ANSWERED PRAYERS

ANSWERED PRAYERS AT CAFE CHURCH, BERGERAC

We would like to tell you
how prayers were answered at the November Cafe Church.

First of all Pam and I were given safety in travel back and forth. Indeed our trip home on Ryanair with a tail wind, combined with an empty Arrivals Hall meant that we were back
in Tunbridge Wells just four hours after leaving Chaupine.

We also survived the bump when someone ran into Peter Shire’s car in the Bergerac airport car park. No major damage but always unsettling.
There were (as we now expect) a number of enemy pokes – Broadband failure which always means a long wait in the Orange, town centre office. It was rewarded this time with a new
Wi Fi box and a visit from a telephone engineer. Pam suffered a steam burn from the oven (now healing) and we had a blackbird attacking our front door! He was feeding on a nearby
bush and caught sight of himself in the double glazing. So time and again he hammered at the door. Only giving up when it went dark.

But these minor inconveniences resulted in many blessings.

First there was the fun and fizz and fellowship of seventeen people for lunch. It would have been eighteen but sadly Suzanne had to travel to the U.K to be with her elderly mother who died the following Monday. Please pray for Suzanne.

Then a crowd of thirty fivecame for the Carols time. Some people brought friends, showing that they think Cafe Church is a safe place nowadays! We had the first visit from one new
family – the father and his two young boys. His wife is still in the U.K. finishing her contract. Please pray for them. Some folk had travelled over two hours to join us and there were many contributions in the meeting itself in prayer and with the reading of Scripture passages.

Then we welcomed two young believers we had not had any contact with previously. As a couple, they are looking to move into Bergerac. She is Dutch and he is French.

I spoke on how the birth of Jesus brought an end to death
and how the light of Jesus overwhelms darkness. Do you know the
poem by the Christian John Donne?

Death be not proud,
though some have called thee
mighty and dreadful;

for thou art not so.
For those, whom thou
thinkest, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor death,

nor yet canst thou kill me

From rest and sleep,
which but thy pictures be
Much pleasure, then from thee,

much more must flow
And soonest our best men
with thee do go
Rest of their bones and
souls delivered.

Thou art slave to Fate.
Chance, Kings and desperate men
and dost with poison, war
and sickness dwell,
and poppy or charms

can make us sleep as well.
And better then thy
stroke; why swellest thou then?

One short sleep past,

we wake eternally!
and death shall be no more: death thou shalt die!

So thank you for praying

and please, now, say with us. “Thank you Lord, for victory, now and always.”

Have a Happy Christmas,

Derek and Pam

ps. If you want to hear one of the new carols try Immanuel-Songs
of Praise-YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE_tuMpIOho&feature=related

A SPECIAL CAROL SERVICE for 2011

I suppose that over the years I must have attended hundreds of carol services and organised many myself, but none have excited me as much as the one planned for Cafe Church Bergerac on Sunday November 27th.

I am excited for three reasons.

First of all, it is the start of Advent. The shops have been preparing for Christmas for weeks already. That is because of their commercial interest in making money.
But as Christians, we also, ought to start thinking about the wonder of Christmas before we get to Christmas Day. Sunday November 27th is Advent Sunday, the start of our Christian preparation time.

Second, the message is so incredible isn't it?
It is such an A....MAZ.....ING world which God has made. But it is a world which has gone mad because of man's sin and stupidity. Nowadays it is only fit for scrap - destruction-recycling to make a new one. But God doesn't recycle - He decides to REDEEM.
Forgive me for all the capital letters, but Christmas really contains an incredible theme which we need to understand afresh this year. You couldn't have written a script like this one.
God came into our eorld and He hasn't left it since then. So with the angels we sing "Immanuel - God with us".

The Third reason for being excited is that Brian and Peter have put together some terrific Christian songs and carols and videos for November 27th.

Do you know the carol "Joy to the World," I'm sure that you do, so we'll start with that one.
How about the carol "Immanuel" which starts "A sign shall be given"?
Maybe that will be new to you.
Have you ever sung the lovely, gentle, life affirmning Carol "All is well, all is well. Angels and men rejoice"? If not you can learn it with us. Then there are more, some that we know and some that we may not know so well.re.

