Dear St Mary’s, 

On the Second Sunday After Easter – 4th May – we will celebrate Holy Communion at 9am and again at 10.30am, with Revd Jacintha Danaswamy leading and presiding and Revd Vanessa Conant preaching. There will be supervised children’s groups at 10.30am, with a Baby Lounge in the South Vestry at both services. 

As we continue in the season of Eastertide – the 50 days which began on Easter Sunday and end at Pentecost – Revd Vanessa Conant will preach on our Acts 9:1-20 reading: the conversion of St Paul. Saul (who becomes Paul) is confronted by the risen Jesus while travelling on the road to Damascus, with Jesus asking, ‘Saul, why do you persecute me?’ Saul, who has ‘raised havoc in Jerusalem’ in his persecution of Christians, is blinded for three days, but after recovering his sight begins preaching that Jesus is the Son of God. 

For those unable to join us in person this Sunday, we’ll livestream our 9am service to our Facebook page (facebook.com/StMarysE17). We hope to see you this Sunday at St Mary’s! 

Revd Tim Scott to be Waltham Forest Area Dean 
We are delighted to announce that Revd Tim Scott has been invited by the Bishop of Chelmsford to be the next Area Dean of Waltham Forest. Tim will remain part of the St Mary’s clergy team – and will even be officially licensed to our parish as an Associate Priest as part of taking on this new role – but will now also support churches across our Deanery. We rejoice at this good news and invite you to pray for Tim as he takes on this new role. 

Update on St Mary’s Electoral Roll 
We are so pleased that 258 people have joined our refreshed Electoral Roll, which is a listing of everyone who considers St Mary’s to be their church home. Being on the Electoral Roll allows people to stand for church leadership and helps us see how we are growing as a church. You can still join the roll, though you will not be officially added until after our Annual Meeting on 11th May. Sign up for our Electoral Roll at stmaryswalthamstow.org/ElectoralRoll. 

Blood Donation at St Mary’s on Friday 2nd May, Ruttle & Rowe to Stay Open 
St Mary’s will host an NHS Blood Donation centre on Friday 2nd May. Our Ruttle & Rowe cafe will remain open during the day, with cafe seating moved to the Exhibition Space, however, the Play Area will be closed. For those who would like to give blood at St Mary’s on the day, our partners tell us the best way to do this is to book in advance through the Give Blood app or via www.blood.co.uk. If there is a slot available at St Mary’s, that will be noted when you book. Please note the booking process is not managed by us but by the NHS. 

Free Children’s Music Event on Saturday 3rd May at St Mary’s 
Our music partners have introduced a free children’s music event called Vestry Junior to be held on the first Saturday of every month. On 3rd May, they will adapt the story of Doctor Dolittle, with the first performance at 11am and the second at 12pm. Each show is about 20 minutes long and is ideal for children ages 2 to 7. While the show is free, donations will be gratefully accepted by the actors/ musicians. Our Ruttle & Rowe cafe will remain open. 

Crochet and Knitting Group to Meet at St Mary’s on Saturday 3rd May
Our drop-in crochet and knitting group will meet this Saturday 3rd May in our church Exhibition Space from 10am-12pm. Beginners are welcome – or just stop in for a coffee and a chat! For details, email Revd Jacintha Danaswamy at . 

Vespers Returns on Wednesday 7th May 
Join us on Wednesday 7th May at 7.30pm for our monthly Vespers gathering, 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 church 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, do come along to Vespers – it would be wonderful to have you. 

New to Faith or Considering Baptism? Register for ‘Discovering Christianity’ 
We’re offering a four-week course starting 8th May and running for four consecutive Thursdays, 7.30pm-9pm, for people who are looking to explore faith or who are considering getting baptised. We will be discussing the new book, ‘Discovering Christianity: A Guide For The Curious’ by Rowan Williams. Sign up for the course here or email Revd Vanessa Conant at . 

