St. Mark's Church

Christingle Preparation

Many of you will know that our Christingle service is usually very well attended, and so we need to prepare about 120 Christingles for that!  This year we will be meeting up to make them in the Chapter Room on Friday 23rd December from 2pm.  Please come to help – again, it is an enjoyable afternoon meeting up with other St Mark’s people, and is quickly achieved if we have enough volunteers. 

Christmas Services

After all that preparation, coming to Church over Christmas is a great way to remember what the season is all about, as well as giving thanks for the past year, and bringing to God our needs.  Our Christmas services at St Mark’s are:

THIS SUNDAY 11 December 10am – All-Age Service with Nativity Scene

Sunday 18 December 6.30pm – Carols by Candlelight – to be followed by mulled wine and mince pies!!

Saturday 24 December 4 pm – Christingle and Crib Service for families with younger children

Saturday 24 December 11.30 pm – Midnight Mass

Sunday 25 December 10 am –  All-Age Christmas Communion

Everyone is welcome to our services! You might like to think about inviting a friend or neighbour as well.

8 am Services over Christmas and New Year

Please note that there will be no 8 am services on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.  The 10 am services will continue as normal.

Clive Gardner

Cynthia

On Sunday 14th November, a statement from Cynthia was read out at the 10am service.  Here is the wording of the statement, for those of you who missed this important news:

“I am sorry that I am not at St. Mark’s today to speak to you in person but my weekend off has been planned into the rota for some time.

After 15 years of Ordained ministry, ten of which have been at St. Mark’s,  and as I approach the age of 70 next September, I have decided that it is time for my ministry to take a new direction.

As some of you know I have always been interested in the quieter aspects of ministry, e.g. leading prayer groups. For some time I have wanted the opportunity to lead retreats and quiet days.  To do this I need to take some time out to explore these possibilities and if necessary attend training courses.

Therefore after 10 years at St. Mark’s I shall be leaving in February next year. My last Sunday will be 19^th February, the next before Lent.

As I am licensed to the Parish of Wimbledon as a whole, I shall still be available to provide cover to other churches within the team.  I will also continue my links with St. Michael’s Convent at Ham. I will continue my ministry of Spiritual Direction. I hope too to extend my work as a Trustee with the African Educational Cultural Health Organisation, a charity that St. Mark’s has supported in the past.

This has not been an easy decision to take but I believe it is the right one.

I am grateful for all the help and support I have received from St. Mark’s and I shall miss you.” Cynthia Jackson

We will miss Cynthia enormously and, of course, will want to say a special goodbye to her before she leaves.  In the meantime we wish her every blessing in her preparations to develop her ministry further.

Christmas Services

Our Christmas services begin with an All-Age Eucharist with carols and nativity scene on Sunday 11 Dec at 10 am. Please see the calendar of events.

Communications Group

We now have a communications group which has been working on various projects connected with presenting St Mark’s at its best.  You will already have seen the new layout of the Sunday notice sheet.  Look out for some updates to the noticeboards in the narthex and some streamlining of the notices on the outside windows.  The group would appreciate your feedback and ideas – please speak to Wendy McTernan or Emma Danvers who are co-ordinating this effort.   St Mark’s Committee Meeting St Mark’s committee will be meeting next Wednesday evening, 9th November, and the agenda will be available on the church noticeboard on Sunday.  Do chat to the committee members if you have any comments about any of the items for discussion, or other ideas.  The committee members are:

David Ainsworth (warden), Mike Rees, Andrew Coppin  (treasurer), Gary Stevens, Sheila Dunman  (deputy warden), Paula Thorvaldsen-Brits, Gary Forster, Mary Williams, Helen Jones, Will Martin, Jane Long, Liz Webber  (warden) James Markham

Homelessness Project

The charity ‘Faith in Action’ is organising Church Halls for the homeless to sleep in during January.  Although we offered St Mark’s, another hall had already been allocated for the day of the week that we were available.  However, St Mary’s Wimbledon Village will be hosting Wednesday nights and they are looking for volunteers to cook meals or sleep over.  Training is provided.