Last updated: January 25, 2009

Christmas Theatre – About Sages and People
When the saviour comes everybody is surprised. Most those, who waited him – because the saviour was different. According to man’s meaning, when the saviour comes, the things should begin to occur. Otherwise a man can overlook him. The saviour must be seen he must capture us. Or he is out of luck; he is the second, the fiftieth. Men wait the saviour according to their notions. He came, but only for some eyes, to preserve our freedom. If only there were more such eyes. It is what was the theatre, learned by the children and young members of our congregation, about. It was played on Saturday, 16th December 2006, in the evangelic congregation in Cesky Brod and on Sunday, 17th December 2006, in the Strasnice chapel. A proved author couple wrote the theatre: text and songs by Daniel Rehak, music composed and played Filip Klinecky.


Advent Sunday Afternoon
The Advent afternoon for all generations, on the second Advent Sunday - 10th December 2006 - was prepared again, as already a tradition is, by the congregation children and youth. The children‘s theatre group played the one-act “It is better to live fairly then in a big villa” by Tomas Najbrt. The Strasnice chamber orchestra played two rag times by Scott Joplin. The programme of our traditional advent meeting was supplemented by a biblical reflection by Martin Rehacek, common singing of Christmas songs and a tombola for the Diakonie-Ratolest centre support.


Children’s Autumn Trip – Kite Flying
The autumn trip of Sunday school children took place on Saturday, 4th November 2006. Thanks to a rather bad weather we extempore moved it to Parukarka – Zizkov district. The Kite-flying was a success, the sky was full of colour kites and with children we played a lot of games. It was Martin who enabled us a superb intermezzo with a midday warming up of 13 children and 7 teachers with warm tee, sausage baking and singing with guitar. This all in his flat in Zizkov. Thanks.


Congregation Weekend in Chotebor
The traditional congregation weekend in Chotebor took also this year place in the second weekend in October (from 6th to 8th October 2006). In Saturday afternoon we visited Hradiste by Nasavrky, Krizanov dam and the romantic Peklo (Hell) by Chrudimka. The weather was variable, it was raining on Saturday and that’s why we ended the trip with a visit of a vicarage of our congregation in Hradiste. In Sunday afternoon took place a festive installation of eight ministers – also of Ivo Mares, who in years 2005/2006 served in our congregation as a vicar. That’s why, after returning from Chotebor, we took part in the ceremony in great numbers. Evenings were dedicated to discussions, singing with guitar and to the usual campfire.


V. Kalousova's Inauguration in Hvozdnice
On Sunday, 1st October, the senior of the Prag seniorat Lydie Mamulova installed Vendula Kalusova as the minister at the congregation of our church in Hvozdnice. Children and youth of our congregation visit the congregation in Hvozdnice in the weekends and so it was pleasure for us to participate at this installation celebration. In the Sunday's afternoon visited congregation in Hvozdnice Svata Karasek, who prepared a short concert.


Children’s summer camp in Bily Potok
The last summer week (from 27th August to 2nd September) spent the children of our Sunday-school and from elsewhere too in Bily Potok pod Smrkem, It was there where we, as a rescue team from Europe, had set out for a journey in order to help a village Lambarene from enemies and diseases. Unfortunately one of the curses fell on Bily Potok too and so it was raining practically the whole week. But we were able to cope with both the rain and malignant diseases and were able to return back to Europe (in reality to Prague). We enjoyed singing, plays and other things too. In the camp there were nine children and five leaders. We are looking forward to you the next year too.


A Week at Bily Potok
A week’s coming together (from 6th to 12th August 2006) in the mountains signified two thinks: this year’s oft rains, fogs and foul weather at all. So there were only few mountain-hikes (Smeda – 7th August at 15:00 h – 250 times higher rate of flow 46,7 m3 / sec instead of 0,2 m3 / sec, water-level 176 cm). The second, more interesting thing was our topic – prayer. From root and branch and to the depth. – and with terms, which Protestant doesn’t meet often, as „inner prayer“ or even “the meditation according to Tibetan Buddhism.” The principle point was nothing but intensifying Christian faith and one’s own prayer.


