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We are preparing for an outdoor service on the Feast of Pentecost, Sunday 23rd May, in the courtyard of Mikael Agricola Church. Current COVID-guidelines are making such an event possible but we will naturally continue to monitor the situation closely. All are welcome to this service!
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This means that soon we need to start thinking about our rotas for coffee making, ‘vergering’ (welcoming people and guiding them), reading lessons, assisting in the service, taking care of online streaming…. As you see from this list, the church still exists and needs your help! You are all important members of our community and without everyone’s input we can do nothing. As a society, and in our own communities, we are all important.
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I have been invited to attend a meeting with the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Justice, National Police Board and Finnish Broadcasting Company to discuss hate speech and how to promote ‘good discussion’. This meeting is very soon, on Tuesday, 11th May but there is still time to send me an email if you wish to share your thoughts and experiences on this matter.
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Next Thursday, 13th May, is Ascension Day. We do not have our Sung Eucharist in the Morning but instead you can watch an Ecumenical service in Finnish (with a few words in English) at 16:00. This service marks the opening of Thy Kingdom Come prayer campaign, whose patrons are the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. As a church we have been involved in bringing the campaign to Finland and I encourage you to take part in this online event.
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Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.
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SERVICES
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All of our Services can be viewed live on Facebook, or you can click this link to
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SUNDAY 9th MAY - 6th SUNDAY OF EASTER
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10am Sung Eucharist online
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11am Zoom Coffee! Please join us for a friendly cup of coffee and a chat online after the Sunday service. Click here to join us: Zoom Coffee Link
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(Sorry if you could not join last Sunday, we had a technical issue!)
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Please note there is no Evening Prayer this Thursday due to the ecumenical Ascension Day Service.
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We resume next Thursday 20th May
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The Annual General Meeting for the St Nicholas' Anglican Church, Helsinki/ The Anglican Church in Finland will be held on Sunday 30th May 2021after the morning Eucharist. We are working to make this a hybrid event so that people can attend physically or online.
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If you are interested in standing for the Church Council then you need to be on our electoral roll. You can check whether you are on the electoral roll with Sarah in the office, and she can send you the relevant nomination form. Nominations for election to the Council should be sent to office@anglican.fi before Saturday 29th May and must include a proposer and seconder, each of whom must also be members of the electoral roll. The person nominated must also have confirmed their willingness to stand. If you have any questions then please contact Tuomas or Sarah.
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Sunday School & Youth Group:
At Sunday School we started by looking at a lamp and how it would only work once it was connected to the electricity, it had to be plugged in! Jesus wanted to tell his disciples a story so that they would understand why it is important to be connected to him. Instead of a lamp, he used the example of a grapevine! A vine only produces good fruit if the grapes stay close to the branches, if a branch breaks off it can’t produce fruit because it is no longer connected to the vine!
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Jesus said “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit" John 15:5
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By being connected to Jesus we will grow fruits of the spirit: love, joy, faithfulness, goodness, peace, patience, self-control & kindness. These fruits of the spirit are a gift from God who, like an expert gardener, tends the vine through his loving care…enabling the fruit to grow in abundance. We made a fruit salad and coloured in fruits that reminded us of each gift of the Spirit!
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Online Sunday School & Youth Group meets on Zoom at 10am every Sunday
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A Free Online Concert for St Nicholas!
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With support from the Arts Promotion Centre Taike, parishioner Anthony Marini has put together a small concert for the St. Nicholas community during this pandemic. Of course, the concert should have originally been live, but due to current restrictions, it will be available for a limited time (until Sunday, May 23rd!) on YouTube. The programme features baroque and modern music for solo violin. Find the concert here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARMZQWSx77s
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(Photo credit: Martin Chiang)
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KATRINA ROBERTS writes...
Next week is M.E (Myalgic Encephalimyelitis) Awareness Week so here are 10 facts about M.E:
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1) M.E is a serious, multi systemic and chronic disease. W.H.O has classified as a neurological disease with code G93.3 since 1969
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2)M.E. research has determined significant abnormalities in the central nervous system, immune system, endocrine (hormone producing) system, and in muscle (causing energy metabolism impairment).
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3)The main symptom of M.E is Post Extertional Malaise. PEM is a delayed exacerbation of extreme fatigue symptoms that can follow even minor physical or mental exertion such as brushing your teeth. I can only have 2 showers a week maximum because I have to rest many hours after it.
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4) Some other symptoms are muscle and joint pain, poor cognitive dysfunction, sudden drop in blood pressure, sudden fluctuations in heart rate, poor sleep quality and ongoing flu symptoms such as sore throats and fevers.
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5) M.E effects 0.2-0.4% of the population. There is 10-50 thousand M.E patients in Finland and 2 million in Europe.
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6) It has been measured that many M.E patients have a poorer quality of life and greater disease burden than cancer and MS.
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7) Around 25% of people are severely affected – being housebound, or bedbound and often requiring a wheelchair to move around at all.
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8) M.E in most cases is triggered by an acute infection.
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9)There has been no successful treatment found. Funding is systematically inadequate. In one year a M.E patient receives 40 pounds research budget compared to 800 pounds for an MS patient.
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We need a guitarist
for our outdoor Pentecost service on 23rd May! Please contact Sarah in the office of you can help! office@anglican.fi
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Volunteers still needed!
Our Church relies on volunteers to keep it going! As we plan our return to Church please have a think about how you might be able to contribute to the life of our Church. These are some of the roles that we need to fill:
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Vergers/Welcoming committee!
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Technical Team - helping to stream services
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Readers and Intercessors Coordinator
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*Council members are elected at the AGM on 30th May. The Council is our decision making body and plays a vital role in how the Church is run and in the shaping of its future. Meetings will take place every couple of months on a weekday evening over zoom, they last approximately 1- 1.5 hrs.
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Please contact Sarah in the office (office@anglican.fi) to let us know what you would like to volunteer for, or if you want more information on what the roles entail.
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Thy Kingdom Come
During the 11 days of Thy Kingdom Come, it is hoped that everyone who takes part will:
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- Deepen their own relationship with Jesus Christ
- Pray for 5 friends or family to come to faith in Jesus
- Pray for the empowerment of the Spirit that we would be effective in our witness
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'Thy Kingdom Come' have produced two short and beautifully written booklets this year to help focus our prayer between Ascension and Pentecost.
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1) Novena - a Novena is simply 9 days of focused prayer. For each day there is a Psalm, some text and a picture. Click here for your free Novena booklet
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2) Prayer Journal - This has some words of inspiration and comfort, and a prayer to offer for each day. Click here for your free Prayer Journal
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SAVE THE DATE!
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Outdoor Pentecost Service & Picnic
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Annual General Meeting after the Service
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online at 18.00 from Töölön kirkko
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Back to School All-Age Service
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PRAY WITH US
Please pray for all our children and young people who are taking exams this month. A couple of our youth group members have particularly big exams and would welcome your prayers! We pray too for the teachers who have been preparing students for their exams.
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This coming Sunday we pray for...
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Church of England: Diocese of Gloucester, Bishop Rachel Treweek, Bishop Robert Springett
Church of Sweden: Diocese of Västerås, Bishop Mikael Mogren
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SUPPORTING US
In these difficult times your continued support is greatly appreciated and if possible we would ask you to consider donating towards our ongoing costs by clicking here to be directed to our easy Donate buttons or by means of a bank transfer using the details below:
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Suomen Anglikaaninen Kirkko (The Anglican Church in Finland)
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IBAN: F173 3131 1000 3282 07
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Father Tuomas Mäkipää (050-3099132)
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[Please use the contact emails provided]
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