To La Côte Church family and friends,
Dear friends,
In my current Bolz-Weber moment, I have just finished reading her autobiography “Pastrix”. One of the chapters struck a chord in me – I thought I should share it with you in this bulletin.
Apparently, during her training, Bolz-Weber was required to work for ten weeks as a hospital chaplain. She assumed that she would be required to be around to talk to people and offer spiritual support – and she seems to have been predictably dismayed by the relative lack of enthusiasm of some of the patients. She recounts one visit when she knocked on the door of an old lady’s room with a cheerful “I’m from the chaplain’s office – is there anything I can do for you?” expecting the patient to want to pray with her or maybe have the Bible read to her … only to be told “Oh, that’s all nonsense, dear. I’m an atheist.”
I can relate both to that strong desire to do something, to be helpful - and to the sense of deflation when my efforts don’t seem to produce the results that I think they should.
But what really struck me was what she discovered was her real role:
She was equipped with a pager. One day it buzzed with a message that she was to go to ER. When she got down to the ER zone she asked a nurse why she had been paged, only to be told “Trauma 1” – she dutifully went to this room to discover that it was full of doctors and nurses vigorously attempting to resuscitate a patient who’d suffered a massive heart attack.
What was she was supposed to do? She asked another nurse: “everyone in here seems to have a job, what am I doing here?”. The nurse looked at Nadia’s chaplain’s badge and answered: “Your job is to be aware of God’s presence in the room while we do our jobs.”
“Your job is to be aware of God’s presence”.
I often – if not always – want to “do something”. I’m not good at standing and being aware. I wonder if that is not true for many of us. Maybe we hide in our busy-ness. Maybe we like to be doing what we imagine we should be doing, busy in the jobs we have defined for ourselves. But this story shows that sometimes we all need to just be still and be aware of God’s presence. As the saying goes, sometimes we need to stand before God with people – our people, those around us, those we know – on our hearts.
As I considered this it occurred to me how well this corresponds to the Lord’s prayer. It is all about being, and very little about doing :
Our Father in Heaven
Hallowed be your name
Your Kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread
Forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us – there it is – the first thing we are called to do as we pray the prayer that Jesus taught us. But it is almost more an attitude of forgiveness that we are to have than an action.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory are Yours
Now and for ever.
As we think about our current theme of God’s generosity and how we are to respond to it, surely the first step is to stop our busy-ness. To be aware of God’s presence. To listen and to forgive. So that we can begin to grasp that grace and generosity that surrounds us, even in the most unexpected places.
Chris Potter
Worship this week
Ascension day 18 May
Chapelle Notre-Dame de Riantmont, Vesancy
10.30 We are delighted to have been welcomed by the Catholic Church to use this chapel for our service of Holy Communion on this special day. Everyone is welcome !
We will share coffee and cake afterwards at the entrance to the chapel.
You can reach the chapel from the centre of Vesancy, with quite a steep walk of about 20 minutes. Or you can drive up to parking de la Carrière which affords a 5 minute walk.
Directions to the chapel
Sunday 21 May 2023 - Sunday after Ascension
16.00 Gingins Holy Communion with Sunday Club
Worship coming up
Sunday 28 May 2023 - Pentecost day
10.00 Divonne Holy Communion All age
16.00 Gingins Evening Prayer
PLEASE NOTE – If you are unable to attend one of our main services but would like Holy Communion or private prayer in personal visit, please contact Carolyn Cooke.
For any prayer requests for yourself or others, please contact Peta Tracey who will share in confidence with our Tuesday prayer group where we pray for the needs of our world and community.
Worship rota
Here is the link to our current worship rota for May and June.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1J1kFJihL_gdsCoHwakC1TiWD7sNlgCqx/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113637582618163220788&rtpof=true&sd=true
Anne and Carolyn are adjusting this rota to suit people's availability. Please make sure you check the most up to date rota via this link.
If you are not available, and can find someone with whom to swap, please go ahead and let Anne (de Tréverret) know.
If you are not available and unable to find a swap, please let Anne (de Tréverret) know as soon as possible.
Currently, we cannot share email addresses due to data protection regulations and we are working on solutions.
Coming up this week
Morning Prayer
Monday to Friday at 7.30 and Saturday at 8.30 - online
Please join us on Zoom :
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85122087785
Tuesday Bible study - 23 May
Tuesday 9.30-11.00 - chez the Coos (tel. 022-776 58 30)
We are continuing with session 8 in our booklets, looking at Matthew 24:36-25:13, focusing particularly on the parable of The Wise and Foolish Virgins.
