Dear St Mary’s,

On 7th December, the Second Sunday of Advent, we will celebrate Holy Communion at 9am and again at 10.30am with Revd Tim Scott leading and presiding and Revd Vanessa Conant preaching. We will have children’s groups at 10.30am and a Baby Lounge at both services. 

On the Second Sunday of Advent, we will reflect on the prophets, with lectionary readings from Isaiah 11:1-10 – a passage which paints the picture of a peaceful, future kingdom in which ‘the wolf shall live with the lamb’ and ‘a little child shall lead them’ – and Matthew 3:1-12, which recalls the ministry of John the Baptist who refers to Jesus when he says, ‘I baptise you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’ 

For those who are unable to join us in person this week, we will livestream our 9am service to Facebook. And then in the evening, at 6pm, the St Luke’s Community will meet in church for evening prayer and all are welcome. We hope to see you this Sunday at St Mary’s! 

Thank You for Making Last Week’s Christmas Festival a Success 
Revd Vanessa Conant writes: ‘We are so grateful for the many members of St Mary’s who made last Saturday’s Christmas Festival such a wonderful event. It was a gift and a privilege to welcome so many through the doors of both the church and Welcome Centre and we were so thankful for all of our volunteers, as well as for those who attended the festival. Our thanks as well to the many partners who made the day possible, especially the Walthamstow Toy Library, the Creative Side of London, East London Brass, On That Note Arbor Trust Choir, and the food vendors. We were also able to raise money for the church, while still managing to offer free activities and entertainment for the whole community. Thank you!’ 

Youth Christmas Social on Sunday 7th December, 5pm 
Our young people will meet this Sunday 7th December, 5pm-6.30pm, in the Welcome Centre for a Christmas social featuring Christmas games and festive fun, with Christmas jumpers encouraged! If your child is interested in joining us but hasn’t attended our youth group in the past, email Revd Jacintha Danaswamy for details at . 

Advent and Christmas 2025 at St Mary’s 
Join us for Advent and Christmas 2025 at St Mary’s and in the Parish of Walthamstow. In addition to our four Sunday Advent services (9am and 10.30am), we will have special services throughout December, including two evening carol services, three Christingle services and a 10.30am Christmas Day Family Communion service for the whole community. None of our services this year, including our carol services, will require booking, with the exception of our Quiet Christmas service for neurodiverse children. Please note that our two carol services are extremely well attended, so much so that we are often unable to admit everyone for health and safety reasons, so we would encourage you to arrive early. For details on our Advent and Christmas services, visit stmaryswalthamstow.org/christmas. 

Join St Mary’s Community Christmas Choir 
Join our Community Christmas Choir which will perform at our Carols by Candlelight service on Sunday 21st December at 6pm. There are two main rehearsals for the choir – one at 7pm on 12th December in St Mary’s Welcome Centre, and one at 7pm on 19th December in the church. There will also be an additional rehearsal on the day of the service. Sign up for the choir here or by visiting stmaryswalthamstow.org/ChristmasChoir2025 – and please feel free to invite neighbours and friends to join you in the choir! You can also listen to the choir pieces and learn the parts prepared by Jonathan and Helen Rathbone here. 

More Volunteers Needed for Christingle and Christmas Day Services 
Many thanks to everyone who has signed up to volunteer as we prepare to welcome over 2,000 people to St Mary’s for our special Advent and Christmas services. Whilst we have plenty of volunteers signed up to help at our carol services, we still need 2-3 more volunteers for each of our three Christingle services on Christmas Eve (10.30am, 2pm and 4pm); we also need welcomers on Christmas Day and people who are authorised to serve communion on Christmas Day. If you can help, please email . 

St Luke’s Community to Host ‘Carols on the Market’ on 21st December at Noon 
The St Luke’s Community will sing ‘Carols on the Market’ on Sunday 21st December from Noon-1pm. They will set up at the top of Walthamstow High Street, near the library and the Farmers’ Market, and all are welcome to attend. 

Carols at Whipps Cross on 23rd December at 5pm
We’re pleased to join the Whipps Cross Interfaith Chaplaincy for carol singing to staff and patients who are working or staying in hospital over Christmas. Together with friends from St Peter’s in the Forest, St Barnabas and Holy Trinity Leytonstone, we will try and bring some Christmas cheer to the wards. A group will walk from St Mary’s at 4.30pm or you can meet us at the Whipps Cross Chapel, 1st floor, Junction 5, at 5pm. Please email Revd Vanessa Conant at if you are interested in joining us. 

