Thank you! A big thank you to everyone who has helped with our services during Advent and Christmas by singing, playing, reading, stewarding, in preparing the church and in lots of other ways. All your efforts are hugely appreciated. Many thanks and Happy Christmas!
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 (including 24 and 31 December). Please ask a steward to show you where to go.
Today/Join us for refreshments and a chat after the 10am Eucharist in St Martin’s Hall, the Lower Crypt, which can be accessed via the glass pavilion on Church Path.
Today/Children’s Programme. C-Club will be celebrating Christmas in the Dick Sheppard Chapel from 11:30-12noon. C-Club will be taking a break next week, Sunday 31 December.
Today/The Choir of St Martin’s has released a new Christmas CD, filled with choral favourites for Advent and Christmas, to raise funds for the continuing partnership between St Martin’s and St Mary’s Cathedral, Johannesburg. Christmas with the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields is available from members of the choir and in the Shop at St Martin’s.
Christmas Services. There will be no ticketing for capacity Christmas services: Crib Service and Parish Carols. Doors open 45 mins before the services start and as the church is often full we encourage you to arrive in plenty of time to be certain of a seat. We look forward to welcoming all of our visitors.
Christmas Day. Our 10.30am Eucharist will be a joint service with our English and Chinese speaking congregations.
There has been a fantastic response to the 2017 BBC Radio 4 Christmas Appeal with St Martin-in-the-Fields. At the moment, income stands at £1,900,527 and post is still coming in strong! Thank you so much to everyone at St Martin’s, The Connection, the brilliant volunteers and of course so many generous donors. Donations will be shared between The Connection at St Martin’s and the Vicar’s Relief Fund (VRF), supporting people away from the streets. If you would like to make a donation it’s not too late, simply visit: www.smitfc.org/donate
The Meditation Group meets on the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of the month but will be taking a break on Tuesday 26 December and will return in the new year.
Come and Sing: World’s Greatest Christmas Choruses, Saturday 30 December, 10.00am–1.00pm. Join Andrew Earis and members of St Martin’s Voices for a morning workshop on the World’s Greatest Christmas Choruses. Doors open at 10.00am, Short performance at 12.30pm, free for audience members. Tickets £12 available online at www.smitf.org/event/come-sing-worlds-greatest-christmas-choruses/, on the phone 020 7766 1100 or at the Box Office.
Prayers for Healing with not take place this Sunday (24 December) but Prayers for Healing with anointing and laying on of hands, offered by our healing team, will resume on Sunday 31 December following the 10am service.
Gate of the Year, Sunday 31 December, 3.30pm. A special service of readings, music and reflection as we stand at the threshold of the New Year. Led by Revd Dr Sam Wells with St Martin’s Voices.
The changing monthly display by the artists and craftspeoples group in the Foyer of the Crypt for December is by Helen Grey. Each month a different member of the group will show an example of their work, so do look regularly to see the changing display.
iKnow Church: In January we will be moving to a new database for the parish which will also be a great way for us to help with the organisation of the parish amd run our rotas. It will also help us in our move to the new data protection regulations (GDPR) coming in during the year. Whether you use IT or not, the new system will help us to stay in touch with you via your preferred method of communication. Do come along and find out more and bring your smart phone or tablet with you and we can demonstrate the system on your own device. We will be holding sessions in the Hall on 7, 14, 21 January to help you update your details and introduce the system to you. Look out for more details coming in the new year via the Parish Pipeline.
Bread for the World resumes on Wednesday 3 January at 6.30pm. Everyone is welcome at our informal Eucharist, a service with prayer, music, word and reflection, followed by food and fellowship. We will be reflecting on the theme of ‘New Beginnings’.
There will be no Club Wednesday on the 3 January, but it will be back on the 7 February.
Epiphany Carols, Sunday 7 January, 5.00pm. Join us for our evening celebrations featuring readings and music for this wonderful season of light, discovery, miracle and revelation. With reflections by Revd Katherine Hedderly and music by the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields.
Security is an issue in any public space in central London. Please be vigilant and report anything suspicious to a member of staff. St Martin’s takes security seriously and all of our staff are regularly trained in the evacuation of the premises. In church, please do keep your valuables where you can see them. If handbags are placed on the pew bench you do not have them in sight when you stand to sing a hymn!
