A warm welcome to all today especially if you are a visitor. We trust you enjoy your stay in Brussels and worshipping with us today and at Christmas. Please join us after the morning service for coffee and drinks in the side aisle. You are most welcome to stay around and talk. If you are new please make yourself known especially to the clergy; we would be grateful if you would fill in a yellow card at the Welcome Table.

SUNDAY 22 DECEMBER

At 10.30 during Communion there will be the baptism of Joseph Delyanikis-Russell. Helen Walley will preach. We will be holding a small festive Bun Sunday today after the 10.30 service as we still have a small selection of Christmas goodies for sale - a few mincepies, some puds, a cake and some biscuits. Also tags and Christmas cards. Could the people who took their purchases home in containers  (tins, etc.) please bring them back a.s.a.p. Thanks.       Ann Freeman

At 14.00 during Communion Isaac Mensah, Assistant Chaplain, will preach.

 

There is no evening service today.

CHRISTMAS EVE

At 23.30 there will be our traditional Midnight Communion service.

CHRISTMAS DAY

At 10.30 there will be a Family Communion Service – suitable for the whole family.

 

At 14.00 there is a Christmas Day Love Feast. The 2pm congregation will hold their annual Christmas lunch together with all who would like to join them at Salle Roch, Avenue Héliport 46, 1000 Brussels. Metro: Yser. Contact Isaac Mensah on 02/420 06 04 or 0476 97 04 42.

SUNDAY 29 DECEMBER

At 10.30 during Communion Jean-Pierre Herman, Assistant Chaplain, will preach on ‘The believer’s new name’.

At 14.00 during Communion, Isaac Mensah, Assistant Chaplain, will preach.

At 19.00 join us for a simple service of Prayer and Praise in the church. Take some time out from festivities to reflect on the past year and to prepare for 2003! This will also be an opportunity to pray for our world, and you may like to come ready to share your concerns for a particular place or people, so that we can join you in prayer.

COMING SOON . . .

Please invite friends, work colleagues and family - and come yourself - to Alpha! This 12 week course on the building blocks of Christianity starts on Thursday 16 January starting at 19.00 and finishing at 21.30. A hot meal will be served each week, followed by a short talk, questions and small group discussion. We are looking forward to lively debate and to discussing all questions raised (although we don't promise to have all the answers!) For more details, please email/call Filip Ameloot at amelootfilip@hotmail.com, 02/644 05 00. Website: http://www.alphacourse.org/
The cost of the meal is €5, the Alpha manual is €2.50. Unemployed and students can come for free, please let one of the Chaplains know if you need a subsidy.

Ladies Retreat 2003 This event organised by Annick Yiend, Sarah Williams and Helen Walley will be taking place again next year at Le Cenacle (Communauté du Chemin Neuf) in La Hulpe from Friday 31 January at 17.00 until Saturday 1 February at 17.00. Our speaker will be Annie Hughes from Harbourne in Birmingham, UK.  She has a particular strength in pastoral care, prayer ministry and counselling, has 3 boys (19, 21 and 23), works part-time as Lay Chaplain to a local doctor's surgery and the rest of her time in the church where her husband is a vicar. She has led retreats for women in her diocese and one in the Ukraine in October. I have no doubts that we will be blessed by God through Annie's ministry, so do book.  Booking forms are available this week, and bookings will be taken on a first come first served basis operating a waiting list.  More info from Helen Walley 02/354 59 85 or helen.walley@belgacom.net

YOUTH AND CHILDREN

Sundays during Christmas holidays On 29 December, normally a very quiet Sunday, the Crèche Room will be available for parents, and a video may be shown there. On 5 January the normal teaching programme will be suspended, but different, slightly shorter activities will be provided.  Crèche as usual.

INFORMATION

Church administrator We are pleased to announce that Vicky Barriere will be joining us as part time administrator from 6 January. Vicky is a member of St Anthony’s Kraainem, but knows HTB well from friends in the congregation. As a dual French/British national she is fluent in French and English so she will be a real asset to the team – and make the office staff even more ecumenical! Vicky’s hours will be from 9.00 to 13.00 on Mondays - Wednesdays and 9.00 to 12.00 on Thursdays, so we would be grateful if you would ring the office with administrative queries on Monday to Thursday mornings only.

Calling all medics/nurses/first aiders – 9.00, 10.30, 14.00, 19.00.  It would be a great help to the wardens and ushers to know of any of you who have medical, nursing or first aid qualifications, so that we know whom to call on if someone is taken ill during a service. Please could you let Alison Rose (02/763 37 23 or Alison.rose@belgacom.net) know if you fall into one of these categories and would be happy to have your name on a first aider’s list. 

Key Amnesty! If you have any keys to church buildings that you no longer need, please return them to the office as soon as possible! If you have keys that you do still use, please also inform the office so that we can keep track. Thanks.

Is anyone able to donate a cassette player to Freda and her team, who welcome Rwandan children every Saturday afternoon for singing and games at Holy Trinity?  This work is very therapeutic for children traumatised by their recent experiences in Rwanda.  Please contact Freda or Mary (02/770 77 15)

Is anyone changing their computer screen who has a large old screen spare? Topsy Tournay, who has trouble with her eyesight and has only a very small screen, would welcome a larger replacement. At the same time she would like to thank everyone for their prayers and love received during her cancer treatment.

Pledging 2003 We are very grateful to all those who have returned a completed form indicated their pledge for supporting Holy Trinity in 2003. Any others who still wish to make a pledge, and have not yet done so, are encouraged to return a form before the end of the year.  The church depends on regular giving from its members, and pledging is vital in helping us to plan ahead.

December Mission Focus is Alternatives, centre d'aide pour femmes enceintes (crisis pregnancy centre) situated by Merode Metro, Brussels.  (Alternatives is a ministry of Youth With A Mission, YWAM.)

Christmas Day celebrations Are you going to be alone on Christmas day and would you like to spend that day with some other people from the church fellowship?  Then please let us know.  Do you have room at your home for another or others on Christmas day? Could you please let us know and we will endeavour to link people up.
Please contact Helen Walley, Pastoral co-ordinator, on 02/354 59 85. Also the 14.00 congregation are planning a lunch on Christmas day, off the church premises. See elsewhere for more details.

CHS Calendars are available in church - €10 each   All proceeds to Community Help Service non-profit organisation - working for the English-speaking community in Belgium and running a 24-hour helpline. 

New daytime homegroup with crèche Would you like to make it to a homegroup
but can't, because the timing has not been right for you?  Well here is another option... There is a new morning group.  It is for anyone who finds this a good time, and we are offering a crèche (a small charge will be made). There will be opportunity for study, prayer and fellowship. We meet on Tuesdays 9.30 -11.00 at the home of Ilka Tank, 439 Chaussée de la Hulpe, 1170 Watermael Boitfort. If you are interested or want to ask any questions, then please contact Ilka Tank (02/675 52 10) or Helen Walley (02/354 59 85). We both have answer phones for you to leave a message, if necessary.  All are welcome.

Please note that there will be no car park either at 23.30 Service on Christmas Eve or for the Christmas Day Service at 10.30.

Items for the Newsletter Please send these by 9.00 on Tuesdays by e-mail to David.Iliff@Pandora.be or to the Church Office.