St George's News
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Welcome to Berlin
Your Majesties
29 - 31 March 2023 | First State Visit to Germany
St George's Annual Meeting 30 April 2023
If you would like to stand for the Church Council next year, please can you send a small picture and a sentence or two about your involvement in St George´s to our newsletter, Bei George News (editor Tonio Green) by 23 March.
Email address is: beigeorgenews@gmail.com
St George's Traditional Spring Book Fair
Our Spring Book Fair will be on Saturday 13 May from 10.00-16.00 (during a Preussenallee Street Fair)-
Would you like to help? Get in touch with our book fair lady, Jean via the church office.
Accommodation needed
A member of our parish is in need of a room or a small flat as soon as possible,
even on a temporary basis. We would be happy if someone could offer help.
For further information, please contact Fr Christopher or Fr Joachim directly.
Our LENT COURSES 2023
THURSDAYS Lent Course “Turning to Christ”,
changed to ZOOM format according to the wish of the majority of people interested.
Lent is also a time to prepare adults, who want to become Christians for their baptism at Easter Vigil.
This Lent Course draws our attention to the questions baptism candidates are asked during this liturgy:
“Do you turn to Christ?”
We will deal with the attraction of Jesus, and the comfort of faith in God. “Do you renounce evil?” We will explore the reality of evil and ways to face it. “Do you repent your sins?” We will look at our tendency to get things wrong and God’s desire to put things right. Although, or precisely because, most of us were baptised years or decades ago, we want to ask ourselves these questions anew. We will meet for
6 online Zoom sessions, Thursdays 23 February, 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30 March, at 19:30-21:00.
Please enroll by mail to: martin.george@unibe.ch
The Zoom link will be sent shortly before the first meeting to those who have enrolled until 22 February.
The accompanying Pilgrim Course booklet Turning to Christ, written by prominent Anglican clergy, will be provided to all who inscribe to the course, at a cost of about 8 Euro. See: /www.pilgrimcourse.org/books/turning-to-christ-(book-1)
The material of the accompanying booklet for the first session 23 February will be sent to those enrolled in the course as an e-mail attachment. See also videos for your preparation to the six sessions at: www.pilgrimcourse.org/audio-and-video#1308
BY EMAIL
"The Home Project"
A Lent Course organized by St George's Women's Group for the whole congregation. In 2021, we invited you to reflect on the theme of "Home". We wanted to gain an insight into the varied ways in which our church family members and friends feel rooted in their physical, emotional and spiritual surroundings. The result was as rich and diverse as St George's congregation. Now, we carry the project forward by offering the words written as a basis for further reflection during Lent. For Lent this year, we would like to delve deeper into the theme of the meaning of Home. Caroline has designed a program to stimulate and share reflections on four themes (physical home, linguistic/cultural home, emotional home, and spiritual home). Each week, for four weeks, you will receive a page containing short pieces written by a member or friend of St George's, followed by a series of questions. These will invite you to engage with the text and explore further your own response, in your own time. We will also plan an online space to offer your reflections back to the group, should you so wish, so that the project grows and takes new shape. To maximize flexibility while enriching our sense of community, members of the group can choose to share their responses with others via email.
To help you get into the mood, we will launch the project with a special reflection by Revd Ian Gallagher, whom many of you will remember from his time as a member of the congregation and then a lay pastoral assistant at St George's. If you would like to receive these weekly reflection pages during Lent, please send a message to Caroline, Ariane, and Christopher (christopherjagebowler@posteo.
de) also indicating whether you consent to being visibly included in the email distribution list
for the course.
(Caroline, Ariane and Christopher)
TUESDAYS via ZOOM
God and the Pandemic
The pandemic somehow seems to be over, and we are all relieved that "normality" is returning. But have we spiritually digested the long period of crisis, threat and uncertainty, and for many also a time of mourning and sadness and loneliness? How do we deal spiritually and theologically with such an exceptional event and how does it change and shape our relationship with God and with each other? The distinguished Anglican New Testament theologian and former Bishop of Durham in England, N. T. Wright has written a small booklet on the subject entitled "God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and its Aftermath", which aims to stimulate spiritual reflection and process at this time. In the Tuesday Lent group on Zoom, led by Joachim, we want to turn to a chapter of the book on four dates (28 February, 7/14/21 March) from 19:15 to 20:15 and discuss it together and pray for each other and for the world. (God and the Pandemic: A Christian Reflection on the Coronavirus and its Aftermath, by N. T. Wright, Zondervan Reflective, 2020, 76 pages. E.g. by Amazon) Please register till Ash Wednesday (22 Feb) with
Joachim: joachimreich@posteo.de
WEDNESDAY IN PERSON
"ICONS AT THE TABLE"
Reflection on Icons
(Topics: Mary, Christ, Trinity, Angels, Resurrection) - Bring and Share Supper
Wednesdays 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 March from 7-9 pm
ICONS AT THE TABLE
- Bring and Share Supper with Reflection on Icons
(Topics: Mary, Christ, Trinity, Angels, Resurrection)
Meet alternately at:
Thea-Olga Maykl, Russian Orthodox Artist,
olgamich.om@gmail.com
and Christian Kercher
christianker@posteo.de
Please contact Thea-Olga or Christian by email for more information.
