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/Advent Meditations: Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord. A booklet to guide our meditations through the Advent season will be available from the Stewards after the service and from the Vergers during the week for a suggested donation of £3.
Today/Theology Group, 12-1pm, Austen Williams Room. Ingrid Philion will be chairing the discussion with a focus on Jesus’ salvation. All are welcome to join us to reflect theologically on this issue. Future dates: 12 Jan, 9 Feb, 8 Mar, 5 Apr and 3 May.
Today/C-Club Malawi Stall. The annual stall, raising money for St Luke’s hospital, Malawi, selling cakes, chutney, gifts and Christmas cards made by c-club and supporters. This year the money raised will provide hospital fees for children from the poorest families in the local community.
Today/Blessing of the Crib in Trafalgar Square, 5.30pm. Join us for the blessing of our Trafalgar Square Crib and an exciting dramatization of the Christmas Story with music from the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields and a brass quintet, and a live donkey. The collection will go to the BBC Radio 4 St Martin-in-the-Fields Christmas Appeal launched today. Please come and support us.
Today/Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir, 6.30pm: The Night Watchmen’s Nativity sees the birth of Christ through the eyes of the marginalised, using a mix of known and original contemporary gospel songs, secular as well as sacred, interspersed with spoken word and sung scripture. No tickets required but please arrive early to be sure of a seat.
Crèche at St Martin’s. We have ended our agreement with the workers providing crèche provision for the Sunday 10am Parish Eucharist. Thank you for bearing with us and welcoming our youngest congregation members into our Parish Eucharist until we have re-recruited in the New Year.
Next Week/Inspired to Follow Advent Course, 12.00-1.00pm on Sundays 15 & 22 December, Austen Williams Room. We will use fine art paintings from the National Gallery, along with the Biblical characters, theological reflection and conversation with others.
Bread for the World/Advent and Christmas Break. Please note that due to all our Advent and Christmas Services there is no Bread for the World until Wednesday 8 January.
Thank you from the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Group to everyone who took part in the Amnesty Write for Rights campaign on Advent Sunday. Over 100 greetings cards were signed and all postage costs were covered by generous donations.
The Prayer List will be refreshed for the new year. Please let Richard Carter know of anyone you wish to be included (020 7766 1103 or richard.carter@smitf.org).
Mission Action Plan. St Martin’s created its first cross-site Mission Action Plan in 2014, and has reiterated the process in 2016 and 2018. Mission Action Plans are required by the Diocese of London, and are helpful for enabling a church to set itself targets for new activity, budget for them, and make its plans transparent to its congregation and wider community. The process has been very fruitful at St Martin’s. It’s time to create a 2020-22 SMAP. If you have ideas for St Martin’s could develop its existing activities, start up new projects, or become a better organisation, please speak to Sam, the Vicar, or email sam.wells@smitf.org, before December 15.
Carol singers urgently needed on Tuesday 10 December between 5 and 7 pm at Charing Cross Station. Come and sing or collect with the Friends of the Connection, to raise funds to support the work of the Connection. If you could spare one hour, or two, please email friends@cstm.org.uk or call or text Nigel Thorpe on 07899 339897 as we need to know numbers in advance. Thank you.
The Passage is raising funds through the Big Give from 12 noon Tuesday 3 December – 12 noon Tuesday 10 December to support its work Helping Homeless People this winter. Double your Donation, Double your impact. This is a matched giving scheme for online donations. For more information, contact Andrew Hollingsworth (020 7592 1856 / andrew.h@passage.org.uk).
Next week/Thursday 19 December/Archers’ (Turkish) Christmas Dinner at Krevan Sofasi restaurant in Edmonton N97EP. We will gather at Michael Moran’s House at 7.00pm for 7.30pm at the restaurant. Cost of the meal £25. All are welcome. Please contact Michael to book a place or for further information of how to get there (07776271064 / mtj_moran@yahoo.co.uk).
Joint event with our Chinese Congregations. ‘Picturing the Buddha’, Thursday 16 January 2020, 6.30pm, St Martin’s Hall. Illustrated talk (in English) discussing depictions of the Buddha in Chinese Art. Talk by Beth McKillop, Senior research fellow, Victoria & Albert Museum. Register on Eventbrite (https://bit.ly/2pErMZT) or contact Jonathan Evens (020 7766 1127 or jonathan.evens@smitf.org).
St Mary’s Cathedral Johannesburg Visit. A group of young people and adult leaders from St Mary’s Cathedral Johannesburg will visit St Martin’s from 6-22 April 2020 and we need people to help host this group by offering accommodation or evening meals. If you think you may be able to help please talk to or email Revd Jonathan Evens or Jess White.
Save the date/Parish Weekend next year. In 2020 we will once more return to Worth Abbey for our Parish Weekend. Due to availability of Worth Abbey the time has moved to August 14-16. Save the date for a wonderful weekend away at which all at St Martin’s are welcome. More information about the weekend to follow in the new year.
