Our annual church picnic will take place this Sunday – 9th September – at Killesberg. Come along after our back-to-school service and join in the fun. Bring your own picnic and a bit to share… We’ll meet as usual under the tree, with easy access to the toilets, play area and Killesberg tower. If you haven’t been before there is a list at the back of church of people who can offer lifts or show you the way on public transport.
If you have a child starting school and haven’t yet let Marianne or Kara know please do so asap. chaplain@stcatherines-stuttgart.de
Starting up again after the summer holidays
Bible Study
As we’re now in September, I wanted to let you know that Bible Study will begin again on Wednesday 19 September – and with a dinner. As we haven’t seen each other for a while I thought it would be nice to have the opportunity to catch up properly.
If you would like to come along to the dinner, which would be at our usual time of 7.30pm, then please let me know so I can book us a table.
And to those of you who aren’t able to come to Bible Study (very often) or have never been before, you are particularly welcome and we’d love to see you.
Looking forward to seeing you all then, if not before!
Best,
Katy – biblestudy@stcatherines-stuttgart.de
Sunday School
Our Sunday School programme will start up again on 16th September. Having enjoyed the chance to spend a little longer with the children over the summer, we will continue to start Sunday School at the beginning of the service, with the parents signing their children in before they go to church and everyone returning to church during the peace.
Men’s Pub Night
Thursday 13th September – from 19:00 at Rote Kapelle A chance to chat, have a bite to eat and this time maybe a glass of wine instead of a beer? E-mail pints@stcatherines-stuttgart.de to find out more.
Women’s Group
Our next meeting will be on 27th September 2018 from 10 until 12 in the Anglican Centre. Please note that this is the FOURTH Thursday in the month not the usual THIRD, as I am on holiday during the third week of September and everybody in the group agreed to the change. See you then.
Alison women@stcatherines-stuttgart.de
Ladies’ Evening Group (LEGS)
Will meet on Monday 24th September – 19:00 at Injeera Please e-mail legs@stcatherines-stuttgart.de if you would like to join us.
CHAPLAIN’S MUSINGS 4th September 2018
#thoughtforthisweek
Last week was important as a list of things going on in church in the coming weeks,
but spiritual content it had not !!
The spiritual richness behind these events is enormous though and we give thanks to God for them –
- praying for our children and those at St Catherine’s who work in education 09.09.
- praying for our financial well-being and the opportunity to review that part of our discipleship 16. and 23.09.
- the richness of sharing worship with the AKs 30.09.
- possibly a baptism with the joys that brings as well as the reminder of our own baptism 07.10.
- the celebration that is harvest and the thanksgiving, the sharing, the giving 14.10.
- a focus on healing and prayer for those who need it 21.10.
- the celebration of a songs of praise shared with another local church 28.10.
- prayers for those who have been bereaved in this past year 04.11.
- remembrance sunday and our prayers for peace in our world 11.11.
but this Sunday at the Schulanfang Service I wish to draw your attention to something I think will be profoundly spiritual
one of the pieces of liturgy our children will lead is The Peace
imagine – the ‘future’ sharing the peace, calling for peace, to those who represent the ‘present’ and the ‘past’
and later in the service –
to hear a child call out ‘The Lord is here….’
to hear a child call out ‘Lift up your hearts…..’
to hear a child call out ‘Let us give thank to the Lord our God….’
is not only very moving but also deeply challenging
may you be blessed, may we all be blessed and our cups filled to overflowing.
#forourprayers
we give thanks for the gift of holidays and safe travels throughout these summer weeks and pray for all those returning to work, school and normal routines and responsibilities.
#justsoyouknow
the ‘Harvest Festival’ this year will fall on Sunday 14.10.18 – please bring tins and dried goods to give to Schwäbische Tafel (food bank)
#comingsandgoings
we pray for Mark and Corina and Christopher and also for Gene and Bonnie as they settle into new homes and neighbourhoods and workplaces, and as they find a new spiritual home
we pray for any newcomers that they might feel truly welcome among us
#chaplain@theoffice
I am on conference from Thursday this week and on holiday for two weeks from next Monday.
In an emergency please contact one of the Associate Priests – contact details for all of whom are in the Chaplain’s out of office.
‘Finding God in Everyday Life’: details of a ‘prayer journey’ being offered by the Church of England during the month of September
“Our daily lives are often very full. Full of things to do. Full of meetings and deadlines. Full of places to be. Full of people to meet. For some they may be full of time on our hands. Full of hopes we would like to fulfil. Full of things we don?t want to face. Where is God during the daily life we are dealt? How do we find God in fullness, in the full-ness of life?
In the Church Year, the period between Pentecost, at the end of Easter, and the Feast of Christ the King, in November, is known as Ordinary Time. At this time, we explore the question: Where is God in our ordinary, everyday life?
During the next few weeks of September, we invite you on a journey to discover God Sunday to Saturday. We will be journeying with Victoria, a hairdresser, Mike, a police officer, and, on the buses, a couple called the Trenemans. These stories feature in a new booklet from LICC: The one about… 8 stories about God in our everyday.
Each week, we will gain an insight into how Victoria, Mike and the Trenemans have discovered more of God in their everyday. Through the stories and reflections, and by starting and ending each day with prayers of invitation and reflection, our journey will be to find and share our own ‘One about?’ – to consider where God is in our everyday life.”
You can sign up for Everyday Faith at https://www.churchofengland.org/everydayfaith
And there are also some lovely, brief prayers for starting and ending the day here, including a simple version of the Ignatian Examen:
https://www.churchofengland.org/about/renewal-reform/setting-gods-people-free/finding-god-everyday-life/everyday-prayers
