THE E UROP E AN A NGLICAN A M E R E B APTIS M S E RVIC E A T A M ST E RDA M L AK E SID E C E L eb RATION IN G H E NT A B ISHOP AND A STROP D RA M A IN L AUSANN E C HURCH T E LLS ITS STORY F RUIT F UL HARV E ST S HARING B L E SSINGS IN M ONACO F OCUS ON TH E F RI E NDS W ITH E NCOURAG eme NT AND SUPPORT FREE N o . 4 0 WI nter 2 0 0 8 2 N O T Q U I te the R IV er J O R DA N THE E UROP E AN S O me THING A NGLICA N OUT O F TH E The Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe The Rt Revd Geoffrey Rowell ORDINARY Bishop’s Lodge, Church Road, Worth, Crawley RH10 7RT Tel: +44 (0) 1293 883051 Fax: +44 (0) 1293 884479 Email: [email protected] The Suffragan Bishop The Rt Revd David Hamid Postal address: Diocesan Office Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1160 Email: [email protected] M ONIQU E ’ S PATH TO F AITH The Diocesan Office 14 Tufton Street, London, Mark Collison, Chaplain of SW1P 3QZ Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1155 Amsterdam writes:- One Sunday Fax: +44 (0) 207 898 1166 in September proved memorable Email: diocesan.office@europe. c-of-e.org.uk as we performed the first adult Diocesan Secretary baptism since we started our Mr Adrian Mumford new congregation in Amsterdam Assistant Diocesan Secretary South 18 months ago. Since Mrs Jeanne French the school we meet in did not Finance Officer have a font, Monique de Haan Mr Nick Wraight preferred the option of full Diocesan Website www.europe.anglican.org immersion in the Nieuwe Editor and Diocesan Meer (New Lake, or New Communications Officer Water). This is the simple The Revd. Paul Needle Postal address: Diocesan office heart-felt testimony she Email: shared on the day. [email protected] Tel: 0034 662 482 944 Design Adept Design, Norwich Printer Norwich Colour Print Distribution CoDEStorm plc Cover photo: Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan. Monique de Haan from Amsterdam found the waters of the Nieuwe Meer, near the city, offered her the opportunity to witness to her faith. Above: Following in her Lord’s footsteps Monique is baptized. Left: Younger church members made sure they stayed “on the ball” for the big day. MO N IQU E ’ S P A th T O F AI th 3 Readers of the European Anglican are We hope that you will find in this since they are also ordinary Christians. rarely slow to respond to its content. edition some things which are out of In fact the ecclesiastical definition of a Apart from spotting the occasional the ordinary. There is the personal bishop is that he is The Ordinary – an error that slips past the editorial eye story of a young woman who was ecclesiastical legal term which means the two most regular questions are the first adult baptism candidate in a that he has oversight of everyday “Why do you publish so many pictures new congregation in the Netherlands, temporal matters in the diocese. In a of bishops and dignitaries?” and a member of a church in Spain scattered and diverse diocese such as “Please can we read some stories writes about her experience on the Europe a visit from one of our bishops from ordinary Christians in churches Christian “Mercy Ships” and we is far from an ordinary experience. We around the diocese.” I consulted the celebrate 50 years of church growth report some of the bishops’ travels dictionary for a definition of “ordinary” and development in the Duchy of as a reminder of their role in building and was amused but undeterred Luxembourg. morale and strengthening faith among to find “Of no exceptional ability, In addition to our usual range of clergy and their congregations. All in average” or in some cases “Of inferior news items we make no apology for all, reflecting the life and work of an quality; second-rate”. a number of pictures of our bishops extra-ordinary diocese. Paul Needle, Editor, The European Anglican M ONIQU E ’ S PATH TO F AITH website and I emailed Mark – the deny him anymore. I just had to Chaplain. That was pretty scary, surrender. I felt he was speaking to because I had never talked so openly me and he wanted me to know him. to anyone about this desperate need to But for some time I still had these talk about “searching for God”. But incredible doubts. What if it isn’t despite my nervousness, after emailing true? Do I really believe in God? for a few months, I finally found the What if I’m not a Christian? I didn’t courage to go to church. I could not feel anything. I didn’t experience his go alone so I dragged my husband presence or his love. David along. He didn’t want to go, I really struggled. And after a very A joyful Monique celebrates her new but he had little choice. It was a relief depressed time (full of doubts and life in the “New Water”. and joy to have found this English fears of course) I came to realise that speaking church service. For me God was the one I was hoping for. I met God, some years ago, but I hearing Gods word in English is so He was the one I was living for. And think I didn’t understand him then. much more clear and understandable. after realising that, I knew I wanted So I’ve lived without him for many There were still those fears and a to be baptised, to confirm my faith years. Although there was always this lot of doubts. After many, many in Jesus. thought in my head, almost like a emails and a few talks I think the I came to learn that He loves me voice saying to me: “Hello Monique. penny was slowly dropping. I found and that wants me to love my I’m still here! Still waiting! I’ve got out that I was hanging on to those neighbour, even my enemies. And enough time, but I don’t know if you fears. I remember Mark asked me, the more I listened to his word and have.” Last year this thought grew ”What is it that you are afraid to let acted by it I found that faith works! stronger and by the beginning of this go of?” The only answer was “my To love, to forgive and to surrender year, I knew I had to do something fears”. I was afraid to let go of my are all difficult things in building a about it. fears. I had lived with them for so holy life. I’m just beginning and I But there was a problem. I was many years that I was attached to know it takes a lot of time to build afraid! I had so many doubts and them. To follow Jesus, I had to let go this relationship with him. But I fears, doubts about God and fears of of my fears, hand them to Jesus and know now that it’s not only about everything. My main fear was that I surrender everything to him. feelings. We may not always feel that was afraid to talk to people, afraid of In May I decided to ask Jesus to be he loves us but we just have to what they would say or do or even Lord of my life. Not because I had all believe he does. think. I was uneasy being the centre the answers or because I was fearless. I had my struggles and battles of attention and still find it a little But I knew I wanted to stay with during the past few months but I scary – especially at my baptism. Jesus. I knew he would never let me never forgot that he is “My Lord Because I was interested in the go. I knew that, even though I might Jesus, my Light and my Salvation”. Church of England I searched the turn away from him at times, he So why not take the opportunity and internet and found the Christ Church would still be there. So I couldn’t find him for yourself? 4 LAUSA nne M O P S U P - G hent get S A S tr OP A C L E AN E R , A DONK E Y , AND CHURCH TURN E D B ACK - TO - F RONT The anonymous Members of Christ Church Lausanne anger and Daniel’s desperation. The cleaner and her in Switzerland played their part in a wise, witty cleaner gives her own barrow load of “Night of the Churches” during the donkey to carry Mary to Bethlehem, goodies. Summer when churches opened their and watches the gentle healer die doors and gave a glimpse of what before hearing the good news of his goes on inside. The Christian story return to life. was told by a novel type of narrator A specially built stage was needed – a cleaning woman who helps which involved turning the Church out and gets involved everywhere back-to-front, so the cleaner was and overhears many things. From in front of the audience with the bricklaying in the Tower of Babel, Altar behind them – a reminder cleaning Noah’s animals in the ark, that God is in situations where galaxy-gazing with Abraham, and we would never look for Him, in following the Wise Men’s star, she places or in people we presume to tells her story.