CHAPLAIN'S NOTES

Prayer The Council invites you to join them for prayer on Monday 8 December to pray for our work, ministry and mission concerns as well as for the Christmas period (20.00-21.30 in Church House). As I write these words I am reminded of the prayer meetings that Michael Cassidy told us about in Africa and how they fill stadiums as Christians gather in prayer. More than 40 stadiums in South Africa as well as stadiums in other parts of Africa gather Christians for the purpose of prayer. Recently, on one particular day, around three million of Africa's Christians were praying in stadiums. Does that not challenge us?

Centenary Renovation Project With the new extension now visible, which will create a very attractive foyer into the church, I want to begin to encourage able- bodied members of our congregation to respond strongly to the self-help that Peter Mackenzie has requested for every Saturday morning in the early New Year. It will be a major task. However, if every able-bodied person were willing to give at least one Saturday morning a month we would be able to finish the job thoroughly within Peter's time frame. Please be ready for this challenge.

Carols by Candlelight Our service this year takes place on 14 December at 19.30. Please invite your friends and neighbours.

Borzée Our next Church weekend will take place over the weekend of 12-14 March 2004. We are now building a committee to prepare for it. Folk who would like to assist in some way should please make contact with me.               

Nigel Walker

 

Advent service with candles tonight A service of readings, quiet reflection and music from the Taizé community in preparation for Christmas.

 

 

 

 

OPPORTUNITIES

St Paul's Tervuren is holding a Service for the Bereaved at 15.00 on Sunday 7 December. Join us to remember, mourn and give thanks for the life of the loved ones, and reflect on the mystery of life and death. See flyers at the back of the church.

There will be an Ecumenical Service in the Eglise Royale Ste-Marie, Place de la Reine, Schaerbeek at 16.00 on Sunday 7 December. The service is organised by Ecumenism and Peace in association with 'Action des Chrétien pour l'Abolition de la Torture'. It will be in French, Dutch and English. For access by public transport, the nearest are trams 92, 93 and 94. There will be a notice in the porch.

 

NEW WINE CONFERENCE  31 July - 6 August 2004  Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, UK. Echoes in Eternity - will how we are living now have a difference for all eternity?  Will the things we say and do create an echo and be heard in this generation and the ones to come? Peter and Helen Walley will be going again this year with the family and would love others to join them for the week.  You can choose to camp with us or to stay in a local Bed&Breakfast.  It appeals to any age group from 0-80 as there is something for everyone.   If you book with Peter before the end of November you get excellent rates and we would recommend that you make a decision before end of January as last year it filled up quickly.  For more information contact Peter and Helen Walley 02 354 5985 or peter.walley@belgacom.net. 

 

Book NOW for Greenbelt 2004   Greenbelt Christian Arts festival takes place
at Cheltenham Race Course during August Bank Holiday weekend, 27-30 August 2004.  Check the web-site: www.greenbelt.org.uk for full details. If you book before 30 November you will save yourself a few pounds!

 

INFORMATION

Gifts for Advent The response to the appeal for gifts for Les Cailloux Children's Home and Foyer Lilla Monod was magnificent.  A total of €517 was given, which is a very generous amount.  Thank you very much.  Those who have brought back the gifts for individual children are requested to put them in the box or basket at the back of church.  They will be delivered as soon as possible.

Advent name tags For the next couple of weeks we are asking you to fill out and wear a name tag. This will help us to get to know one another better, and also to remind some of us of names we are supposed to know but which we have temporarily forgotten!

The final mission focus for 2003 is Alternatives, the crisis pregnancy centre here in Brussels.  The loose plate collections at all 4 services on Sunday 7 December will go towards the work of Alternatives.

The Prayer Chain welcomes requests for prayer for any situation in complete confidentiality. Please pass your request to Sue Cox 02/767 29 11 or to Ann Milton 02/772 47 04.

Replacement teacher needed for about 10 days in December/January at the European School in Uccle. It is mainly to teach R.E. (Protestant) to small groups of primary children, plus some classes of maths to a full class. Mondays/Thursdays/ Fridays. Please contact James on 02/453 95 63 or at eliane_pitts@yahoo.com

Centenary Renovation Project and other works Currently we believe about €17,000 of pledges remain outstanding. If you haven't already done so, please make your payments as soon as you can.  The HTB Centenary Gift Account is 310-4551076-19, The Fondation Roi Baudouin Account is 000-0000004-04 (Communication L79619) Many thanks for your generosity. 

Christmas presents Why not buy a lovely silver or golden cross for Christmas? They make perfect gifts for wives, daughters, nieces, granddaughters and friends. The profits from the sale of the crosses go to the renovation project. There are still 50 available at the old price: silver €50; gold (takes 6-8 weeks) €175. After Christmas prices go up. . . Sundays in church 10.30 : Pam Mackenzie or Paulina van Rijn: e-mail pamela.mackenzie@mail.dss.mil or paulina@village.uunet.be

African Enterprise is in a position truly to mission Africa. It feeds the hungry, ministers to the Aids victims and assists the poor. It brings the good news of Christ. Today Michael Cassidy will be in Khartoum, Sudan for two weeks. Next year in the summer he will be in Kigale, Rwanda and in October 2004 in Kinshasa. I would like Holy Trinity to take a strong interest in African Enterprise's work especially as it will be working in Rwanda and the Congo. Belgium has a special relationship with both countries so we have a wonderful opportunity next year really to express our love and concern to those countries by praying, taking an interest and giving of our substance. Michael has particularly requested that some folk from here might like to go to Kinshasa for the mission in October. Some of you might like to pray and reflect on the matter now.                                                     Nigel Walker

E-mail addresses If you need to contact any HTB staff member you can use these e-mail addresses:

Nigel Walker                  chaplain@htbrussels.com

Peter Walley                  peter.walley@htbrussels.com

Isaac Mensah                isaac.mensah@htbrussels.com

Jean-Pierre Herman       jean.pierre.herman@skynet.be

and for general messages or contact with Vicki Barrière, church administrator

admin@htbrussels.com 

and if you have never looked at the website, try it! The address  is:

www.htbrussels.com

 

 

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