Category Archives: Homepage Posts
Commémoration de l’abolition de l’esclavage
En 2018, la France commémore les 170 ans du décret d’abolition de l’esclavage dans ses anciennes colonies et a fixé le 10 mai comme Journée Nationale dédiée à la reconnaissance de l’esclavage comme crime contre l’Humanité.
Cérémonie œcuménique dimanche 6 mai à 16h, Église St Vincent de Paul , 2 place de l’Ile de France, 67100 Strasbourg/ Meinau
For more information about subsequent events see
https://www.facebook.com/ceragstrasbourg/
Annual Church Meeting: a Summary
The Annual Church Meeting was held on Sunday 15 April 2018. Here is a summary of the discussions and decisions which took place :
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Fr Mark, who was installed as St. Alban’s Priest-in-Charge on 10 December 2017, outlined his five priorities for ministry in the coming year – strengthening of the newly-formed Ministry Team, children and youth, stewardship, ecumenical activities and strengthening communications;
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In respect of ecumenical activities, Catherine Emezie presented a report on a meeting in Lyon (2-4 March 2018) between the Eglise Protestante Unie de France and the Church of England congregations in France. The gathering, attended by herself and Rev Christine Bloomfield, took place in view of deepening relationships between the two bodies within the framework of the Reuilly Agreement. To read the report, click here -> Lyon Reuilly Agreement
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With regard to communications, it was agreed that there needs to be a better flow of information on the activities of the Chaplaincy. This includes actions and decisions taken by the Chaplaincy Council (publication of the agenda in advance and invitation to Chaplaincy members to propose topics for discussion). Reports would be published in summary form on the website and/or in Sunday morning notices. Efforts would also be made to communicate via email lists, while respecting data protection guidelines.
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Both the accounts for 2017 and the budget for 2018 were presented by Treasurer Rufus Folaranmi and Co-Treasurer David Cowley. The accounts had been examined and declared satisfactory by Independent Examiner Lionel Hilaire;. With the appointment of a priest-in-charge, expenditures in 2018 would be considerably higher than in recent years, as will contributions to the Diocese. A stewardship campaign would be initiated shortly to ensure that sufficient income is raised to cover recurrent expenses.
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The meeting took note of the reports about the activities of St. Alban’s – these reports are available through the Church office.
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The two church wardens, Pauline Dif and Denis Le Moullac, were re-elected and a new Chaplaincy Council elected (see page “About us” );
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We concluded with a prayer for our way forward in the coming months.
Lord God, you call your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden; give us faith to go out with a good courage, not knowing whither we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; to the glory of your name. Amen.
Early Call Prayer Breakfast starts again
Sunday 25 February: Restart of Early Call Prayer Breakfast.
We begin at 8h45 chez les Cowley, 5 rue de Londres (Esplanade, trams C, E or F; bus L1) with coffee and croissants. Breakfast is followed by a Bible reflection and informal and silent prayers for the people and work of St Alban’s and the world. We finish in time to arrive early for the Sunday Eucharist. Praying together is a vital part of the life and mission of our church. Come join us.
Autour de la Table – Around the Table
Un temps de rencontre et de partage entre nos paroisses de voisinage
Dernier Appel!! Des groupes se forment avec la participation des différentes paroisses pour se retrouver autour d’une table (apéro, déjeuner, goûter …) afin de faire connaissance et d’avoir une occasion de partager la façon dont chacun(e) vit sa foi dans sa tradition d’église. Ça vous intéresse? Contactez Mark pour plus d’information. Groups are presently being formed, drawn from different neighbourhood churches, that would meet from time to time for a drink, a meal etc. to get to know one another and to share how we each live out our faith in our various church traditions. Interested? Contact Mark for more details.
Flyer: Autour de la Table0001
2 March: World Day of Prayer : Journée Mondiale de Prière
The World Day of Prayer is over one hundred years old and is celebrated in almost all the countries of the world. This year it has been prepared by women from Surinam, and their motto is: “Voilà, cela était très bon!”.
On Friday 2 March at 15h an ecumenical service will take place at the Église méthodiste SION, Place Benjamin Zix in La Petite France (Bus n° 10, Arrêt St Thomas-Finkwiller, Tram A ou D, Arrêt Grand’rue). This service in Strasbourg has been prepared by women from Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran and Reformed churches and from the Salvation Army.
All women and men are welcome to attend the service and stay on afterwards for a “verre d’amitié” to meet fellow-Christians from other churches.
For more information: WDP 20180001
La Justice Est-Elle Possible?
