The Arts Society of Hamburg presents the Church Record

Some of you will remember reading about the Church Recording project, organised by The Arts Society of Hamburg, whereby a small group of volunteers has recorded the contents and features of the inside of St Thomas à Becket in Hamburg to a high professional standard. The end result is a large, wonderfully bound book, which will be presented to the church after the morning service on Sunday 25 June.

This Record is the culmination of approximately 5 years’ work and its presentation has been delayed by Covid and by the church being closed in the winter as far as services were concerned. During the course of the research many interesting historic facts came to light as the team documented the memorials, metalwork, internal stonework, woodwork, textiles, pictures and documents.

We (the group of volunteers) very much hope that as many of you as possible will come along to this presentation and view the Record, which will thereafter be the property of the church.

A more detailed article will appear in the next Becket News giving you some background and history in respect of Church Recording.

Pat Pledger
(Co-ordinator of the Church Recording Team)

Invitation to sign up for the STB Lent course 2023

This year’s course will be based around the film ‘The Theory of Everything’ (2014, about Stephen Hawking.) As part of each group sessions we will watch clips from the film (technology permitting), but please do view the film in advance too if you wish. 

The course is organised to run over the five weeks of Lent, and will consist of 1. a group meeting each week in Zeughausmarkt, AND  2. a short daily Bible passage and reflection for you to undertake as individual devotion, for each day inbetween. All materials provided. 

The Lent course group sessions will be offered on Thursdays AND Sundays in Zeughausmarkt 22 (upstairs in the warm room), with a maximum of 8 places in each – ie 16 places in total. Pre-registration is required, please email chaplain (at) anglican-church-hamburg.de to register.

This week’s additional opening times and service

Our church building will be open again this Tuesday from 17.00 – 20.00 and on Thursday from 11.00 – 15.00 to anyone who wishes to come in and pay their last respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The open book of Condolence will also still be available. Please note that on Thursday there will also be a short Eucharist at 12:00, with special prayers for Her Majesty.

‘Rest eternal grant, O Lord, and may light perpetual shine upon her.’

It is with the greatest sadness that we hear of the death of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll. Truly the end of an era, and of a great life of selfless service. The official announcement confirms that she passed at Balmoral Castle, this afternoon, Thursday 8th September.

Our Anglican Church building here in Hamburg (Zeughausmarkt 22, 20459) will be open over the next few days, so that anyone who so wishes can come in and pay their last respects. An open book of Condolence will also be available, should you want to leave a short personal written message. At this juncture I can tell you that the church building will be open tomorrow, Friday 9th September between 08.30 and 12.30 and 17.00 and 20.00. Also on Saturday 10th September, 10.00 and 17.00.

Her Majesty was loved and respected the world over and by very many here in the city of Hamburg and environs. She was also Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and a woman of strong personal faith. We pray now for her family, the peoples of the Commonwealth and all who are mourning her loss, wherever they may be. If you wish to post a message in the Church of England online condolences book, you can do so here:

https://www.churchofengland.org/remembering-her-majesty-queen

Revd Jules A. Barnes, Chaplain, Anglican Church Hamburg

Photo credit: PRESS ASSOCIATION / Danny Lawson.

STB at British Flair – come and visit, and/or help with our stand

This year Council have decided that as the Anglican Church in Hamburg, we should have our own stand during the three days of the British Flair event. Friday 26th, Sat 27th and Sun 28th August: https://www.britishflair.de/start.html 

This takes place at the Hamburg Polo Club, a short walk from S Klein Flottbek. It’s a high-profile and charmingly anglophile event, which raises money for good causes too; so it offers us great opportunities, especially in this the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year, for networking and mission.

Many of you I know already attend British Flair, and/or the Saturday evening concert: ‘Klassik unterm Sternenhimmel’. So, if you’re coming this year, please do make sure you visit the STB stand. And, Wendy Sprock can offer reduced price concert tickets for €25. Contact her directly: wendysprock (at) t-online.de

There is still opportunity to help on the STB stand. Should be fun! Please consider helping, and if you can do a stint, get in touch as soon as possible with Norbert Schoen (norbertwschoen (at) web.de), who is coordinating the rota for our church stand: thank you! We need 3 or 4 people during the whole time, signing up in advance, for shifts of a few hours. It would be good to have people of different ages and nationalities, so that we can show the diversity of STB in all its fullness. Please contact Norbert as soon as you can. 

Sunday morning Services during February in the Michel crypt

Due to the ongoing heating situation in our church, St Michael’s Church (Michel) kindly offered us their crypt to temporarily use for Sunday worship. For now, this is going to be the case for all February services. They are going to take place during our regular time, starting 10.30.

Please enter the Michel through the main door at Englische Planke. The crypt is downstairs to the left hand side.