Swiss Church in London Eglise suisse de Londres Schweizerkirche in London Chiesa Svizzera a Londra Baselgia svizra a Londra Autumn 2014 “Think of the times you have been embraced, welcomed and received. We all know how good it is to come home like that, even if the territory is new. When someone carefully, lovingly sets a table for us; when someone thinks of us and our needs and hopes; when someone listens with full attention to our story and then offers their own.” (Stephanie Speller, ‘Radical Welcome’) Hospitality is an important topic in Jesus’ teaching. Many of his parables tell stories of radical welcome (Luke 11:5-8), regardless of the inconvenience it may cause. Feeding the stranger is feeding the Son of God. Jesus once said to his disciples: “I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.” The disciples couldn’t remember any of these events, so Jesus explained: “I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!” Welcoming the stranger is welcoming God. In this edition From the Glass Box - - - - - - - - - - 2-3 Focus - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4-5 From the Swiss Community - - - - - - 6 THEOlogical -----------------7 People from our community - - - - - - 8 Announcements - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9 Music @ The Swiss Church - - - - - -10 Events @ The Swiss Church- - - - - -11 Dear sisters and brothers, Dear reader, From this issue forward, every edition of the Swiss Church News will focus on a different topic. We will start with a look at homelessness. In London, there are a considerable number of people sleeping rough. Just three doors down from the Swiss Church, St Mungo’s is located, one of England’s biggest charities for people affected by homelessness. Some of the residents have become regular visitors at our church. Recently a man who popped in for a cup of tea said to me: “I’m what people would call homeless. But I don’t like the expression. I’m more than just homeless.” Homelessness is a category that divides society into people with a permanent home, and those without. Categories help us structure the world and create some sort of order in an uncertain life. But categories also come with stigmata, and homeless people are often looked at as lazy or even cheating the social services. Every person has his or her very individual life story. The stories of people without a permanent place to live are as varied as the stories of people with a roof. Jesus didn’t have a permanent home and would nowadays fall under the category ‘homeless’. He said: ‘Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lie down and rest.’ Blessings, Rev. Carla Maurer Editorial Swiss Church News (continued on page ) THEOlogical: Where is home? Praying in the streets
Transcript
Swiss Church in LondonEglise suisse de LondresSchweizerkirche in LondonChiesa Svizzera a LondraBaselgia svizra a LondraAutumn 2014
“Think of the times you have been embraced, welcomed and received. We all know how good it is to come home like that, even if the territory is new. When someone carefully, lovingly sets a table for us; when someone thinks of us and our needs and hopes; when someone listens with full attention to our story and then offers their own.” (Stephanie Speller, ‘Radical Welcome’)
Hospitality is an important topic in Jesus’ teaching. Many of his parables tell stories of radical welcome (Luke 11:5-8), regardless of the inconvenience it may cause. Feeding the stranger is feeding the Son of God. Jesus once said to his disciples: “I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of
me, in prison and you visited me.” The disciples couldn’t remember any of these events, so Jesus explained: “I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!” Welcoming the stranger is welcoming God.
From this issue forward, every edition of the Swiss Church News will focus on a different topic. We will start with a look at homelessness. In London, there are a considerable number of people sleeping rough. Just three doors down from the Swiss Church, St Mungo’s is located, one of England’s biggest charities for people affected by homelessness. Some of the residents have become regular visitors at our church.
Recently a man who popped in for a cup of tea said to me: “I’m what people would call homeless. But I don’t like the expression. I’m more than just homeless.” Homelessness is a category that divides society into people with a permanent home, and those without. Categories help us structure the world and create some sort of order in an uncertain life. But categories also come with stigmata, and homeless people are often looked at as lazy or even cheating the social services.
Every person has his or her very individual life story. The stories of people without a permanent place to live are as varied as the stories of people with a roof.
Jesus didn’t have a permanent home and would nowadays fall under the category ‘homeless’. He said: ‘Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lie down and rest.’
