It’s been a while, but there’s finally a new edition of our chaplaincy magazine, Becket News, with news from our church and the wider diocese. You can read it online or download it here.
News
Advent Carols this Sunday
On Sunday, 1 December at 6.30 p.m. the Anglican Consort will be singing our annual Advent Carol Service, with readings and Advent music, including by contemporary female composers. Of course, there will be carols to join in, too. Do come along – and wrap up warm!
Order your Christmas Cards!
As many of you know, last year our STB card-recycling project once again raised a total of 6,000 Euros (including a generous donation from the former Hon. British Consul Claus Budelmann.) The team is once again in full swing for 2024, preparing high quality Christmas and greetings cards for sale at the Bazaar, Victorian Christmas Market and various other church and local events. The Christmas greetings are in both English and German with motifs to suit all tastes!
If you would like to order your Christmas cards online instead, you can access the order form right here, right now:
Please pray for our confirmands
Bishop Robert will be taking the service on Sunday 17th November at 10.30, both preaching and presiding on this significant occasion.
We have three adult candidates, and seven juniors this year, and they have all been preparing since soon after Easter: meeting to learn more about God, the Bible, Christian doctrine, our Anglican church and liturgy. It has been a rich and joyful time, and we wish each one of them well as they take this next step forward in affirming their faith, and also receive the sacrament of their first holy communion.
A reminder as the Confirmation becomes imminent, that no photography or video recording during services is permitted. Notices to this effect are displayed all around the church, but after a while, they do tend to become just ‘part of the wallpaper’! This is a general rule, and any potential exceptions must be discussed in advance with the Chaplain, along with receiving the permission of all those likely to be recorded. This applies to any recording, and whether or not you may intend to publish it on any sort of social media platform. When it comes to music, we are subject to performing rights and copyright considerations, and the Data protection and safeguarding rules are there to protect us all. So, please respect the privacy, property and wellbeing of others, most especially when you are in church. Thank you.
Article on Mabel Wulff (and our church) on bbc.com
Two journalists from Wales recently discovered the story of Mabel Wulff, our church’s caretaker, who courageously kept it safe during WWII. They interviewed Eddie Wulff, Mabel’s grandson, and also contacted us for photos and videos of the church, which Madeleine Resühr provided. You can read the final article at the following link.
Secret WW2 bravery of Welsh mum who survived Nazi Germany and saved an historic church
Our charity partnership with Hanseatic Help – could you organise our STB collections?
We have had two collections so far, and are keen to continue our links with this local charity, as part of our wider engagement in Hamburg.
This request is for someone to schedule the periodic collection dates. Then to arrange a car to deliver the items collected to the charity’s main building (old Fischmarkt area, close to church) during the week after each collection has taken place.
Please contact the Chaplain for further details or if you have any questions.
Updates from our Annual General meeting 2024
Firstly, fulsome thanks to Irene Windsor and Christian Nweze, both or whom stood down as Churchwardens this year; and to Wendy Sprock, who stood down from Lay membership of the Council after many years. Thanks to each of you, the aforementioned, for your service and commitment.
We welcome Norbert Schoen as our new Churchwarden, and are looking for a second warden to join him in office soon.
Our Lay members this year are Jo Dawes, Monica Schofield, Emmanuel Saarkodie, Madeleine Resuehr, Jonas Karlsson, Peter Alexander, Nissi Marapatla, Irene Windsor and Penny Loehrig.
Our Deanery reps continue to be Madeline Herring and Joshua Ezike.
We are looking for an STB organist/church musician
As our organist had to relocate, we are again looking for a new organist / church musician for STB.
We are very flexible, and this is a unique opportunity for someone who wants to play in the Anglican tradition. Our choir and music are a big part of our mission and worship, so we hope to find someone who will enjoy and value being part of this.
For more information please contact the Chaplain (chaplain (at) anglican-church-hamburg.de) , or choir leader Arwen Pearson (music (at) anglican-church-hamburg.de).
Save the date: STB summer party, Saturday 13th July
For our church members, families and friends, and celebrating our own ‘United Nations of St. Thomas’, with music, food and fun.
Please save the date, further details to follow!
NEW: suggestions and ideas board in Zeughausmarkt
Any thoughts and/or constructive suggestions about our church life? If so, there is now a special notice board in church, so that you can physically post your thoughts there.
It is there for YOU, if you have anything to do with STB, so, please feel free to make use of it. The intention is to offer a further means of sharing your experiences, ideas and feedback.
Thank you!