Category: News

In this new digital world into which we have all suddenly been plunged, where physical contact and travel have been severely restricted, perhaps sending a handwritten card to someone is a gift that will be especially appreciated this year.

We have been producing Christmas cards by recycling used cards in aid of the historic English Church of St Thomas à Becket for over 30 years. Motifs range from religious and nativity scenes, winter landscapes, robins, Christmas scenes, animals, humorous, and other festive themes such as wreaths, flowers candles, etc. The cards, complete with envelopes, are 148 x 110 mm and have a Christmas and New Year greeting in English and German.

For the first time, cards can be ordered using this Order Form or by telephoning Judith Holst. The cards will also still be on sale – subject to Hamburg Corona restrictions – at some events including the Church Mini-Market, planned for 21 November, and after the church service on Sundays from 22 November until 20 December between 12:00 –13:00 hours. Read more about our cards here.

Dear Friends,

We hope you are all healthy and managing to survive the current crisis. We also hope you are continuing to enjoy the virtual services Fr Pete has been preparing for us every week, and which he will continue to prepare for as long as we need him. We are very grateful to him for this and for the always imaginative, interesting and uplifting services.

You must be wondering when and how the English Church will open again and so we’d like to bring you up to date. At the Church Council meeting on 3 June a motion was passed to postpone the reopening of the Church for at least another two weeks, as it is not clear how things will develop after the long weekend and lifted restrictions. We need to wait until the statistics on the reinfection rate for Northern Germany are available, as keeping the congregation safe is our top priority.

If the rate remains the same or lower than it is now, we would consider opening the church for Morning Prayer at the end of June for small numbers of people, and following the regulations of the City of Hamburg, the Nordkirche and the Anglican Church. When we reopen, we will naturally observe these hygiene regulations strictly. We will keep you informed and the website will be updated regularly.

The locum who was due to come to Hamburg at the beginning of June will not be able to come as a result of the crisis, but the locum expected in mid-July, Rev Nick Fisher, is planning to come if all is well. The church will certainly be open again then, but obviously only for small, controlled groups. Full Eucharist services will not be possible for some time.

In the meantime, please keep watching Fr Pete’s services here.

The services are also available via Facebook.

 If you know of anybody who is not online and would like to know what the church is planning, please let us know their name, address and telephone number and we’ll contact them.

Please let us know if you need anything or have any suggestions or ideas. Email to:

covid@anglican-church-hamburg.de

All the best and stay well,

The wardens and the Church Council