Blessings,
Rev. Carla Maurer
Editorial
Swiss Church News
(continued on page �)
THEOlogical: Where is home?
Praying in the streets
Matt Stone and Carla Maurer have both been active outside the Swiss Church during August.
Both came back spiritually enriched and with a lot of experiences to share.
Women for Peace (Rev. Carla Maurer)
I had the honor to serve the Ecumenical Forum of European Christian Women (www.efecw.net) as a member of the Coordinating Committee from 2010 to 2014. This time came to an end with the General Assembly on the Greek island of Tinos from 4-10 August. Together with my colleagues from different European countries we worked tirelessly to give Christian women in Europe a voice. The Forum brings together women from 32 European countries, reaching as far as Armenia. Ever since I joined the organisation I was amazed by the voluntary commitment of women to work together for peace and gender justice in Europe whilst pursuing fulltime jobs and family commitments. Women from Ukraine and Russia were sitting at the same table sharing their stories. Our presence in Greece also reminded us of the severe impact of the 2008 financial crisis. The hospitality of the women of Tinos was overwhelming.
The Forum unites all generations. Three women travelled to the Assembly with their new born babies – and their husbands who would look after the offspring during the business sessions! The joyful, creative and life-affirming energy of our gathering filled us with hope and we returned home with a strong feeling of togetherness across the borders. For me, the EFECW is a spiritual home that helps me to put
things into perspective and to recognise my own brokenness. I will continue to work as a volunteer of the EFECW as project leader of the ‘Pop Up Monastery’ (www.popupmonastery.com) which will take place next year.
Together with my sisters all over Europe, I truly believe that sharing our different experiences will lead to greater understanding and reconciliation in our families, communities and countries.
Tales of the Unexpected (Matt Stone)
I spent a week with my family on a field in North Devon volunteering for Lee Abbey Youth Camp. With a team of 30 people we were cooking the food, cleaning the toilets and arranging activities and Bible studies, we all lived in community. We ate together and met in the evenings to learn about God, who is both infinite and intimate and what this means for us.
Camp is a great place to hang out, while there is lots going on, there is also lots of space to just be. The beach, a two minute walk away, is beautiful and great for swimming and there is always lots of creativity and opportunities to learn new things. This year we found that many people had gifts in tie-dying.
This year’s theme was Tales of the Unexpected. We were learning about the unexpected God in the bible and in our lives. We spent a lot of time sharing and listening to each other’s stories: stories of hope, of love and loss, stories of brokenness, we showed weakness and gave each other courage. We found that our stories are interwoven and from our shared experiences there was encouragement and hope for healing. We thank God, The Weaver, for bringing us all together.
Coming home and back to work I feel spiritually refreshed, but also challenged. Living in community at camp makes me think ‘this is how church should be’. Also I feel that the best of me comes out on camp; how can I be the same at home? How can our church in the business of London reflect the simplicity of sharing stories around a fire on a camp field?
From the Glass BoxNews from the Consistoire
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News from the Team
ImprintPublisherThe Swiss Church in London79 Endell StreetLondon WC2H 9DYA company limited by Guarantee registered in England & Wales, no 4454591. A registered Charity no 1094992.
Websitewww.swisschurchlondon.org.ukYou can download the latest Swiss Church News on our website.
Deadline for the nextSwiss Church News 15 October 2014
CorrigendumA historic inaccuracy found its way into the last Swiss Church News edition.
It was Emperor Theodosius I. who made Christianity the Roman Empire’s official religion in 380. This development was part of the Constantinian shift, named after Emperor Constantine who adopted Christianity as his belief and legalised Christianity alongside other religions with the Edict of Milan in 313. The Constantinian shift describes the process of integration of the imperial government with the church in the 4th Century.
With thanks to the attentive reader!
The past few weeks have been a time of all too frequent goodbyes for the Consistoire.
At the AGM on 1 June, we
said our farewells to Rose-Marie Breitenstein, who is stepping down both as Vice-President and as a member of the Consistoire. Rose-Marie has an association with the Swiss Church going back to the 1980s, but it was in 2004 that she joined the Consistoire as Company Secretary, becoming Vice-President the following year.
