Month: March 2011

This Sunday is a double bill Mothering Sunday and AGM.

There will be a special and slightly shorter children's service with flowers for mother's and Ellen's special cake!

The AGM will follow immediately after the service. Please do try to make the time to stay for this. It provides the one chance in the year to get a full report of all the activities. If you are on the Electoral Roll you can also vote.

Please support this – your church needs you! It also provides an opportunity to express appreciation for all those who give generously of their time to keep it running.

Our current locum chaplain, Bishop Rupert Hoare, has kindly provided the text of his sermon preached on Christian Giving Sunday – 27 March. Well worth reading, but above all acting on, if you missed the service, or if you would like to remind yourself of what was said.

Evidently it inspired. Reports are that the collection was definitely up on usual. But we still need to do better as a church. Our Treasurer points out that if everyone on the Electoral Roll would increase their contribution by just €5 a week, it would put us in far better position financially to cover the things we need to – please see note below.

Still some have made a good effort last Sunday thanks perhaps to the sermon which can can be accessed here.

Hope it inspires a few more!

The Anglican Lutheran Society has existed since 1984 to promote church unity by encouraging Anglicans and Lutherans to work, pray and understand each other better.

Those interested in deepening their understanding of both traditions, may be interested in attending the next International Conference, to be held in Salisbury, England, from 16th to 20th September, 2011. The website gives further details.

Today we are reminded about the practical side of being a church.

The church of St Thomas Becket does not receive any income other than by voluntary giving by members of the congregation and friends. We receive no money from Kirchensteuer nor anything from the Diocese – we have to be entirely self-funding to cover the chaplain's salary, accommodation, the upkeep of the church and its activities.

On this Sunday mid-Lent we are reminded to look at our giving. 'All things come from You and of Your own do we give You'.

Those on the Electoral Roll in particular are asked to reflect on their financial commitment. But if you are reading this and don't attend church very regularly, we also ask you to consider making a donation to the cost of having the church here in Hamburg: a place and organisation you are free to use whenever you need it, though not unfortunately free to provide. All donations are tax deductible and every amount helps.

For details on how to donate, click here – THANK YOU!

FOR FULL TEXT OF BISHOP RUPERT HOARE'S SERMON – CLICK HERE.

Your webmaster has received a happy note from the Diocesan Commnunications Officer Paul Needle to say that he is now able to update the Diocese in Europe website himself. So now there is a flurry of activity and it is actually worth visitng the site more than once a quarter! He will have his work cut out to keep up with Bishop David's blog though!

Thanks to Yotin, the church choir has been involved in a special project to perform John Stainer's The Crucifixion. The performance will be on Saturday, 16th April at 5:00 pm.

Hila Gharakhanian (Soprano), Lukas Dittmann (Bass), with the Stainer Project Choir, Jochim Trede (Organ), Yotin Tiewtrakul (Conducting).

Tickets at the door, €8, or €4 for concessions.

For those wishing to join the project, please refer to Choir Page under Activities on this website

The church needs a spring clean. So does Hamburg!

For anyone who would like some exercise and to contribute to a cleaner and better world inside the church and out, please do come along commencing 10:00, or a bit later if you need extra snooze time.

Aside from making the church look smart and tidy for the AGM Sunday 3rd April, we plan to help Hamburg räumt auf! to give the the city a tidy up. In past years this has been a lot of fun and good exercise. Do come along if you can.

The Spring Edition of The European Anglican has been posted on the Diocese in Europe website. It includes an article about our 400th Anniversary!

The Vacancy Advertisement for Chaplain has been posted on the
Diocese in Europe
website Job Vacancy page.

We hope anyone considering applying will be helped by the information to be found on this website.

Closing date for applications is 14 April. Interviews will take place 10 May.

On Sunday, we said farewell to Canon David Ratcliff who has now returned to Kent. We have greatly appreciated his ministry and wise advice and creative input on how to develop the STB church community. Our thanks and prayers go with him.

This Sunday you have the chance to meet an eminent theologian, Bishop Rupert Hoare who will be with us unitl 10thn April. Bishop Hoare is a former Dean of Liverpool, Bishop of Dudley and Principal of Westcott House Theological College, Cambridge. He will be joined by his wife. Both he and his wife speak German too.