Dear St Mary’s, 

It was wonderful to worship with you last Sunday as we shared Holy Communion at both services. This Sunday, 22nd September, Revd Tim Scott will preside at our 9am Holy Communion service with Revd Alan Moss preaching, while at 10.30am, Revd Jacintha Danaswamy will lead our monthly intergenerational service which will also include a baptism. 

At 10.30am, Jacintha will also give a brief talk as part of the shorter all-age service, held every fourth Sunday of the month at 10.30am. For those unable to join us in person on Sunday, we’ll live-stream the 9am service to Facebook (facebook.com/StMarysE17). 

We hope to see you this Sunday at St Mary’s! 

Newcomers’ Breakfast This Saturday 21st September at 10am 
Join us for a Newcomers’ Breakfast on Saturday 21st September, 10am-11.30am, in the St Mary’s Welcome Centre. Whether you’ve only recently discovered St Mary’s or have been coming for some time now, we’d love to get to know you better as well as share more about the life of St Mary’s and ways to be involved. We’ll have free tea, coffee and pastries, and a member of our clergy team will be there to greet you alongside some of our lay leaders. There’s no need to book, but if you are planning to attend, you can help us with catering by letting us know that you’re coming; please email . 

St Mary’s Ministry Opportunities: Prayers, AV Rota, Refreshments and More 
If you’ve been thinking about getting more involved in church, we have plenty of ways to serve, from joining our Prayers and Intercessions rota to being on our Welcome or AV Teams, serving teas and coffees after Sunday services, joining our Children’s Ministry team, reading from the Bible on Sundays, and more. Joining a team is a great way to meet people at St Mary’s, to feel more connected and to be a vital part of making church and ministry happen. To learn more or to sign up to serve, email Josie at . 

Eco-Themed Book Group Begins Thursday 26th September at 7.30pm 
Mike Forbes will lead a six-week discussion on the book Like There’s No Tomorrow by Revd Frances Ward, a Church of England priest, on Thursday evenings from 26th September to 31st October, 7.30-8.45 pm in St Mary’s Church. Frances Ward shows how Christians can live and act with hope and faith in God in the face of environmental anxiety. Interested? Please email for more details and to book a place. 

Bring and Share Lunch at St Mary’s on Sunday 29th September 
On Sunday 29th September after the 10.30am service – at which Revd Jacintha Danaswamy will preside at Holy Communion for the first time – we’ll share lunch together in the church in celebration of Jacintha’s priesting. Please bring your favourite dish to share! 

Archdeacon’s Welcome Service at St Mary’s on Sunday 24th November at 4pm  
The Ven Elwin Cockett – our longtime Archdeacon – will retire at the end of this month as Archdeacon of West Ham, and our new Archdeacon, the Ven Mike Power, who is currently Archdeacon of Southend in Essex, will take up the role in November. Mike will be welcomed to the archdeaconry in a special service at St Mary’s on Sunday 24th November at 4pm. 

St Mary’s School Forms Needed by 1st December
All St Mary’s Primary School forms requiring a clergy signature must be handed in by 1st December 2024. If you have a school form, please let our administrator Josie Wilson know by 1st December by emailing her at . You can also bring your school form to the Parish Office in the church during Josie’s working hours, which are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9.30am-2.30pm. To simplify the process, we ask that forms only be given to Josie, either during her work hours or at another pre-arranged time. 

EcoTip: Attend Operation Noah’s 20th Anniversary Service Featuring Rowan Williams
On Monday 18th November, Christian climate charity Operation Noah will hold a 20th Anniversary Service featuring an address from former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams as it celebrates two decades of inspiring the Church to take action on the climate crisis. The 6.30pm service will be held at St John’s Waterloo – a short walk from London Waterloo Station – and tickets are free. The service will not only look back at all that has been achieved, but also look ahead at the environmental challenges we face and what we can do. Reserve your free ticket here or go to www.operationnoah.org/anniversary. 

Please pray this week for:

• The PCC (Parish Trustees) meeting on 23rd September 
• Those who are struggling with their health, for their healing and wellbeing 
• Those who are experiencing anxiety – for peace that passes all understanding 
• Children and young people, and for all schools, teachers and school staff 
• Elected officials, that they would work in the best interest of people and communities
• That more people would experience the love of Christ 
• All police, and for all who work in emergency services 
• Communities that feel marginalised, excluded or targeted in any way 
• St Mary’s congregation to grow in faith, numbers, love and service 
• Peacemaking efforts around the world and for the safety of people in conflict zones
• Those at the sharp edge of the climate crisis, especially in places least able to adapt 
• A lessening of tensions in the Middle East in the wake of increased violence 
• For Jacintha, as she goes on retreat and prepares for her priesting 

Next week in the Welcome Centre (23-28 September) 

Monday 23rd September 
Daphne & Friends (baby and child loss community), 10-11am 
Waltham Forest Community Choir, 7.30-9.30pm 

Tuesday 24th September 
Tai Chi, 7-9pm 

Wednesday 25th September 
HulaFit, 6.30-7.30pm 

Thursday 26th September 
Baby Massage, 10.45am-12.45pm 
FoodCycle (free community meal), 6.30pm 
The Singing Room, 7.30-9.30pm 

Friday 27th September 
Sing and Sign, 11am-12.15pm 

Saturday 28th September 
Walthamstow Welcomes Cafe (help with confusing paperwork), 10am-Noon

Reflection: ‘Important but not Urgent’  
Revd Tim Scott writes: 
In September there is often a sense of a new season. We were fortunate to get some holiday in August and, on our return, I found both a sense of excitement but also a realisation that things were going to get pretty busy between now and Christmas! 

I’m sure that is the experience of a number of people.

One of the first things that I did was to book a day and a half retreat at the Royal Foundation of St Katharine in East London – easily accessible from here – meaning that I had put in my diary something I felt was important in the coming months of busyness.

In dealing with busy times, some people have found the ‘Covey Quadrangle’ helpful. Devised by Stephen Covey, it divides things into four categories: Important and urgent, urgent but not important, important but not urgent, and not important and not urgent.

I have found this a helpful way of trying to manage time, and often it’s a helpful wake up call when I find myself spending too much time on the ‘not urgent and not important’ things – or when I treat as important things which in reality are relatively trivial. 

It can be the simplest things; for example, I spent ages the other day unsuccessfully trying to get a Sainsbury’s ‘Nectar card’ to make a small savings on something which I really didn’t need in the first place! Or it can be a question of getting things out of proportion and so certain things loom large when they are not really that important. 

As I reflect on Jesus’ ministry, he had many calls on his time but one of the features seems to be that he was able to discern when he needed to respond to something that was urgent and when it was not necessary to respond immediately. In addition, it seems at the busiest of times he was able to make sure he spent time with God and with those closest to him. 

On 28th September, Jacintha, together with two other deacons from this Deanery and with 15 others from across the Diocese, will be ordained priest. The ordinations take place in four different places across the Diocese. Prior to that they will be going on retreat. Please pray for them – that they, in the business of all their preparations, may have the time to be with God and each other, to relax, and to realise the joy and privilege of God’s calling. 

As we pray for and with them, in this busy time of September, maybe we will find the ‘Covey Quadrangle’ a helpful way of looking at the balance we have in our lives and as a result possibly spend more time on the things which are ‘important but not urgent’  those things that often bring flourishing and well-being and in the long run ease pressure!

With my love and prayers in this new and busy season!

Tim