Author: Jo Dawes

The Wanderers' October walk is on Saturday 10th – yes, this coming Saturday! This is the walk from Tesperhude to Lauenburg which we enjoyed in spring two years back. It’s a lovely walk whatever the season, about 9 km on good paths with huge trees, river views and even little beaches closer to Lauenburg. So do put on your walking shoes, grab a couple of sandwiches for a picnic lunch and join in. Because of weekend work on the S21 railway line, travel will have to be by bus, leaving ZOB on the number 31 bus at 08:51. Please let Nicki Schiller know by Friday evening if you plan to come. She can give you further travel details (Landline 04104 695537; mobile 0176 30393063 or Nicki.Schiller (at) gmx.de.).

Issue 64 of Becket News, our parish magazine, is out. It's packed with interesting articles and news from the chaplaincy, so why not pick up your copy in church or read it online here?

Next Sunday, 4 October is our harvest festival. Please come and join us giving thanks for the fruits of the earth. It's been decided to postpone the blessing of pets that was planned for the same date.

Anke Peters will be leading the next Church Wanderers walk on Saturday, 12 September through heathland when the heather blossom is at its height. Starting at Buchholz station, the walk leads to Büsenbachtal through the forest and across the heath up to the Höllenberg (100m) and the viewpoint of Brunsberg (129m). Most of this 11.2 km walk will be on hiking trails and forest tracks. In Büsenbachtal we have the option of coffee and cake at the Café im Schafstall, which is not far from the station. Return trains to Buchholz run at 3:45 pm, 5:00 pm and 5:45 pm. We meet at Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, in front of the Reisezentrum, at 9:55 am to catch train RE4 to Buchholz via Harburg: 10:15 am -> arrival 10:37 am. The journey is within the HVV Gesamtbereich. Please let Anke know by Thursday, 10 September if you are coming and if you need a HVV ticket or could give someone a ride on yours: e-mail just_det (at) web.de or mobile 0157-0303 5863.

Becket News No 64 is due to appear at the end of September. Your editor would like to hear from all aspiring authors and photographers as soon as possible if they plan to submit anything. The copy and picture deadline is 18 September.

BRIDFAS, which is working with us to produce a Church Record for St Thomas Becket, is looking for a young person with experience of Facebook and social media to set up a Facebook page for the organisation in Hamburg and keep it up to date. Does this sound like you or someone you know? You can find further details here.

Your webmaster, also doubling as new editor of Becket News, has, with much wailing and gnashing of teeth, succeeded in publishing her first issue. Better late than never, as the saying goes. Her admiration for the outgoing editor has grown even further. You can read No 63 here.

The next Church Wanderers is on Saturday 8 August. We will be staying close to home again, so that those of you planning to visit British Flair on Saturday can do so on the home journey if you wish. We meet at Blankenese S-Bahn Station at the main entrance at 11:00 and walk from there to Wedel. This is 10km of stunning views of the Elbe and runs through the Wittenbergener Heide and Elbwiesen. There are plenty of hills and steps to keep us fit! We suggest you bring a light lunch and plenty to drink. At Wedel we catch the S-Bahn for the journey back.

Our former Anglican Chaplain Revd John Newsome will be returning to Hamburg to take our services in August. We look forward to welcoming back a good friend. (St Thomas Becket is currently without a permanent chaplain following Fr Matthew's return to Australia. We are fortunate to have several locums who have agreed to look after us until we can appoint a successor.) You can find details of our services here.

Changes to the Diocese in Europe’s Safeguarding procedures are taking place to bring Europe into line with other Church of England dioceses. Bishop Robert has written to church leaders commending a new Safeguarding Guide which helps to answer when a formal clearance certificate is required.

He writes: “In my first year of ministry as bishop, I have become aware that this is an area where there is a good deal of confusion, with some people being checked who don’t need to be, and others not being checked who should be. The [new guide] gives clarification. It has taken a surprisingly large amount of work to get a document that has the right level of precision whilst still being intelligible.” Canon law was recently enacted at the York general synod making it a matter of discipline for clergy to be aware of and act in accordance with the practice guidance.

The Diocese in Europe website states: “All clergy and Readers have Safeguarding training and need criminal record check clearance certificates as a normal part of their ministry. Hundreds of lay volunteers in local churches across Europe are being encouraged to go through the process to ensure that our congregations are safe places for young and vulnerable people to visit.”

Our Safeguarding Officer at St Thomas Becket is Norbert Schoen. You can find his contact details on the back page of Becket News. You can read more about the Diocese’s Safeguarding policy on the Diocesan website.