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Dear La Côte Church family and friends,
WOE TO THE RICH!
This Sunday we will be thinking about some of the terrible things that Jesus said about rich people. I say ‘terrible’ because most people reading this bulletin are objectively wealthy compared to many of the inhabitants of this planet ... and it is a bit awkward, isn’t it?. Affirmation is so much easier. But there He goes:
24 ‘But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
25 ‘Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep. (Luke 6)
And it is not as if this was the only time He said something similar ... remember the rich young man? or the camel and the eye of the needle?
We can’t just ignore these passages ... We need to address this thing about the rich.
It may be that Jesus was being very literal and expects every rich person to give everything they have away before He is prepared to talk to them. And maybe skip lunch and dinner. But I don’t think so.
Because immediately before the “Woe to the rich” passage, we are told that Jesus healed a great multitude of people who had diseases and who were troubled by unclean spirits. We are not told if they were rich or poor. Just that they had a need and came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. Those who came to Jesus were – and today those who come to Jesus are still – not satisfied with what the world had to offer. The world could not heal them, the world troubled them.
It is true that worldly wealth tends to deaden and to blind us. It is true that worldly wealth tends to preoccupy us. In this way it is true that we the rich, to the extent that we are happy with our lot, that we are satiated, may very well miss the real prize of the Kingdom of God, of the satisfaction of being filled with the good things Jesus offers, of the laughter of relief.
So, as is often the case when we open scripture, it is a bit more complicated than it looks at first blush. It is not just about money or food. It is more about being satiated by the money and food than being rich or full. Jesus is saying woe to those for whom the money and the food is enough.
But don’t think that we the comfortable are off the hook, because the challenges of wealth still lurk in the shadows. This passage is and must remain challenging. We are not written off because we are better off than most people - but woe to us if being better off means that we are satiated and we don’t think we need to seek the wealth, food and healing offered by Jesus Christ.
Chris Potter
Important – Renewal of the Electoral Roll happening now!
Every six years, all churches and chaplaincies in the Church of England have to renew their Electoral Rolls. This means throwing the old one away and starting again!
2025 is one of those years, so even if you are on the Electoral Roll at the moment, you need to fill in a new form if you want to be on the Roll after 8 March 2025.
To find out about the electoral roll and its purpose in our church life – CLICK HERE
If you would like to be on the Electoral Roll, click HERE.
Worship this weekend
Sunday 16 February - Third Sunday before Lent
16.00 Gingins - Holy Communion (no Sunday Club)
An extra online service this week on Wed. 19 Feb
As we approach the third anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, our Diocese in Europe opens an invitation to a prayer service for peace in Ukraine. This will be held online via Zoom on Wednesday 19th February at 18.00 CET/17.00 GMT (19.00 Ukrainian time):
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84853917927?pwd=qfn9t8STh6LclVKjVy52cagG4svbQ0.1
Worship coming up
Sunday 23 February - Second Sunday before Lent
10.00 Divonne - Holy Communion (no Sunday Club)
16.00 Gingins - Taizé Prayer Service
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.
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.
Sunday 2 March - Transfiguration Sunday
Live RTS programme
10.00 Gingins (please arrive at the latest 9.45)
Followed by Said Eucharist after the radio service
There will be no afternoon service in Gingins
Coming up this 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
Tuesday Prayer Group - 18 February
09.15-10.30, chez J&P Tracey, 1267 Coinsins.
Come at 09.15 for a coffee before we start at 09.30 for an hour, following the Northumbria Community Morning Prayer and inserting our prayer concerns and those for whom we have been asked to pray in confidence.
You are most welcome to join us regularly or occasionally.
Please contact Peta for more details peta.tracey@lacotechurch.ch
Window on Wednesday - 19 February
9.30-11.30 - Gingins Parish Room
This term our resource is "Practicing the Way" written by John Mark Comer, "Be with Jesus. Become Like Him. Do as he did".
All are welcome to join us fortnightly on Wednesday mornings, as we share our faith and lives together along with coffee & pastries!
If you would like to join us, please contact Diantha Terry and/or Kate Shepherd.
Next dates for our meetings are February 19th - March 5th & 19th - April 2nd, 16th & 30th - May 14th & 28th - June 11th & 25th.
Sunday Lunch Group starts up again on 23 February 12.00
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 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. 21st so we can book the table! peta.tracey@lacotechurch.ch
https://www.auberge-coinsins.ch/
NB: Next month, as an exception, we will meet on Sun. 30 Mar., due to the AGM on 23 Mar. after the Divonne morning service.
A La Côte playgroup in Divonne
We are looking at setting up a La Côte playgroup for children aged 0-4, which would meet in Divonne once a week in term time. For further information please contact Alison Ball (playgroup@lacotechurch.ch)
Our Lenten Journey
Ash Wednesday
5 March at 19.00 in Gingins
La Côte Church Quiet Day
Saturday 8 March
 For more information, click here
Please register with anne.detreverret@lacotechurch.ch
Lenten Study Groups
This year marks the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed. Much of the global church is using this anniversary as an opportunity to breathe new life into the words of a creed which unites us. As Nicaea is in Iznik, in modern-day Turkey and therefore in our diocese in Europe, we have a unique and special reason to celebrate.
The aim of the course is to help us see afresh the faith which holds us together. Everyone is welcome, from complete beginners wondering about the Christian faith, to those with years of Christian practice.
There are two options for joining a study group locally:
- A Lenten Lunch and Study group on Fridays in Divonne during Lent
- An on-line Lenten study group on Tuesday evenings during Lent
See below for further details.
 Please register with anne.detreverret@lacotechurch.ch
 For more information and register, please contact betty.talbot@lacotechurch.ch
Save the date!
La Côte Church Annual General Meeting in Divonne
Sunday 23 March
after the 10.00 service of Holy Communion
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/
Rotas in ChurchSuite
Dear church members and volunteers,
ChurchSuite is beginning to work more smoothly, thank you to everyone for your patience and commitment.
One step that would be very helpful for Anne is that you add in your unavailabilites. Click HERE for how to do this or contact Anne.
It is very important that you check ChurchSuite on a regular basis to view when you are next serving. For further information, click HERE.
Happening elsewhere
Ignatian Way Retreat
March 1st, 2025
For more information, click here
Conference and Display of 16th Century Books
Tudor England and the Antwerp Book Trade:
From Tyndale to Plantin
Antwerp (BE), Tuesday 8 – Friday 11 July 2025
For more information, click here.
The Lost Food Project (combatting food waste)
Members of la Côte Church are taking part in a food bank in Nyon. Click HERE for more information. If would like to supplement our food supplies, please bring rice or pulses to our Sunday services. Thank you very much.
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
 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
You may also like to remember La Côte Anglican Church in your will.
Merci beaucoup, thank you very much!
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