Dear Worshippers and Friends of St. Clement’s
I want to start this week’s ‘Weekly Message’ with a big ‘Thank you’ to all who helped make last Sunday special. Many thanks to Sally for organizing the auction, Gordon for being the auctioneer and to everyone for their generous contribution. We managed to raise a good amount – 14350 CZK.
Lent began last Wednesday! Thank you to all those who were able to attend our Ash Wednesday evening Eucharist and to Brian who played the organ for us. I hope many of you are able to join us on this first Sunday of Lent..
Sunday 1st March at 11.00 hrs – Sung Eucharist for the First Sunday of Lent
Matthew 4. 1-11 is our Gospel reading which is an account of the ‘forty day & nights’ that Jesus spent in the wilderness, before beginning his public ministry.The supporting readings are Genesis 2. 15-17 & 3. 1-7 which tells of the Fall and Romans 5. 12-19 where St. Paul tells us about Jesus Christ and his redemptive work.
Hymns are :- Forty days & forty nights Auf der Tiefe; Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us Mannheim; Praise to the Holiest in the height Gerontius; O Jesus, I have promised Wolvercote
There will be parallel Children’s Ministry and following worship, Coffee Hour in the hall on the third floor of Klimentska 18.
It being the first Sunday of the month, directly after Coffee Hour, I shall be off to Brno for our regular monthly service there, starting at 17.00…
Sunday 1st March at 17.00 in Brno – Holy Communion with Hymns for the First Sunday of Lent
If you have family or friends in Brno, do tell them about our worship service there. For more information follow the link http://susanaj10.sg-host.com//brno/.
Tuesday 3rd March from 18.00 hrs to 20.00 hrs – Lent Study Course
Our Lent Study Course – ‘Gospel According to Mark’ continues. We had a very lively, well-attended and enjoyable first session last Tuesday, led by David Hellam. Even if you missed the first session, you are still welcome to join us this coming Tuesday when we will study Mark 2 -Power over sin. This will be held in the hall on the first floor of Klimentska 18. If the outside door is locked, please press the bell marked Sborový Kancelář & we’ll buzz you in! A simple meal will be made available. If you have any dietary restrictions please do let me know in advance making it easier for us to plan.
Other important things..
My sermon from last Sunday and Ash Wednesday are available to read on the church website. The link to access the sermons is http://susanaj10.sg-host.com//sermons/.
The Coronavirus (Clovid 19) Outbreak around the world has been a matter of concern. Here is the link to Diocesan webpage which includes latest information published by The Church of England, World Health organisation, the European Union and UK Government which you may find useful https://europe.anglican.org/main/latest-news/post/1545-coronavirus-covid-19.
A couple from Ostrava who are a part of our Brno congregation are trying to find jobs in Prague. They have requested if anyone can help accommodate them for a night or two as they they anticipate interviews/offers from potential employers this month or the next. If you think you may be able to help, do let me know and I will connect them to you.
Copies of the ICS News & Prayer Diary March-June 2020 are available at the back of the church.
Bishop’s Lent Appeal 2020 and the collection box are at the back of the church. If you would like to access the appeal online, here is the link https://europe.anglican.org/main/latest-news/post/1543-lent-2020.
Finally for this week……
The Annual Church Meeting (ACM) will take place following worship on Sunday 19th April 2020. During the meeting important decisions regarding the fuctioning of the chaplaincy as well as election of the churchwardens and council members will take place. In order to vote or to stand for the election, you need to be a member of our Church Electoral Roll(CER). The current CER is displayed on the noticeboard at the back of the Church. If your name appears there, you need to do nothing! The Church Council will be meeting again on Sunday 15th March to review the CER and would be deleting, (as we are allowed to do), names of people who we know no longer live in the Czech Republic, the area of our Chaplaincy. I will add more information regarding the CER review and ACM after this meeting.
For now, it is important that if you are not on the CER but would like to be, then application forms are available in a folder pinned to the noticeboard at the back of Church. Alternately you could download the form from this link http://susanaj10.sg-host.com//wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ER-New.pdf and send it to me via post. To apply, you need to be baptized and a member of the Church of England or any of the other Anglican or Old Catholic Churches in full communion with the Church of England & be normally resident in the Czech Republic. Or, you need to be baptized and be a member in good standing of a Church which subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, and to have ‘habitually attended public worship’ with us for at least the last six months, and be normally resident in the Czech Republic. Application forms need to be completed and returned by no later than Saturday 4th April 2020, fifteen days prior to the ACM.
Please feel free to speak to me or drop me an email, if anything in the previous two paragraphs is unclear.
Yours in His Service,
Nathanial
