Happy Easter to all the members of our congregation and all who are visiting. Thank you to all those who have taken part in our worship this Lent, Holy Week and Easter, and all who have prepared the church today. Please join us for tea and coffee after the 10.00am service.
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.
Today/Children’s C-Club Programme. C-Club will be celebrating today with an Easter Egg Hunt. After the service, children, make your way down to the Parish Hall, and Francesco will come and bring you back up to the church ready for the Easter Egg Hunt.
This Week/Bread for the World will not be held this week but will return on Wednesday 1 May.
Next Sunday/London Marathon. There will be road closures in place near Trafalgar Square all day. Please check and plan your route before you travel as these may affect your journey into St Martin’s.
Next Sunday/Refreshments after the 10am service will be in the Baptistry, rather than St Martin’s Hall.
Annual Report and Accounts: Copies of the 2019 Annual Report and Accounts are now available in church or from the vergers for a donation of £3, or on our website. Do read it and come along to the APCM on Sunday 28 April. As last year the Review of Activities will be available at our Marketplace event, where we share about all the different activities that take place in the life of St Martin’s. This year’s Marketplace will take place in September.
Next Sunday/PCC and Churchwarden Elections. At the Annual Meeting of Parishioners and Annual Parochial Church Meeting on Sunday 28 April this year there will be elections for churchwardens (who are elected for one year, up to a maximum of six) and PCC members (who are elected for three years, renewable once). There are five vacancies for PCC members. If you are interested in standing as a churchwarden or as a PCC member, please speak to the vicar or the current churchwardens.
Coming Up/Club Wednesday/Wednesday 1 May. Choral Eucharist at 1.00pm followed by lunch at 6, St Martin’s Place.
Coming Up/Confirmation Preparation/Sunday 5 May, 12.15-1.15pm, Benenson Room. Adult confirmation classes continue on 5, 12, 19 and 28 May. The Confirmation service is on Wednesday 29 May at 6.30pm with the Bishop of London.
Coming Up/Pilgrimage from London to Canterbury/24-27 May 2019. The Pilgrimage is a major fundraising event for the Connection at St. Martin’s to support its work, and also a spiritual journey for all. For details and registrations, please contact Eugene Ling on 020 7766 5555, or eugene.ling@cstm.org.uk. The International Group is being represented by a group walking- please do sponsor us at https://pilgrimage2019.everydayhero.com/uk/international-group!
Coming Up/Theology Group/Sunday 19 May, 12-1pm, Austen Williams Room. Theology Group is an opportunity to reflect theologically on issues of the day and questions of forever with Revd Dr Sam Wells. All are welcome. Subsequent date: 16 June.
Coming Up/Christian Aid Week/12-19 May. For more than 70 years, with the help of their amazing supporters, Christian Aid has been helping change the lives of people, of all faiths and none, living in poverty around the world. They tackle the root causes of poverty so that women, men and children the world over are strengthened against future knocks. And if disasters, like storms and hurricanes, happen, they get people the help they want straight away. This year, Christian Aid will be focusing on maternal health projects in Sierra Leone post-Ebola as for every one maternal death during childbirth in the UK, there are 150 in Sierra Leone. Envelopes will be available on Sunday 12 May for a retiring collection. They can also be brought back on Sunday 19 May when there will also be a retiring collection. Please give generously and gift aid your donation on the envelopes provided.
Coming Up/Reading Theology/Wednesday 22 May. The next book for our Reading Theology group will be With the End in Mind written by Kathryn Mannix. It is now in stock at the shop.
Leaves for Healing. The Eastertide section of this two-part exhibition organised by the artists’ and craftspersons’ group at St Martin-in-the-Fields is now available for viewing.
Save the Date: Parish Away Day. This year’s Parish Away Day will be held on Saturday 13 July, for all the parish including C-Club. All are welcome for an inspirational day of reflection and fun to be held at the Focolare Centre in Welwyn Garden City.
Coming up/Revd Paul Lau’s retirement as Associate Vicar for Chinese/Sunday 9 June. The Rt Revd Andrew Chan will be our preacher as we thank Paul for his nineteen years of ministry among us. Please pray for the interviews for Paul’s successor, which take place on 1 May. The Chinese Church Annual Meeting has voted unanimously for the Chinese Church to join with the PCC and become one church from September. We very much look forward to the growing partnership between our congregations.
Meditation Group meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 6.30pm in the DSC. All are welcome.
Great Sacred Music Podcast. A weekly podcast from St Martin-in-the-Fields. Each Monday Revd Dr Sam Wells offers a short reflection, followed by a hymn or choral piece sung by St Martin’s Voices. To listen, visit www.soundcloud.com/greatsacredmusic or subscribe via iTunes podcasts.
Join the Occasional Singers of St Martin’s. Once a month the Occasional Singers lead the music at 10am Parish Eucharist. We are seeking new members. Please email choirs@smitf.org if you would like to know more.
