French Ladies Express Interest in Reading the Bible
March 18, 2024
Dear Fellow Servants of Christ,
Judy and I hope you are enjoying the Spring of God’s creation. We are delighted to have you as partners in the service of our Savior.
The past few weeks have been an encouragement to us. A good illustration are the events of our last Bible study in the city of L’Union. You may remember us mentioning in our last letter that the lady who hosts this meeting expressed her desire to be baptized. Typically, the Iranian couple who never misses was not there because they were hosting an extended family member who lives in Iran. The three other ladies at these studies are French ladies who were drawn to the Bible study by what they see in the hostess.
In these meetings, we are studying through the Gospel of John. We were approaching the end of our study of chapter 12 when the ladies began asking us many questions. The Good News of Jesus Christ is clearly touching the core of their beings. One of the last who originally presented herself as syncretist, appealing to eastern religious philosophies, is now expressing her delight in what she is reading in the Bible. Another lady was catechized as a child in the Catholic religion of her mother and predecessors. She stopped participating at the age of 17 because she saw no hope in the rituals. She told Judy that she bemoans the years that she wasted because she did not know there was anything else. We arrived home from that study at 12:30 a.m.! The following day I received a lengthy text from her stating that she had decided to read the Bible and wanting a recommendation of where to start and a good sequence for reading the books of the Old and New Testaments.
For more than a dozen years we have been having well attended youth meetings. Most of those who participate are in middle school and high school. These have been very effective in evangelizing and discipling these age groups. Last week Philip and Amanda hosted the first meeting of university-aged young adults. There were 11 young adults present and the meeting went very well.
Our other regular meetings in a half dozen different places are going quite well and we are greatly encouraged by what God is doing.
With much gratitude,
John and Judy Hatcher
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
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Bible Studies Going Well
February 14, 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hope this finds you enjoying the Lord’s blessings. This past Sunday, Timo (a young man who started coming with his family when he was in Primary School) gave the message at our church service. He made a public profession of faith and was baptized about a year and a half ago. He has grown by leaps and bounds. Though he is a quiet guy, he has brought many friends.
Timo gave a message based on “A Case for Christ”. He got the word out to his friends, and we had a room full of university-aged young people. One young man who was present has recently left the Watch Tower Society religious group. He has trusted Christ and is excited about serving the Lord.
Our Bible Studies with the former Jehovah’s Witness participant are going well. She and her family desperately need a church with which they can fellowship. This is a great problem here in France. The closest Baptist church that we know of is over an hour drive from this family. They are about a three-hours’ drive from us. It would cost them about $50.00 in toll plus about the same amount in fuel. Judy and I are thankful that we are able to have Bible study with them using the Internet.
A couple of days before our Bible Study in L’Union last week, Blandine (the host) texted inviting us to dinner and indicating she would like to talk to us. We were not able to have dinner together as we had another Bible Study scheduled at this time. However, we did manage to get to her house a bit ahead of time. When asked what she wanted to discuss the answer was, “I want to get baptized.” She has been saved for many years and has had the dream of getting baptized in the Jordan River. She decided that she need to stop dreaming and follow the Lord in baptism. So, it is on the schedule!
There is a lady who comes to one of the Bible studies in Mazere has not made a profession of faith. She is married to a man who is a vocal atheist. Last night at the Bible study she mentioned someone that she wanted to invite to come.
We have been touched by deaths and serious surgeries during the last few days. Our hearts go out to the families touched by these painful circumstances here and in the USA. It reminds us of the necessity of sharing the Good News.
Thank you for your participation in the work God has sent us to do.
John and Judy
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Many Opportunities to Witness Over Meals
December 15, 2023
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We hope this finds you enjoying the New Year. Judy and I are very grateful for the many blessings received from our Heavenly Father during 2023. Among other things, our home and meeting place is now in a new house. More importantly, we have had new young people attending our meetings who show a great interest in spiritual matters and one young lady who trusted the Lord and participates regularly in Sunday worship. She is the only believer in her family.
In my last newsletter I mentioned that we were going to be dining in two different locations later in the week. The meals with friends were a great blessing. The first was in the home of a Swiss couple who are participants in the Bible study group in Mazere. They invited the whole group to their home for a Swiss Fondue. Two ladies who are believers and regular participants in this Bible study are married to men who claim to be atheists. Both of them were at the dinner and much of the conversation revolved around spiritual issues. It was a great witness to these two men.
The second dinner was in the home of our neighbors. They have eaten with us in our home, but it was the first time that we had been invited to eat in their home. When we sat down to eat the lady said, would you pray before we eat. She had liked it when we prayed before the meal at our table. Our evening was great, and the couple was very open with us about their lives. Please pray for them to trust Christ.