Rose-Marie’s considerable business and administrative expertise helped us through a period of great change for the Swiss Church. In addition to the demanding renovation project, she also dealt with the Charity Commission, Companies House, health and safety, and insurance; and her meticulous Consistoire minutes will be a lasting legacy. Fully involved with all aspects of church life, from Sunday services to concerts, she always made everyone feel welcome.
Lesser known perhaps was Rose-Marie’s persistence with the under-pinning insurance claim and subsequent work, which saved our beautiful Victorian Manse for future generations of Swiss Church ministers and their families. Finally there was the challenge of becoming financially independent from the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches. Rose-Marie took this on and under her guidance the cornerstones for the future of the Swiss Church in London were set in place.
On behalf of the Consistoire, I would like to thank Rose-Marie for ten years
of dedicated service and generosity to the Swiss Church. She will be greatly missed on the Consistoire, and we wish her all success and happiness in her future activities, and look forward to seeing her in church.
The Consistoire has also had to say goodbye to Antoni von Planta who joined the Consistoire in September 2012. Antoni and his wife Elisa with their baby daughter Eleonora have been regular attenders at the Swiss Church and contributed so much to the life of our congregation. They are now moving to Rome. We will miss Antoni’s encouraging and reconciling words in the Consistoire meetings and his great business expertise, and we wish the whole family a happy new life in Italy.
Margrit Ledermann Prestofelippo, Consul General, who has been representing the Embassy in the Consistoire meetings, is moving to Argentina together with her husband, to work at the Embassy there. Margrit has been a great support to the church in so many ways. Her valued feedback and wise observations will be greatly missed. We wish Margrit all the very best on the other side of the Atlantic.
David Mollin. who joined the Consistoire in 2010, resigned earlier this year. We are grateful to David for all the work that he did as our representative on the Art Committee of the Swiss Church, and for the continuing cooperation between Goldsmiths College and the Swiss Church. We are also glad to announce that artist Annelore Schneider has joined the Art Committee, as well as Symeon Kyriakopoulos, previously a member of the Music Committee.
Those of you who have paid a visit to the Swiss Church in recent weeks
will hopefully have noticed the new look foyer, complete with comfortable soft chairs, a coffee table and drinks facilities. This more welcoming foyer has proved popular with everyone. The Consistoire would like to thank Matt, Cecile and Carla for the idea and the implementation.
On 20 June more than 200 people gathered in (and spilled out of) the church for the screening of the World Cup football match between Switzerland and France. The evening helped to raise the church’s profile within the Swiss community in London, as well as raising more than £1000. Many thanks to Sabrina Wirz of CSC, Anina, Matt, and all the volunteers who helped in organising the event and cooking the delicious Bratwurst and Wienerli with home-made potato salad. The event was organised by the City Swiss Club and the Swiss Church and we hope we can organise similar joint events in the future. Perhaps with a better scoreline!
With all the recent departures, we are currently looking for new Consistoire members (Trustees) with expertise in the areas of Human Resources, Fundraising, Company Secretary, Arts and Music, Community, Building Repairs & Maintenance and Charity Governance Issues. If you are interested in knowing more about the role of a Trustee at our church, please contact one of the members of the Consistoire or send an email to [email protected].
With your help, the Swiss Church can further grow and reach out to both the Swiss community in London and the local community in Covent Garden.
Philip MaillardetVice-President
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From the Glass BoxNews from the Consistoire
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Focus: HomelessnessAll human, all broken, all beautiful
Homelessness is a part of our story here at the Swiss Church. This connection is partly because of our locality, we are on the border between the two
boroughs (Camden and Westminster) who together host 40% of all rough sleepers in London, and partly because of who we are, a church. As a church we imitate Christ in being accepting and welcoming to all, taking the time to listen to, show compassion and befriend those in need, the outcasts, the lonely.
