Happy New Year from St Luke’s

2017 has arrived, and St Luke’s wishes a ‘happy new year’ to everyone in our parish of West Holloway, and beyond.

Our vicar, Dave Tomlinson, makes regular appearances on Pause For Thought on Radio 2 and Martin Wroe appears on Thought for the Day on Radio 4. This week, Dave delivered a new year message to listeners of Radio 2’s Breakfast Show with Sara Cox. In it, he offers good advice for creating a happier life in 2017 (and reveals that wearing a clerical collar makes you a bit of a lady magnet!).

You can have a listen here:

https://soundcloud.com/david-w-oconnell/dave-tomlinsons-pause-for-thought-4-jan-17 For more pearls of wisdom from Dave and our other inspiring speakers, you’re always welcome to join us for our all-age service at St Luke’s, every Sunday at 11am.

May 2017 be your best year ever!

Christmas at St Luke’s

Christmas is one of the most important festivals in the Christian calendar, and here at St Luke’s, we’re looking forward to some wonderful services and events over the festive period.

We begin the celebrations at the 11am service on 18 December, which will be given over to the children’s nativity play. The kids are rehearsing hard on a fun and creative interpretation of the Christmas story – not to be missed!

That evening, at 8pm on 18 December, we have our annual candle-lit carol service. The St Luke’s choir will lead us in favourite hymns and carols, and wow us with some of their own stirring performances, too. Afterwards, there’ll be mulled wine and mince pies.

On Christmas Eve at 11.30pm, we gather for midnight mass. We’ll see in Christmas Day with a beautiful candle-lit service, and more evocative performances from the choir. There’ll be an opportunity to remember absent friends, who we often miss more than ever at this time of year.

On Christmas morning, there’ll be a family service at 10.30am (earlier than our usual services, so you can head home to get the dinner sorted). It’s a joyous all-age gathering to kick off the big day with a celebration of the true meaning of Christmas.

Whether you’re a regular at St Luke’s, an occasional visitor, or you’ve never joined us before, you’ll find a warm welcome at all our services over the festive period. Season’s greetings to everyone in the parish of St Luke’s, West Holloway, and beyond.

Nightshelter needs YOU!

Here at St Luke’s, one of our biggest projects each year is our part in the Islington Churches Cold Weather Shelter. From January to March (the coldest three months of the year), we open our doors each Saturday to offer a bed and meals to homeless people (six other churches in the area cover the rest of the week). As well as food, shower facilities and a safe, comfortable place to sleep, we also offer recreational activities and other services.

Each year, the Islington Nightshelter hosts around 90 guests, and thousands of hours of volunteer time go into making it run smoothly. Without the help of so many members and friends of St Luke’s, the project wouldn’t be possible.

We’re now preparing for Nightshelter 2017, and we need lots of volunteers to make it happen. We’re looking for people to cover evening, night and morning shifts (serving food and making guests feel comfortable and supported). We also need volunteers to buy and prepare food (costs can be reimbursed), do laundry and other essential tasks.

If you’d like to help some of the most vulnerable people in our area, please speak to Stef Cagnoni or Dan Northam Jones, or email stlukespcc@hotmail.com. There will be a short training session on Sunday 4 December at 1pm, directly after the morning service (but you can still volunteer if you miss the session).

Thank you – we couldn’t do it without you.

Remembrance Sunday – don’t be late!

This Sunday, 13 November, is Remembrance Sunday, when we’ll remember and honour all those who have sacrificed themselves to secure and protect our freedom.

For this reason, our service this Sunday will start at 10.45am, rather than the usual time. We need to begin promptly so we’re ready to join with others around the country to keep two minutes’ silence at 11am.

A Welcome For All Newcomers

St Luke’s is a growing church, with new faces arriving every week, and although we endeavour to be friendly and welcoming, it can be easy for newcomers to get lost in the crowd. 

So on Friday 11 November at 8pm, we’re hosting a special welcome evening for those who are relatively new to St Luke’s – although anyone is welcome, even if you’ve been around for some time.

There’ll be drinks and nibbles, and a chance to chat and get to know each other. Our vicar, Dave, will give an introduction to St Luke’s, including a who’s who and a guided tour of the building to check out those secret rooms and winding staircases you never see. You’ll learn more about the ethos of St Luke’s, and there’ll be opportunities to ask questions.

Regardless of how long you’ve been coming to St Luke’s, if you’d like an introduction to the church, you’re welcome to join us. Please email davetomlinson@mac.com to let us know you’re coming.

Remembering those we’ve loved and lost

Many people find their way to St Luke’s through the saddest of circumstances – planning a funeral for a loved one. Others have found comfort in the love and support of people at St Luke’s during the dark time after losing a friend or family member.

As a church, we often include opportunities during regular services to remember and give thanks for people we’ve loved and lost – perhaps through lighting a candle, saying a prayer, or the shared experience of communion, which symbolically gathers together all people, both living and dead.

However, once a year there’s a special service dedicated to those who’ve departed this world. All Souls Day (also known as the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed) falls every year on 2 November. St Luke’s will be holding its All Souls service on Sunday 30 October at 4pm. It’s an opportunity to pray for departed souls, give thanks for those we’ve loved, and light a candle in their memory. Their names will be read out as part of the service.

