This Sunday (1st December) is the First Sunday of Advent, and we’ll share Holy Communion at 9am and 10.30am, with Revd Jacintha Danaswamy leading/ presiding and Revd Tim Scott preaching.

As the Church of England writes, ‘Advent marks the beginning of the Church year. It is a time for reflection in darkness, for renewal of hope, and for a movement towards a beginning. The season of Advent, as it first emerged in the Church in the fourth and fifth centuries, lasted, like Lent, for 40 days. Later tradition developed the Advent we know today, of four Sundays before Christmas Day. It is a season of expectation…as the Church prepares to celebrate the coming of Christ. Church decorations are simple and sparse…and natural symbols of darkness and light are powerfully at work throughout Advent and Christmas.’ 

Join us this Sunday as we light the first Advent candle and prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. We will have supervised children’s groups at 10.30am, and our 9am Holy Communion service will be livestreamed to our Facebook page (facebook.com/StMarysE17). There will also be evening prayer hosted by St Luke’s in the church at 6pm.