Dear all
We are, largely, back into the swing of things at St Mary Abbots. With the routine of weekly assemblies, Thursday School Eucharists and catching up with parents and young people being an important weekly focus. We have had the pleasure of meeting the new interim head of the school, who has been very engaged and friendly; we’re looking forward to getting to know her better over the next term. Please keep the whole school in your prayers as they begin the spring term, which can be difficult in the gloomy weather we’ve been having! Our final Grow Course takes place this week. If you haven’t heard about our participation, the course is designed to help us focus on Church growth of welcome, discipleship and mission, as set out in our Mission Action Plan. We have also consulted with the congregation on these matters, and it’s been encouraging to hear their enthusiasm and insight. We look forward to sharing more about how we can keep the focus on growing as a community this year. Next week is Christian Unity Prayer Week, and St Mary Abbots will be hosting an Ecumenical Service for all churches in our area at 7pm on Wednesday 22nd January. This will be an Evensong Service, with contributions from our local church friends. Need a reason to come? Unity is important for Christians because it is called for by Christ. It was not peripheral but central in Christ’s prayer for us. We are unified with other Churches through the same spirit and in Baptism – as Paul writes in Ephesians ‘there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism’. Last year’s event was great, so I would encourage you to come along. Looking further ahead we are planning our Lent Course entitled: ‘Who is my neighbour’. We will focusing on how we understand Christian ideas on this theme, and how we can build flourishing relationships in our local community. It will either be on Wednesday nights or late Sunday afternoons - more details will follow shortly. For parents and for young people who are 11+. Our next YMIC event is happening on Sunday 9th February. It’s called Hope and Anchor because it will be taking place on a boat, traveling up the Thames with lots of fun activities, food and worship. If you want to sign up, please email Martina our children’s worker. Places are limited and the last few events have sold out, so be quick! Lastly this Sunday, the second Sunday of Epiphany, there will be a final chance to sign up for donate a Candle for Candlemas. The candles will be presented and blessed during both the 9.30 and 11.15 services and can be purchased in your name or the name of a loved one – or anonymously. A sign-up sheet of candles we still need to purchase will be available in church or please emails Leonora. Thank you to all those who have already donated. God Bless you, Father Tim 16th January 2025 |
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 |
