CHAPLAIN’S NOTES

Carols by Candlelight Our Carols by Candlelight will take place next Sunday at 19.30. The Car Park will be open. Please come and bring guests with you. You are requested to bring torches NOT candles! This service is very much appreciated in the wider community and many people would be delighted to be asked. Unfortunately mulled wine and mince pies cannot again be part of it for this year. Details elsewhere about car park opening during the Christmas period.

Prayer Meeting Please join the Council for prayer tomorrow night at 20.00 in Church House when we shall include prayer for our Missions/Missionaries.

Scripture Union. Peter Luson will be encouraging you to order your Scripture Union notes for January/March this Sunday and until 28 December. Please pay €5 with your order. Orders cannot be taken without cash.

RAPPEL A well known sign reminding us that we are in a speed limit! A reminder too that Peter Mackenzie will need much help from able bodied members from all the congregations of Holy Trinity in the early New Year. Watch this space!

Newsletter The last Newsletter will be on 21 December until the New Year. This one will contain the Bishop’s Christmas letter. All information therefore relevant for the second half of December should reach David Iliff please no later than 9.00 on 16 December.

Nigel Walker

OPPORTUNITIES

Calling parents with small children! You may like to know that a crèche operates every Sunday for the 10.30 service. It’s upstairs (1st floor) in Church House. Ask an usher if you want more information.

Calling all bakers & buyers!  Bun Sunday will be next Sunday, 14 December. Besides our usual we hope to have some Christmas goodies for sale : mincepies, Christmas puddings and cakes. Also Christmas cards!  Don't forget your money so you can stock up for Christmas! Any offers to bake something for Bun Sunday greatly appreciated.                                        Ann Freeman (02/252 39 80)

INFORMATION

Centenary Renovation Project You are warmly invited to join Peter Mackenzie, Richard Craddock and Peter Walley for a ‘walk-through’ the site after this morning’s service.

Following the November council meeting, Peter Walley undertook a thorough review of all aspects of funding and spending requirements of the Centenary Renovation Project. This was presented to Council last Monday night. (You can see a copy of it posted on the board under the archway, if you would like a copy yourself please contact Peter W). This exercise was timely given that major unknowns in the structural elements of the project have been confronted and both demolition and re-construction work to-date have been carried out successfully.

Our current situation is that we can count on €610,900 ‘in the bank’. Further pledges still remain to be redeemed and gifts are coming in now which were not counted in the known pledges. As of 26 November we have committed to spending €605,412.91

Inevitably, there are a number of other items which will needed to complete the rooms to make them available for use including ‘self-help’ costs. These items amount to approximately €33,000. In addition it has become clear that re-wiring the church is a necessity both to enable the installation of new lighting (funded by a private donation) and future needs. This would be better done sooner rather than later. Accordingly Council agreed to fund an additional €38,000 to enable these works to be carried out, subject to future fund-raising replenishing the Church reserves. Council felt able to agree this because alongside the fund raising we have carried out to support the CRP, Gareth Llewelyn (Treasurer) reported that it appears that our normal activities (outside the CRP) in 2003 have also been funded completely, for which we thank and praise God.

So how are we to complete the job?

When any new baby is born (and we have had a few recently!) it is customary to give gifts to the happy couple. In the US they call it having a ‘shower party’. The CRP is in many ways similar, to that process of giving birth, pain at times but great joy in its completion. Therefore to celebrate what has been achieved so far, Council supported the idea of producing a list of items we think are needed to furnish and equip the hall, kitchen, class rooms and conference room. Watch this space in January! We look forward very much to what God will do for us in 2004.

If you have any questions or queries we would be happy to answer them.

Peter Walley

CYFA leaders needed

We're a group aged 14 – 18

Who come to church because we're keen.

Our number is 10, but the workers are few

We wonder if a worker could be you?

The CYFA group at Holy Trinity meets every Sunday during term time, 10.40 - 12.00 in Church House. We urgently need 2-3 volunteers (men and women) to help with the group. If you can remember what it's like to be a teenager, are interested in engaging and presenting challenging Christianity and you can commit to assisting 1 or 2 Sundays per month - then you could be just what we're looking for. No prior experience necessary - enthusiasm and a sense of humour essential (a loud voice helps). Don't hesitate - email Ruth on RuthDyer@gmx.net

December car park arrangements The car park will be available for the Carol Service using the usual arrangements. For the morning services of 21 December and 28 December the shops will be open. The car park will be accessible but no special arrangements for Holy Trinity congregation will apply, we will be treated as the general public.

Advent name tags Today 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 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.

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

All mobile phone users Information from Proximus and other phone suppliers is that again a gang is occupied with mobile phone fraud. This gang have 2 specific working methods:

1st method

·       They call you up and pretend to be an agent of your mobile phone Provider.

• They ask you to dial 09# or #09 for a check up of your mobile phone.
• Please hang up immediately!
• Using this code they are able to copy your SIM card and create a new card with your number. They can then make calls on your account.

2nd method

• They send a message with the request to call back the number 014 1455114
• Please ignore this message and do not call them back!
• If you do call back, they can make calls on your account without limitation!

 It is very important to spread this message to anyone you know who has a mobile phone. This message is also confirmed by a police inspector of the Commune Wetteren, Laarne and Wichelen.

 

 

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 Please note that the last Newsletter of the year will appear on 21 December. Material for that should be received by 9.00 on Tuesday 16 December.