Dear St Mary’s, 

It was brilliant to celebrate Advent and Christmas with you as we welcomed thousands of people into our ancient building for special services and activities. Many of you helped set up, clean up, serve mince pies, assemble Christingles, run AV, and more. Some of those who attended services expressed curiosity about faith, interest in our history or a desire to learn more about our church. It was a joy to serve alongside you this Advent and Christmas. 

On Sunday 12th January, Revd Tim Scott will lead and preach as we mark the Baptism of Jesus, with Holy Communion at 9am and Morning Worship at 10.30am – a service which will include two adult baptisms. Having taken a break over Christmas, we will again have children’s groups at 10.30am with a Baby Lounge in the South Vestry at both services. For those unable to join us in person, we’ll livestream the 9am service to our Facebook page.  

And then at 6pm this Sunday, St Luke’s will host evening prayer in the church. 

Revd Vanessa Conant to Return to Work on Sunday 2nd February 
Revd Vanessa Conant, who has been on parental leave for the past year, will resume her role as Team Rector of St Mary’s and the Parish on Sunday 2nd February. Vanessa would like to thank Revd Tim Scott who has been Cover Team Rector since Spring 2024 – a role he has filled brilliantly. Vanessa would also like to thank St Mary’s congregation and the wider parish for their generosity and support over the past year. Vanessa will be responding to emails from 3rd February and can be contacted at . 

New Date: Bible Study on the Book of Judges to Begin 23rd January  
A new Bible study series on the book of Judges, led by Revd Vanessa Conant, will start late this month and will meet in the church. The study will run for four consecutive Thursdays, beginning on Thursday 23rd January at 7.30pm. To reserve your place, please email Revd Jacintha Danaswamy at . 

No Morning Prayer on Fridays 
From this week, there will be no Morning Prayer on Fridays – only Monday to Thursday – for the foreseeable future given St Mary’s more limited clergy availability in the wake of Revd Alan Moss taking on a new role. We say Morning Prayer at 8.30am in the side chapel during the week and also livestream it to facebook.com/StMarysE17. All are welcome to join us. 

St Mary’s Church Closed in the Day from Tuesday 14th January to Friday 17th January 
St Mary’s building – including our Ruttle & Rowe Cafe and Play Area – will be closed during the day on Tuesday 14th January, Wednesday 15th January, Thursday 16th January and Friday 17th January due to a classical album being recorded in the church. Thank you for your patience as we take on this outside hire to help fund our mission and ministry. We look forward to having the building open again during the day from Saturday 18th January. 

Joining the Sunday Morning Refreshments Rota 
Rachel Thompson, who coordinates our refreshments rota, has contacted us to say she needs more volunteers to help set up and serve refreshments at either our 9am or 10.30am Sunday morning services. This is a great opportunity to serve in church, meet new people and be a welcoming presence on a Sunday morning. Could you serve refreshments at one of our services every 4-6 weeks? To learn more, email .

Giving to St Mary’s in 2025 
As St Mary’s continues to operate in a deficit budget in order to keep our ancient building open to all during the week, please pray for our clergy, staff team and PCC as we try and work out the best way forward. Also, as we enter this new year, we would love for you to consider whether you might give monthly by standing order if you don’t already. You can donate via the Parish Giving Scheme (which automatically allows us to reclaim Gift Aid) by going to parishgiving.org.uk and searching ‘St Mary’s Walthamstow’ on the ‘Find Your Parish’ page; you can also set up a standing order at stmaryswalthamstow.org/donate. 

EcoTip: Climate-Friendly Changes for the New Year 
Whether it’s avoiding flying, eating less meat, going car-free, campaigning for policy changes or switching to a bank that refuses to fund fossil fuels, there are plenty of climate-friendly changes you can make in 2025. As the New Year begins, check out these ideas from Christian climate charity Operation Noah here, or by visiting www.operationnoah.org. 