Homelessness is a part of our context. In the last year support workers have seen 2, 197 rough sleepers in Westminster and 501 in Camden. Two doors down from us is St Mungo’s Endell Street hostel where 53 homeless people live who are on the journey to finding permanent homes. From October we will be working with Streetwise Opera to provide workshops for previously homeless people, supporting people in the transition into ‘mainstream’ life.
So where do we fit into all of this?
The Swiss Church is an open church and as such we see lots of our neighbours and community who either come in or engage with our outreach projects. We want to be a part of the bigger picture in the community, not replicating, but working together with our friends and neighbours to best provide a wide spectrum of support for those that need it. I have become clued up on the local resources and often signpost people to services such as free legal advice at the Mary Ward Legal Centre, the Foodbank at St Georges Bloomsbury or free meals at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church.
It is because of these other local provisions that we aim Holy Soup, Breakfast on the Steps, Swiss Connections and other events at everyone and we make a deliberate effort to be inclusive to our friends who are homeless in need. We live in a diverse community and we would love to see that reflected in the church. Some of the best moments I have had in my job have been sharing lunch or coffee with a businessman, an artist and
someone who is homeless. Connecting and sharing. I believe there is an element of reconciliation that happens in these beautiful moments, when people from different worlds connect and realise their differences are less than they thought.
All human, all broken, all beautiful, all in it together.
The story of Christ is one of reconciliation and we hope to be a part of that story here in Covent Garden.
There are lots of hard working, wildly talented people in the area; two of them are Dawn Savage, Communities Minister at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church and Janet Martin, Project Manager at St Mungo’s. Both have agreed to write a small piece as a part of this SCN issue on homelessness.
Thanks to them for these articles and for all they do.
Matt StoneCommunity Worker
From the Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church (BCBC)The work with the homeless is often overwhelming, there’s the statutory system, the dozens of charities, day centres and hostels, not to mention the hundreds of churches, community groups, mosques, synagogues and other assorted temples that offer food, respite, and/or shelter. When I first came to London I got stuck into the homeless work that Bloomsbury Central was already engaged in, our drop in ‘Open Doors’ during the week, signposting to services, helping to fill out forms, the night shelter and Sunday lunches. I felt guilty and helpless within the first week, and frustrated and angry within two. This was hard.
Walking around the area I saw so many homeless begging, and knowing that giving money is the one thing you really are not supposed to do, I would at least try and smile at people, so they knew I did not think they were invisible. This only meant that they expected me to give them something so then I had to reject them actively rather than just passively passing by... I wondered which was worse. In the church we would get regulars that I seemed to be building a relationship with but then if I tried to help them move on from homelessness they would become evasive and miss appointments, or just flat out tell me they did not want help. My first encounter with ‘the entrenched’.
Then there were those who just took advantage, who would lie or in one case actually steal from us. We went through a phase a while back of having to ban some individuals from the building, something that goes so much against the grain for a church, the one place where all are supposed to be welcome.
Then there was trying to work with other organisations and churches who were trying to reach out to those at the margins of society. I met with good intentions and bad practice, groups that only served in a way that enabled people to stay on the streets. Hit and run food distribution. I then reflected on BCBC and saw that
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Focus: Homelessnessmuch of what we did could be described as doing the same. About six months into my post I was losing faith with it all, what was the point, people did not really want help, not the help I was offering, and anyway there were a tonne of hostels and day centres who could do it better anyway and although they were having major budget cuts, my church just could not fill the gaps. What was the churches place in all of this? What would Jesus do? So, what if our job is not to ‘fix’ people. What if actually loving people is not giving them food, or a place to sleep for one night. What if it is not about trying to get them into a system or on benefits. What if it is not doing the things we think
people need. What if it was more like listening to them? Really listening, not so they can pull on our heartstrings and get something out of us, but listening to their hopes and their aspirations... even seeking out what they have to offer us? I think part of our problem is sometimes we talk about God as if he was this ‘cure all’ and the answer to all our problems. I do not know about you but my experience has not really been that. Life is messy and sometimes it just does not make sense and it hurts. But what if Jesus was the kind of guy who looked for the best in the person in front of him, what if he listened to his friends even when they frustrated him, what if he was able to receive from the
most disadvantaged of people, what if the most life altering part of his ministry was simply that he valued people and reflected their worth back to them? What if our homeless ministry looked more like that?
