Disturbing ...

This Sunday will be the first Sunday of Advent – the beginning of the Church’s year. The Church of England says that Advent is the season of ‘expectation and preparation’ – and indeed it typically represents a “ramping up” – kids get more excited as Christmas approaches, and everyone else gets more stressed as the end of the year nears, visiting family looms on the horizon … and the kids get more excited!

Probably not what the wise men and women of the Church of England meant … nevertheless, as we run faster and do more, our vision narrows, and we become more blinkered. We get too busy to take anything else on, to be disturbed in our single-minded busy-ness …

And yet this is when we are asked to do just that: to stop and look up.

Our Gospel reading this Sunday is from Matthew (24:36-44). It is about the second coming of Christ. Not about Christmas, nor about the baby Jesus lying in His manger. Much less about turkey and stuffing.

It is quite disturbing. It doesn’t make easy sense to us, maybe especially in this sceptical age when we struggle with anything supernatural. It takes quite a lot of mental energy to engage with – trust me, I’m trying to write the reflection for this Sunday …  It would be a lot easier to be busy.

But beyond the meaning of “the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven”, Matthew is trying to shake his readers out of their busy-ness. He wants us to understand that nothing is as important as this. He warns us that at the time when the Son of Man returns everyone will be busy doing their thing – people will be working, people will be getting on with their lives as they have always done. They may be doing really important things like celebrating family marriages. But some will have paid attention to God’s message delivered by Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and some will not.

So, as we set our sights on Christmas and the end of the year, as the tunnel vision sets in, let’s remember Matthew’s admonition – Keep awake! You must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour - and maybe in an expected way. Don’t be distracted by those ‘clouds of heaven’ nor by your Christmas lists – accept to be disturbed and keep awake!

Chris Potter

Worship this Sunday

Christmas gifts for the Food Bank – we would love your help!

We are planning to give our beneficiaries a special treat for Christmas, comprising the following items:

• a box of 20 teabags (black, herbal or green)
• a jar of instant coffee (200 g)
• a bag of sugar (1 kg)
• a bar of dark chocolate (100 g)
• toothbrush(es)
• toothpaste
• a large bar of soap
• a large bottle/tube of shower gel/shampoo.

If you are able to donate all or some of these items (or to contribute to their purchase), we would love to hear from you! Please bring any donations to La Côte Church in Gingins on 7 December 2025 or contact either Carolyn or Caroline Allsopp-Leitner  

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Worship coming up

PLEASE NOTE - If you are unable to attend one of our main services but would like Holy Communion or private prayer in person, please contact Carolyn Cooke or Betty Talbot.

Join us for Advent Space

In the same vein as our Advent Reflection by Chris Potter – you are welcome to join evenings of Advent Space, to dig deeper into the spirit of Advent with others.

Each session we will meet for a bowl of soup and bread, a Bible reading and discussion, and draw end the evening to an end with Evening Prayer together. This will be an opportunity to share the advent journey with others and to explore the rich theme of waiting with hope and faith. We will draw on Paula Gooder’s Advent book, “The Meaning is in the Waiting,” together with images and music, Scripture and prayer.

VENUE: In the La Fraternelle living room, Rue Juste Olivier 9, Nyon

WHEN: From 19.00 – 21.00

Thursday 4 December

Thursday 11 December

Thursday 18 December

You are welcome to come to one or more of these evenings.
Please let Carolyn or Liz Le Feuvre know the day before, if you can join us.
Contact Carolyn with any questions.

Children & Youth programmes for this Autumn

For under 5's - monthly, messy and godly play sessions. Dates and more details here

For primary school age children - Sunday Club during the 10.00 service at the Divonne church on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month, and during the 16.00 service at the Gingins church on the 3rd Sunday of the month.  More details here

For  youth - Youth Alpha Course and online sessions with Joy exploring Jesus’ “I AM” sayings
Restarts in January - See here for more details.

You can find more information on all our programmes here or contact Betty Talbot. 

Coming up next week

Morning Prayer

Monday to Friday at 7.30 and Saturday at 8.30 - online

Here is the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84315258948?pwd=WWZaMTRzZEpnNHV3ekZYRFRUYU96Zz09

Meeting ID: 843 1525 8948 - Passcode: 82966

For full details on all activities that our regular groups offer please visit our website

Recent Happenings at La Côte!

If you would like to have a look at some photographs of recent happenings at La Côte Church please go to our website https://www.lacotechurch.ch/recent-happening/

ChurchSuite

Services for January have been added to ChurchSuite! 

Next week I will start scheduling volunteers to help at services in January, so please update your unavailability (click HERE for how to do this).  It is also very helpful if you could fill in any dates where you would like to help.  

Please double check any services that you have already been scheduled for coming up to Christmas, and arrange to swap if you are no longer available. For further information, click HERE or contact LIZ for help.

In the future we will also be sending out an email to all those scheduled for the coming month so that you have more notice to double check your availability or arrange a swap.

Happening Elsewhere

Jazz Carols - 19 December 20.00 Holy Trinity Geneva
More details here 

Ignatian Spirituality Community

If you would like someone to explore your spiritual life with and have a desire to deepen your relationship with God, then spiritual accompaniment could be for YOU! Click here to find out what the Ignatian Spirituality Community can offer you.

Growth in Prayer and Reflective Living Programme - registration open for course starting January 2026.  More details here or contact Louise Burrows.

Coup de Main / The Lost Food Project 
(combatting food waste)

Members of la Côte Church take part in a food bank in Nyon. Click HERE for more information and if you'd like to participate.

Thank you so much to everyone who has been bringing dried food and tins for distribution through the Wednesday food bank. We are very grateful for your generosity, especially as we now have more than 90 beneficiaries each week.

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.

All information can found here

And you can come and talk to us - Cate Bichara and Liz Martinez

Contact email: Safeguarding@lacotechurch.ch

Pledging and 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.

Pledging gives stability to the church finances and ensures that budgets can be planned realistically. So however large or however small your commitment, please consider pledging. Contact our pledge administrator, Mark Warren (mark.warren@yahoo.fr) for further details.

If you are at church without any cash but would like to give to the collection there is a solution: we have a bank or credit card reader at church to contribute to the collection using your card.

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 using your bank app.

You may also like to remember La Côte Anglican Church in your will.
Merci beaucoup, thank you very much!

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