The Archbishop's Advent 2009 Message

On the eve of his visit to Copenhagen, Dr Williams urges us to focus our thoughts and prayers on the pressing environmental concerns of our world. The UN Climate Change Conference brings nations together to negotiate and hopefully agree on a new international agreement for tackling climate change. The Archbishop will be in Copenhagen to support the conference.
Click here to access the Archbishop's message.

Annual Advent Walk and Lunch

Anyone and everyone is welcome to join the Wanderers special Advent walk on Saturday 5th December. Meet at the exit from Ohlstedt U-Bahn station at 11.35 a.m. The walk will be about 7km from Ohlstedt and back to Ohlstedt through the Wohldorf Wald ending up at the Landhaus Ohlstedt for the annual Advent lunch.

Do come along - the more the merrier! Please let Cicely know in advance for table reservation. Further details under "Walking" on the "Activities" page.

Advent 2009: Our Thanksgivings, Peace and Hopes

As Christmas and the New Year draw close, this is a good time to look back at the Old Year, and prepare for the New.

For this Advent we present four topics to get you thinking, as you review your year 2009 and prepare for the New Year and its challenges, its hopes and expectations. On each of the first three Advent Sundays at 10.30, the congregation will have a symbol to stand for an activity, central to our experience as Christians, central to our experience of living in the beautiful, yet broken world village.

Advent Sunday 29th November: Thanksgiving is a song: What do you want to give special thanks for this year?
'Hope is a star' flyer.

This week

Tuesday 24th November 18:30 - Choir Practice. To prepare for the Carol Service.

Thursday 26th November 19:00 - The Monthly Eucharist.

1 billion hungry! UN Call to Action

The UN Climate Summit to be held in Copenhagen in a few week's time may be catching most attention, but 16-18 November the UN is holding a World Summit on Food Security in Rome to give a new momentum to the fight against hunger and malnutrition affecting 1.02 billion people. Pope Benedict XVI will deliver a keynote speech while UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon will also address the Summit.

With the world's population expected to grow by 34% to 9,12 billion by 2050, already the number of hungry people in the world is to increase to over one billion this year. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) Director-General Jacques Diouf comments: “The silent hunger crisis — affecting one sixth of all of humanity — poses a serious risk for world peace and security. We urgently need to forge a broad consensus on the total and rapid eradication of hunger in the world.” - click here for the background. The Director-General himself will be going on a 24-hour hunger strike from Friday evening to Saturday evening in proest against hunger. We are invited to join him.

Ahead of the Summit, the UN report 'Pathways to Success' report concludes that the most economical and best way out of rural poverty and hunger is to support the efforts of smallholder farmers to improve their farming conditions and productivity.

On the summit website you can add your name to the END HUNGER PETITION.

Archbishop pays tribute to the Mothers' Union

The Archbishop of Canterbury has paid tribute to the work of the Mothers' Union, describing it as 'The most influential and widespread lay movement in the churches of the Communion, and probably among the most active lay groups in any Christian denomination.'

The Mothers' Union has 3.6 million members in 78 countries worldwide including at STB here in Hamburg.

Next Wanderers Outing 14 November

Do not be put off by the weather, the Wanderers walk in all weather conditions!
Details of the next walk are posted on the Wanderers page under "Activities". Please do let Cicely know if you intend to come along. A good stroll followed by coffee and cake is just the thing to do on a November Saturday!