Dear People & Friends of St. Clements,
I want to start this ‘Weekly Message’ with a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who braved the cold to join us for worship at St. Clement’s last Sunday morning. I wasn’t the only one who noticed that our members who originally hail from countries with very warm climates, were better represented in the congregation last Sunday than those who originate from colder or more temperate climates! As always during this cold winter weather, just wrap up well wearing several layers, & then join us for Coffee Hour after the service for hot drinks & warm fellowship, as well as a higher room temperature!
Sunday 12th February at 11.00 – Family Eucharist for the Second Sunday before Lent
This Sunday is sometimes known as ‘Creation Sunday’ as the readings focus on God the Creator & giver of life. They are Psalm 104. 24-35, Colossians 1. 15-20 & John 1. 1-14. There will be no separate Children’s Ministry this Sunday but I’ll endeavour to keep the sermon reasonably brief and get us all to Coffee Hour a few minutes earlier than usual!
After Coffee Hour, I shall be heading to the main railway station to travel down to Brno for our monthly evening service there. In January, Jack Noonan kindly joined me in Brno for our service and Richard York has already volunteered to come with me to the service in March. But if anyone would like to keep me company on this coming Sunday, I would welcome it. Just drop me a reply to this email. As I mentioned last week, Czech TV want interview me & film a report about Christian worship to be broadcast later in March. Full details can be found on the Brno page of our website
Then during the next week there are two events to highlight.
Tuesday 14th February: 18.30 – 20.00 in the small meeting room on the first floor of Klimentská 18
We have a visiting speaker next Tuesday evening, Rev’d Pavel Černy. He is going speak about his own Church, the Church of the Brethren, & about the other smaller Protestant Churches in the ČR. He will no doubt talk about the Protestant heritage in the Czech Republic stretching back to Jan Hus and the early Bohemian Reformation. Pavel is a fluent English-speaker and anglophile & I do hope many of you will make time to come to hear him. There will be plenty of opportunity for questions & discussion.
Thursday 16th February: 12.30-14.00 – Žofín Garden Restaurant, Slovanský ostrov 226, Prague 1.
Our next Ethics at Lunchtime event held jointly with the British Chamber of Commerce in the ČR. Full details, (including an excellent menu!), can be found on the BCC website. Speak with me on Sunday or drop me an email if you are planning to come. We will need final numbers by Tuesday for catering purposes.
Looking further ahead……
Wednesday 22nd February, 19.00 – Ash Wednesday Sung Eucharist with (voluntary) imposition of ashes
I will be the celebrant and our preacher will be Rev’d Dr Karen Moritz.
Sunday 18th March: Annual Church Meeting
In order to stand for election or to vote at the forthcoming Annual Church Meeting, you need to be a member of the Church Electoral Roll. From this coming Sunday, a copy of the Church Electoral Roll as it currently stands, will be on the noticeboard at the back of Church.
In order to join the Church Electoral Roll, you need to be baptised and a member of the Church of England or one of the other Anglican Churches around the world that together form the Anglican Communion. If you are baptised but not a member of a Church in the Anglican Communion, you can still apply to join the Church Electoral Roll if you have ‘habitually attended public worship’ for at least six months before making your application.
Forms to apply to join the Church Electoral Roll are in a plastic folder on the noticeboard at the back of Church. When completed, please return your form to me or Sybille. If you have any query about your eligibility, please speak with me.
Please note two important things
All applications to join the Church Electoral Roll must be received more than 15 days before the date of the Annual Church Meeting. Realistically that means by Sunday 26th February as we must display the complete Church Electoral Roll on the noticeboard for 15 days before the Annual Church Meeting.
Filling out a Newcomers Form from one of our Welcome Booklets, does NOT put you on the Church Electoral Roll. It just puts you on my email circulation list! You need to apply separately using the appropriate form.
Peter Morpuss is once again running the Prague Half-Marathon…….
……..and he is doing so to raise funds to support the work of St. Clement’s Church! He is therefore looking for sponsorship from members of the congregation. There is a sponsorship list on the noticeboard at the back of Church. Please sign up & support Peter in this venture. The race itself takes place on Saturday 31st March.
And finally for this week………
Please don’t forget the two big wheelie bins in which we are collecting clothing and food to support the work of the Armáda spásy / Salvation Army with the homeless in Prague. I would like to be able to ask them to come and collect two full bins next week. Do I really need to say anything more in view of the weather at present????
For the Clothing Bin we need hats, gloves, scarves, socks, shoes/boots and underwear for both men & women. On the outside of the bin there is, in both pictures and words, a clear indication of the items required & not required.
For the Food Bin we need tinned goods. Basically, any food item in a tin but NOT sauces, pasta, or other dried goods in packets or plastic bottles. Again, in pictures & words on the outside of the bin, there is a clear indication of what is & isn’t required.
Best wishes
Ricky