Church of England
Dust and Glory
Lent reflections
Dust and Glory encourages us to take a fresh look at the frustrations and failings that every day brings, seek to learn from them and grow closer to God through them.
St George's Lent project 2023
Our 2023 Lent project is to build a well in the village of Thunga, Mulanje, Malawi. The well will be built on the compound of a primary school. Currently, the closest clean water source is 10 km from the village, and six surrounding villages will benefit from the new water source.
We are working with a local company and the village school so that all villagers will have access to clean water, as there have been outbreaks of waterborne diseases. Local training about sanitation, responsible use and conservation of water will be provided on site. The current water source is an open pond, and it is not clean.
The cost will be €2700, of which we need to raise €700 this Lent. There will be a collection at the door at our Lent services,
or please donate by bank transfer!
Bishop's Lent Appeal
The Revd Canon Smitha Prasadam, currently Chaplain of St Albans, Copenhagen, will take up the role of Bishop of Huddersfield
Celebrating faith, service and community
The Coronation of King Charles III
The Coronation of King Charles III is a historic moment in the life of the United Kingdom.
As the supreme governor the King is the titular head of the Church of England
Here you will find more interesting information about the coronation.
Joining a Parish Group?
St George's offers a variety of ways to meet and share in groups (currently online only). Are you looking for a parish group? There is sure to be something for you!
More Parish News and General Information
St George's Choir News
The choir resumes its traditional participation in the Sunday morning Eucharist
at St George's. We are very grateful that due to the greater room capacity and spacing opportunity during COVID time, our choir has been so wonderfully engaged in the evening service at St. Marienkirche.
The choir sings at most morning services
and some evening services.
If you would like to join the choir, we would be delighted.
Please contact the choir director, Mr Andrew Sims,
The details of the forthcoming services
can be found here
(press left button):
Please Support Us
Our parish is 100% self-supporting and even the modest salaries of the clergy, for example, have to be paid for by donations. Our parish also does not receive the German church tax.
If you would like to support our ministry financially, we would also be happy to receive your regular donations. Perhaps you would like to set up a standing order? We are extraordinarily grateful for any support. We thank all who have supported our parish through this time of pandemic. Your generosity allows us to fulfil the mission of St George's and to celebrate and spread God's love in our community and beyond. Please prayerfully consider what portion of your money you can commit to the life of St George's.
May God continue to bless you in every way.
Diocesan Lay Discipleship Course
„Walking Together in Faith" offered to you online by the Diocese in Europe of the Church of England. This course is designed to encourage anyone who is part of a worshipping Christian community, to explore and deepen their faith. It is also intended as offering a foundational basis for those thinking of exploring some form of authorised ministry in the Church.'
The first and second module are available on line - go to the news article about it at
https://europe.anglican.org/main/latest-news/post/1851-good-to-go-walking-together-in-faith-lay-learning-course . The article gives access to the registration form and mentions that the course will be delivered online. The course, which is on the online learning platform Moodle, comprises four modules each with five units and will run over 12 months. Module One, 'Knowing God', was led in November and December 2022 by exploring the petitions of The Lord's Prayer and is finished by the end of December. Module Two, 'Growing in Christ', started 17 January 2023. All participants can choose the level of engagement which suits them. They can start, interrupt and finish at their own rhythm, and can decide whether to do the course as part of the local group of St George's or completely on their own.
Module One and Two are on the Moodle platform. You can take a look by visiting https://europe.learn.anglican.org/ , clicking 'login as a guest' and putting in the password: LayLearning2022. To get the most out of the course, participants must register. This will give you access to online webinars, online discussions and other interactive materials. This and the whole course is free for all participants – unless you want to submit work for assessment. If you choose to submit work for assessment, you will be awarded a 'Bishop's Certificate', and there will be a small cost for anyone working towards the Certificate.
It is helpful to join the Zoom sessions of the course, offered by its leader Dr Clare Amos. The Zoom sessions for Module Two will be on Tuesday nights for the whole Diocese in Europe: 7 and 21 March, each at 19:30.
Please contact Revd Martin George (martin.george@unibe.ch)
for more information and support.
Ulm Café. Other ways to help those fleeing war in Ukraine
Meeting Café: Ulmenallee 35, 14050 Berlin-Westend
Café Ukraine in the Ulme35, a meeting café is offered daily (Mon-Sat) from 14.00 to 19.00. In order to be able to offer Ukrainians something to eat for free, cake donations are needed. In the Ulme35 advice and help is provided with the preparation of applications and forms (social welfare offices, schools) and the accompaniment to authorities and doctors is organized. Parents can come with their children, for whom child care is set up. There is also help in finding accommodation and in providing clothing. SIM cards for telephone and online contacts are available free of charge for war refugees.