What we offer:Sunday Lunch, sign up is at 10am.Open Doors Mon-Fri 10am-4pm.Signposting and/or pastoral support- ask for Dawn, Ruth or Simon.We are also a hosting church for the C4WS camden winter night shelter.
Dawn SavageCommunities Minister BCBC
Get to know St Mungo’sSt Mungo’s Broadway helps homeless people rebuild their lives day by day.We aim to help people recover from the issues that create homelessness and to start a journey of recovery from homelessness by providing accommodation, support towards their goals and aspirations and help to prevent rough sleeping. We support men and women through more than 200 projects across the UK including: •Emergency, hostel and supportive housing projects •Advice services •Specialist physical and mental health services •Skills and work services Our aim is to make sure that homeless and vulnerable people can look forward with optimism and can improve their quality of life. Each night over 2,500 people sleep in safety under a St Mungo’s Broadway roof.
The Endell Street service provides accommodation for 53 homeless people. Endell Street is part of Camden Hostels Pathway. We work alongside people at various different stages of their recovery journey. Some people stay for only eight weeks before moving on, others may stay
for up to a year. Our clients benefit from our activity, training and employment programmes which include access to training in Construction, Horticulture, Carpentry and Hospitality industries. We also encourage people to make use of our independent living training and literacy skills support. Endell Street itself has a recording studio on site where clients can learn production skills, record their own album or get involved in our radio podcast project.
Endell Street is not just about providing a roof – we are there every step of the way. Our specialist workers help with health and addiction issues, literacy,
education, getting back into work and the skills needed to live in your own home and become part of a community again. Our vision is that everyone should have a decent place to live, something meaningful to do and satisfying relationships with other people – as well as the good mental health to enjoy them.
If you are concerned about someone who is rough sleeping please call the national StreetLink line on 0300 500 0914. You can also visit their website at www.streetlink.org.uk.
Janet MartinProject Manager St Mungo’s
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Swiss National Day in London
From the Swiss Community
On Saturday 19 July Swiss National Day was celebrated at UCL London. The Swiss Church was involved in the children’s programme with lantern making and face painting. Many of you joined in the celebrations and we wanted to share some pictures and quotes of this great day with you.All images courtesy of Daniel Pedroletti, chair of the Swiss National Day commitee.
Our minister Carla Maurer flying the flag The amazing raffle prizes
“It was my second year at Swiss National Day, the first one being not long after Carla became the vicar at the Swiss Church. This time around it was fantastic to recognize so many people from the Swiss community, and it reminded me how many friends we have made this year.”
Julian Simmons
Traditional Swiss entertainment and the Theodora Children’s Trust Giggle Doctors
Culinary delights of raclette and homemade baking
“The Swiss National Day was a great opportunity for me to meet fellow Swiss people and enjoy delicious food. It was fantastic to see so many different people with different backgrounds celebrating our National Day and having a good time. Big thanks to the organisers who made this event happen!”
Sabrina Wirz
“As a swiss living in London, one of the highlights is the Swiss National Day celebration.Old and new friends come together to enjoy swiss food and music. The event is well organised and the sun always shines on the day.”
Cecile Mistry
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It was on my first day of work at the Swiss Church that I decided to open the doors to everyone at 79 Endell street. At the beginning, all we could offer was to welcome people into the building for a moment of quiet. It was difficult to create a welcoming atmosphere as we did not have the necessary facilities to sit comfortably, or have a cup of tea. Confiding conversations often happened standing in the foyer. Listening to people’s stories is what I consider the most important aspect of my ministry. The God I believe in is a God of relationship and transformation. To allow relationships to grow we need safe spaces, places to rest our body and mind. Relationships can not develop under time pressure and behind closed doors, but blossom in the open spaces that we create for the unexpected and unknown. The foyer of the Swiss Church became such a space, often filled with laughter and chatter and a smell of coffee in the air. It is a space where relationships can grow and transform us.
