Garden Fete

Thanks to all who attended the violin concert performed by Ali Moraly on 18 May

Christ Church April 2013

 

Victoria Barrett, a former member of our congregation, has produced this film

View the Trailer | Credits

Where is Mt. Ararat - the final resting place of Noah's Ark?
Where were Christians first called "Christians"?
Where are Biblical Asia Minor ...Ephesus...Antioch...
and the home of the original St. Nicholas?
Where are these places? Can we visit them today?

Come and join the adventure of our host, Victoria Barrett, who answers these and many other questions through her journey discovering the roots and growth of early Christianity. Unknown to many, much of this history - from Apostles to Crusaders - occurred in today’s Republic of Turkey, called Asia Minor in Biblical times. Second only to Israel in Biblical sites, Turkey is a treasure-trove of early Christian history.

Traveling to 15 locations on this extraordinary journey, the viewer will visit and understand these Biblically important, but seldom seen sites during this one-hour film. Victoria visits shepherds still tending their flocks in the shadow of magnificent Mt. Ararat. She walks ancient Roman roads in the footsteps of St. Paul at his birthplace of Tarsus and sails, as he did, from the Mediterranean to the turquoise shores of the Aegean. From there the journey follows Paul to Ephesus, exploring its streets, temples and amphitheatre so well-preserved that you actually feel like you have traveled back in time. Moving up into the mountains we come to the final resting place of St. John and the Virgin Mary.

Victoria continues on through the centuries... the seven churches of Revelation, the conversion of Emperor Constantine -when Christianity becomes the religion of an empire..., hot-air ballooning amid the fairy-tale hills of Cappadocia where early Christians took refuge…the building of Emperor Justinian's magnificent St. Sophia in Byzantium….the Crusades……to present day Istanbul.

Victoria's journey of discovery is made interesting to viewers because she is not an academic or theologian. Instead, she is a filmmaker and actress who speaks of Biblical history in clear, understandable terms, uses animated maps to place events and places in context, and visually portrays these sites with stunning film photography. Audiences will be amazed at the amount of history packed into this one-hour documentary and how readily accessible these locations are to those who want to learn more and see for themselves.

Christianity was born in Israel, grew-up in Asia Minor, and reached adolescence during the Byzantine Empire. That Journey of Faith wonderfully informs and excites viewers about this rich history of early Christianity is a major accomplishment for a documentary film. 

The film is available from Amazon.com

Open churches

In a city where the vast majority of churches must be kept shut, two English chapels - All Saints on the Asian side and Christ Church on the European side - are usually open on a daily basis. Many people visit on the days when it is possible to keep the chapels open. The photo shows an impromptu visit by an Izmit girls' college that expressed surprise and delight on finding an open church as part of their project to learn about churches in Istanbul. They were warmly welcomed at All Saints Moda.

Crimean Memorial

Mary Berkman has carefully catalogued the library of antiquarian books re-gathered over the past 20 years. Mary is shown here assisted by a volunteer from Cambridge University Nevsky Everett.

Faith and Church

The Scriptures and the Gospels, the Apostolic Church and the early Church Fathers, are the foundation of faith and worship in the 44 self-governing churches that make up the Anglican Communion.
The Church of England is part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. It worships the one true God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
It professes the faith that is uniquely revealed in the Bible and set forth in the Catholic Creeds (the statements of faith developed in the Early Church that are still used in the Church's worship today). The Church is called to proclaim that faith afresh in each generation. Led by the Holy Spirit, the Church of England bore witness to Christian truth in historic texts that were developed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries: the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal (services for ordaining bishops, priests and deacons).
The bishops, priests and deacons of the Church of England and also some laypeople (Readers and certain lay officers) are required to declare their loyalty to this inheritance of faith as their 'inspiration and guidance under God in bringing the grace and truth of Christ to this generation and making Him known to those in [their] care'. They do so by making a Declaration of Assent. The version for bishops, priests and deacons reads:
"I, [name], do so affirm, and accordingly declare my belief in the faith
which is revealed in the Holy Scriptures and set forth in the catholic
creeds and to which the historic formularies of the Church of
England bear witness; and in public prayer and administration of the
sacraments, I will use only the forms of service which are authorized
or allowed by Canon."
The Declaration and its Preface (on which the text on this page is based) are set out in Canon C 15 of the Canons of the Church of England. They are also printed in Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England (page xi).
Read a short history of Anglicanism.

The Chaplaincy Council for 2013

Canon Ian Sherwood - Chairman ex officio
Charles Dunn - Warden; Dep Chairman
Charles Howard-Vyse - Warden
Mr Birol Cengizoglu - Dep Warden
Mr Nimal Deniston - Dep Warden
Mr Jonathan Smith - Treasurer
Mr Thomas Bacon - Secretary
Mrs Victoria Short - Archidiaconal Synod
Dr David Butorac
Professor Norman Stone
Mr Jonathan Beard
Mrs Janita Sadalak
Mrs Joan (Kim) Erkan
Mr Jules Irens
HBM Consul-General ex officio

All Saints MODA

A friendly ecumenical gathering for Morning Prayer takes place as advertised on this blog usually 1st Wednesday of the month at 11 AM. As a regular ecumenical gathering mostly of Prebyterians, Anglicans, and people of native traditions, we are a Fresh Expression of worship in the Church.
Photo above shows the Presbyterian minister The Revd Turgay Ucal and his team who care for the church and maintain it for Anglican and Turkish fellowship.

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