Dear all
We are very much back into the rhythm of church and parish life here at St Mary Abbots. Last Sunday we celebrated the Baptism of Christ and were delighted to baptise James, Penelope, and Adelaide during our parish Eucharist. It was a real joy to welcome them into the life of the Church, and we look forward to being shaped by their presence among us in the years ahead. We now continue our journey through the Epiphany season over the next two weeks, which traditionally concludes with the Feast of Candlemas. Candlemas celebrates Christ being presented in the Temple forty days after His birth. When Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple, Simeon proclaims Him to be “a light for revelation to the nations.” In other words, the light of Christ is for everyone, regardless of nationality, language, or race. Christ is for all. Last week we introduced an opportunity for the congregation to purchase candles that will be used in our worship throughout the year - and thank you to all those who have participated so far. I have recently learned that this custom stretches back centuries, when families would set aside part of their income for wax so that the parish would have candles for services. Instead of wax, you can now sign up on the sheet in the welcome area after the service. You can also choose particular candles, which is a lovely way to see your contribution being used in the life of the church across the year or please contact Leonora HERE for the list. Those who attend our 9.30am Family Eucharist will know that we are blessed to see more families and children joining us, and we have recently added a third children’s group. This is wonderful news. At the same time, we recognise the need to organise ourselves so that children’s experience of worship is as enriching as possible. This Sunday, Martina and the clergy will be discussing how best to use our large building and make the beginning of worship as inclusive as we can, especially for newcomers. We want St Mary Abbots to be as welcoming as possible, helping families and children get the most out of their time at church. Please look out for further announcements and some additional correspondence next week. You may know that we hold three services a day at St Mary Abbots, concluding at 5.30pm with Evening Prayer, usually said in the Resurrection Chapel. We have a faithful group of regulars, along with visitors who happen to be passing and decide to join us. On Wednesday 21st, we will have a special sung service of Evensong, led by a visiting chamber choir from Imperial College. We are very much looking forward to this, and I encourage you to come along if you have never experienced Evensong before. The service normally lasts around 30 minutes. We hope your year has begun well. Please be assured of our prayers - the clergy are always here for pastoral support. God bless, Fr Tim 15th January 2026 |
Social Media
Virtual Donation Plate
If you would like to make a donation during our services, or at any time, we have set up an online virtual collection plate below. Click here for this week's Newsletter
Subscribe to our weekly bulletin
Marketing Permissions:
We will use the information on the form to send you a weekly update of news, details of services, events and appeals, that may be of interest to you. You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at [email protected] and for more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By filling in the form to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy practices here. |
|
The PCC of St Mary Abbots Church
Charity No: 1132235 |
