Wednesday 8 February 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope to see you this Sunday when we will be celebrating Mission Sunday. This will be an All Age Eucharist when the children stay in church and take roles in the service. There will be toys provided in the Upper Hall in case parents need to take younger children out for a while.

I am sorry that there will be NO Lectio meeting tomorrow as I have another appointment. Our next online Bible study will be on Tuesday 14th February, 7-8.15pm. More details to follow.

Looking Ahead

• Please join us for Pancakes (with sweet and savoury toppings) on Shrove Tuesday, 21st February, from 6pm
• Come and mark the beginning of Lent with our Ash Wednesday service, 6.30pm, Wednesday 22nd February
• Lent Course (online) will start on Wednesday 8th March, 7-8.15pm

Electoral Roll
We would like to encourage those who are new to St Ursula's to join our electoral roll. This is a very easy process: you need to complete a simple form. When you are on our electoral roll you will be listed as a regular worshipping member of our community and you will be able to vote in elections for council members and churchwardens at our AGM (which will be held 26th March). There are electoral roll forms available in church. The deadline for adding your name to the electoral roll is 5th March.

Choir Festival
The traditional Archdeaconry Choir Festival will take place in Basel this year, 19-21 May. Choirs and singers from several Anglican chaplaincies in Switzerland will sing together at a choral Evensong on Saturday 20th and a sung Eucharist on Sunday 21st May. The weekend begins with a first joint practice on Friday evening (19th). Further details about music and organisation will be announced soon.

Practices will be organised for any interested singers at St Ursula's who want to participate in the Choir Festival. Please contact Hans-Karl or Elizabeth by the end of February: hanskarl.pfyffer@bluewin.ch

Hymn Books
All our hymn books with the musical score have disappeared from church. If you have one at home please could you bring it back to church. Many thanks.

Prayer and Support for Earthquake Victims
We will be aware of the devastating earthquake which has affected large numbers of people in Turkey and Syria. The death toll is more than 8,000 and rising and many people are still trapped and badly injured. The challenge of providing rescue operations and medical help is immense and it is exacerbated by lack of resources and freezing temperatures. The situation in Syria is especially challenging due to the lack of infrastructure and the after-effects of the war.

Let us keep all those affected in our prayers and provide financial support if we can. If you would like to give, you can give through the Red Cross (using this link). Our collection on Sunday will also go to the Red Cross for this appeal.

A Prayer
Father, we bring to you in prayer the hopes and the needs of the world. Many people are threatened by hunger and homelessness, natural disasters, violence and the fear of violence, and many suffer from greed, bitterness, loneliness, and despair.
May your Church everywhere be a force for peace with justice. May the gospel of Jesus awaken such a vision of our real destiny that evil may be overcome, not with other evil but with good. Help us to share in your mission of love to the world. Speak through our words and deeds that your name may be known.
Pour out your Spirit upon us; give us a deeper compassion for your world and renew our trust in you. May all we say and do glorify your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

With love in Christ,
Helen