In this week’s news you will find a first message from our Chaplain designate, a reminder from our treasurer to consider your giving as she prepares the budget for 2018 and several dates for your diary (first up our pancake feast).
Message from our Chaplain-to-be
Hi – and Candlemas greetings from Kara.
Candlemas marks the climax and conclusion of the Advent / Christmas / Epiphany journey and we now turn to face the new journey of Lent / Holy Week / Easter.
I too feel somewhat between journeys – interviews and visits and paperwork all completed, yet working to tie up loose ends here and find somewhere to live there, before the ‘here’ and the ‘there’ can change places. But times of transition are great opportunities for reflection on the leaving as well the arriving.
I look forward to meeting you in due course and the journey we will share for a while, companions on the Way.
My absolute favourite part of being a priest is to be able to bless people. So may you be richly blessed on your Lenten journey and the celebrations of Easter when they finally arrive.
Though I mostly don’t bother, my New Year’s resolution this year, was to ‘Talk less, and Say more’ !!
Kara
There’s a hole in my budget, dear Liza …
At the same time as we are all excitedly looking forward to the arrival of our new chaplain, I am compiling our accounts for 2017 and the budget for 2018. As usual, we are scraping the cents together to make ends meet. Unfortunately, our income was below the expected (pledged) level in 2017. So I would like to ask you to consider checking whether you made the donations which you pledged in 2017. There can be many reasons for not making the full donation and I expect that members moving away is the main one. But, this is a small reminder in case your donation was forgotten during the year or in the Christmas rush.
Equally, if you are new to St. Catherine’s or thinking of amending your planned giving in 2018, it would be very helpful if you could let me know. The financial planning for 2018 and onwards looks like it will be quite tricky, so any additional donations will be very welcome and likewise it will be important for us to understand any other changes.
I must add however, that we can only issue a German tax letter (Spendenbescheinigung) for 2017 for donations actually made to the Church in 2017. I will be working on these Spendenbescheinigungen in the next few weeks and will send them out as soon as possible. For this I do need your postal address, so if you think I may not have this, please do send it to me at bookkeeper@stcatherines-stuttgart.de.
If you have any questions, please let me know. The 2017 accounts and 2018 budget will be presented at the AGM!
Jackie
Pancake Sunday – 11th February
It’s that time of year again – lent is approaching and thoughts turn to pre-Lenten pancake feasts.
Gary is finding the hot-plates and preparing to make American-style pancakes with maple syrup. What will you contribute to our international pancake feast?
Will you cook pancakes, bring drinks, help set up, help clear away and wash up afterwards? Could you keep a list of who is making what? Let Eric know warden@stcatherines-stuttgart.de
The feast will take place in church and in the side-room after the 11:15 service on Sunday 11th February.
Hymns for Sunday
Of the Father’s love begotten…
For the fruits of his creation…
Fight the good fight with all thy might…
Ash Wednesday Service – Anglican Centre – 19:00
Service for Ash Wednesday with imposition of ashes.
Lent course 2018: #LiveLent – Let Your Light Shine!
The Church of England’s Lent course for 2018, entitled#LiveLent – Let Your Light Shine, “takes you on a six week discipleship journey through the Gospel of John, exploring what it means to be a witness. For each day from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day there is a short reading, a pause for reflection and prayer, and an idea for a simple action that will enable the light of Jesus to shine through our everyday lives”. There is also a five-session course for groups. For more info see https://www.churchofengland.org/lent.
Interested in participating? Then you can:
Order a copy of the accompanying 112-page booklet with all of the readings, prayers and reflections, which costs around 3.50 EUR plus postage. If there is enough interest then I would be happy to place a bulk order, but please let me know by this Monday 5 February at the latest f you’d like one.
– Receive the daily reflections by texting Lent to 88802 or following the campaign on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, where they will be posted daily.
– Join the Bible study group! We will be working through the five-week course, beginning on Wednesday 21 February and ending on Wednesday 21 March.
If you’d like to order a booklet or participate in the five-week course or if you have any questions, please send me an email at biblestudy@stcatherines-stuttgart.de.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Katy
Other dates for your diary
- Sunday 18th March – post-service – Bake Sale by 1st Stuttgart Guides in aid of toilettwinning.org
- Sunday 15th April – post-service – Annual General Meeting: hear the review of the St. Catherine’s church year, the budget for the coming year and vote for your new wardens and council.
- Saturday 21st April – installation of Rev’d. Kara Werner as chaplain of St. Catherine’s
Pilgrimage #4 St. Paul in Malta
Dear friends from around the Deanery of Germany,….
Do you have an interesting in joining me in Malta this summer for a
pilgrimage? If you have been on one of my pilgrimages before you have a good
idea of what to expect. If you haven’t it is time to find out.
Dates: 13-20 July 2018
Place: Sliema, Malta (Airport is Luqa…. or just Malta airport. there is
only one.)
Why: Religious education,… fellowship,… experience, prayer in holy
places, …fun.
How much does it cost? Each pilgrim is responsible for arranging his or her
own transportation to Malta, as well as accomodation in either the Bishop’s
House, or in a local hotel in Sliema. In attached itinerary there is more
information about booking hotels.
Meals? On this pilgrimage we will share many meals at the Bishop’s House,
thus saving money. When we go to a cafe or restaurant, each person pays for
his or her own meals.
There will be a 50 euro fee due from each pilgrim to cover expenses for
entrance fees at places where cheapter group tickets are possible.
Most important is that I learn whether or not you are interested and can
commit to it. Please register by email to me, as soon as you can. I will
close registrations at 15. So be one of the first 15!
Ken + – pilgrimage@stcatherines-stuttgart.de
A couple of opportunities from our Bible Study members:
Hallo zusammen, liebe Mitwanderer,
anbei die Termine vom Wandertreff “Treff30Plus”(EJW-Förderverein). Die Teilnahme ist mitglieds-/gebührenfrei und erfolgt auf eigenes Risiko.
Die Teilnehmer sind i.R. Ende 30 bis Mitte 50.
Die Teilnahme am Gottesdienst ist optional. Die Wanderung beginnt in der Regel direkt im Anschluss an den Gottesdienst vor der Kirche.
Mitwanderer sind herzlich willkommen. Hier der Flyer mit den 12 Terminen für 2018.Organisatorische Fragen direkt an den Veranstalter.
Aktuelle Infos auch unter
Hier der Link: https://www.ejwue.de/arbeitsbereiche/ejw-foerderverein/treff30plus/wandern/
oder https://www.ejwue.de/arbeitsbereiche/ejw-foerderverein/mittendrin/wandern/
Kun multaj koraj salutoj
Janek
There is a monthly service “GospelHaus” in the Friedenskirche.
More at http://www.gospelhaus-stuttgart.de/events/gospelhaus-gottesdienst-3/
Have a wonderful Sunday!
Greetings from Gudrun