Strasnice-Youth on the Otava
This year’s river-boating (from 30th July to –5th August 2006) was a bit a challenge. We managed it already once before, without our pastor, first of all thanks to Ben, however practically with the old team. This year we were to prove ourselves that we thought it seriously and that we were able to manage it once again even if with another team. Even if shortly before the water-trip it seemed that we would crawl-swim only in a swimwear and belongings we would send by a train or we would have to build a raft… and even if in that time the weather didn’t pamper us, water-sportsmen were no chickens and at the end they managed everything easily. It can be that we were, after a year, a bit tougher or we gave more attention to water we drank and so we didn’t suffer too many looses. And so even if we gave up keeping the old team and went with fairly another team-composition, we could tranquilly declare that water-sport was already and firmly anchored in us and that the youth would go on the water in the future too. Thanks to everybody, who helped where he could and who overcame bad mood and another traps of the nature….and first of all – we went longer way away.


Summer camp in Belec under Oreb
This year’s camp in Belec (from 1st to 14th July 2006)) was dramatic. Four families of warriors had a task to deliver old Christian scrolls to the Roman emperor and bear witness to him too, that Christianity wasn’t dangerous for him but on the contrary. The warriors themselves got to know Christianity in daily praxis better then from some “lectures.” The chief of the camp and his wife arranged the second drama. Just the first day they injured themselves and so they spent the all days of the camp travelling between the hospital and the camp. Limping along and supporting themselves they tried to become at least partners for the lively children. We believe they succeeded.


Cross Belongs to the Chapel
A great oak-cross was placed on the building face of the evangelic chapel in Most on 25th July 2006. In front of the chapel was set up the sandstone sculpture of a goblet. Both artworks come from the atelier of the artist Ivan Jilemnicky. In the festive installation took part a lot of Strasnice congregation members and Ivan Jilemnicky’s friends. Pastor of Strasnice congregation Pavel Klinecky spoke, on the occasion, about the meaning of the cross.


Weekend Camp at Hvozdnice
Weekend camp of Strasnice Sunday school has already become a traditional meeting before school holidays. The theme of the weekend from 16th to 18th June 2006 was “Lambarene – through the black dark and night”. The Sunday-school teachers for two teams prepared the programme, with a lot of games. The weekend in Hvozdnice by Davle was full of games, competitions and the theatre too and was finished by a church service with a sermon by Pavel Klinecky.


Bus trip to Flossenbürg
A bus trip to Bavaria, on Sunday 28. May 2006, had two main destinations. Still in the inland it was the former destination, Benedictine monastery, situated in Kladruby. The second destination was the former Nazi concentration camp in Flossenbürg. The monastery in Kladruby delighted us by its meditative atmosphere, the memorial of the concentration camp to the contrary induces a deep regret over the evil, which man was able to produce. The evangelic priest and theologist Dietrich Bonhoefer was put to death in Flossenbürg on 9. April 1945. Bonhoefer was famous through his concept of the non-religious interpretation of the biblical message.


1st May in the Czech Paradise
Already the traditional car trip, on Monday 1st May 2006, was again a great success. From Mala Skala we went with a train to Dolanky and then we walked along Zrcadlova koza and through the valley of Jizera river. We visited the ruins of the castle Zbiroh, the Cave of Czech Brethren on Kalich and three rock lookouts.


The Easter Afternoon
The get-together on Palm Sunday, 9th April 2006, was prepared by the youth of our congregation, as already a tradition is. Vicar Ivo Mares began the afternoon with a biblical reflection; the Strasnice Trio performed the chamber music „Trifles“ by Antonin Dvorak. The Easter play “The Second Day” wrote this year, for the Strasnice youth, Daniel Rehak.


Music concerts in Strasnice
Sunday afternoon concerts, having taken place in the chapel of our congregation in January 2006, became already a tradition. On Sunday 16th January, the Bethel College University choir (Kansas - www.bethelks.edu) was our guest. The concert was a part of their European tour. The second concert, on 22nd January, was purely dedicated to organ music. Dorothea Fleischmann performed the works of J.S.Bach, M.Kabelac and O.Macha. The Chamber Orchestra Harmonia Delectabilis under the leading of Lukas Vendl performed the concert on 29th January. We listened to the works of J.S.Bach, Ch.Geist, F.I.Tuma a J.Rosenmüller. During the concerts short biblical reflections sounded too.