Today/No Crèche. Please note there will be no crèche today or on 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.

This Week/Bread for the World/Wednesday 21 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/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.

Next Week/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.

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.

Visiting Choirs. We are grateful to Gallery Singers (today) and York University Solo Voice Ensemble Singers (Sunday 25 August). the following choirs for singing Evensong here while our own choirs are on holiday.

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.

Francesco Aresco. We are delighted that Francesco has been accepted for training for ordination to the priesthood by the Diocese of London. From September he will be studying at St Mellitus College. During his first year he will be continuing to do his placement at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Please hold him in your prayers for his studies and his practical ministry as a training ordinand with us.

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.

Club Wednesday/Wednesday 4 September. Beginning with Holy Communion at 1pm, then lunch in 6 St Martin’s Place. Our speaker will be Steve Adams, who for many years was a headmaster – his subject is ‘my life in teaching’. All are welcome.

Meditation Group meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 6.30pm in the Dick Sheppard Chapel. All are welcome.

Marriage – On Sunday 1 September at the 10am service, the Vicar will be preaching about whether same-sex marriage changes the nature of marriage, reflecting on Hebrews 13, the New Testament reading for the day. On the same day at noon the Associate Vicar for Ministry will chair Theology Group on the same subject. Further Theology Groups: 29 Sept, 27 Oct, 17 Nov, 8 Dec.

Autumn Lecture Series 2019: The Quality of Mercy in Preaching/Wednesday 11 September, 7pm. For that one week only will replace the Bread for the World Eucharist. Three well known and gifted preachers will each choose their own text to preach, from different perspectives, on the meaning of mercy. There will then be the chance for questions to the different speakers from you the audience. Our three preachers will be Brian D. McLaren; Anna Carter Florence and Pádraig Ó Tuama and the evening will be chaired by Revd Dr Sam Wells. To ensure a place please book a ticket at stmartininthefields.eventbrite.com.

London Open House/Saturday 21 September. This is an opportunity for volunteers to welcome visitors to St Martin’s and share stories about our life here in a relaxed setting. If you would enjoy this and can commit to 2 hours between 9.30am and 3pm please get in touch. It is hosted by the Friends but you do not have to be a member to take part. Please contact Susanne Wood, in church on Sunday, in writing via the vergers or at friends@smitf.org

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.