London attracts people like a magnet with its promises and opportunities, with its lights and crowds - people from all paths of life, and from all around the world. Yet thousands of people will see their dreams unfulfilled, and will disappear into the anonymity of the metropolis, broken and isolated. The church is often the last refuge when all other support networks break down, and we carry a huge responsibility to recognise people in their brokenness and offer respect, dignity and acceptance, without being patronising or judgemental. This is easily said; in reality, a lack of time, patience or resources, or our prejudices, or our own brokenness stand between us and others, challenging our tolerance and openness.
People without a permanent home are marginalised in our society where being housed is the norm. We fail to distinguish
between people who are forced into homelessness and deprived from the basic right of being housed, and people who chose homelessness as a lifestyle with all the risks that come with it; people who I would rather describe as modern city nomads.
Let me share three stories with you:
1. He was a member of the opposition party in a war torn country in Africa and had to escape the threat of torture and jail. Many of his friends made it to the United States or Europe, and with his whole life ahead of him, he decided to take this dangerous journey too. Somehow, he thought, he would sort himself out once he had arrived, being well educated and hard working. But he ended up in the streets in a freezing cold climate, fighting an endless battle to gain refugee status that would provide him with a housing scheme. He was sick, hungry and socially completely isolated. There was no way out of this misery and he wondered sometimes what was worse: political persecution or being dehumanised in the streets of London.
2. She was working for a local retailer and commuting into central London every day from the place where she lived with her mother. The woman in her 40ies was desperate to have some privacy that her
mother would not give her, walking into her room whenever. The lack of privacy and safety made her feel aggressive and she was worried she would attack her mother. She did not know what to do with her negative feelings.
3. He left his job and his home and decided to travel light. The possessions and responsibilities suffocated his thoughts and freedom. He wanted to experience existential moments and talk to people about God and the world – a philosopher in his own right. He did not expect anything from people, but was always grateful to find open doors and people to share stories with. His home was everywhere.
These three stories, all based on personal encounters at the Swiss Church, raise the question: what is homelessness? I hear many stories from people who have a permanent home but don’t feel ‘at home’ in it, and I have the feeling ‘homelessness’ would describe their situation much better than the modern city nomad who found his home on the streets. Only by listening to each other’s stories can we find out what our needs really are: a hot soup, a philosophical discussion, shelter, medical treatment or someone who sees the human being in us. There is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. There is only us.
Rev. Carla Maurer
THEOlogicalWhere is home?
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People from our communityStanley de NoronhaIn this section we want to give people who are associated with our church a voice. Stanley de Noronha is a valuable member of the Swiss Church and regularly attends our Sunday services and Prayer&Pub.
Our Swiss Church is an invaluable social offering in the very heart of London. Dynamic and inclusive are Rev. Carla Maurer and the excellant supportive members of the church team, in the various services and events for families and children and casual visitors. The recent Easter Vigil was well presented and appreciated.Londoners face pressures and a high level of stress and domestic violence. Our Swiss Church is a wonderful extension of a Switzerland acclaimed for its support of humanitarian organisations.I come from a Portuguese family, The Noronha Exchange est 1858 in India, close friends with British and Indian communities. We were instrumental in the creation of a convent, schools, a hospital and a Mother
Teresa orphanage. An auctioneer and businessman in London and India, my avocation has been to help people in need.I am most appreciative of the gender equality in the Swiss Church, for even gentle relegation to secondary status can lead to unfulfilled lives and personal distress. We can only applaud and wish our Swiss Church every continued progressive step in Christian thought, prayer and social good.My very kindest wishes to all,
Stanley de Noronha
Welcome to Anita Rutschmann!In September the team at the Swiss Church in London will grow by one person as we will be joined by Anita Rutschmann from Switzerland for a period of seven weeks.We are really excited to welcome Anita to the Swiss Church and look forward working together. We wanted to reserve this space for Anita to introduce herself to all of you ahead of her stay with us.
