Mothering Sunday and AGM 3 April

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.

Good sermon ups the takings!

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!

Anglican Lutheran Society Conference Sept 2011

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.

Christian Giving Sunday 27 March

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.

Daily News on the Diocesan website

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!

Special Concert!

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

Spring Cleaning 2 April

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.

Spring Edition of The European Anglican

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

Vacancy Announcement for Chaplain

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.

Change over time again

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.

Report from CAECG meeting

Bishop David's blog gives us some insight into what went on at the CAECG meeting in Freiburg at the weekend. For the rest we will need to interrogate Karen who represented STB. Rumour has it that her flute playing was the hightlight of the conference!

Prayers for the people of Japan

Eurobishop Blog provides some news of the Anglican Bishop of the diocese most affected by the earthquake and tsunami, and a prayer posted on the Church of England website.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all who have been affected.

Happy Birthday Michel

We extend warm birthday greetings to the Michel, whose 350th Birthday is being celebrated. A younger church than St Thomas Becket - we will be celebrating 400 years in 2012 - but a good age nevertheless.

Dedicated on March 14, 1661, the Michel was named after the archangel Michael. It took some battering at the end of WWII, but now is fully restored and attracts over a million visitors each year.

The Local has a short write up that explains more here.

WALK ON!

There being no train driver strikes planned, the Wanderers are off as planned to Schwerin. See note below. If you are delayed please phone Cicely 0162 635 93 98. Make sure you have ticker before bording the train!
Enjoy the walk!

AGM 3 April

The annual general meeting of St Thomas Becket Church will be held after the Mothering Sunday service on 3rd April. New registrations for the Electoral Roll for this meeting are closed, but whether or not you are on it, please do come and support the Chaplaincy Council, old and new, by attending.

Lent begins...

... and with it we have a new Pause for Thought reflecting on recent events in the CoE. How do we accommodate strongly held convinctions that are contrary to our own?

Deadline for Becket News approaching rapidly.

Please note the deadline for the next edition of BN is 16th March!

Kirchentag Dresden 1-5th June 2011

For those interested in attending the 33rd Deutscher Evangelisher Kirchentag there is a special price deal going if you can commit before 13th March - so hurry and make up your mind.

Price for all days/full program: 89,-- Euro/Person incl. public transport.
Bus 52,-- € per person, leaving in front of the Michel Church on Wednesday, 1st June.
Complete price for bus, (private) accommodation) and ticket: 160,-- € per Person.

If you are interested, or require further information, please contact Birte on email fischer_birte(at)web.de.
To secure a place you need to give Name/Address/Telephone/Date of Birth.
Deadline is 13th of March.

And you might like to note that Kirchentag 2013 will be in Hamburg.

Ash Wednesday Service 9 March 19:00

Carnivalling comes to an end folks. Wednesday, 9th March is Ash Wednesday - a chance for you to get into gear for Lent.

19.00 Eucharist with Penitential Rite.

How about giving up Facebook for Lent? See The Local.

Wanderers off to Schwerin

This month's walk on Saturday 12th March will hopefully take the Wanderers to Schwerin - locomotive driver strikes permitting.

Rendezvous outside the Reisezentrum at Hamburg Hbf by 10.05 to catch 10.26 train to Schwerin. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Group tickets will be purchased and costs shared. Do be punctual - it is school-holiday time and the train will probably be busy. Anyone arriving late should go straight to the platform.

The walk will be approx. 10 km. Please bring a picnic lunch, and the sun!

Note: due to the train drivers strikes, arrangements will be confirmed by Cicely on Friday, 11th by email and posted on this website, so if you are planning to come please let Cicely know - contact details on 'Wanderers' under 'Activities'

Latest news from Diocese in Jerusalem

The latest Diocese in Jerusalem Newsletter provides further news of projects being undertaken by this brave community.

Rather less positive news is given in the Press Release sent out with the Newsletter revealing the fact that the Israeli authorities have revoked the right of Bishop Dawani and his family to reside in Jersusalem.

Please keep them in your thoughts.

Making Lent Meaningful

Since our friends in Cologne are busy carnivalling, this can only mean one thing - Lent will soon be upon us.

This year's Bishops' Lent appeal focuses on prayers and fund raising efforts for Uganda to raise awareness and money for three projects in the Ugandan Diocese of Luweero, on the northern shores of Lake Victoria, which has firm links with the Diocese in Europe.

For other ideas on how to tackle Lent visit the CoE website on Lent.

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Prayers for Malta and Libya

For those of us living in the security of Northern Europe, the turbulence in North Africa may seem far away. But the conflict involves real people, many of whom are now fleeing their country to neighbouring regions.
Many from Libya have fled to nearby Malta, where the people are having to cope with a huge influx of refugees.

Bishop Geoffrey has sent out a letter requesting prayers for the victims and for those involved in having to deal with the humanitarian crisis. Let them be assured of our prayers.