Newcomers’ Breakfast on Saturday 10th May in the Welcome Centre 
Are you new (or relatively new) to St Mary’s and looking to get more connected? If so, join us for our Newcomers’ Breakfast in the St Mary’s Welcome Centre (our church hall, located just across the churchyard from the church) on Saturday 10th May, 9.30am-11am. Clergy will be in attendance to share more about St Mary’s and answer your questions. We’ll have free tea, coffee, juice, fruit and pastries, and children are very welcome. RSVP by signing up here or by emailing Revd Vanessa Conant at . 

‘Cuppa with a Copper’ on Saturday 10th May at St Mary’s 
The Hoe Street Safer Neighbourhood Team is holding a ‘Cuppa with a Copper’ event at St Mary’s on Saturday 10th May at 9am. Any member of the public who has a public safety concern or question is encouraged to pop in for an informal discussion. The event will be held in the cafe area. For more information, email . 

Parish of Walthamstow Annual Meeting on Sunday 11th May at St Gabriel’s
Every year, the churches which make up the Parish of Walthamstow gather to give thanks for the year that has passed and for the service of others, to elect and confirm members of our congregation to roles in the church, and to pray for the future (read our Annual Report, which is attached to this email and will also be on our website soon; we’ve also attached the agenda for this year’s Annual Meeting along with the notes from last year’s meeting). This year, we’ll meet on Sunday 11th May at 3pm at St Gabriel’s Church (located near the corner of Wood Street and Havant Road). The Annual Meeting is a great opportunity to connect with others from across the parish and to get a sense of the bigger picture. It is also an opportunity to stand for Parochial Church Council (PCC), which is the Board of Trustees for our church and parish. If you’re interested in joining the PCC, contact a clergy member or email .

‘Rooted in Community’ Gardening Event at St Mary’s on Saturday 17th May 
Don’t miss our ‘Rooted in Community’ gardening event on Saturday 17th May, 11am to 2pm, which will be held in and around St Mary’s Churchyard. The day will include free churchyard tours led by our head gardener Tim Hewitt (11:15am-12:00pm, 12:30pm-13:15pm), with bee expert Tony Madgwick giving free talks throughout the event about the types of bees that can be found in the churchyard. There will also be plant stalls and a number of ticketed events, including a newt-themed art workshop led by our very own Fiona Fouhy, a professional artist. To book, click here, or visit stmaryswalthamstow.org/RootedInCommunity. 

Big Community Quiz Night at St Mary’s on Saturday 17th May 
We’re back with another Big Community Quiz in the church on Saturday 17th May, 7pm-10pm – bring your friends and form a team! Featuring a professional quizmaster and a card-only bar, you’re invited to join us in supporting St Mary’s by purchasing a £10 general admission ticket (£5 for under 16s). Covering a wide variety of topics, this pub-style quiz will have something for everyone with a prize for the winning team. Book your ticket here or visit eventbrite.co.uk and search ‘Big Community Quiz Night St Mary’s Walthamstow’. 

‘Ground Level’ Gardening Event at St Mary’s on 20th May  
Be inspired by some of the UK’s foremost wildlife gardeners at ‘Ground Level’ – a ticketed 20th May event at St Mary’s featuring talks by TV presenters Kate Bradbury and Errol Reuben Fernandes, with everything you need to know to garden better for wildlife. Wherever your plot is – balcony, ground or pot – you can help biodiversity. The 6.30pm talks will be followed by a panel discussion with gardener and writer Susanna Grant and Wild City Studio’s Jon Davis and Steve Williams, all chaired by our head gardener Tim Hewitt with a Q&A to follow. There will also be a paid bar and a chance to tour St Mary’s Churchyard. Tickets are £13.70 and available here or by searching ‘Ground Level’ at eventbrite.co.uk. 

Saturday 7th June ‘Gentle Craftivism’ Morning in St Mary’s Welcome Centre 
Our Eco Church team will host award-winning activist and maker Sarah Corbett in the St Mary’s Welcome Centre on Saturday 7th June. Sarah will give a free talk (recommended £3 donation) from 10am-11am about her ‘Gentle Protest’ methodology which combines neuroscience, positive psychology, campaign strategy and beautiful handicrafts. After her talk, Sarah will lead a two-hour ticketed workshop (£20 per person) from 11.30am-1.30pm inviting participants to practice gentle craftivism under her supervision. To book tickets to either event, click here, or visit stmaryswalthamstow.org/Craftivism. 

