Parish News/Diary/Special Notices

Today at our 10am Eucharist we will be celebrating Chinese New Year with our Chinese congregation and remembering Homelessness Sunday. After the service, our Chinese congregation are hosting refreshments in St Martin’s Hall.

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/Junior Theology, 11.30am, Benenson room. A fortnightly group for older C-Club members where they can bring their questions and explore the Christian faith in an informal way. Today’s session is led by Revd Richard Carter and Francesco Aresco.

This Week/Archers, Thursday 30 January, 7.00pm, Austen Williams Room. We meet for Holy Communion followed by supper and watching the documentary The Choir: Aylesbury Prison for discussion and reflection. Please inform Ruth Hutchinson or Michael Moran, mtj_moran@yahoo.co.uk/07810 261686, if you would like to join us.

This week/Deepening Spirituality HeartEdge Day, Saturday 1 February, 9.30am-3.15pm. Cost £10. Lunch provided. Held at the London Centre for Spiritual Direction, The Church of St Edmund the King, Lombard Street, EC3V 9EA. Register on Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/deepeningspirituality-tickets-84159333833. Speak to Revd Catherine Duce or Revd Jonathan Evens for more details.

Next week/Theology Group will meet on Sunday 2 Feb, 12noon in the Austen Williams Room. Future dates are 21 March (Awayday), 19 April and 3 May.

Next week/JPIC Meeting. The next meeting of the Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation group will take place on Sunday 2 February at 12noon in the Desmond Tutu room. All interested in current issues of Social Justice and how we might respond as a community are welcome. Future dates: 25 February (7pm) and 22 March (12noon).

Exploring Faith course/confirmation course begins on Sunday 9 February for ten weeks. 12.00-1.30pm including an away day on 29 February. This is an opportunity for those wishing to explore the Christian faith for the first time or wishing to be Confirmed this year to explore Christianity within the particular inclusive theology that we share at St Martin’s. Lunch is provided. Please talk to Revd Sally Hitchiner for more details.

Insights from History for a Divided Nation, Monday 17 February, 7.00 – 8.30pm. Diarmaid MacCulloch, author, historian, broadcaster and Emeritus Professor of the History of the Church at the University of Oxford, will be in conversation with Roger Bolton, with a response from Revd Dr Sam Wells. Organised by the Religion Media Centre in partnership with St Martin-in-the-Fields. Book your free ticket at: stmartininthefields.eventbrite.com

Theology Book Group/The next meeting is on Wednesday 19 February at 8pm, after Bread for the World. We shall be reading Francis Spufford, Unapologetic. It’s available from the Shop at St Martin’s.

Lent Course: The Desert in the City. Using Richard Carter’s new book The City is my Monastery: A contemporary rule of life. For more information and to sign up, pick up a leaflet in church or visit: http://bit.ly/2ZcljTm.

Coming up/Club Wednesday, 6 February Choral Eucharist at 1.00pm followed by lunch at 6, St Martin’s Place. A talk will be given by the Marketing and Communications team of St Martin-in-the- Fields with Julie Eming and Sarah Jackson: all you need to know about Pipeline, the website, Facebook and Twitter.

Coming up/Silent Retreat Weekend, 13-15 March, Pleshey Retreat House. Life in the Psalms led by Patrick Woodhouse and Richard Carter. Application forms are available in church or sign-up online: www.bit.ly/3oOaCHs. Places are limited so please book soon to avoid disappointment.

Crèche volunteers Following Diocese advice, we are exploring the possibility of volunteer-led crèche provision. If you would be interested in being part of our team looking after pre-school children during Sunday services, please contact harriet.merz@smitf.org for more information on the application process.

Coming up/Theology Awayday/Saturday 21 March. Led by Revd Dr Sam Wells. The
theme is ‘Improvising the Kingdom’. No theological training necessary. The Awayday will be held at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine, London E14 8DS, at the subsidised price of £25 with lunch and all refreshments included. Flyers will be available in church shortly or sign-up online: www.bit.ly/2tIRuOQ

The changing monthly display by St Martin’s artists’ and craftspeople’s group in the Foyer of the Crypt for January is by Asanka Lekamalage. Each month a different member of the group or artists linked to it will show examples of their work, so do look regularly to see the changing display.

The Breakfast Group is a small group that discusses scripture over breakfast, once every two weeks. We meet on alternate Wednesdays at 7:45 at a nearby cafe. Please contact Dan Kaszeta (dan@kaszeta.org) or Phyllis Santa Maria for details.

St Mary’s Cathedral Johannesburg Visit. A group of 12 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. If you think you may be able to help in any way (providing accommodation or a meal, taking the group out for a meal, or funding a meal) please talk to Jonathan Evens.

Save the date/Parish Weekend. This year 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; more information about the weekend to follow soon.