Please note the new time with coffee from 9.30am for a prompt 9.45am start. We shall also be on Zoom for those who prefer, details as follows:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87203856045?pwd=eW5PdGswNjVZM3AxUkZJTEd3ZVRBQT09
Meeting ID: 872 0385 6045 - Passcode: 927955
Window on Wednesday - 24 May
Wednesday 9.30-11.30 - Gingins parish room
At WOW - we welcome new and old faces, to share our lives and faith.
Our group meets fortnightly, on a Wednesday morning. All are welcome to join us as we share our news, prayer and discussion based around a Christian / Biblical resource - always with coffee, tea and delights to eat!
This term we are continuing with John Pritchard’s inspiring book ‘Living Faithfully‘.
It is a very practical, down to earth book which tackles every day matters of faith and life, and we are enjoying working through the book from the back to the front.
If you would like to join us, please contact Alice Debell and/or Diantha Terry.
Sunday Lunch Group - 28 May (Pentecost)
Auberge de la Réunion, Coinsins
Would you like to join us at our Auberge in Coinsins for lunch at 12.00 on the fourth Sunday of each month? We are offered a choice of menus at a reduced price. There are usually around 12-15 of us and it's a great opportunity for a relaxed chat over lunch. Whether you just come once, or on a regular basis, you are most welcome!
Please let us know by Fri. 26th so we can book the table! peta.tracey@lacotechurch.ch
https://www.auberge-coinsins.ch/
Happening elsewhere Celebrating the coronation of King Charles III
Thursday, 8 June from 6pm - 8pm
Château de Bossey
The British Residents’ Association (BRA) in collaboration with the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce (BSCC) invite you to a reception celebrating King Charles’s coronation.
For more details, click here
An exciting opportunity to join our French speaking sisters and brothers on an Ecumenical Bible Camp for all ages
"Y a pas de petit prophète"
9-15 July in Vaumarcus
organised by Etienne Guilloud, Pastor of the Swiss Reformed Church in Paroisse de la Dôle. For more details, click here
La Friperie Caritative Nyon is looking for volunteers !
If you like looking through clothes and household items, talking with people and organizing, we could use your help! Here are the times we operate, feel welcome to commit to periods of 2 hours or more during these times. We also need people helping to post things on social media, this can be done anytime.
Would be helpful to speak French.
Please contact Linnann Muhlemann - 078 645 2200, or come to the shop during opening hours.
For more details, click here
The Lost Food Project (combatting food waste)
Members of la Côte Church are taking part in a new food bank in Nyon. Click HERE for more information.
A warm thank you to everyone who has been bringing in food and who has signed up to help in practical ways.
Please keep bringing in dried starch produce for us to deliver.
Two practical ways you can get involved:
- We are especially looking for volunteers with cars to pick up and deliver the food to and from supermarkets and the warehouse every morning in Nyon at around 8.00am and early evenings at 18.00. If you could commit to one pick up a week/ a fortnight or a month - that would help enormously. Please contact Suzanne Mooney suzanne.mooney@me.com
- Volunteers to help with the distribution of food at La Fraternelle from 18.00-20.00. If you think you can help, please contact Andrea Goovaerts as soon as possible.
Work with those seeking refugee status
Mentoring opportunities and Accommodation: Please speak to Diantha Terry with any thoughts you have.
Do you have jobs that need doing? Please contact Diantha Terry.
From your safeguarding team
Your safeguarding team promotes and works towards keeping our church a safe place where our congregation can feel secure and cared for.
Safeguarding is an integral part of the wellbeing of our Church community.
We are here not only to work with you through the formalities of short training or administrative safeguarding checks but to support you in strict confidentiality if concerns relative to abuse arise.
You can count on our understanding and goodwill in all things safeguarding.
Ever Guttierez, Cate Bichara and Liz Martinez
Contact email: Safeguarding@lacotechurch.ch
 Giving online and in person
Many thanks as ever for your giving to the life of our church and thus to our mission and service within and well beyond our community. Here are the bank details for our church:
IBAN CH42 0022 8228 5504 9740 H
Holder The La Côte Anglican Church Development Association, 1267 Coinsins
BIC UBSWCHZH80A
You can also do so by scanning the QR code below
You may also like to remember La Côte Anglican Church in your will.
Merci beaucoup, thank you very much!
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