One of the ladies in our church who is a chiropractor loves to invite folks to her home for a Thanksgiving meal. Thanksgiving is not a Holiday in France, but most people know about it because they have seen American-made movies that include Thanksgiving meals. Because it is not a Holiday in France, Annaelle holds the Thanksgiving meal on a Sunday and invites the church to come for service at her house and eat some of the desserts. She invites her dinner guests to stay for the service. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet people and share the gospel with them. After the service, one of the ladies who Annaelle has brought to church meetings in the past, told me, “I have a lot of questions (about spiritual matters) I want to ask you.” God is clearly at work in this lady’s life.
May God bless you, your family and your church during the coming year and until Christ return for us,
John and Judy
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
2 T Impasse de la Picardie
31830 Plaisance du Touch
France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
God is Answering Your Prayers
February 15, 2023
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We are grateful to God for your faithful support for many years. Our Father is answering your prayers. The Church meetings in Tournefeuille and Bible studies in six different locations are going quite well. We are doing studies in Isaiah, John, Hebrews, Ruth and a couple of topical studies. Some of these studies are with believers who are growing in the faith and encouraging one another. Other studies are with lost people who are interested in learning about Christ.
The newest Bible Study in the city of L’Union is, besides the hostess, a meeting with seekers. The term seekers fits them well because they do not miss and have become increasingly more open. One lady, who drives about a dozen miles to the meetings, has noticeably become more open and touched by the Gospel. In the beginning she was quite confrontational. It now is obvious that she has encased herself in an armor to protect sentimental wounds that have accumulated over her 56 years of life. She has invited us and others in the group to come to her house tomorrow. Please continue to pray for these folks. Jesus said, “Seek and you will find.”
Our youth meetings have been very exciting. As I mentioned in my last letter, our present study series is about being a witness for Christ. One way to express our faith is to communicate to others how God has worked in our lives. It may be telling how Christ brought you to Himself or how He has worked in your life since you trusted Him. The youth have been enthusiastic about sharing their testimonies and hearing the testimonies of others.
By the time you read this, Judy and I will have celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. It has been a wonderful life serving the Lord together on three different continents. She is a terrific teammate as well as a very loving spouse who has personally helped me grow spiritually. God has blessed us with four wonderful children, two wonderful daughters-in-law and a fine son-in-law. They are all serving the Lord in many different areas. We are really blessed to have 12 lovely grandchildren. Most recently God added a fine Christian grandson-in-law!
Many of you have been a part of our lives for many years and we thank God for you.
Serving our Savior together in France,
John and Judy
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Fruitful Opportunities in New Friendships
January 15, 2023
Dear Fellow Disciples of Christ,
We hope your new calendar year is starting well. This is the first week of my 71st year and it doesn’t seem much different from last week. (LOL) It is good to remind myself that with the Lord “one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”
We are thankful and encouraged by the blessings from our Father this past year. He has given us fruitful opportunities in new friendships. Last week Judy was out walking and saw a lady who had stopped and was swinging her leg. Judy asked her if she was OK and this lady responded that she was fine but had recently had a hip replacement. This encounter led to a long walk together. The lady began sharing details of her life. She just turned 70 on December 25 and was impressed that she was the same age as Judy and I. She was widowed a couple years ago, is quite lonely, and strongly encouraged Judy to come and visit her! They have been texting each other. God has given us a number of similar encounters this year and the process of pursuing these friendships and sharing what He has done for us continues.
Our church meeting today was wonderful. We are studying through the letter to the Hebrews. The congregation is avidly attentive. Our Bible studies during the week are also going well. During the last three days we learned that two of the participants placed their faith in Christ. One is Kerwan, a young man who is now a High School Science teacher. We have had the joy of presenting the Gospel to him since he was in Elementary School. He regularly came to Youth meetings when he was in Middle School and High School. He will be getting baptized soon. He is one of the two believers besides Judy and me in the Bible study in L’Union. The participants in this Bible study show a great interest.
The other confession of faith is by Elliot, the oldest son of the couple who host the Bible study in their home in Campagne sur Arize. He trusted Christ on Christmas Day. The Parents led him to Christ when he expressed a desire to trust Jesus.
The youth meetings are also very encouraging. Most of the teenagers who come are believers. This year we are discussing how to express your faith and share the good news.
Thank you for your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for the believers and those who are seeking as the Light of God draws them. Give thanks with us for the new believers and the growth of the disciples.
May our Father’s love be evident to you today,
Judy and John Hatcher
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Seekers in Bible Studies
December 16, 2022
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Judy and I are grateful for your support and the prayers. If you have prayed for the Bible study at L’Union, you will be glad to know that your prayers are being answered. We are very encouraged by the interest shown in the meetings. The hostess, Blandine and her son, Kerwan, are believers who know the Scriptures well. They are great participants helping their friends understand what we are reading. The others are not believers, have practically no knowledge of the Bible, but are clearly seeking. God has opened great doors of friendship with each of them. We started with the first few chapters of Genesis and are now slowly working our way through the Gospel of John. Please continue to pray for these studies and the seekers who are there.