So we start with mince pies and Marks and Spencer's Christmas cake at 5pm and then from 5:30 we remind opurselves of the real meaning of Christmas.
Eglise Evangelique Libre de Bergerac, 5 Rue Durou, Bergerac.

Can't wait!

Derek

How time flies!

Hello,

I have to confess that I am too often only concerned about the "here and now" of life and not enough about the future possibilities.

My "here and now" has been so busy that it is only when I decided to look at Blogs that I realised how long it is since I wrote anything at all!

So here is a suprise to any of you who are checking out the page today!

I've just been to a Bible Study Group talking about Prayer. We were telling one another about ways in which God has answered prayer in our own lives or the lives of others.

Now it is often hard to come up with a quick illustration of answered prayer. That is because we often don't write things down and our memories of God's goodness to us are allowed to fade.

So in what ways has God answered one of my prayers today?

Let me tell you. I checked into the Blog page and found that instead of two people who read it now and again there are now six.That has to be an encouragement. Maybe if I write more often the number will go up even more. But I have also been encouraged this past week by other Christian believers.

It was my turn recently to set the questions for the Home Groups Bible Study meetings for our Church. I asked God to help me and felt that He had done so. But it was only when several of the Group leaders came to tell me that their Group had had one of its best meetings and discussions ever, that I realised just how much God had helped.

So let's set a new trend amongst Christians. Let's take time to encourage one another.

God loves us so much. Because of His grace we can receive His love into our lives. The Bible speaks about God's COMPASSION.

Now here is how it works,, this revolutionary COMPASSION.
The more you receive of God's love for you, the more you can give away
and the more you give away, the more you receive.
The more you receive and the more you give away, then the more the world is changed
by the power of God's COMPASSION.

Worth thinking about.

Blessings

Derek Cook

Next Cafe Church events

Sunday October 23rd
Tea and Cake from 5pm at Eglise Evangelique, 5 rue Durou, Bergerac
followed by Praise, Prayer and Word from 5:30pm for about an hour.

Sunday November 27th
Worship early for Christmas!
Tea and Christmas Cake from 5pm at Eglise Evangelique, 5 rue Durou, Bergerac
followed by English Christmas Carols from 5:30pm for about an hour.

JOIN US IF YOU CAN. PLEASE PRAY FOR US IF YOU CAN'T

Answers to Prayers

Good Morning,

Thank you for continuing to pray for us, it really does make a significant difference.

I'm not sure what Bible verses would support the idea, but we can actually "feel" the difference when people are praying, even when we don't know who it is, or where you are, or why you have felt led to pray for us here at Cafe Church.

SUMMER CHURCH has seen new faces every week so far, with forty people attending on July 24th. Some are here on holiday and it has been a joy to have them worshipping with us and to pray for the churches they represent from around the world. Others are new contacts with people who live here permananetly.

I am increasingly feeling that the element of Praise at Cafe Church is one of the keys for the future in Bergerac.

Christians who come to live out here, can last for a long time on their spiritual reserves of biblical teaching and their years of reading. The thing that they cannot do on their own, is to be fully released to praise God. That is because "Praise", in its fulness, is a collective activity. One lady wrote to me to say that she hadn't realised (until after attending Cafe Church) just how much she really missed the fellowship of other Christians.

When I first heard God saying that He wanted a charismatic group of Believers praising Him in Bergerac to restore the witness of the Huguenots, I also heard Him say that Pam and I were to lay the foundations, which others would build upon. I was also given a time limit. Three years for the foundation work and then it would be time to build the walls.

Well we are almost at the two and a half year mark and I have been praying very hard for the "builder" to be sent soon! God, of course, had it all in hand and I believe that He is sending Bob and Jane Pearce to help us all to move forward.

At the moment they are members of the West Wiltshire Vineyard Church but until four years ago were in Pastoral leadership at the King's Church in Bordon in Hampshire. God blessed the work there and it grew from around thirty to over one hundred in a seven year period. Much of the growth was through Alpha Courses.

They have now been over twice to visit us. Miraculously (and I mean that) their house has "suddenly" sold and they expect to be back in France in September to stay for a six month period, to see how things work out and to listen hard to the Father heart of God. Please make them a centre of your prayers so that they are protected and please encourage others amongst your christian friends to "adopt" them and pray for them as well.

