Wednesday 5 January 2022

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Happy New Year to you all! I pray that this coming year will be a year of grace and hope for each of you in your personal and family lives, but also in our life as a church community.

I hope that you have been able to enjoy the Christmas and New Year celebrations with family and friends despite the Covid restrictions. David and I want to thank you for all the cards and gifts and good wishes we received.

It was good to see many of you last Sunday as we celebrated Epiphany and I look forward to seeing many more of you this coming Sunday, 9th January, as we celebrate The Baptism of Christ. There are still seats available if you have not booked them yet. Please remember to bring your certificate and ID with you.

If you are not able to be with us at church, you can follow the service online at Service Resources at St Ursula's Church, Berne..
As always, we are very grateful to Hector, Martin and Art for all their hard work.

Lectio Divina
We meet every Thursday, 10.30am via Zoom, to reflect quietly on a short passage of Scripture and then share our thoughts together. It is a time of spiritual refreshment and encouragement. Why not come and join us this new year? We start up again tomorrow, 10.30am. Please let me know if you would like to join us.

Men's Group
The Men's Group will meet this Sunday, 9th January, after the service in the Church House, led by James. Please let me or James know if you would like more details.

The following Sunday, 16th January, there will be Junior Church and creche and families will have priority for seats.

Looking Ahead

• Sunday 23rd January, there will be an Ecumenical Service at the Munster, at 10am. There will be NO service at St Ursula's that Sunday as everyone is encouraged to attend the ecumenical service. The liturgy will be in the Old Catholic tradition and the preacher will be a leader from The Salvation Army.
• Study Sessions. We are hoping to start up the zoom study sessions on 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, from 25th January. More details to follow.

Niklaus Weibel
As many of you know, Niklaus, a much loved member of our church community, died just before Christmas. We will be holding a Memorial Service in church on Friday 28th January to give thanks for his life. Please keep Adorée and the family in your prayers.

Trusting God
As we begin this new year, none of us know what it will bring for us, for our loved ones, for our church community or our world. But we can be confident that nothing can separate us from God's love in Christ. Let us begin this new year by re-affirming our trust in God.

'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.'
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

Jesus said: 'Remember, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'
(Matthew 28:20)

With love in Christ,
Helen