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