Oh, you've probably guessed it it already, but Bob is, by trade, a builder!

Blessings,

Derek and Pam

Guest Speakers at Cafe Church
July 31st. Kay and Glen Doney
August 7th Derek Cook
August 14th Brian Lincoln

A LIVING SAVIOUR

Cafe Church spent their time on Easter Sunday praising the name of a risen Saviour!

See what a morning, In Christ Alone, How deep the Father's love for us, When I survey, There is a Redeemer and Come people of the Risen King were all sung with enthusiasm.

Brian Lincoln and Peter Shire did their usual thing producing video footage for the big screen. Words and pictures always increase the impact of any message and I told the story of a twenty year old Muslim man who came to faith after hearing the Christian message for the very first time at a Good Friday meeting.

One of the greatest proofs of all, that Jesus is alive, is the way in which He revealed Himself to the early disciples and the fact that He still does it today. So I asked permission of a friend of mine to quote from her recent experience.

Sue used to work with me on the Maranatha Ministries Team some years ago. She has always had the heart of an evangelist. Here she shares some of the way in which Jesus has been with her recently. She writes: "I have been praying about the forthcoming Graham Kendrick concert and trust that plans are going well for that and that many will attend and be blessed by it.

I've just come out of hospital, having had a pituitary tumour removed at the Walton Neurological Centre in Liverpool. I'm feeling amazing considering I only had the op. ten days ago and I feel a bit of a fraud as everyone knows I've been through fairly major surgery but don't have a visible scar on me and everyone is telkling me I look better than I have for ages! (they removed the tumour through my nose)

The experience I had leading up to the op. was truly amazing. So many people were praying for me and I could feel a tangible presence of God in a way I never have before. I literally felt as if I was being held in His arms and as I was being wheeled to the operating theatre I had an incredible sense of joy bubbling up insiode me. I was struggling not to laugh and I know I had a stupid grin on m y face. The staff were probably thinking "Ah, bless her, she's gone a bit odd because of the tumour."

When the surgeon came ouit to speak to me before I went into surgery, he held mny hand and said surgery is always a risky business, but he said "I think you and I both acknowledge that there'll be a greater hand than mine guiding me today". I couldn't believe what he had just said!

I have been told there's am 80% chance that I will need radiotherapy following the surgery and I will be re-scanned etc in a couple of months to confirm this, but I am praying for the 20%.

I am so grateful to God for the peace He gave me, as I met other patients in the hospital who were awaiting similar surgery to mine and were unbelievably fearful, one lady was writing her will the night before her surgery. I really believe that He will complete the healing that He has begun and I would ask you to join me in praying for this. I am determined my faith isn't going to waver even though the recovery process is going to be long and probably frustrating at times (I can't drive for 3 months now).

The experience of God's presence has been so real I've just loved it and basked in it and I don't want it to end!

Next Cafe Church event is from 5pm on Sunday May 22nd

Yes, Jesus is alive!