Please can you help?
A clothing closet has now been set up at Ulme 35 for Ukrainian refugees.
We need: - clothes rack or clothes rail, hangers
- School bags, school backpacks, school supplies
- For women (20-45 years) and children between-seasons jackets and well-preserved shoes
- Clothing that can be worn immediately (trousers, T-shirts, blouses, etc.)
- NEW underwear in all sizes for women girls boys
- clothing for young people (12-17 years f/m)
Afternoons in Ulmenallee 35.
St George's young(ish) adults group at Marienkirche
A warm invitation to a dinner or pub get-together after our Anglican Sunday evening service at Marienkirche, always on the last Sunday of the month:
something to eat, something to drink and a bit of nice chatting.
Join Us: Other Parish Groups
Women’s Group meets weekly alternating Friday evening and Saturday mornings by Zoom.
German Anglicans meets last Weds of the month 19.15 by Zoom
Simple Living meets first Weds of the month 19.00 by Zoom.
Night Prayer Tuesdays and Thursdays 21.30 by Zoom.
Eco-Group meets once a month by Zoom, usually Saturday 11.00.
Contact Michael Seadle for info: seadle@hu-berlin.de
St George's choir sings at St George's and in Marienkriche.
Complaints
We sometimes receive complaints that members of the congregation are not personally informed about news via email or do not receive our newsletter. We are very sorry about this. Unfortunately, email addresses become outdated, the newsletter has not been ordered or we have not been given permission to use the email address in accordance with the DSGVO.
So if you are in any doubt as to whether we have your proper and up dated contact details, please kindly contact the parish office so that you are well informed by emails from the parish. For up-to-date information about our parish events, changes to our corona regulations or church services, please visit this, our official website. Here you will be informed as up-to-date as possible. Also point other parishioners and friends of St George to this website. We thank you very much and appreciate your cooperation.
We only really exist because of your support Spendenbescheinigungen
I shall be preparing tax certificates for those who donated to the church in 2021 by the end of February. If you are expecting to receive a certificate, please check that we have your current address details. Addresses are taken from the Electoral Roll, from the information given in the bank transfer, if provided, or if you tell us. Otherwise we have no means to deliver a certificate to you. If you have any questions or do not receive a tax certificate that you think you are entitled to, please contact the church office.
Your treasurer, Jean Frick
No St George's Midweek Eucharist in Wintertime
Please note that there will be no Wednesday Eucharist services during winter.
St George's on Social Media
YOUTUBE
By now we have – thanks to some generous donations – a stable setup for the recordings on our YouTube channel. The only thing we would need is one or two more volunteers who could cover the actual recording duties once every two months. Martin and Carolin would give you a thorough training and are always available if there are problems or questions! Please contact Martin Abend via the church office if you can help.
FACEBOOK
There is now an official Facebook Page for St George's: www.facebook.com/stgeorgesanglicanchurchberlin. Please
like and subscribe to it if you haven't already!
INSTAGRAM
St George's Instagram feed can be followed at @StGeorgesBerlin.
TWITTER
You can also find us on Twitter at @StGeorgesBerlin.
CHURCH OF ENGLAND
Prayers for God’s blessing for same-sex couples take step forward after Synod debate
Living in Love and Faith: Moving Forward
Read more about the Living in Love an Faith process in the Church of England and the latest developments, and feel free to watch the video.
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York
Pastoral Letter
To the clergy and people of the Church of England, calling on them to pray for peace in Ukraine.
How to become a member of the Church of England?
If you’ve been baptized in water and in the name of the Holy Trinity in another church or denomination, your baptism is valid in the Anglican Church.
You can attend our services and events at any time, even if you are not a formal member of the Church of England or another Anglican/Episcopal church.
However, if you wish to become a full member of the Church of England and our congregation, you must, in addition to sharing the faith of the Church of England, usually live in Berlin or Brandenburg and also wish to attend services and church events. You would then be received into the Church of England during a service. Talk to our clergy to clarify any further questions or write an email.
St George's Wanderlust Initiative
There is a new initiative for parishioners and friends of St George's. The idea is to see sights close to Berlin as well as travel to other locations further afield, whether you are a newcomer to the area or a seasoned resident. The idea is to get to know each other better in a fun setting while experiencing all that the area has to offer. Depending on interest, it could be as simple as a day touring Potsdam and Wannsee, a day hiking trip to Sächsische Schweiz (Saxon Switzerland, about 2 hours away), or weekend trips to Bavaria, Dresden, Prague, or anywhere else people might be excited to go. The goal is to organize one outing per month, schedules permitting. Our new church council member Kim Purvis is collecting names and email addresses for anyone interested, and will handle the organizing of the trips. If you enjoy touring or have suggestions on where to go, please contact us.
Happy Wandering!
