For members and friends of St Boniface, Augsburg, and all who are curious,
here is what you, what we can do about Lent and Easter in the current lockdown situation:
First of all, check out our Vicar’s own website www.anglican.at/home
where he has compiled a list of links to the different online meetings and
reflects a bit on how we can celebrate the upcoming days without meeting physically.
Here is a short overview of the options that exist to meet online:
– Quiet Day on Sat April 4th during the day: a blend of spending time alone/with your household members, an input and discussion online.
– Meeting of the Men’s Group on Sat April 4, in the evening (online)
Streamed Service on Palm Sunday,
April 5th, 11 AM CEST, with contributions from across the Convocation
=> see tec-europe.org for details.
– Noon Prayer on Weekdays (online)
Different online and at-home options for Maundy Thursday/Good Friday.
– an offer for Easter Sunday.
– more Noon Prayers on weekdays (online).
– Online Meeting of Daughters of the King (on a Saturday after Easter tbd).
If you want to be part of one of our online meetings, just write a message to us, we will put you in contact with the responsible person(s) for the meeting in question and/or send you the access link.
Simply write an email to infoATstbonifaceDOTde or priestATstbonifaceDOTde or webmasterATstbonifaceDOTde .
Links for you:
www.anglican.at/home www.stboniface.de
www.tec-europe.org (DH)
Message from Rev. Lutz Ackermann from 14th March 2020:
>>> ANOUNCEMENT <<<
The Bishop’s Committee has just decided to:
– cancel the date previously set for the AGM
– cancel all Services in Church until further notice.
While this decision will probably not come as a surprise to anyone, after a week of cancelled events and the announcement of schools being closed next week. And yet, as the leadership of St Boniface we have to tell you, that we are not taking this decision lightly. After prayer and mutual consultation and discussion, however, this seemed to be the right step to take.
What does that mean?
At this point in time, there is a lot that we don’t know. Will we be able to have a postponed AGM in April? May? There is little point in discussing this now, we will have to wait and see, how the general situation develops. You will be informed 14 days ahead of time, once we feel it is safe to set a date.
Will we be able to have at least an Easter Service?
The likelihood is „not“ – but that will be decided closer to the time.
So, for now, what can we do?
Apart from staying home, avoiding social contacts? What can we do as a congregation to keep connected – with God and with each other?
Here a few suggestions:
– Phone each other. Luckily a virus cannot pass through a phone line! And some of us might feel lonely and isolated.
– Pray! We do have a WhatsApp group for Prayer Requests. So far, this may have been a bit of a one-way street: members posted requests, and they were being prayed for in the service by *one* person. Why not do it both ways, post requests *and* pray for the requests of others? Suggestion: if you go on the „reply“/“antworten“ functionality (little curved arrow) and just type „Amen“ to a particular request, you will let the other person know, ”I am, right now, praying for you and for your request” .
– Study. Please watch this space: I will be launching one or two online-courses. Or just grab a book, get onto a mooc; extra time means an extra opportunity to learn!
– Worship. Yes, I know, it is very limited what one can do, when in-person meetings and assemblies are interrupted. But if you want an Episcopalian Service in English, go to St James, Florence at 11am tomorrow! Here is, where they will „meet“: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stjamesit (I attended their Wednesday Evening Prayer as a live stream – it works!)
– Offer Assistance. As long as we are not completely confined to our homes, some of us will, from time to time, go to the shops. If you do, why not run an errand for those, who hesitate to do so (because they are in a high-risk group like the elderly)? If you want to get involved, please contact me (the vicar, Priest@StBoniface.de, +49 157 88306272) for guidelines.
We do all this, because we know that, while the spread of the virus cannot be stopped, it can be slowed down, allowing health care facilities to be prepared. Even though we may not be in a high-risk group ourselves, we know others, who are. As Christians we are called to carry each other’s burdens. Let us do so in this days of crisis – and turn it into opportunity!