Dear St Mary’s, 

On Sunday 11th October, we will share Holy Communion at 9am followed by a service of Morning Worship at 10.30am, with supervised children’s groups in the Welcome Centre at 10.30am. Revd Tim Scott will lead and Revd Vanessa Conant will preach. 

This Sunday is the first in a series of four sermons reflecting on resilient spirituality and helpful Christian practices in a time of ecological, geopolitical and technological change. 

This Sunday’s readings are Isaiah 63: 7-19 – ‘Why, Lord, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you? (verse 17) – and Luke 19:41-44, a passage in which Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, saying, ‘If you…had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes’ (verse 42).

Later on Sunday, at 5pm, St Mary’s will host a ‘Wave of Light’ service: a gentle and reflective space for those who have experienced miscarriage and baby loss, as well as for those who are supporting family members or friends going through miscarriage and baby loss. 

Blood Donation on 12th October: Cafe Seating in Exhibition Space, Play Area Closed 
The NHS will be using the church on Monday 12th October for blood donation – on that day, our cafe will remain open but seating will be moved to the Exhibition Space with cafe service through the outdoor hatch. Please note that our Play Area will be closed throughout the day. 

Slowing Down Wood Street Campaign: Meeting on 12th October at St Gabriel’s 
As part of our commitment to listening to each other and to our wider community, we are organising around a safer Wood Street and will meet again on Monday 12th October, 7.30pm-9pm, at St Gabriel’s Church, located near the corner of Havant Road and Wood Street. Join us as we work out next steps for our campaign, which aims to create a safer environment for children, families and all who walk, cycle or travel along Wood Street. 

‘Ground Level’ Workshop on Friday 16th October 
On Friday 16th October, 10am-3.30pm, explore trees, soil and water as part of a workshop held in St Mary’s Churchyard. This ‘Ground Level’ workshop will teach you how to create resilient, nature-friendly gardens and will be led by our Head Gardener Tim Hewitt and three other experts. Tea, snacks and lunch are included in the price of your ticket for this practical, day-long workshop. To book, click here, or visit eventbrite.co.uk and search ‘ground level’. 

Two New Home Groups at St Mary’s: Walthamstow Village and St James Street Area 
We are delighted to have two new home groups at St Mary’s and would love to invite you to think about joining one. In addition to our Sunday Services, weekday services of Morning Prayer and monthly Vespers gatherings, home groups are a great way to build community and to deepen your faith alongside others. On fortnightly Tuesdays, 8-9.30pm, join Caitlin and Jon as they explore different approaches to prayer at their home in Walthamstow Village. For details, email or WhatsApp her on 07805466385. 

If you live in the Markhouse/St James Street area, join Louise on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, 7-9.30pm, with the next meeting on 14th October. This home group is a relaxed space where members eat a simple meal together, watch ‘The Chosen’ (a TV series retelling the life of Jesus and his disciples) and pray for each other. For more details on this group, email Vanessa at . 

Family ‘Bring-and-Share’ Lunch + Singing on Sunday 8th November
On Sunday 8th November after our 10.30am Service, we will have a family and children’s ‘bring-and-share’ lunch. Pack up your Sunday lunch or grab your favourite sandwiches as we eat together in the church at noon. And after lunch, our worship band will lead us in some intergenerational action songs! It will be a lovely time of friendship, food and worship. For details, email or .

Save the Date: Christmas Festival on Saturday 28th November
Don’t miss St Mary’s Christmas Festival on Saturday 28th November, 10am-5pm. As part of the festival, there will be a makers’ market run by Creative Side of London, a Santa’s Grotto/ Children’s Zone in the Welcome Centre run by the Walthamstow Toy Library, and several areas run by St Mary’s, including a children’s craft area in the church as well as several tables raising funds for the church. In the weeks ahead, we will share specific ways that you can help in advance of the festival as well as opportunities for you to volunteer on the day. 

Notice About School Forms: 1st December Deadline and Attendance Requirements
If you have recently started attending services at St Mary’s with the intention of putting in a school form to St Mary’s CofE Primary – our church school – welcome! Please be aware that school forms must be handed into our Parish Office by 1st December 2026 if at all possible. 