Trois soirées de conférence de d’échange en collaboration avec d’autres églises du voisinage: les paroisses catholique de l’Esplanade, de St-Maurice et St-Bernard et la paroisse protestante de St-Matthieu.
Jeudi 15 février: Dieu est-il juste ? La justice selon la Bible.
Jeudi 22 février: Juger selon la justice ?
Jeudi 22 mars: Juger, restaurer, guérir: la justice restaurative.
Plus d’information: La Justice 2.180001
“Prayer”: Liebfrauenberg Weekend 16 – 18 March 2018
For over forty years every springtime, members of the Anglican chaplaincies in Heidelberg, Strasbourg and on occasions Stuttgart meet at the Protestant retreat centre “Liebfrauenberg” in Alsace for a residential study weekend with a special topic and speaker. This is an opportunity in Lent for some serious study of aspects of our Christian faith, as well a chance to meet old friends and make new ones, to worship, walk, talk, enjoy leisurely meals, relax and have a break. There is even a trip to a nearby village on Saturday evening for tarte flambée. Families are welcome. If there are at least four children there will be a programme for them.
Our Topic this year – Prayer
Our Speaker The Rev’d Paul Skirrow writes: “‘The study content for this weekend will be in four parts:
Why do we pray? How do we pray? (two sessions) What do we pray?
Some find prayer difficult; a nightmare, a struggle, a chore … yet in working at it we can find it a wonderful, life-giving gift from God. Hard or easy prayer unites us with God, with each other and with God’s world. Prayer can happen in many forms, and we cannot claim that one is better than the other. Meditation; contemplation; spiritual exercises; formal prayer from prayer books; prayer using words; images and symbols; prayer which demands self-emptying of words and ideas – the possibilities are endless. Some of these options will be examined and tried during the weekend. We will gather for morning and evening prayers/compline each day and will celebrate the Eucharist on Saturday and Sunday.”
For more information and booking form: Liebfrauenberg Weekend 2018
Protestant retreat centre Liebfrauenberg nr. Goersdorf in northern Alsace. (Photo Wiki Commons Goersdorf)
Madagascar sous le cyclone une fois de plus Cyclone hits Madagascar
Our prayers are asked for all those affected by the cyclone which hit the east coast of Madagascar on Friday, yet again damaging the settlement of Foulpointe, already devastated by a hurricane a year ago. The charitable associations ACAS and ACAMA are both involved in supporting the church in Foulpointe.
Worship Leader Voahangy Ramananjatovo writes:
Vents forts et pluies diluviennes à Madagascar: vendredi 5 janvier vers 13h le cyclone Ava a touché la côte est du pays. Il a génèré des vents moyens de 150 km avec des rafales allant jusqu’à 205km/h.
Un bilan du Bureau national de gestion des risques et des catastrophes lundi fait état de 27 morts et 13.000 sinistrés. Le cyclone Ava a fait de nombreux dégâts, notamment dans les districts de Fenerive Est, Soanierana Ivongo et Tamatave, dont Foulpointe; routes coupées, arbres déracinés, toitures envolées, cases détruites, inondations.
« Les bas quartiers sont inondés. Il n’y a plus d’eau et plus d’électricité. Certains câbles électriques sont tombés », raconte un habitant du quartier d’Andranomadio, à Tamatave. Dans cette ville, les refuges comme le gymnase et les établissements publics accueillent 170 sinistrés.
En tout, cinq écoles ont été détruites par le cyclone. Les cours ont d’ailleurs été suspendus dans les régions de l’est, mais aussi à Antananarivo. La capitale n’est pas épargnée par les pluies diluviennes. Près de 350 personnes ont été évacuées dans la capitale à cause des inondations.
Les gens n’étaient pas informés, sauf ceux qui ont l’habitude d’aller sur Internet car ils ne sont pas informés par les canaux de communication conventionnels comme les radios et les télés. Ils n’étaient donc pas du tout préparés.
L’information est générale. Nous attendons des nouvelles des correspondants à Foulpointe.
Beaucoup de prières.
18 – 25 January 2018 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is observed annually, beginning on 18 January (Confession of St Peter) and concluding on 25 January (Conversion of St Paul). For this year churches in the Caribbean have prepared resources on the theme: “Your Right Hand, O Lord, Glorious in Power,” taken from Exodus 15:6.
On Sunday 21 January at 10h30, we will join in an ecumenical service with other neighbourhood churches at St Maurice,
41 avenue de la Forêt Noire (just on the other side of the Observatory).
THAT MEANS THAT THERE WILL BE NO SERVICE THAT DAY FOR THE ST. ALBAN’S CONGREGATION AT THE DOMINICAN CHURCH !