Dear St Mary’s, 

We will mark All Saints’ Sunday on 2nd November as we celebrate Holy Communion at 9am and again at 10.30am, with several baptisms at our 10.30am service. Revd Jacintha Danawamy will preside and lead, and Revd Ola Franklin preach.  

We will have supervised children’s groups at our 10.30am service this Sunday with a Baby Lounge in the South Vestry at both services. Our lectionary readings this week are Ephesians 1:11-end – a theologically rich text from St Paul – and Luke 6:20-31, which contains a list of blessings (‘beatitudes’) from Jesus followed by a corresponding list of woes.

On All Saints’ Sunday, we reflect on the reality that – as the Church of England writes – ‘no Christian is solitary. Through baptism we become members one of another in Christ, members of a company of saints whose mutual belonging transcends death’. All Saints’ Day thus celebrates this mutual belonging, and remembers and takes courage from the men and women ‘in whose lives the Church has seen the grace of God powerfully at work’. 

For those who are unable to join us in person this week, we will livestream the 9am service to Facebook. In the evening, the St Luke’s Community will say evening prayer at 6pm, while our Eco Church team will meet at 7pm. We hope to see you this Sunday at St Mary’s! 

St Mary’s and the Parish of Walthamstow Seek Schools’ Worker 
St Mary’s and the Parish of Walthamstow are looking to appoint a Schools’ Worker on a one-year fixed contract – with the possibility of discussing a part-time contract, paid over two years, if preferable – in order to build on existing relationships and to develop outreach and connection with schools and youth networks in our Parish. Applications are due at 12pm on 11th November. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please let them know about this opportunity. For more information, visit stmaryswalthamstow.org/schoolsworker. 

St Mary’s and the Parish of Walthamstow Seek Operations and Maintenance Assistant 
St Mary’s and the Parish of Walthamstow are seeking a reliable part-time Operations and Maintenance Assistant to help keep our two churches and community halls safe, compliant and welcoming for worship, ministry, and community use. This role will work weekday mornings, carrying out daily checks, assisting with compliance logs, undertaking minor repairs, supporting contractors, and ensuring that our facilities are ready for hires and Parish events. If you know of anyone who might be interested in this crucial role which will work closely with our Operations Manager Dan Copperwheat, please let them know about this opportunity. Applications are due by 12pm on Thursday 13th November. For more information, visit stmaryswalthamstow.org/operationsassistant.  

Announcement About Sunday Children’s Groups 
We are delighted that our Sunday children’s groups are growing and are so pleased to welcome all who have joined us recently. If you have not yet registered your child using our online form, please complete a form here (you can also find a link to the registration form by visiting stmaryswalthamstow.org/childrenandyouth). Our growing numbers mean that we must ask that only one parent or carer stays with a child during Sunday morning groups in order to ensure that there is space for activities. If your child is over 3, we also encourage you to feel comfortable leaving your child with our DBS-checked team of volunteers and leaders and to return to the service. If you have any questions, please email Revd Vanessa Conant at or Revd Jacintha Danaswamy at .  

Eco Church Meeting on Sunday 2nd November at 7pm at St Mary’s 
Our Eco Church team will hold a meeting this Sunday, 2nd November, at 7pm in church, where they will discuss future plans. All are welcome, including those who had expressed interest in joining the Eco Church team at our recent Climate Sunday service. 

Vespers Returns on 5th November 
Join us on Wednesday 5th November at 7.30pm for our monthly Vespers gathering – 40 minutes of stillness with Holy Communion celebrated afterwards in the side chapel. Vespers is held on the first Wednesday of every month – a beautiful candlelit space in our ancient building where many have gathered over eight years to practise contemplative prayer, explore faith or simply sit in silence. Whether you’re looking to deepen your prayer life or just need a quiet place to sit, please come along to Vespers – it would be wonderful to have you.

7th November Funeral for Sue Peacham at St Mary’s 
A service to remember and celebrate Sue Peacham – a beloved member of St Mary’s who died last month – will be held on Friday 7th November at 11:30am at St Mary’s. Following the service, there will be a private committal service for immediate family at City of London Crematorium; everyone else is invited to stay and share memories of Sue at an Afternoon Tea which will be served immediately after the service. Instead of flowers, the family is asking for donations to one of Sue’s memorial charities (suepeacham.muchloved.com). If you can make scones/cake for Afternoon Tea, click here, or speak to Revd Vanessa Conant. 

Admission to Communion Preparation on 9th November, Service on 30th November 
Communion preparation for children over the age of 8 who are already baptised will be on Sunday 9th November after the 10.30am service, with lunch provided. Admission to Communion will take place on the First Sunday of Advent, 30th November. To reserve a place for the Communion preparation session, or for more details, please contact Revd Vanessa Conant at . If your child is keen to receive Holy Communion but has not yet been baptised, please also contact Vanessa. 

