St George's News
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PENTECOST 2023
On Pentecost Sunday at 11am there will again be an Ecumenical Festival Eucharist
of all neighbouring parishes in St George's Anglican Church.
Anyone who would like to sing in the choir is welcome
to rehearse at 9:30 am in St George's Church.
After the service, everyone is invited to join us for a meal
in the garden the RC parish Heilig Geist.
We kindly ask for a "finger-food" contribution to the ecumenical buffet
(can be handed in at Heilig Geist parish before the service).
Updated information:
Due to a street festival taking place at the same time in the Preussenalle,
we are moving the service to the church building.
Please note that Preussenalle is closed due to the street festival and access to the church by car and parking may be impeded.
St George's 10th
Sponsored Walk for Chanka
on Pentecost Monday
On the 29 May 2023 we would like to invite everybody to take part at our traditional
St Georges Sponsored Walk. This year it will be in the beautiful landscape of the Grunewald. We will support Chanka, a small town in Western Ethiopia (Oromia), and in particular families who are affected with HIV, but some of the money will also go towards school children, so they can afford to go to school.
During my last visit in Autumn 2018 to Ethiopia, we were introduced to members of the Chanka congregation who were especially desperate for help: we also supported 3 disabled students who where not able to go to school otherwise. With the donations from our last years sponsored walk we managed to support a 4th student so she can attend school regularly. Due to our personal contact to Chanka, we will always have direct feedback of where the money goes and how much it helps to relief at least some of the financial short fallings people have to face in that area of Ethiopia due to political conflicts.
We will meet on Monday, the 29 May at 11:30
in the morning at Grunewald S-Bahn station near the main entrance.
From there I will take you for a walk through the Grunewald forest and along the river Havel, please wear comfortable shoes,
bring something to drink and some food.
We will end our walk in St Georges
with a traditional information talk on Chanka and a typical Ethiopian meal.
Please let me know if you like to take part: Christine.krankemann@web.de
St George's
Coronation Concert and Royal Party
St. Marienkirche
Coronation Choral Evensong
You didn't have to be British or a royalist to enjoy the delightful events at St George's
to mark the historic event ot the coronation
of King Charles and Queen Camilla on the 6th and 7th of May.
On the evening of Coronation Day, we hosted a Coronation Concert with the wonderful Embassy Singers under the conductorship of Andrew Sims, featuring royal choir pieces and lots of popular tunes to sing along to. It was a very jolly and entertaining concert. The altar and pulpit were adorned with the precious blue antependia that once decorated Westminster Abbey for the coronation of the late Queen in 1953.
Afterwards a garden party was planned but due to the very chilly weather we had to move it to the Parish Hall, the decoration speaks for itself (photo impressions below, with helpers before it got crowded) as well as delicious royal treats and drinks. A very enjoyable evening!
On the evening of 7 May, we celebrated a Coronation Choral Evensong
with the Renaissance Singers in St. Marienkirche,
rather than our usual Sunday Eucharist.
The service was solemn and moving, with the superb singing of the a cappella choir
and the wonderful organ playing of William Peart.
Many thanks to all who contributed and supported both venues and events.
Without you we could not hold such special events. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!
Accommodation still 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.
Chormusik aus aller Welt
by Kissi-CHOR
Conductor: Anita Rennert
Music from Jacques Arcadelt,
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy,
Ola Gjeilo, Thomas Weelkes etc.
Programmheft
Sunday, 21 May, 18:00
St Georges Anglican Church
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
The choir sings at most morning services at St George's
and some evening services at Marienkirche.
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.
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!
