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

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 is Assistant Organist James Gough’s last Sunday. James has been with us for two years. He has given much to our music and worshipping life together. We thank him for all he has done for us and wish him well for the future.

Music during the summer. This morning’s service is sung by a soloist. At the beginning of September, Sunday services will be sung by a quartet of St Martin’s Voices before the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields returns in mid-September.

Today/Visiting Choir. We are grateful to York University Solo Voice Ensemble Singers for singing Evensong here while our own choirs are on holiday.

This Week/Queen Eleanor Cycle Ride. All welcome to meet the arriving cyclists at Westminster Abbey west door around 3pm on Monday 26 August.

This Week/Bread for the World/Wednesday 28 August, 6.30pm. The theme for this week is reactive or responsive prayer. Bread for the World is continuing through the summer on Wednesday with a soloist but the supper and listening groups will take a break, resuming on 11 September.

Next Sunday/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.

Next Sunday/Congregational Visit to the Archives in association with the SMITF Trust/12.00 noon. We will meet at coffee in the Hall and walk over to No 5 St Martin’s Place together. You will be welcome to see and hear how these parts of St Martin’s refer to aspects of its history.

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. 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.

The new Church Services and Events Brochure for the autumn to Christmas period is now available from the Portico.

Disability Advisory Group/Sunday 8 September, 12-2pm, Austen Williams Room. This termly open meeting gathers people with insight or experience of physical, sensory, cognitive or mental health issues or neurodiversity to help shape our vision and work. We’ll be celebrating our 5th birthday with a very particular party. If you’d like to know more, please speak to Fiona MacMillan or Jonathan Evens, or email disability@smitf.org

Autumn Lecture Series 2019: The Quality of Mercy in Preaching/Wednesday 11 September, 7pm. For that one week only, this 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.

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.

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.