All our love

Derek and Pam

An Afternoon in Chaupine

AN AFTERNOON IN CHAUPINE, When we first came to France in the summer of 2006, Pam and I had a sort of dream that we would hold a worship service in our own home. Actually we thought of holding it in the garden and calling it “Church in the Garden”. Well we couldn’t have used the garden last Sunday because it was raining, but we did have a lovely time of worship and praise in our home. It is always a blessing to meet with other people who want to say “thank you” to the Lord for His goodness to them. Jacky, who led the singing for the first time, had several strange things happening during the previous week. It always seems to be more than a co-incidence that when someone steps out to do something for God, then some odd niggles happen in their lives, but we have seen it so often over the years. We were blessed by her leadership and choice of songs. My talk was based on Paul’s letter to the Church at Philippi. The letter was originally written in the Greek language, which was the most widely understood language of the day. In English we use the same word for “you” whether we mean “all of you” a whole group, or just “you” as a single individual. So in English Bibles it isn’t easy to know whether some promise or command in the Bible is for an individual or for the whole room full. But in the original language two different words are used for the singular or plural. So we read three statements “God who has begun a good work in you will complete it.” Philippians 1: 6 Paul is talking about God’s work of salvation. “Rejoice in the Lord and let your gentleness be known to all” Philippians 4:4 there he is talking about sensitivity. “The peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 in that section the theme is security. We learnt that in all those three examples the “YOU” is the plural one. We are meant to be the together people. Salvation and sensitivity and security together. NEXT CAFE CHURCH EVENT IS SUNDAY APRIL 24th Sing some great songs on Easter Day – one of which is linked with a powerful Video and then share in a simple act of Communion around the tables. Tea and Cake from 5pm with Cafe Church from 5:30 for about an hour. GRAHAM KENDRICK CONCERT FRIDAY JUNE 3rd Such has been the interest in this event, from far and wide, that we have now made it an all ticket event. Tickets are free, but need to be ordered soon please, the cut off date being the end of April. Please be realistic in your order for tickets and send your total (if possible with email addresses of those coming) as soon as you can. Why not place your first order this week and then send in fresh orders as others say that they want to come. The free ticket will gain admission on the night but seats will be on a first come, first served basis. Doors open at 7:15pm for a prompt start at 8pm Isn’t it exciting! Praise God with us! With our love, Derek and Pam

A report from France by Peter Shire

Cafe Church in February looked at the theme of friends and friendship.

The Dictionary says that a friend is,
“A person known well to another and regarded with liking, affection, and loyalty.”
Some friendships are fleeting and some are lasting. True friendships are glued together with bonds of loyalty and commitment. They remain intact, despite changing external circumstances. We looked at how do we decide who is a friend or not.
There are different types of friendships, the ones you say hi to, the ones you are very happy to be in their company and chat and the very few friends that you share your inner most thoughts and feelings with.

Proverbs 17:17says: “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.”

What kind of friend are you? There is a vast difference between knowing someone well and being a true friend. The greatest evidence of genuine friendship is loyalty (see 1 Corinthians 13:7) - being available to help in times of distress or personal struggle.
Too many people are fair-weather friends. They stick around when the friendship helps them and leave when they’re not getting anything out of the relationship. Think of your friends and assess your loyalty to them. Be the kind of true friend the Bible encourages.

We also looked at those with no friends. Instead of wishing you could find a true friend, seek to become one. There are people who need your friendship. Ask God to reveal them to you, and then take on the challenge of being a true friend.

We closed by thinking about our very true friend in Jesus Christ. The first thing we must always do is to remember that God is our constant friend and will never leave us.
In John 15:15 Jesus says:
“I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn’t confide in his servants.
Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.”

A very warm thank you to all those that were present and who helped in various ways to make the time together enjoyable.

For our special prayers:
Graham and Ann and also Peter as they prepare to move into their respective, newly rented, houses. Peter’s 90 year old mother, who will need to move into residential care in the UK.
Louise and her family, Louise used to play the keyboard at Cafe Church for us.
Planning and publicity for the Graham Kendrick concert on Friday June 3rd in Bergerac

To all our friends wherever they are and whatever they are doing, that they may feel and know that God is with them.

NEXT CAFE CHURCH SUNDAY MARCH 27th from 5pm

Blessings,

Pam and Derek Cook

A BLESSING IN JANUARY AND MORE TO COME

A blessing in January and more to come!

God answered prayer again at the January Cafe Church when eighteen people met together to pray and to worship and to learn more about God’s love.

The meeting was not without incident. For example, Peter’s computer went down just at the start of the prayer time but by the end of the prayers he had solved the problem and was ready with the next song. So thank you Peter and thank you Lord.

Next Cafe Church is Sunday February 27th with Tea and Cake from 5pm. Peter is leading again and has chosen the theme of “Friends and Friendship.” He asks if anyone would like to speak for between two and four minutes, about a friendship that has affected them.
Please email him if you have something to share petershire@ymail.com He is also looking for a “trainee” to be able to run the computer on occasions when he can’t be with us.

GRAHAM KENDRICK GOSPEL CONCERT: FRIDAY JUNE 3rd: Doors open at 7:30 for a prompt start at 8pm. The venue is confirmed as the 500 seat Eglise St Jacques in the heart of the Old Town of Bergerac. Admission is free – we trust God for some generous giving in the collection to cover the costs.