St Mary’s Advent Book Group: ‘Listening to the Music of the Soul’ 
Our 2025 Advent Book Group will discuss ‘Listening to the Music of the Soul’ by Rt Revd Guli Francis-Dehqani, the Bishop of Chelmsford. We will be reading and discussing Bishop Guli’s new book over four Thursdays, beginning on 27th November, 7.30pm. If you would like to join us, please sign up here or email Revd Jacintha Danaswamy at . 

Giving Monthly to St Mary’s 
Your financial support is crucial as we work to keep St Mary’s ancient building open to the whole community throughout the week, to support Walthamstow and to share the love of Christ with all. Your donations make this possible as we receive no direct, ongoing support for the day-to-day running of St Mary’s from the Church of England or from the government. Monthly giving is particularly transformative as it allows us to plan, budget, and even expand our work in the community. If you would like to become a monthly giver, we would encourage you to sign up via the Parish Giving Scheme which you can find here or by going to stmaryswalthamstow.org/donate and clicking on the Parish Giving Scheme link. 

Safeguarding 
St Mary’s takes safeguarding seriously and works hard to ensure that our church is a safe place for everyone. If you see anything that concerns you at St Mary’s, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Safeguarding Officer Emma Clements at . You can also contact the Diocese of Chelmsford at or Waltham Forest Council at 020 8496 2310. 

Please pray this week for:

• All who are being baptised on Sunday, as well as for their parents and godparents 
• All saints – both the living and the dead – who show us how to live 
• All who mourn: for comfort, healing and a peace that passes all understanding 
• All exploring faith at St Mary’s, that they would experience the love of Christ 
• All peaceful movements opposing racism, extremism and totalitarianism 
• All who have felt marginalised from church, that they might hear the invitation of God  
• All who live with chronic pain or fatigue 
• All impacted by war, violence or the prospect of war/ violence, praying specifically for Ukraine, Gaza/ Israel, Sudan and those impacted by violence in Walthamstow
• All interfaith and ecumenical movements, including efforts to improve relations between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church 
• All who are unwell or are struggling to make ends meet: for help and hope 
• All who long for a safe home, including refugees and asylum seekers 
• All who are working for a better world, including environmental campaigners 

Reflection: ‘Allhallowtide’ 
Revd Andrew Stewart, vicar of St Gabriel’s Church, writes:  

Someone has said, ‘Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly.’

There’s a real danger in being a perfectionist. We can so easily spend far too much time and energy trying to make every single thing just right. Of course, there are a few things that really do need our best – but not everything belongs in that category.

Hebrews 12:2 reminds us to instead, ‘fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.’ Jesus alone brings our story to completion. He is the one who perfects – and not only us, but the whole of creation. 

We are not the project managers of the universe – Jesus is. He holds all things together and will bring all things to perfection in his time. Knowing that he governs the story allows us to be realistic about what we can do, and at peace about what we can’t.

I find that a freeing truth as we come to Allhallowtide – the three-day season of All Hallows’ Eve (or Halloween, 31st October), All Hallows’ (or All Saints’ Day, 1st November – which St Mary’s will actually mark on Sunday 2nd November), and All Souls’ Day (2nd November).

In simple terms, these three days remind us of the great safety, hope, and completeness that are ours in Christ. The season encourages us to rest our perfectionist hearts – to remember that our destiny is not self-made excellence, but God’s gift of perfection in Christ.

Halloween, arriving at the end of harvest, recalls how the gathered grain is kept safe in the barn – a picture of how our souls are held secure in Christ. It is a day for the saints on earth, reminding us that we are safe in Jesus because his victory over darkness is already won. Some of the garish and grotesque images of Halloween depict the darkness having its noisy day before the light dawns and it’s all over.

All Saints’ Day then lifts our gaze heavenward, showing us that those who have died in Christ are not only safe but more alive than ever. Jesus is the God of the living (Luke 20:37,38). The departed saints’ story is not over.

All Souls’ Day brings that vision closer to home. For Anglicans, it is the feast of the faithful departed – not only the famous and canonised, but those ordinary saints we have known and loved, members of our families and communities now resting in Christ. 

The great saints of the Church are not there to discourage us, but to spur us on – not to achieve our own perfection, but to long for Christ to bring all things to completion. That doesn’t mean we give up on doing things well. Far from it. It means we work with purpose and joy, trusting that Jesus perfects what we begin. And as we do, Allhallowtide widens our vision. In Christ, those who have died are not idle or forgotten; they are entrusted with great tasks in his kingdom, awaiting the culmination of the ages. The same Jesus who governs galaxies allows his saints – on earth and in heaven – to share in his purposes. 

Together, we take part in the unfolding of his dream for creation.

As we enter this season, may we not chase our own perfection but long for his. The restless heart that strives for excellence will only, in the end, find peace in the one who makes all things new. ‘Blessed are those whose hearts are set on purity,’ said Jesus, ‘for they shall see God.’ And when we see him – the perfection of love – our striving will find its rest.