Please visit the St Alban’s website <www.saintalbans.jp> for the latest news. Note also our new email address for Church Office stalbans@saintalbans.jp
This week at St. Alban’s
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Forthcoming Events
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Welcome all visitors and newcomers!
Please take a few moments to complete our Membership Form. Copies are available at the Welcome Table in the hall at coffee hour after the 10:30 service. Please give completed form to the person at the Welcome Table. There is also a visitors’ book for visitors to sign.
St. Alban’s News and Announcements
- Coming Alpha Course - Perhaps you’ve asked yourself questions like this: "I come to church on Sundays and enjoy it, but what do the words I hear there mean for my everyday life, if anything?" Through the Alpha Course, you can find real answers to questions like this in a free and relaxed setting. The Alpha course was developed by an Anglican church in London, and over the course of the last 26 years has become the most popular course on Christianity in the world, as millions of participants have experienced God’s grace transforming their lives through it.
On Saturday, September 18th, there will be a training course for Alpha, which will begin with stories from other bilingual Tokyo churches on their actual experience with the Alpha Course. (This will be a great opportunity to hear how Alpha is working out at churches very much like St. Alban’s.)
Our current plan is to have our Alpha course on Wednesday nights from Sept. 22nd to Dec. 1st (another possibility would be Friday nights from Sept. 24th to Dec. 10th), including a weekend away on Oct. 24-25. If you are interested in attending, please let our postulant, John, know.
- Fr. Scott on Vacation - Father Scott will be away from August 31st to Sept. . 10th, visiting his family in
- Sunday School is taking a summer break until Sunday 5th September. Saint Alban’s church runs Sunday School sessions for children and young people from three years old up to fourteen every Sunday during the main service from 10:30 am. If you would like more information, please see Jonathan Aves.
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KAPATIRAN - “KAPATIRAN” is a Filipino word meaning brotherhood/sisterhood, and KAPATIRAN is a churchbased NGO whose purpose is to help foreigners, especially Filipino (both residents and migrant workers) to live independently in Japan. This organization offers face-to-face and over-the-telephone counseling services. This wonderful work has now continued for some 22 years. In 2009, the organization received 1,588 telephone calls, or 132 calls per month. Telephone counseling can only be provided two days a week, Tuesday and Friday, so they want to train more people as counselors so they can be open on more office days. KAPATIRAN is continuing to request “One-Day-One–Coin” donations. Please join in this campaign and help all people to live together in harmony, sharing in the same basic human rights. Sarah Yoshimatsu can provide you with the envelopes.
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Church textiles sewing group – There will be a kick-off meeting for this project on Saturday, September 11th, at 10:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall. Several people have already volunteered to help with sewing and/or embroidery work, but more are always welcome. If you are interested in working on these items that will be used in St. Alban’s worship for years to come, please contact Fr. Scott at the church office or just come on the day. Let us offer our time and talent to the Lord, as we work together to beautify his house and give honor to his holy name!
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Calling all singers - Choir members wanted! Practice times are prior to the 10:30 service on Sundays, with regular rehearsals following coffee hour on Sunday around noon. September 5 is the first Sunday. Meet in the choir seats at 9:45. Sing "Alleluia!"
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Contract Bridge group- The group has met several times and is growing, some beginners, some refreshing their skills, but all having a good time. If you are interested in joining, please email John Owens.
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Celtic Christianity - October 2nd A one day retreat with the Celtic Christian teachings on creation, soul friendship and prayer at the Alishan Organic Center in Koma, Saitama. For more details please contact Stewart Dorward.
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Getting to Know You - This is John, your postulant, writing to invite you all to wear your name tags, so that I and other parishioners can get to know you. You can find your name tag on the stand near the entrance of the church. If you don’t see your name tag there, please let me know, so that we can make one for you.
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Keeping in Touch - We will be updating the church contact list during the month of September. Please be ready to check the accuracy of your information at the table in front of the church, either before or after the service, and if necessary update your details. [As a reminder, the parish contact list is available to members, upon request, as a PDF file. Please email the church office to request a copy.]
Please send Church Office <stalbans@saintalbans.jp> a draft of any announcements by Wednesday morning for the following Sunday’s Announcement Sheet. Thank you very much for your cooperation.