Please pray this week for:

• People fleeing from wildfires in Los Angeles and all those impacted by global heating
• St Mary’s congregation, staff, leadership and clergy during a time of change/transition 
• Revd Vanessa Conant’s return and for Revd Tim Scott as he discerns future ministry 
• Children, young people, teachers, parents and school staff as a new term begins 
• Those who are mourning the loss of a loved one or mourning a broken relationship 
• A more equal society in which no child is in poverty and no one is without a home 
• All who work in the NHS – that they would be supported and encouraged at this time
• All who unwell in body, mind or spirit – for hope and healing 
• People living in war zones around the world: for safety, aid, and an end to violence
• Unlikely people to seek and find Christ in this season of Epiphany 
• The Church to live out the counter-cultural way of Jesus 

Next Week in the Welcome Centre (13th-18th January) 

Monday 13th January
Waltham Forest Community Choir, 7.30pm 

Tuesday 14th January  
Tai Chi, 7.30pm 

Wednesday 15th January   
Ninja School, 4-7pm 

Thursday 16th January  
Baby Massage, 10.30am
FoodCycle (free community meal), 6.30pm 
The Singing Room, 7.30pm 

Friday 17th January   
Sing and Sign, 11am 
Ninja School, 4-7pm 

Saturday 18th January 
Walthamstow Welcomes Cafe (free help with confusing paperwork), 10am-Noon

New Hire in St Mary’s Welcome Centre: Ninja School  
‘Ninja School’ is a martial arts program designed to teach children discipline, agility, and confidence through fun and engaging ninja-inspired training. Classes started in the Welcome Centre on Wednesday 8th January and will meet on Monday and Wednesday afternoons/ evenings, beginning at 4pm. For details or to register, visit: ninjaschool.org.uk. 

Reflection: ‘Safely into the Unknown’ 
Revd Tim Scott writes: 

The Gate of the Year (God Knows)

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown’.

And he replied:

‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way’.

So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.

And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

–Minnie Louise Haskins (1875–1957)

This well known poem is often quoted at the beginning of a New Year, maybe with excitement, maybe with anxiety or uncertainty, maybe with fear, maybe with hope.

Whatever feelings you have, I hope that these words may be of some comfort.

We move forward into this New Year having celebrated Christmas and welcomed a large number of people to a variety of services and events. Well done to all who put so much work into this; through that welcome and the services, we proclaimed again the message that God is with us, Emmanuel. We also just celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany, which speaks of light, worship and hope as well as the good news of the gospel being for all people. 

In the midst of this busy season in the Church calendar, we also said thank you and farewell to Revd Alan Moss as he prepared to take up his new role as Estates Youth Missional Lead for the Diocese of Chelmsford. He will be a blessing (as he was to us) to many within the Diocese and beyond – please pray for him in this first week of his new role. 

This coming Sunday, we will celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of Christ, and it’s a joy to be baptising two adults from St Mary’s at this week’s 10.30am service. This Sunday we are reminded of the way in which the Spirit of God came down like a dove on Jesus at his baptism. On many occasions in the gospel stories, we read about the work of God’s Spirit, and as we move into the New Year, may we keep our hearts open so that we can recognise more clearly God’s Spirit at work in the world and within us. 

For me, it has been an amazing privilege and joy to hold the role of Cover Team Rector during this past year whilst Vanessa has been on parental leave. The good news is that on the 2nd February, the Feast of Candlemas, Vanessa will be returning to work and to the role of Team Rector. She and I will be working closely over the coming weeks to ensure a smooth handover. Whilst I’m not yet clear what I shall be doing after that, I very much hope to continue to be involved in some aspects of ministry at St Mary’s and in the wider parish. I shall also enjoy having a bit of time to reflect on the many amazing ways in which I have seen God at work within the church and wider community during the past year.

Please hold those preparing for baptism and for confirmation in your prayers. Please also hold Vanessa, Cameron and their family in your prayers as Vanessa prepares to take up again the role of Team Rector. And thank you for your love, support and prayers for Linda and I during the past year. Please be assured of our continuing prayers as we all put our hands, hope and trust into the embracing hands of God as we move forward into this year. 

With my love and prayers,

Tim