The other Bible studies are also going quite well. The one at Mazere is made up of 10 individuals from very different backgrounds who all profess faith in Christ. They range in age from mid-forties to mid-seventies. We are presently studying the book of Ruth. The long-term plan is to study the Old Testament passages that tell about the women who are specifically mentioned in the genealogy of Christ in the opening verses of the Gospel of Matthew. This group is a mixture of people with an outstanding knowledge of the Bible and some who have a ways to go.
The Bible Study in Campagne-sur-Arize is four people from our church, and Laure and Henri, a couple who are believers with very little knowledge of the Scriptures. Judy teaches this couple’s children while the adults study.
We are also delighted with new contacts that God has given and we look forward to what He will do in the days ahead.
A bit of trivia to remind us that the time is short and that we “must work while it is yet day.” Judy and I met the parents of Blandine (lady who hosts the first Bible study mentioned above) when we first came to France. It dawned on me this week that she is the same age now as her parents were when we first met them. We have been here for an entire generation and there is still much to be done! So, keep praying!
Your co-laborers in Christ,
Judy and John
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Fellowship with Disciples, Meals & Studies with Seekers
November 14, 2022
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
It’s Thanksgiving Season and we are very thankful to our Heavenly Father that He has given us many years of fellowship with you. Thank you for your faithful support.
Thanksgiving is not a holiday in France but we always celebrate it as close to the US National holiday as we can. This coming Saturday we will be having Thanksgiving dinner together with Philip, Amanda and their two younger daughters. Camille is in her first year at a University here and Emily is a Senior in High School. We have also invited two couples who have been friends for a long time. Neither of these are believers. The primary way we share the Good News is in encounters and meals together. One couple are parents of Pascaline who trusted the Lord and followed Him in baptism several years ago. She is now doing University studies in the city of Lyon.
Friday night we were surprised by the visit of Marie Theophile. She was a part of our assembly for about ten years along with her parents and siblings before going to University. She is now completing Law School in Northern France. Many young people from our congregation are now in Universities in other regions and countries. Thomas just moved to Italy this past Friday to attend Medical School. We hope and pray that each of these disciples will follow the Lord faithfully where they are.
If you have prayed for our newest Bible study in L’Union, we have encouraging news. God is definitely at work in these meetings. Attention and participation has been great. Please continue to pray for the salvation of the seekers who need Christ and are attending these Bible studies. Since the good majority are lost and have practically no familiarity with the Scriptures, we are reading and discussing the first few chapters of Genesis and then moving to the Gospel of John.
These are some of the highlights of what God is doing here. We thought you would like to know!
Serving Christ along with you,
John and Judy
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
Informal Bible Studies in Full Swing
October 10, 2022
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Judy and I hope this finds you enjoying blessings from the Lord. We are very grateful for what He has done in and around us this month. When the school year begins, our regular activities increase. There are seven regularly scheduled Bible studies that take place apart from regular church services. I lead only four of these. Three of these Bible studies began recently. Judy has children’s Bible classes in the city of Campagne sur Arize while the adult study takes place. Meetings in this city began just a few months ago.
Many of you are aware that Bible studies have been a major tool in our ministry here. I was motivated to use this approach years ago through the reference to Paul doing so in the Book of Acts. The Bible studies are informal, but the goal is for people to see from the Holy Scriptures what God says. This is how most of the disciples here have come to Christ. After they trust Christ, they continue to grow as they continue to read, examine and follow His revelation in the inspired written word.
A new Bible study began last Thursday evening in the city of L’Union. We have prayed for an opportunity to start a Bible study in this city for a long time. There were 8 people at the first meeting. Most of the folks have little or no familiarity with the Bible. Besides Judy and me, one or two of the participants profess to be believers. Three of the participants are originally from Iran. Your prayers for these meetings are greatly appreciated. The couple who hosts these meetings in their home are not members of our (or any) church. The lady made a profession of faith as a child and her husband has Muslim origins but makes no profession of faith.
We are also thankful for the blessings of God displayed in the regular church and youth meetings.
God answers prayer. I will close with an interesting answer to prayer shared by a family in our assembly 2 or 3 weeks ago. They and the church along with them have been praying that God would enable them to become acquainted with people from the neighborhood into which they recently moved. Their desire is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with their neighbors. This summer has been extremely hot and dry. Grass and many plants have died. A fire started in a yard of the neighborhood and through underground dead roots spread into several yards. Neighbors from many homes came out to fight the fires and the Veuillets from our church got to meet many of their neighbors!
Your fellow laborers,
John and Judy
Contact Info:
John & Judy Hatcher
4, rue d’Aspin
31170 Tournefeuille, France
JMHatcher@aol.com
Present USA phone 1-812-416-1033
For ministry donations:
Pastor George Sledd, Treasurer of BFM
P.O. Box 471280 | Lake Monroe, FL 32747-1280
or click here to donate to BFM online.
Read more