EcoTip: Call on Churches to use Land for the Benefit of Climate and Nature 
Did you know that the Church of England is one of the largest landowners in the country, managing not just churchyards but also vast tracts of agricultural land leased to tenant farmers – land which is likely to produce more planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions than all of the CofE’s buildings combined? Other UK denominations also have land which could be better managed and used to address the climate and nature crises. Christian climate charity Operation Noah is sending an open letter to senior UK Church leaders, calling on them to plant trees, increase biodiversity, protect peatland, reduce emissions, increase transparency and more. Read and sign the letter here, or visit operationnoah.org. 

Please pray this week for:

• The legacy of Pope Francis, and for the Catholic Church as it selects a new pope
• The Church of England as it looks to appoint a new Archbishop of Canterbury 
• All who are working and campaigning for a more just and caring society 
• The many places of global conflict, including tensions between India/ Pakistan 
• Essential workers around the world and all who do important work but are poorly paid 
• Those mourning a broken or strained relationship  
• All who are in prison: for healing and restoration 
• All in our parish who are unwell in body, mind or spirit, and for all who care for them
• An increase in green investment and for a faster transition away from fossil fuels 
• Clergy and lay leaders at St Mary’s and across our parish: for strength and wisdom 
• Those who are struggling with addiction in our parish: for help and healing 
• People to come to faith or to have their faith restored during this season of Eastertide 

Reflection: ‘The Answer to our Prayers’ 
Revd Vanessa Conant writes: 

Many years ago, I worked for a church on the outer estates of London. It was a place I loved but it wasn’t without its difficulties; poverty, isolation and addiction played havoc with people’s lives. 

If I ever found myself moaning about a particular issue or a problem that seemed without solution, the priest would always say, with a hint of provocation, ‘Remember, Vanessa: you might be the answer to your prayers.’ I never found that particularly helpful at the time. Often the problems I was complaining about felt overwhelming or systemic and I wasn’t at all convinced that I had any power to do anything about them. 

Over the years, however, I have found myself more receptive to that suggestion. God does not call us to be the Saviour – he has given us Jesus – but he does promise to work in us and through us as we pray. In John 14, Jesus says to his disciples, ‘Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.’ 

I was remembering my priest’s gentle nudging as I read a news article about local elections in the UK. It described a fairly toxic combination of anger and indifference among the electorate and the director of the research group, More in Common, said that there is a ‘despondency or misery about the state of Britain that doesn’t feel sustainable’. 

There is a powerlessness which people feel, an exhaustion and a pessimism which, if we don’t address it, carries great risk. Despair is not a good place from which to make wise decisions and we would do well to think about the potential impact on our nation and communities when so many feel without hope. 

Yesterday, in another part of the world, the Revd William Barber III, led quiet, non-violent prayers in the Capitol Rotunda, calling upon United States lawmakers to stop the cruel and destructive policies of the Trump administration. He – and others – were arrested. 

After his arrest, he said, ‘this Government is fighting hard to pass this budget because they may understand better than many of us how much power we have. That power is unleashed when we stand up and say, “We are not afraid. We will not hate you. We will transform you through the power of love.” That power, which is greater than any threat or fear, is unleashed when we commit to become the answer to our prayers. It is fleshed out when we inform our communities about what is happening, register people to vote, and rally around an agenda that lifts from the bottom so everyone can rise.’ 

‘That is why we chose to pray in the Capitol rotunda yesterday. And that is the prayer we hope to embody with a growing and expanding moral movement in this nation until “justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”’ 

Church, I find, is a great sanctuary from despair and a great place to both be transformed by the power of God’s love and to work out, in community, what it looks like to live that out in the world. Our Easter readings tell us that the risen Jesus breathed on his disciples saying, ‘As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.’ He has clothed us with power and called us to proclaim the good news in word and action. 

May we then counter the temptations and allure of despondency which could so easily engulf us. May we each, in our own way, live out our calling to be courageous, prayerful people, rising in love in response to cruelty and injustice. And may we discover that, with the help of God, we can be the answer to our prayers.