The Midweek News from St. Martin's
Hello all. Welcome to July! I hope you had a relaxing Canada Day. (I've gotten over the loss of "Dominion Day") Nancy and I watched the fireworks from the forks of the Thames, which were very impressive. The important thing is to remember it's "Ooooh" first, then "Aaaah". Sandra is on a well deserved vacation for July so I'm on my own here, with the active assistance of Junior Management. The clean up continued at the church last week with numerous items finding new homes or being trundled off to the dump. A special thank you to Graham Laing who years ago designed the flat dollies and then made sure they would go through all the doorways. There are lots of things going on in the next few weeks so best we get at it.
We Have A New Primate. General Synod has elected the Rt. Rev. Shane Parker, currently Bishop of Ottawa as the 15th Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. He has been the Bishop of Ottawa since 2020 and prior to that the Dean and Rector of Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa for two decades. No doubt he will be busy for the next few weeks cleaning out his office (sorry the St. Martin's crew is busy). Archbishop Anne Germond retains her role as our Metropolitan. Additional information on our new Primate is attached.
Where Has The Year Gone? The Rev'd Dr. Virginia's last Sunday as our Interim Priest-in-Charge is Sunday 27 July. There will be a reception following the 10:00 am Service to thank Dr. Virginia for her year of guidance and faithful ministry. Please plan on joining us. Rev'd Sarah returns on Sunday 3 August.
Power Disruption on Monday 7 July, 2025. Davidoff Roofing will be repairing the eavestrough and fascia this coming Monday. In the interests of safety the power to the building will be turned off for the day beginning at 8:30 am. The power lines enter the church in the area where the crew will be working.
A New Stove Is On Order. After much investigation we have ordered a new stove at a price of $1355.98. This includes tax, delivery, installation, and removal of the old stove. Delivery is expected in mid July. Contributions towards the price of the stove would be greatly appreciated.
Coffee Hour This Sunday Under the able direction of Vince Chicoine there will be coffee, and tea after the 10:00 am service this Sunday. In the past we had "lemonade on the lawn" during the summer but with the installation of air conditioning it seems more sensible to stay inside.
St. Martin's At Night. I received an excellent suggestion: include a photo of St. Martin's at night with the updated lighting for the benefit of those living outside of London or who don't drive at night. The camera in my phone doesn't do it justice but here you are.
Doors Open London. 20-21 September, 2025. This year as part of our effort to introduce St. Martin's to the local community Parish Council decided to participate in Doors Open London.
The Parish Council has met to review the draft plan, an update is attached to the News. See an area where you would like to assist? Speak to a Group Leader. Like to take on a Group Leader position? Speak to a Warden. For further information on Doors Open London go to https://www.doorsopenontario.on.ca/pages/events/london
Parish Council Meeting/Doors Open London Committee. The Next Meeting will be Wednesday 16 July at 6:30 pm in Rowland Hall.
St. Martin's, Our History and Our Artifacts. I recently found a report to the Parish written by Reverend John Wagland, our first Rector dated March 25, 1957. This was shortly after the first service in the new Church. In thinking about all the work we are presently undertaking, one paragraph speaks as much to us as it did to them.
"When we are finished, we will have more than a building. We will have a visible testimony to the faith and dedication and sacrifice of our parish people who love their Lord and love each other in Him. For this we owe Him our profoundest thanks".
Sandra Is On Vacation. Sandra is taking a well earned vacation. Her first day back will be Wednesday August 6th.
The Chancel Guild is looking to recruit new members. If you are interested, please see Marie or Dr. Virginia.
St. Paul's Social Services -Thank you for your continued generosity. St. Paul's Social Services is an outreach program, a part of which is the St. Paul's Food Bank. Your generous donations help support it. Look for the bin in the cloakroom marked "St. Paul's Food Bank". Food of all descriptions should be the first priority. Please give what you can. In addition to food, toiletries, especially in small sizes are always useful. Monetary donations are also well received as it lets them buy items which are needed but not always donated or they buy in bulk. Like everyone else they are being hit by the rising price of food. Please make cheques payable to St. Paul's Social Services. Tax receipts will be issued directly by St. Paul's Social Services. For the moment please do not donate containers as they are in discussions with the local Health Inspectors on their use.
Dr. Virginia's Office Hours. Dr. Virginia will be in the office Thursday morning if you wish to speak to her. It is suggested you call ahead (519 641-1987) if you are going to drop in to ensure she hasn't been called away.
We Are Collecting Egg Cartons. Annele Robertson has a friend who can use egg cartons for......eggs! Drop them off in the cloakroom and Annele will pick them up.
Milk Bag Collection is Back. The ladies are back to making mats. Please bring in your milk bags and put them in the marked box in the Cloakroom
Email Address Please check that you have our correct email address in your contacts. It is stmartinslondon@diohuron.org . The old email address is no longer supported, and we will be losing access to it soon. Also, if you change your email address, please let us know so we can update our records.
Readings for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30, Galatians 6:7-16, Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Parish Family Circle of Prayer – As we gather this week we pray for the following members of our congregation and their families.
Andrew & Elizabeth McIntosh Ian & Dianne McIntosh Anne McLean
See you all Sunday.
Ian
Ian Haley
Church Warden