Latest news (August 2007)
"We're keeping pretty busy here: we're about to move house (downsizing), and so boxes are all over the place. The house we are moving into is full of builders so we are not sure where we are going to sleep on Monday next when we move! La Bergerie [restaurant operated by the church] is going well. We have a good team of folk although will soon be losing our excellent cook; sadly she was only here temporarily before going to Canada for a year. A prayer need will be to find a replacement. We will be running our next Alpha Course at La Bergerie in September. We have already run a marrige course there. The vision for the Salon de Thé is for it to be a place of encounter - a place where people can meet informally and also meet with Jesus. On September 8th 2007 we have a pizza party that you might like to pray for. It is an opportunity to invite non-Christian friends. Our stewardship month is in October and this will be too consider again our giving of time, talents and treasure. There is a new Catholic priest in Civray. God works in mysterious ways in that we have known Père Joseph for many years. Gisèle knew him before I did, but I met him in Paris. He is very open to the Spirit so we do not think it is a mere coincidence that he should be appointed to Civray. We have very good relations with the Evangelical Church too, so we believe God has special plans for the area. With our love and thanks for your prayers and concern - Michael."

Background
In five years, with the help of the Intercontinental Church Society (ICS) the chaplaincy has grown from small informal home groups to a pastoral district covering an area about the size of Wales! In March 2004, they were formally inaugurated as a chaplaincy in the Church of England Diocese in Europe. People are welcomed from all denominations or from no denomination at all; a range of styles of worship are offered, to suit most people, including Common Worship, The Book of Common Prayer, and informal prayer and praise services. In addition to Sunday services, there is a variety of mid-week activities including home-based groups, a choir, a rambling club and a regular programme of social events throughout the year. The chaplaincy is largely rural, but most residents live within a 40-minute drive of at least one of the nine regular worship centres, in:

• Mike, Giselle & their 4 children
• For the vision for La Bergerie as a fresh expression of church
• A replacement for La Bergerie's cook
• The September 2007 pizza party
• For a growing hunger for God in this secular country