My name is Anita Rutschmann-Keller. I am 36 years old and live with my husband in Weinfelden, Switzerland. I am a Primary school teacher and I have taught with much joy the youngest pupils for over thirteen years. The Swiss education directorate enables all teachers, who are teaching for more than ten years, to do a very enriching sabbatical. The most important part of this time is the work placement. For seven weeks, from the 1st of September until the 17th of October 2014, I shall work in an institution that is not connected to school to open my mind and widen my horizon. My wish to work in London is fulfilled thanks to the Swiss Church that will take me in for my work placement. I would like to refresh and deepen my English skills. In November I will profit of this knowledge at school, when I return to Winterthur to my second graders and teach them English. I am looking forward to seeing the new workplace and encounter new issues, to meet people and to explore the big city of London.
Anita Rutschmann-Keller
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AnnouncementsCongratulations
Former Minister of the Swiss Church Nathalie Duermueller and Robert van Haarlem tied the knot on the 9th of May 2014 at the registry office in St Blaise, Switzerland.
From the whole Swiss Church congregation we wish you all the best for your life together and God’s blessing!
Treasurer of the Swiss Church Gregory Allegro and Melanie Allegro-Maret got married at the church of Loye in the Valais on the 31st of May 2014.
May your marriage be blessed with many happy years and joyful moments!
Obituary NoticesMargrit Goddard † 09 July 2014We were sorry to learn of the death of Margrit Goddard, who passed away on 9th July 2014. Margrit was a regular visitor at the Swiss Church and member of the Frauenverein. She will be dearly missed by her friends and family.
David Sandeman † 13 July 2014It is with great sadness that we heard that David Sandeman, the husband of Trudi Sandeman, passed away on 13th July 2014. Our thoughts and prayers are with Trudi and her family in this time of bereavement.
It was a privilege to bless the union of Madeleine Duba and Homero Gonzalez-Valdes on the 7th of June 2014 at the Swiss Church.
We wish the happy couple a life full of joyful dances together with their daughter Ana!
Simone und Roman Diem haben am 14. Juni 2014 in der reformierten Kirche Hundwil (Appenzell, Schweiz) geheiratet. Das Brautpaar wurde von Pfarrerin Carla Maurer getraut.
Wir wünschen Simone und Roman für die gemeinsame Zukunft alles Gute!
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Music @ the Swiss ChurchSwiss Connections Concert Series 2014/2015It gives me great pleasure to introduce the 2014-15 season of Swiss Connections – a series founded upon great talent and exposing young musicians – all with a Swiss flavour, whether that be in the music which the artists perform, or the musicians themselves being Swiss. We are indebted to Dr Ursula Jones OBE for her voluntary work as artistic director of this series and for helping to programme and book the musicians.
This season, we have decided to plan in advance to produce a series leaflet for the entire year, as opposed to previous years, where we would plan a few months in advance. We have also decided to lower the ticket price to £5, which includes a programme, to attract more people to come and enjoy our venue and support the musicians in the series. We are also moving the concerts half-an-hour earlier (7pm, with doors open from 6.30pm), to encourage the community who work in and around Covent Garden to come along after a day’s work. Post-concert socialising is also still a very important
part of our series and we continue to gather after concerts and share fellowship over a glass of wine or soft drink. We are also introducing a cash bar, as we now have an alcohol license.
The series launches on 25 September with Vietnamese pianist, Tra Nguyen, performing a solo recital featuring music by the Swiss composer Joseph Joachim Raff. Nguyen has also recorded works by Raff, which have been praised internationally. This will be followed by a post-concert reception to launch the series officially and we’re very pleased to have the support and presence of the Swiss Ambassador, HE Dominik Furgler and the Mayor of Camden, Cllr. Lazzaro Pietragnoli.
