Praise and Prayer eveningsYou are warmly invited to our final Praise & Prayer of 2025, an opportunity to meet together in an informal setting, sing praise to God, and pray for our church and world. This time we will be at the Couvent des Carmes D’Avon, 1 Rue Père Jacques, 77210 Avon on Friday 28 November 2025. It will be a wonderful way to mark the end of the church year (the new year begins on Sunday, the first of Advent). We start at 7.30pm and finish by 9pm. It would be lovely to see you there. Men’s Breakfast The next two Men’s Breakfasts will be held on Saturday 8th November and Saturday 13th December. If you intend to come, please drop Donald an email (chaplain.stlukesfontainebleau@gmail.com) so that we can organise the catering appropriately. Many thanks. Return to Saint-Aspais Unfortunately the works at Saint-Aspais are not complete yet and the earliest date for our return to Fontainebleau is now Jan 4th, 2026. Reading the Bible Following on from our celebration of Bible Sunday, and as some of you are aware, we have a group of New Daylight Bible Reading Fellowship readers in St Luke's who subscribe annually to receive a set of quarterly notes at a cost of approx 30€ per year. These help you develop a ‘holy habit’ of reading a little part of the Bible each day, with the help of gifted teachers who introduce you to one of its books, and whose commentary helps you understand it better. As the blurb says, 'New Daylight provides four months of daily Bible readings and comment, with a regular team of contributors drawn from a range of church backgrounds. It is ideal for anybody wanting an accessible yet stimulating aid to spending time with God each day, deepening their faith and their knowledge of scripture.' If you’d like to join the group receiving New Daylight, please contact Annabel Pouget: abelpouget@aol.com and she would be happy to add your name to the order for the year starting January 2026. Ladies of St. Luke's Save the date of Friday, 5th December, for an evening of sweet delight around the theme of "Let there be light" as we welcome the lovely season of Advent. See the attached invitation. Contact: Barbara Morris.Christmas Services at Saint-Luke’s:Carols Service:Our traditional service of Christmas Carols and Readings will take place on Saturday December 13th from 6PM. Venue : Eglise Protestant de Fontainebleau, 3 Rue Béranger, 77300 Fontainebleau.Nativity Play:The Nativity Play service organised by our Sunday School will take place on Sunday December 14th at 10:30AM. Venue: Eglise Saint-Eloi, Arbonne-La-Forêt.Christmas Eve service: no serviceThere will be no Christmas Eve service this year. We encourage you to attend the evening service at the Protestant church, Eglise Protestant de Fontainebleau, 3 Rue Béranger, 77300 Fontainebleau.Christmas Day service:The Christmas Day service will take place on Thursday December 25th at 10:30AM. Venue: Eglise Saint-Eloi, Arbonne-La-Forêt.Sunday 28 December 2025: no service.Week of Christian Unity services in January 2026:Dates and venues for the week of Christian unity services organised with all Christian churches in the south Seine-Et-Marne:Pôle Fontainebleau:Wednesday 21st January 2026 at 8PM, Couvent des Carmes, Avon.Pôle Moret / Nemours / Montereau:Friday 23rd January 2026 at 8PM, Eglise Saint-Lambert, Varennes-Sur-Seine. The sermon will be done by our Chaplain (in French).
