setting the tone for a joyful atmosphere which continued until everyone slowly drifted home after ending the evening with mulled wine, mince pies, Christmas cake and Advent biscuits from the Netherlands. Thank you everyone for all your contributions to making the evening a good roundoff to the busy weeks of Advent and starting of what was hopefully a peaceful and meaningful Christmas. Our next service will be Holy Communion at on the second Tuesday in March but before that, please join us at the Chapel adjoining the church at Ste Livrade sure Lot on 21st January at for the ecumenical gathering for the World Day of Prayer and meet fellow Christians from all the denominations in the area - and find out how much we all share in faith. ST MEDARD The Dronne Valley Church, at Bertric Burée (24): Parish Church, (D708 between Ribérac and Verteillac) CW Mike Duncan Tony Stephens ML Keith Gunn PC Sheila Marshall Sunday 17 January 10:30 Family Service Janis Adams Saturday 23 January 15:00 Service of prayer for Christian Unity, Ribérac Hospital Chapel Sunday 24 January 10:30 Holy Communion Revd Barrie Green Sunday 31 January 10:30 Prayer and Praise, led by one of our home groups Sunday 07 February 10:30 Service of the Word Trevor Hodgkiss Evensong Sheila Marshall Ash Wednesday 10th February 11:00 Holy Communion Revd Barrie Green Sunday 14th February 10:30 Holy Communion Revd Andrew Bullock Sunday 21st February 10:30 Family Service Madeleine Holmes Sunday 28th February 10:30 Holy Communion Revd Bramwell Bearcroft Please join us for tea and coffee across the road in the Upper Room after each of the Sunday services There will be a Bring-and-Share lunch following the morning service 10th January in the Upper Room. Please bring a dish to share and your own cutlery, plate and glass. We invite a donation of 1 50 towards the cost of bread and wine which will be supplied. Our Carol Service at St Medard, once again a full church and joyous singing of favourites in both French and English. A great many mince pies were consumed afterwards along with mulled wine. A coming together of our two communities, very much appreciated by everyone. Thanks as always to Marilyn Morrow and the choir Chant Allez. Also to Margaret Opie Smith who with Père Tailade took the service. Our next service will be Easter Day 27th March A very happy and peaceful 2016 to everyone. Christmas Day service: Our church was full and there was a great atmosphere of joy, friendship and thanksgiving. Many of the congregation who did not have family to care for, were joining together afterwards for Christmas Day lunch, which continued the sense of festivity. It was Brian Davies s last service as Priest-in-Charge. He is taking a 3-month sabbatical; after which he wishes to concentrate on church outreach programmes. People wrote on the labels of the Christmas Prayer Tree, the names of people they wished to be remembered in prayer before God. There was also a basket underneath for the same purpose. A lovely thought on Christmas Day. Condom/Nerac (32) Chapel Notre Dame de Piétat, 54 Av. Aquitaine, Condom (47), Place Saint-Marc, Nerac TL Richard Smith smith.r@orange.fr ML Neil Wright PC Liz Evans Monday January 25th 20:30 Eglise Evangélique Protestante du Gers, Auch (Espace Bethesda, Chemin de Marin, 32000) Thursday 28th January 11:00 Holy Communion Condom Sunday 14 February 11:00 Prayer & Praise Condom Thursday 25 February 11:00 Holy Communion Condom Christmas Tea Party: On December 8th we enjoyed an afternoon of lovely carols at Shirley and Brian Cook s annual Christmas Party. Keith Lowe was at the keyboard and there were helpers in the kitchen. Wednesdays in the Upper Room The Upper Room is open as a community facility Wednesdays 10:30 to 14:30 6th January 2016 onwards Drop in for Soup, Bread and Cheese lunches, Tea and Coffee and Scones all on a donation basis Congenial company - Pleasant location After all the Christmas and New Year festivities why not come along and join us? for more about the Upper Room contact the Manager, Ann Knight on Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 18 mid Jan/February 2016 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 19 mid Jan/February 2016

11 Oh - we should have walked! says Jaki Moorhouse On Thursday 3rd December the Strollers and Strollites from Bertric Burée church met for the end of season/ Christmas lunch. Who was to know when the date was chosen that the day would be heaven-sent: glorious blue skies and warm enough for an apero outside. Le Maine Meunier restaurant/auberge, near Montmoreau, was the venue. It s a converted barn with two wonderful log burners which set the scene for a very convivial lunch attended by 15 would-be walkers and a very good time was had by all. We were all sad that it was Sue and Lionel Gamon s last event with us as they actually set up this walking section at the church many years ago. We are very grateful and we wish them much happiness as they return to the UK. This group will now be in deepest hibernation until March but many of us are already looking forward to dusting down our boots again and in particular to travelling down to the Gers for two nights in April to walk a small section of the Route to Santiago De Compostella (spaces still available). NB: Surprisingly, walking is not a prerequisite for this church activity!! If you would like to join us either actively as a Stroller (who walk before the lunch) or as a not-so-active Strollite (who meet up for the lunch) next season, we would welcome your company, so do come give us a try when we re-emerge from hibernation...just jakimoorhouse@aol.com any time and I will add you to the mailing list. Craft Group The craft group meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month in the Upper Room at Bertric Burée, at 2pm. The Knit n Natter group are welcome to join us, as is anyone else. No need for any particular skill or craft. Just come for a chat and tea and cake. More details from Cilla - cillapickett@gmail.com The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2016 This year s service has been prepared by the Christians of Latvia, based around the verses 1Peter 2: Peter s first letter is an encouragement to the newly baptised to live holy lives and to answer the calling shared by all the baptised to proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord. Today, Latvia is a crossroads where Roman Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox regions meet. Because of this unique location, it is home to Christians of many different traditions, but no single one of them is dominant. Gathered together by the Archbishop of Riga, members of a variety of church communities and projects in Latvia were asked to reflect on the chosen theme and the experience of their work. The main service is inspired by the verses from Peter s letter and Jesus metaphors of salt and light which are important cultural themes for Latvia. Each of the days has been prepared by one of the diverse Church communities. The 8 Days are linked principally by the experience of being a Christian in Latvia. Join us in the Hospital Chapel Ribérac Saturday 23 January at 15:00 for this opportunity to worship and pray for church unity with our brothers and sisters of the local Roman Catholic and Eglise Réformée congregations Bordeaux (33) Chapelle de l Assomption, 370 bd Président Wilson, (opposite the British Consulate). CW Ian Couper Pamela Prior Stephen Razafindratsima ML Lindsay Megraud PC Rhian Foreau Sunday January 17th Family Communion Revd Andrew Bullock Saturday January 23rd Ecumenical Service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Details to be announced please check the website Sunday January 24th Family Communion Revd Andrew Bullock & Stephen Razafindratsima followed by a Local Committee Meeting Sunday February 7th Family Communion Revd Bramwell Bearcroft followed by a Bring-and-Share Lunch Wed. February 10th Ash Wednesday Communion Service Revd Andrew Bullock Time to be confirmed Sunday February 14th All Age Service Sunday February 21st Morning Worship Christine Rychlewski Sunday February 28th Family Communion Sunday School Dates: Sunday School: January 17, 24, 31 February 7, 21, 28 Sunday School and Youth Group For more information, feel free to contact Rhian Foreau ( ), Anne Sharp ( ), Ashley Ridley ( ) or Kit Seguin ( ) In addition to checking out the Chaplaincy website for updated and new articles on our church life, the Bordeaux Church now has a separate website: please visit and "like" our facebook pages: EnglishAnglicanChurchBordeaux Wine and Words Bordeaux Join our Anglican Church Choir Bordeaux facebook group * January 10th Service Christian Unity On the occasion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Sunday School from the Roman Catholic Church of Gradignan will join us at our church on January 10th with children of 9-12 years old (French Ecole Primaire CE2-CM2) accompanied by supervisors and parents. It is expected that the children will be gathered at the end of the service for questions about us, what is a Reverend etc. It will be a joyous Service in the spirit of Christian Unity. Local Church Committee Meeting - January 24th Service. If you have anything special which you would like discussed at this meeting, please see on of the local wardens. Your opinion is important to us! Looking way ahead! Bordeaux Church Annual Meeting. Sunday, March 6th from Chaplaincy Annual General Meeting, hosted by the Bordeaux Church. Saturday, April 16th at a.m. followed by a Bring-and-Share Lunch and Service of Holy Communion Activities & Opportunities Pray for the Chaplaincy and for the Bordeaux Church in this New Year As we celebrate the beginning of a New Year with all the hope and love that we anticipate, we put our faith in the Prince of Peace and ask that He grant us His mercy always. Pastoral Care do you need company or help? As disciples of Christ, we are to serve one another. Lindsay Mégraud is coordinating a group of people who will be happy to make phone calls or visit the elderly or sick connected in any way with the Bordeaux Church. Please think about sharing the warmth of your heart from the warmth of your home! Please contact Lindsay to join the group of carers. For those who would like a call or a visit, or know of someone in need, send an to WeCare.BordeauxAnglican Church@gmail.com or call Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 20 mid Jan/February 2016 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 21 mid Jan/February 2016

12 Picnic Play Reading Group. The Picnic Play-Reading Group meets once a month to read a play, typically after the service on the 3rd Sunday of each month. We are always happy to welcome more members, particulary men!, to this worthwhile fellowship activity which follows a bring & share picnic. It is actually as much fun to listen as it is to read, so we strongly encourage newcomers to join the group. Please join us on Sunday, January 17th and February 21st. All those interested should contact Pamela Prior (pamela.i.prior@gmail.com, Tel: or ). Wine and Words Group meets for a time of discussion and fellowship once a month in the evening in the centre of Bordeaux. Drinks and nibbles accompany our discussions, before those that wish head off in search of dinner. We'll be meeting on Friday, February 12th to discuss "Christian relationships". Confirmation of the date and the venue will be indicated on the website and facebook. Contact Ian at iancouper1@gmail.com for more information and take a look at our facebook page! The Foyer Fraternel Gouffrand, a Bordeaux Church charity outreach, helps the needy all year long and it is in great need of anything that can bring some relief to those in difficulty: clothes in good condition, non-perishable food or financial donations. You may put your donations in the basket at the entrance of the chapel every Sunday. There is also a demand for helping hands on Thursdays (sorting out clothes, ironing and preparing things for their clothes sales). Freda Perris ( ) can provide further information. With grateful thanks from the Foyer. Kids' Choir. Stephen Razafindratsima is leading a Kids' Choir with practices following the Sunday service for half an hour or so while the adults enjoy the usual time of refreshments and fellowship. Please encourage your little ones to join in on the fun. The kids participated in the Carol Service by singing Away in a manger, accompanied a capella by the adult choir. For more information, please see Stephen at services or by stephenwardenbdx@ gmail.com. Bible Reading Groups. One study group is currently meeting in Bordeaux on a Thursday evening every week at different venues in and around Bordeaux. We are looking at 1 Corinthians for the moment, using a combination of study guides and enjoying lively discussion. A second study group has 2 participants, Freda and Eric Perris, and a venue at their home in Pessac. If you would like to join either of these groups or start one in your area please contact Christine: alienor1153@yahoo.com or Chap-Aid & Help for the Refugees. Continue to pray for relief and a solution to the difficult situation in which so many refugees have found themselves. Heartfelt thanks to one and all for your prayers and we continue to ask for your generous donations. Please feel free to contact Nellie on contessasalvi@yahoo.co.uk or by mobile if you wish to offer goods or services - not needed in the immediate, but to be kept in mind. News from last month Our sincere condoleances to Marcelle Ward and to Stanley's family in England as they mourn the death of Stanley. Stanley and his wife Marcelle were long standing members of the Bordeaux Church until health problems no longer allowed them to be with us on a regular basis. Please keep them in your prayers. The Christmas Bazaar with all of its trimmings! The annual Christmas Bazaar was full of Christmas cheer, bubbly conversation, books to satisfy the intellectuals and a tombola for the lucky. A Silent Auction attracted many who were looking for an interesting offer. All told a fantastic fundraiser which brought in 4,000. Hats off to Pamela Prior who orchestrated yet another bazaar with finesse and a good dose of holiday courage and also to her team of busy elves! Christmas Carols at Arcachon. On 6th December a delegation from the Bordeaux Church joined members of the French Protestant Church (Eglise Protestante Unie) for a special service of Evening Prayer with Christmas carols at Arcachon. This took place in the former St Thomas Anglican Church, now a Protestant Temple. Once descibed as 'the prettiest Anglican church in France', it was built in the late nineteenth century by its first chaplain, the Revd Samuel Radcliff. He did much to develop Arcachon, was instrumental in founding the golf course, and organized paper chases on horseback from the square outside the church. However, the Anglophone population in the area declined in the post-war years, and the church was eventually closed. Since then the area has been served from Bordeaux. In the meantime our Protestant friends have taken great pains to preserve the Anglican character of the church as a number from the Bordeaux congregation had been able to observe earlier in the year when we were invited to a civic ceremony to mark the completion of renovation works, and the listing of the building as a Historic Monument. It was therefore with great pleasure and gusto that the congregation, made up of English and French speakers, and ably supported by the Bordeaux choir,were able to sing Christmas carols, including Silent Night sung in French. The service was led by the Revd Andrew Bullock, and prayers were offered in English and in French. The organ was played brightly by Director of Music Richard Hunt. We are confident that we can further this ecumenical initiative and build on our contacts with our Protestant friends. Peter Luson The Christmas Carol Service. On a mid-december Sunday evening, the Chapel was once again packed to the brim (read: balcony) with several hundred people. The Nativity Scene included partipants from age 2 to ahem! well over 50! The choir made a most joyful noise under the superb direction of Director of Music Richard Hunt. Readings, carols, and intercessions allowed the congregation to unite in anticipation of Christmas. Followed by the traditional mulled wine prepared with care by Paul Sharp, Bill Fisher and helpers. Bravissimo especially to Richard, Alexandra and Anne Christmas Day Service. What a fun and joy-filled service, praising the Christ Child, AND trying to discover what was inside the giant cracker! Some lousy jokes, a crown and a love story. Lovely to see so many to celebrate Christmas Day with us. Holi Razafindratsima s PhD December 7th at La Sorbonne A short testimony. To You alone, Lord, honour and glory. Here I am, Doctor of Science in Management from La Sorbonne University in Paris after 5 long years of waiting. In fact, my thesis defense was originally scheduled for December However, my destiny was linked to that of my thesis director. The Lord made me wait for 5 years in order to accomplish the mission "to pray for my director who has been battling an illness for several years". My thesis was at a complete standstill, but 5 years later, God calmed the storms and He lifted me up. Yes, because my director is still not well but the Lord knows that I accomplished my mission which was to witness to God's love for my director. Psalm 37.5 was and remains my motto: "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this." It is a bible verse which my mother gave me when I left home to marry the man of my life. Thank you to the Bordeaux congregation who encouraged me not to give up and to put my confidence in God because He is good and faithful. Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 22 mid Jan/February 2016 Chaplaincy of Aquitaine 23 mid Jan/February 2016