Dear People & Friends of St. Clements,
Today Friday 3rd February, my Church Book & Desk Diary reminds me that ‘Ordinary Time starts today‘. The Epiphany Season is over and Lent doesn’t begin this year until Wednesday 22nd February. But during this short ‘green season’, we still have our regular worship & activities going on so here are the details of what is happening……..
Between now and Ash Wednesday.
Sunday 5th February at 11.00 – Sung Eucharist for the Third Sunday before Lent.
There will be parallel Children’s Ministry and the service will be followed by Coffee Hour in the hall on the third floor of Klimentská 18.
Tuesday 7th February, 18.30 – 20.00 in the small meeting room on the first floor of Klimentská 18.
I will introduce a discussion addressing the question, ‘Christian concern for the environment – worship of the Creator or the created?‘ In other words, a consideration of ‘green’ issues from a Christian perspective.
Sunday 12th February at 11.00 – Family Eucharist for the Second Sunday before Lent.
No Children’s Ministry this Sunday but the service will try to be ‘family friendly’ and will be followed by Coffee Hour in the hall on the third floor of Klimentská 18.
Then at 18.00 Holy Communion in the Czechoslovak Hussite Church, Nové sady 32a, Brno.
I would welcome company from members of the Prague congregation to travel down & back with me by train to Brno for this service, particularly as the Brno studio of Czech TV want to interview me & film a report about Christian worship to be broadcast later in March.
Tuesday 14th February, 18.30 – 20.00 in the small meeting room on the first floor of Klimentská 18.
Rev’d Pavel Černy will speak & answer questions about the Church of the Brethren & other smaller Protestant Churches in the ČR.
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 here
Sunday 19th February at 11.00 – Sung Eucharist for the Sunday next before Lent.
There will be parallel Children’s Ministry and the service will be followed by Coffee Hour in the hall on the third floor of Klimentská 18.
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.
Four other important things……..
Congregational weekend away
Your Church Council is hoping to organise Congregational weekend away for later this year, probably in October but possibly earlier. The idea is to go to a residential venue in the Czech countryside from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. There would be a programme over the weekend of worship & teaching to strengthen our faith, together with some fun activities to get to know each other better & strengthen our fellowship.
To make this happen, we need to form a small planning group to find a suitable venue & start drafting a programme. Do you have ideas? Would you be interested in being involved? If so, please get in touch with me ASAP so we can begin to get the ball rolling.
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. As he said in the notices last Sunday, he has put up 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.
Used stamps to support the work of ICS
Thank you to everybody who over the past few months has put their used postage stamps in the collecting envelope on the noticeboard at the back of Church. If you look at it this Sunday & wonder why it is empty, it is because, earlier this week, I sent them all off to the organiser in the UK.
A reminder that all you need to do is to cut your used stamps out carefully with about a 5mm border around them. Then place them in the collecting envelope. The only used stamps not required are standard British ones with just the Queen’s head which are worth very little because they are so common.
A reminder about what we are collecting at the back of Church to give practical support to the work of the Armáda spásy / Salvation Army with the homeless in Prague
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.
And finally for this week…..
I look forward to seeing many of you at worship on Sunday. However, do wrap yourselves up well as I suspect the Church building will be a little chilly. But I’m sure the fellowship will be warm!
Best wishes
Ricky