Bishop’s Advent Appeal - Al-Ahli Anglican Hospital, Gaza“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” – Psalm 34:17-18 (NRSV). The headlines may be fading, but the suffering in Gaza is far from over. Months of devastation have left entire communities struggling. The impact of conflict lingers long after the fighting stops. Disease spreads rapidly, food and clean water remain scarce. At the time of writing, 68,280 people have been killed in Gaza, the vast majority of whom are civilian women and children, and the toll of wounded stands at 170,375. Despite overwhelming challenges, the medical team at Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza is doing everything in their power to care for the injured and sick. They face impossible odds: shortages of medicine and essential supplies, dwindling fuel reserves for life-saving equipment, and an ever-growing number of patients in desperate need. At Al-Ahli Hospital, doctors and nurses have treated over 190,000outpatients and performed more than 6,000 surgeries in the past year alone. The demand is relentless. The injuries they see of burns,broken bones and shrapnel wounds are devastating.Beyond emergency treatment, Al-Ahli hospital offers long-term rehabilitation, mental health support, and essential community care. Many of those injured will face lifelong disabilities, requiring physiotherapy, pain management, and counselling. Without urgent funding, these critical services could be lost.This Advent, I am asking you to support the work of one of our partners in the Gospel,USPG, whose partnership with the Diocese of Jerusalem gives us the opportunity to sustain this vital hospital, ensuring that it remains open and equipped to serve those who need it most, not only in moments of immediate crisis but in the long, difficult years of recovery that follow.It looks – for now – that there is a fragile semi-peace. It is to be hoped that this not only lasts but spreads and deepens, and that rebuilding can begin. Your gift today will help keep the hospital open and equipped to provide urgent medical aid, long-term rehabilitation, and dignity to those in crisis."Every donation and every prayer are an act of love. It is a message to families in Gaza that they are not forgotten," says Sawson Aranki-Batato, Programme Development Officer, Diocese of Jerusalem.I commend to you these resources for prayer as I ask you to give generously to this Appeal (details below).Prayers for peace in the Middle East — Embrace the Middle EastHow to pray for Gaza and Israel - TearfundPray for Peace in Israel and Gaza - 24-7 Prayer InternationalO God, whose heart breaks for the world,May your justice dwell in the landMay your righteousness abide in fruitful fieldsMay the effect of righteousness be quietness and trust foreverMay the effect of justice be peace—enduring peace.Amen.Yours sincerely in Christ,+Robert Gibraltar in Europe
Sunday 28 September 2025 – Sunday school "rentrée"Sunday School "rentrée" let by Marie-Céline and our team of helpers, at Arbonne-La-Forêt. Saturday 04 October 2025 – Fête de la Création 2025: a “Care for creation” ecumenical event An ecumenical gathering of all Christian churches in Seine-Et-Marne will take place on 04.10.2025 at Domaine Emmanuel, 77515 Hautefeuille, from 11:00 to 17:00. There will be several conferences, a shared picnic plus activities for the children. See the details of the day in the attached flyer.Sunday 05 October 2025 - Harvest FestivalOur service next Sunday, 5th October, will be our Harvest Festival. Please bring with you items for us to donate to Les restos du cœur in Avon: Sardines Tinned ravioli (Ravioli en boîte) Tinned tomatoes (Tomates pelées) Tomato sauce (Sauce tomate) Canned sweetcorn (Maïs en boîte) Breakfast cereal Big boxes of cakes (Gros cartons des gâteaux) Tea Baby hygiene products (Produits d’hygiène pour bébé) Men’s Breakfast The first of our Men’s Breakfasts will take place (finally!) on Saturday 11th October, 10:00-11:30am at Donald and Netta’s apartment, 2 Rue des Bois, Fontainebleau, 3rd floor. All men are warmly invited, whether or not regular attenders at St Luke’s. Over coffee, tea, fruit juices and pastries we’ll talk about some of the challenges we face as men in the 21st century, and how Christian faith might help us tackle them. The atmosphere will be relaxed, and the format free-flowing. The next two Men’s Breakfasts will be held on Saturday 8th November and Saturday 13th December. Thursday 16 October 2025 – Ecumenical service for the 340th anniversary of the Edict of Fontainebleau A special ecumenical service will take place at the Couvent des Carmes in Avon from 8pm for the 340th anniversary of the Edict of Fontainebleau which revoked the Protestant religion in France in October 1685. Our chaplain will be one of the priests leading the service. Several events are also organised by our friends from the EPUF Fontainebleau (Protestant church) during that week – see the booklet attached to the service sheet email.Archdeacon Peter Hooper On Sunday 19th October Archdeacon Peter Hooper will be taking the service (Donald will be teaching in the UK), during which he will swear in Patrick and Leigh as Churchwardens.Praise and Prayer evenings Please put in your diaries two further dates when we come together to praise God for his goodness and pray for our life as St Luke’s and for God’s world: Friday 31st October and Friday 28th November at 7:30pm at the home of Christopher and Marie-Céline, 31 rue Madame Müller, 77210 Avon.
Dear St-Luke's,Our next 'Prayer and Praise’ will take place this Friday at 7.30 pm at the home of Marie-Céline and Christopher, 31 Rue Madame Muller, 77210 Avon.Everyone is very welcome as we meet to seek God’s will for our church, and to pray for his beautiful world.Please also note the dates of two further events, same time, same place: Friday October 31st,and Friday 28th November.Hope to see you on Friday,Donald