The team of musicians who will present the concert includes:
GRAHAM KENDRICK (Guitar and vocals) look him up on www.grahamkendrick.co.uk
STEVE THOMPSON (Keyboards) and VELVETA THOMPSON (Vocals) look them up on www.beracahmusic.co.uk
Then last but not least Raul D’Oliveira (Trumpet, Flugel Horn and Percussion)
“Raul has been a professional musician the whole of his working life. After training classically in his native Portugal his extraordinary skills on the trumpet found expression in a variety of styles. He has toured with George Michael, Elton John, Gloria Gaynor etc and played in the famous Live Aid concert at Wembley. A dramatic conversion to the Christian faith saw his trumpet become an instrument of worship and he has become much loved and appreciated for the combination of skill and passion that exudes as he plays now for the glory of God.”

Excited? We are! Now the main need is Prayer. Prayer for all the team, for their health and strength and protection. Prayer please, for all the details of planning in these coming weeks and prayer for wisdom in producing good and effective publicity.

The American evangelist Dr Billy Graham was once asked “Dr Graham, what are the three most important concepts for effective evangelism.”
He answered “Prayer, Prayer and Prayer.”

PLEASE PRAY AND ASK ALL YOUR CHRISTIAN FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD TO PRAY.
One of our respected Prayer Associates writes, “I know that God is already doing something wonderful in an area where Christians have struggled in the past. He is raising up various people who are committed to faithfully serve over there. So a concert by Graham, will, in my opinion “light the fire” and cause a stir that God will use mightily.”

We say “Amen” to that!
With all our love and thanks for your support. DEREK and PAM

January 2011

A BLESSED NEW YEAR

Here we are in 2011 and it looks like being a very exciting year for Cafe Church!

In April we celebrate our second birthday. The fourth Sunday of April just happens to be EASTER DAY and so it will be great to be together for a Resurrection Celebration.

We have new facilities in L’Eglise Evangelique Libre de Bergerac to use video songs and sometimes maybe Guest Speakers from around the world by means of the Big Screen.

We have heard from the Catholic Church of St Jacques, in the centre of the old town, that they are happy to allow us to use their premises for the GRAHAM KENDRICK Gospel Concert. The date is fixed for Friday June 3rd. 7:45 for a prompt start at 8pm.
That week is school half term for many English schools and should boost the number of tourists in the area.

The concert will be a free concert because the Gospel is free. There will obviously be costs involved – bringing a team of four musicians over and hiring professional sound equipment – so we trust that the buckets at the door will overflow after people have been blessed by the music.
The Mayor of Bergerac has also given his endorsement for the concert but added that the official seating capacity is only 500! Let’s fill it for God’s glory!

Then throughout the whole of July and August, as a new venture,
Cafe Church will meet EVERY Sunday.
This will be a wonderful opportunity to fellowship with other English speaking believers who are visiting the area on holiday and also with those who are in France permanently.

We are so excited by all of this! Please tell everyone in your church to pray for us, so that this year will see more than just ordinary sunshine in our part of France.
We want to see God’s light and glory shining there as well.

DON’T MISS CAFE CHURCH ON SUNDAY JANUARY 23rd 2011 Tea and Cake from 5pm

Songs include “Lord, I lift your name on high”, “Light of the world”, Give thanks to the Lord” and Stuart Townend’s “Creation sings the Father’s song”. Then Peter Shire presents Christian mime artist STEVE MURRAY via the Big Screen.
Peter has also extended an invite to a buffet style bring and share lunch.
Please let him know if you hope to be there. petershire@ymail.com

Peter Shire Residence Piquecailloux 46 rue Anatole France
Batiment C 1er etage Appartement No 14 24100 BERGERAC.
Peter writes “There is plenty of parking in the grounds of the Apartments. Batiment C is on the left, walk down the path with the Batiment on your left, enter through the door, go upstairs to the 1er etage, turn right and go through the door to the outside as if walking back towards the car park, my apartment is the first on the right.”
Please contact Peter if you hope to join him for lunch.

Let’s enjoy a great year with the Lord in 2011!
With our love as always, Derek and Pam