Today/Crèche at St Martin’s. For the 0-4 age group, with trained childcare leaders, takes place in the Austen Williams Room every Sunday. Please ask a steward to show you where to go. Please note there will be no crèche held on 18 and 25 August.
Today/Children’s C-Club Programme, 11.30am, Dick Sheppard Chapel. Join us to learn some more about today’s readings and colour with your friends.
Today/Prayers for Healing with anointing and laying on of hands are offered by our healing team at the 10.00am service each Sunday morning at the front of the church near the altar.
Today/Animal Blessing Service/3pm, St James’ Church, Piccadilly. The focus of the August Creative Spirit service will be the annual blessing of companion animals and roll call of remembrance in the courtyard (weather permitting). All welcome – two legs, four legs, scales, fins and wings!
This Week/Bread for the World/Wednesday 14 August, 6.30pm. The theme for this week is The God of Small Things. Bread for the World is continuing through the summer at 6.30pm on Wednesday with a soloist but the supper and listening groups will take a break in August, resuming on 11 September.
This Week/Nazareth Community. The Nazareth Community meets again on Saturday 17 August, 7.55am for contemplative prayer; 9.00am Morning Prayer; 9.30am breakfast; 10am Nazareth Sharing.
Assistant Organist James Gough’s last Sunday is 25 August. James has been with us part-time for two years. He has given much to our music and worshipping life together. If you would like to sign a card or leave a contribution towards a present there will be the opportunity to do so in the vergers’ vestry before this date.
Friends of CSTM Musical Performance/Thursday 22 August, 5-7pm, Courtyard. The Friends of the CSTM are organising a fundraising musical performance. All are welcome to attend.
Urgent call for August Bank Holiday weekend. The Queen Eleanor Cycle Ride urgently needs a navigator to accompany Giles Andrews in our second support vehicle from Thursday 22 or early Friday 23 to Monday 26 August. Join us for a fun weekend – church hall floors and all food provided (or you could opt for B and B). Please contact Charles Woodd on 07962 213494 or charleswoodd46@gmail.com as soon as possible. Also, all welcome to meet the arriving cyclists at Westminster Abbey west door around 3 pm on Monday 26 August.
The Asahi Shimbun Displays Collecting histories: Solomon Islands/20 June–1 September 2019, Room 3, British Museum. Admission is free. A display of five objects from the Solomon Islands, which has been created in consultation with Solomon Islanders who live in the UK.
Visiting Choirs. We are grateful to the following choirs for singing Evensong here while our own choirs are on holiday: East London Chamber Choir (Sunday 11 August), Gallery Singers (Sunday 18 August) and York University Solo Voice Ensemble Singers (Sunday 25 August).
Trial Language in Newsletter. Over the summer we are looking at ways to make our newsletter more accessible to visitors who may not be familiar with the workings of our church. We are trying out referring to clergy by titles so as not to assume everyone knows first names. However, please do continue to use our names in person! Sally, the Associate Vicar for Ministry, welcomes any feedback on this or ideas for how we can improve inclusion by the end of August. Thank you.
Summer Pattern of Services. Until the end of August, Mondays at 4.30pm will be a service of Evening Prayer in the DSC. Our Wednesday 1pm Eucharist will be sung by a soloist in August. Sacred Space takes a break in August and resumes on Sunday 1 September at 7pm. There is no Club Wednesday in August.
New Sheppard Scholars. In September, Brandon Fletcher-James and Jessica White will join us as new Sheppard Scholars. We look forward to welcoming them to St Martin’s and pray for them as they prepare to join us.
Autumn Lecture Series 2019: The Quality of Mercy. We are delighted to announce our 11th annual Autumn Lecture Series, The Quality of Mercy beginning with The Quality of Mercy in Preaching on Wednesday 11 September. The series continues with The Quality of Mercy in Social Justice (Monday 30 September), …in Story (Monday 7 October), …in Music (Tuesday 15 October), …in Drama (Sunday 3 November) and …in Poetry (Monday 18 November). All lectures are free and open to all. Evenings will last 7.00-8.30pm, including an audience Q&A. Flyers are now available in the church; to ensure a place please book a ticket at stmartininthefields.eventbrite.com.
Thinking Differently About God: Neurodiversity, Faith & Church/Saturday 12 October – Sunday 13 October 2019. Neurodiversity is the idea that there are natural variations in the way people think and process information. These include autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and Tourette’s – each a particular combination of needs and gifts. We’ll be exploring our understanding of God and sharing experience of discovery, discrimination and discernment. Details at https://www.inclusive-church.org/disability-conference-2019 or speak to Fiona MacMillan or Jonathan Evens or email disability@smitf.org. This is a partnership between St Martin’s and Inclusive Church.
Autumn event/St Augustine Now: A spiritual life in a secular age will be of particular interest to those who joined this year’s Lent Course. What does an ancient bishop from North Africa have to say to 21st century Europeans? On Wednesday 25 September Theos, in Westminster, hosts philosopher and writer James K.A. Smith to discuss St Augustine of Hippo. The event will mark the launch of Smith’s latest book, On the Road with Saint Augustine: A Real-world Spirituality for Restless Hearts (2019).Tickets available at eventbrite.com.
The changing monthly display by the artists’ and craftspeople’s group in the Foyer of the Crypt for August is by Dan Kaszeta. Each month a different member of the group or artists linked to it will show examples of their work, so do look regularly to see the changing display.
