Hello all.  

Welcome to fall.  Quite the change.  Fletcher and I unloaded the pumpkins into the cloakroom, 28 to be precise.  They will be used for Trunk or Treat on Sunday and the St. Martin's  "Cloak of Kindness Squad", this coming Monday evening.  Coming out after Parish Council this past Monday I continued to be struck by how attractive our Church is at night and the amount of work we have all put into it over this past summer.  I'm sure you will all be deeply disappointed but there will not be a fall leaf clean up day this year as our lawn mowing contractor will take care of it.  With the weather becoming inclement outside we will move inside, taking on a number of maintenance projects, most of which will go totally unnoticed but are essential to keep our infrastructure in good repair.  The cloakroom will be tidied up before the Bishop's visit but any major interior improvements will wait until the New Year.  Revd Sarah and Norma Chicoine will be attending Diocesan Synod this Friday and Saturday and we look forward to their report.  We also look forward to Fr. Willi preaching this Sunday.

 

Trunk or Treat.   It's this Sunday!  Our third annual "Trunk or Treat" will take place in the parking lot on Sunday October 26th from 3:00 to 5:00 pm and we can still use participants and donors.  Decorate your vehicle, yourself, put treats in your trunk, bring a friend or two and enjoy the fun.  Look for the  sign up sheet on the Narthex table.  Can't participate?  We are looking for donations of treats or cash to keep the trunks full.  Look for the bin in the cloakroom.  See Nancy Haley for more information.

The Schedule.   In case you missed it last week, here is the schedule of upcoming events.  Additional details will be provided but mark down these dates.

  • Sunday October 26, 3 pm-5 pm  - Trunk or Treat;
  • Sunday November 9, 10:00 am  -Remembrance Sunday
  • Sunday November 16, 10:00 am - Patronal Feast of St. Martin of Tours
  •                                                  4:00 pm - Choral Evensong
  • Sunday November 23, 10:00 am - The Reign of Christ and visit by the Bishop of Huron
  • Sunday November 30, 10;00 am - The First Sunday of Advent.

The above doesn't include everything else going on.  Shall we press on?

 

 Weeknight Kids' Church -- The Cloak of Kindness Squad

*Launching Monday, October 27th, 6:00 - 7:30 pm

Designed for elementary-aged children and inspired by our patron Saint Martin's act of sharing his cloak with a poor man, the Cloak of Kindness Squad teaches children the power of kindness, empathy, and everyday bravery. Through age-appropriate Bible stories, hands-on service projects, and creative activities, kids discover how to live out their faith in practical, loving ways.

Do you know a child who might be interested? Are there high school students looking to earn volunteer hours? Or perhaps you'd like to help lead this exciting new ministry? Contact Rev. Sarah for more information or to request a registration package.

 

Your Funeral Wishes.  This is a subject we generally don't like to discuss.  As a result when the time comes for our final departure very often the next of kin are left struggling to guess our wishes.  Where should the funeral be?  Who should preside?  What readings, hymns and psalms?  My own Father left fairly specific directions starting with "if you play Abide With Me I will haunt you forever".  Fair enough.  It did make things very much easier.  Revd Sarah would be pleased to discuss and record your wishes.  Please contact her at the Church.

 

All Saints Stroll:  The Churches of Wortley Village.   Nancy and I grew up in what is now known as "Old South".  I attended St. James Westminister and Nancy was just down the street at Wesley-Knox United, where we were married.  On Saturday November 1st why not join us for a self guided tour of these churches and two others all within Wortley Village.  Explore four of Wortley Village's historic churches: St. James Westminster Anglican Church, Wesley-Knox United Church, Elmwood Street Presbyterian Church, and St. Martin's Roman Catholic Church all in one afternoon. The tour is being organized by the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) London. Attendees will meet at St. James Westminster Church (115 Askin Street) at 11:00 am. Non-members are welcome to purchase a tour booklet for $5.00.  There is parking on Askin St or behind St. James with access off Bruce St. (one way west to east).  There are also an assortment of restaurants and pubs on Wortley where you can recuperate after. Email info@acolondon.ca for more information!  

 

St. Martin's, Our History and Our Artifacts.   We have left up the display from Doors Open London to give you the opportunity to see it in detail.  I will try to add to it as I find things.  It will remain up until after the Bishop's visit. There are also some brochures on the display table from the event.  Please feel free to take one home.  

 

St. Paul's Social Services -Thank you for your generous donations .  This news item never goes away because hunger never goes away.   St. Paul's Social Servces 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.

 

Church Calendars are now available on the table in the Narthex.  The cost is $7.00. Exact Change is appreciated.  Please call the office if you wish to have one put aside for you. 

 

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 Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Joel 2:23-32, Psalm 65, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18, Luke 18:8-14

 

 Parish Family Circle of Prayer –    As we gather this week we pray for the following members of our congregation and their families.

Sandasha Bough                                          Steven & Paula Bowman                             Christine Bray

 

Clearing up the backlog at Canada Post...

 

See you Sunday.

Ian

Ian Haley

Church Warden