St Mary’s School Forms
If you have recently joined St Mary’s because you are considering putting in an application for your child to attend St Mary’s School – welcome! We are delighted that you are exploring life at St Mary’s Church and pray you will find a place of belonging in our community. Please note that all school forms and enquiries need to go via our Parish Office (please email our administrator Josie at to arrange signatures). In general, school forms need to be completed in full before they are signed, including your level of church membership; however, you will need clergy agreement in order to select ‘at the heart of the church’ as this reflects a long-standing commitment to our worshipping community. 

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. 

EcoTip: Stop Rosebank, Disrupt the Tax Dodge 
Shell and Equinor are forming a new joint venture, Adura, to take ownership of the controversial Rosebank oil field which the UK Government is expected to make a final decision on soon. Rosebank would add unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions while failing to reduce UK energy bills; to make matters worse, Adura also appears to be exploiting a loophole that would allow Shell to write off its profits against Equinor’s tax losses. 

Investigators from Global Witness have found these Big Oil companies would avoid £1.3 billion in UK taxes which could cover a year’s worth of salaries for 31,976 nurses, free school meals for all 2.2 million eligible pupils, or damages from all UK floods. If developed, researchers at the campaign group Uplift say that Rosebank would also pose a net tax loss of £250 million to the UK. Campaigners are calling on the Chancellor to investigate – you can sign the letter here or search, ‘Disrupt the deal: Shell and Equinor’s £1.3 billion tax grab’. 

Please pray this week for:

• St Gabriel’s Church as it navigates the complexity of its church halls needing urgent repair whilst hosting a nursery and welcoming the community over Advent/Christmas
• All who are unwell or are awaiting test results: for hope, help and healing 
• Christ to be near to those who are worried, anxious or struggling this Advent 
• Christians in the UK and around the world to welcome the stranger and counter the divisive rhetoric around immigrants and asylum-seekers 
• Our church to proclaim peace and joy for all people this season, as God’s love knows no cultural boundaries; instead, God reaches out to all of us, in all of our diversity 
• All in our community and around the world who lack the basics of safe housing, good clothing and enough food – for governments and all people of goodwill to help 
• The work of our Walthamstow Welcomes cafe in assisting those who need help with filling out forms or accessing much-needed support 
• People who are lonely and in danger of being radicalised online, especially young people as they are particularly susceptible to harmful online content 
• Faith and community leaders, including clergy at St Mary’s and in the Parish, as well as our bishops Lynne and Guli, our MP Stella and the leader of our Council, Grace
• All places of violence and turmoil around the world, including Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan: for humanitarian aid to reach all in need and for efforts to broker a just peace 
• The UK government to reject the proposed Rosebank oil development, which would contribute to a dangerously overheating planet while failing to bring down energy bills 
• Community cohesion, praying for efforts in Walthamstow and around the UK to bring people together across difference and to help find solutions to the genuine problems impacting people, such as the high cost of living and housing 

Reflection: ‘Learning to Walk in the Dark’ 
Revd Jacintha Danaswamy, curate at St Mary’s, writes: 

Last week, our St Mary’s Advent Book Group began. We are meeting over four Thursdays during the season of Advent – a time when we can often retreat inwards as the days become darker and colder, encouraging us to stay warm and cosy at home as we prepare for the busyness and excitement of Christmas. But there is something special about venturing out during the darkest time of the year and journeying towards Christmas together. 

One of my favourite images of journeying through Advent comes from the priest and theologian Richard Rohr, who writes, ‘In this (Advent season), God gives us a spirit of questing, a desire for understanding. In some ways it is like learning to “see in the dark”. We can’t be certain of what’s in front of us, but with some time and patience, our eyes adjust.’

Advent is a journey from darkness to light, from the unknown to the familiar. Even in Mary’s confusion upon encountering the angel Gabriel (‘When she saw the angel, she was troubled at his words’, Luke 1:29), there is hope. Indeed, Mary is soon assured by the angel Gabriel that God’s loving presence is always with us (‘The angel said to her, “Mary, do not be afraid. You have found favor with God”, Luke 1:30). As the priest and author Barbara Brown Taylor writes in her book, ‘Learning to Walk in the Dark’, ‘new life starts in the dark. Whether it is a seed in the ground, a baby in the womb, or Jesus in the tomb, it starts in the dark.’

We each come to Advent carrying different and unique stories, and this year, we may find this season particularly challenging or painful – full of uncertainty or anxiety; yet however you find it, I pray that you will know the loving presence of God; that you will experience the gift of gathering in community; and that you will encounter space to be nourished by the stillness as you wait. And as you wait, may your eyes adjust to the darkness and begin to recognise the shape of your story within the grace and light of God. 

With love,

Jacintha