School forms should not be handed to a member of the clergy on a Sunday morning but should instead be given or emailed to our administrator, Josie Wilson, during the week; Josie will then have your school form signed by a clergy member. Once your form has been signed, Josie will then contact you to come and pick up your signed form. Please note that selecting ‘at the heart of the church’ on your form reflects a longstanding commitment to our worshipping community and will need to be confirmed by a member of our clergy team. 

Vestry Meeting Rooms for Weekday Meetings: £75 for Half-Day, £150 for Full Day
We are keen to promote our North and South Vestry rooms as weekday meeting spaces in an effort to increase revenue to cover operating costs and help fund ministry – can you help? We have a new web page (stmaryswalthamstow.org/weekdaymeetings) dedicated to these spaces which can accommodate weekday meetings of 8-10 people (South Vestry) or 2-4 people (North Vestry). These are great meeting spaces for teams that want to get off-site, and both Vestry rooms are equipped with tea/ coffee-making facilities, TV screens for presentations and their own private toilets. Rates are £75 for a half-day or £150 for a full day. 

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. 

Please pray this week for:

• All in our church and parish who are unwell in any way, praying especially for all who are distressed, worried, receiving treatment or in pain: for healing, peace and hope 
• Ongoing violence and tension in Gaza, the West Bank, Iran, Yemen and across the Middle East: for a just peace, a spirit of dialogue and for the safety of all communities 
• Efforts to bring people together in the UK and for community/ faith leaders to speak out against extremism, prejudice, and intimidation of others, modelling another way 
• Elected officials to act in the interest of the Common Good, seeking to improve public services, solve problems, reduce extreme inequality, protect our environment and properly regulate that which has the potential to cause harm
• Black History Month in the UK: for wider appreciation, recognition and understanding of the contributions of black Britons to the world and to communities around the UK
• All who are mourning or remembering the loss of a loved one this week, praying in particular for those who are marking Baby Loss Awareness Week 
• Christ to be near to those who feel lost: that St Mary’s would be a place and a community of connection, extending God’s unconditional love and welcome to all 

Reflection: ‘Sharing Our Stories’ 
Revd Jacintha Danaswamy, Curate, St Mary’s Walthamstow, writes: 

On Sunday, we had the privilege and joy of accompanying members of St Mary’s as they were baptised and confirmed in a service at St Andrew’s Church, Leytonstone. 

It was beautiful to see candidates commit to grow in God’s love before their families and friends. During the service, one of the candidates shared a testimony – a story of faith which was profoundly moving to hear. The story was not only deeply touching, but it greatly enriched all who heard it, including me. 

October is Black History Month, and this year’s theme is ‘Honouring Communities’ – an invitation to think about the stories of our communities, from well-known stories that visibly shape the world around us to less familiar, hidden or forgotten stories. 

The history and life stories of black people in Britain can at times be extremely painful and challenging – the Atlantic Slave Trade and the Windrush Scandal hold deep wounds for many. Yet interwoven into these stories of difficulty and sorrow are moments of great courage, resilience and strength: the building of communities that support and sustain each other; the joy and contributions of everyday lives; and the celebration of achievements that have shaped history. 

‘Honouring Our Communities’ aims to make these contributions visible.

Towards the end of the Book of Acts, Paul tells his story of his encounter with the Living God on the road to Damascus – how he moved from hunting and persecuting Christians to becoming one of the most passionate followers of Christ. He was transformed in such an extreme and profound way that it not only completely redirected the path of his life, but in sharing his experiences, many others came to know the love of God as well through the power of his story. 

Paul recalls how Jesus said to him: 

‘But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you.’ (Acts 26:16) 

This is the third time in Acts that Paul tells his story, and on this occasion, he does so while standing in chains in front of a Roman governor and king. But Paul knows his story, and he knows that it carries the power to transform and to touch the lives of those that hear it – and so he continues to tell it. 

This week, I pray that we will have moments to reflect on our own life stories and on our journeys of faith – both the challenges and the joys we have experienced – and as we reflect, I pray we will look to our communities and listen to the hidden and sometimes forgotten stories. And as we celebrate Black History Month, I pray we will seek to make all of our stories visible, and that we all may be enriched by them.

Much love,

Jacintha