The series continues with myself, joined by Trombonist Peter Moore. Peter Moore was the youngest ever winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition and this year was appointed co-principal Trombonist of the London Symphony Orchestra.
Our largest concert of the season will undoubtedly be Stravinsky and C F Ramuz’s: L’Histoire du Soldat. A synergy of music and dance presented with new choreography by Joered Glavin, accompanied by narration and music with the Constella Orchestra.
The music scene at the Swiss Church this year promises to be a must-have in your diary – please do come along to support the wealth of talent on offer. Do also take a look at the enclosed flyer for the new organ recital series (also available on the website).
The music committee meet at least every quarter to discuss programming and consists of myself, Dr Ursula Jones OBE, Rev. Carla Maurer and Matt Stone. We look forward to welcoming you at some or all of the events.
Peter Yardley-Jones BMus (Hons)Director of Music
Swiss Connections Concert Series 2014 datesAll concerts start at 7pm, doors open at 6.30pm. Tickets are £5.
Thursday 25 September 2014: Official launch of the Concert SeriesTra Nguyen - PianoBritish-Vietnamese pianist Tra Nguyen presents a programme of piano music by the Swiss composer Joseph Joachim Raff (1822-1882). Tra’s recent recordings of Raff’s compositions have been highly praised internationally.
Thursday 30 October 2014Peter Moore & Peter Yardley-Jones - Trombone & OrganPeter Moore, the youngest ever winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in 2008, together with Peter Yardley-Jones performs a varied programme.
Thursday 27 November 2014Trio ConcertThe trio was formed at the Guildhall School of Music by Mariko North (piano), Hoei Lien The (violin) and the Swiss cellist Romana Kaiser. Their programme includes piano trios by Debussy and Saint-Saëns as well as a work by a Swiss composer.
11 Swiss Church News
Events @ the Swiss ChurchForthcoming events
Saturday 20 September 2014, 11am - 3pmOpen House LondonOpen House is a not-for-profit organisation to promote public awareness and appreciation of the capital’s building design and architecture as a way of helping the wider community to become more knowledgeable, engage in dialogue and make informed judgements on architecture.The Swiss Church in London will be open to anyone from 11am until 3pm and showcase details on the renovation project.
Saturday 11 October 2014, 5pmOrgan Recital by James McVinnieJames McVinnie is an International Concert Organist and the recital is part of a series of events taking place throughout 2014, as the Royal College of Organists celebrates 150 years of working for the advancement and promotion of the best in organ playing and choral directing.All welcome, free entry with retiring collection.
Saturday 18 October 2014, 11.30amInter-faith Parish Day OutThis autumn’s parish outing will consist of an inter-religious visit to the Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Southall. This will offer a great opportunity to find out more about Sikhism and get to know the people working and worshiping at the temple.The day out is free of charge and lunch is included, donations welcome.We will meet at 11.30am at Southall train station’s main entrance.
Saturday 22 November 2014, 11am - 5pmSwiss Christmas FairThere will be traditional food and merchandise stalls selling Swiss goods like chocolates, Swiss wine and cheese, home-made bakery goods and many other specialities. As Christmas is approaching, you will also be able to choose from a variety of different Christmas decorations and Advent wreaths. As always, you can try your luck at the big raffle and win fantastic prizes including a home-cooked dinner at the vicarage.
Sunday 21 December 2014, 5pmCarol Service with Dieci VoicesThe last service of 2014 will be a carol service with Dieci Voices, a professional vocal ensemble consisting of a dynamic and exciting group of young professional singers.Mince pies and mulled cider will be served after the service. We hope you will join us for this festive event!
Twitter: @SwissChurchLond & @SwissRevLondonCarla Maurer’s blog http://swissvicarlondon.blogspot.co.uk
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We welcome donations by standing order. If you are a UK taxpayer, please fill in a gift aid declaration form.
Psalm 126
“How we laughed, how we sang for joy, how happy we were! Those who wept as they went out carrying the seed will come back singing in joy, as they bring in the harvest.”
I can still smell the smokea whiff of memory, a glimpse of heaven
