A message from Brandt Wagner, following our Gift Day

All things come from you and of your own do we give you

1 Chronicles 29.14

Dear La Côte Church friends and family,

Following our Gift Day and our Thanksgiving service, we are thinking with gratitude of the many people and groups involved in the life of our church.

Our Church Council are pleased to be able to present short profiles of members of our congregation over the coming days, which we hope you will enjoy and find inspiring. Thank you to all who have contributed!

Brandt Wagner - La Côte Blokes’ Dinner group

1. How long have you been connected to La Côte?
On and off for several decades.

2. How long have you been in this group?
Several years. Not really sure how many.

3. What does belonging to this group involve?
Dinners are held roughly once a month, usually around the third Thursday of the month, normally at the Prieuré near the Temple de Nyon, with parking at the Perdtemps parking area (though some walk or bike there). David Cooke usually sends an email out to regular participants within a week of the dinner, indicating the topic & speaker and requesting an rsvp for planning purposes, usually two days before the meeting. I believe the La Côte Bulletin also announces the dinners. Usually drinks and light food are made available around 19.30 and the dinner starts at 20.00. Some Blokes will come early to set up the tables, cutlery, etc. David Cooke, and usually Jon Beaulieu, prepare the food, with some items prepared in advance (Carolyn often also helps in the advance preparation i.e. making a dessert).

A speaker, sometimes a Bloke but sometimes an external speaker, arranged through David, is introduced by David and gives a short talk or otherwise introduces a topic for discussion (from 10-20 minutes). We eat while discussing the topic. Topics vary considerably. Around 22.00 (this also varies), we wrap up and some remain behind to clean up and put the space back in order (important in Switzerland!). The cost is 25 CHF per person. Participants are men of any age and participation ranges from perhaps 10 to 24 Blokes.

4. How much time does this group take each week/month?
For participants, altogether it takes perhaps 3-4 hours per month, more if one sets up, cleans up or prepares the topic. David and Jon of course put in several more hours preparing and, in David's case, inviting speakers and communicating, by email, with the Blokes.

5. What do you find fulfilling about this group?
On one level, the topics are often interesting and informative. On another level, the dinners allow men to gather socially and talk, including many side discussions. In a world where many are isolated, the dinner helps break isolation, providing fellowship, friendship and, of course, food. Dinners are held in the context of Christian faith, but are not deeply religious. Blokes, I believe, are mostly but not exclusively drawn from the broader La Côte community. Please note that women sometimes are invited to speak, and the atmosphere is not that of a locker room and quite welcoming to all men, whatever background. Men just need this sort of thing every once and awhile. Personally, I value hearing the wisdom of older Blokes and the fresh ideas of younger Blokes. The group is not adverse to humour and hearing the occasional Welsh angle (ala G. Senogles).

6. Finally, could you share a resource that you find encouraging or helpful in your Christian / spiritual life?
Relevant to Blokes, one reads many articles or listens to podcasts concerning increased isolation of people, in particular men. There are many reasons for this, including work, not working (for whatever reason), the impact of social media and, in the Swiss Romande, the challenges of expat life. This can apply to men of any age. If one googles the words "2025 isolation of men", several recent articles immediately pop up, with different perspectives and ideas for solutions. Some podcasters (e.g. Ezra Klein, NY Times - but requires a subscription, but also many others, including UK media) have addressed the issue. I'm hesitant to be more specific.

We would like to express our deep gratitude to so many of you who contribute to the mission of our church with your generous gifts of time, talents, and financial support.
This gift day forms a vital part of our finances. If you can contribute with an extra gift, here are the details of the church bank account:

IBAN CH42 0022 8228 5504 9740 H
Holder The La Côte Anglican Church Development Association, 1267 Coinsins
BIC UBSWCHZH80A

If you would like to discuss regular giving, please contact Mark Warren.

Thank you very much for your kind contributions.

Finally, please take a moment to reflect on how fortunate we are to have all the positive things that our church life provides and to offer a prayer of thanksgiving.

From Jessica Chapman (La Côte Church Council member)

You receive this email because you have joined the website newsletter *|DOMAIN_NAME|* With the address *|EMAIL|*.
Unsubscribe or contact either Anne to no longer receive emails from us .