The service is particularly popular with people who’ve attended funerals at St Luke’s in the preceding year, but anyone is welcome to attend, and some people make the journey every year.

If you’d like the name(s) of your loved one(s) to be read out at the service on 30 October, you can fill in a form (which you’ll find at the back of the church) and pass it to Pat Tomlinson. Alternatively, if you’re not a regular at St Luke’s, you can email your request to patriciatomlinson@mac.com. We look forward to welcoming you to the All Souls service to remember those you’ve loved and lost.

Don’t miss the Speakeasy

Here at St Luke’s, we love a party. We’re also blessed with some amazingly talented people in our congregation, from singers and musicians, to actors and comedy writers. Our annual Speakeasy is an opportunity to be entertained by the best of the church’s talent – and enjoy a great social evening and a singalong, too.

What can you expect from a St Luke’s Speakeasy? You’ll arrive to find the church transformed into a twinkling candlelit café, with the stage set for the show. There’ll be a bar in the kitchen, and nibbles to snack on while you relax among friends and enjoy top-class musical performances, sketches, cabaret acts and a few surprise moments. Plus there’ll be a house band to lead a singalong we can all join in with. Crispin – who produces the event – will be our master of ceremonies.

The ninth St Luke’s Speakeasy is on Friday 28 October, 8pm-11.30pm. Tickets cost £5, or £2 concessions, and the event is only open to those aged 16+ (no exceptions). Tickets are on sale now at Sunday morning services and at https://billetto.co.uk/en/events/speakeasy-9 (50p booking fee)  – advanced sales are encouraged so we can make sure the bar doesn’t run out.

As well as a chance for us all to get together and have some fun, it’s also a great opportunity to invite friends, family and neighbours along for a relaxed evening out. So get your gladrags on, tune up your vocal cords and get ready for a great night at St Luke’s.

A warm welcome to all students

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As the new academic year starts, St Luke’s is waving off several of our young people to university for the first time (we’re proud of you all and we’ll miss you – come back and visit soon!).

Meanwhile, we’d like to extend a warm welcome to any students in London. Perhaps you’re away from home for the first time, finding your feet in the big city and hoping to find a church community and some friendly faces. Or maybe you’re already established at college or university, but you’re looking for like-minded people and a church that suits you.

Whatever your circumstance, you’d be very welcome at any of our events – the most popular is our 11am Sunday service – where you can meet us and get a taste of St Luke’s. Our inclusive community is made up of people of all ages and backgrounds, supporting each other and journeying together.

St Luke’s has recently become a ‘link church’ with the Student Christian Movement (SCM), which means we’ll be listed in their online directory as an open, welcoming church that people might like to check out. SCM is a student-led movement that brings students together from different denominations and traditions to deepen faith, learn from one another, celebrate diversity and work together for justice. To learn more or to find a local group, visit www.movement.org.uk.

So to any London students: do come along to St Luke’s – and make yourself known if you feel a bit lost in the crowd. We’d love to meet you!

Festival time!

If you happen to visit St Luke’s over the August bank holiday weekend, you’d be forgiven for thinking the congregation is on the sparse side. That’s because a lot of St Lukers will be decamping to Northamptonshire for the weekend for the Greenbelt festival.

If you haven’t heard of Greenbelt, it’s a fantastic faith, arts and justice festival, where thousands of people gather to listen to great music, learn and debate at talks and seminars, spend time catching up with old friends and new, and chill out in the famous Tiny Tea Tent.

St Luke’s has a long association with Greenbelt. For many years, Greenbelt had its offices in St Luke’s (before we opened up the east aisle of the church to make space for our growing congregation). Many of our members are involved in running and overseeing different parts of the festival. You may even see a few familiar faces on the programme.

To learn more about our favourite festival, check out the website at www.greenbelt.org.uk.

However, if you’re in London on Sunday 28 August, rest assured that St Luke’s will still be open for business. There’ll be an 11am service as usual, and friendly faces to greet you. The rest of us will see you when we get back!

Many hands make light work

Here at St Luke’s, we love to give all our members the opportunity to get involved in the running of the church. In fact, one of the secrets of our success is that so many of us play a role in making the magic of St Luke’s happen – plus it frees up our clergy and staff to concentrate on the bigger picture.

Volunteering is also a brilliant way to get to know people. It’s all too easy to get lost in the crowd in a growing church like St Luke’s, but lending a hand is the quickest way to develop friendships and become part of the community.

Whatever your skill or interest, there’s something at St Luke’s you can get involved in. Below are just some of the options available. Speak to the revelant coordinator (if you don’t know who they are, ask someone to point them out) or contact Pat on patriciatomlinson@mac.com and she’ll put you in touch. Most roles only involve an hour or two of your time, every couple of months. Alternatively, if you have an idea for something new, chat to Dave and Pat.

Many rotas will be starting again after the summer holiday. If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to have you on board!

*Welcoming: Provide a warm welcome and distribute service sheets. See Mike Dark.

*Coffee rota: Refresh churchgoers after the service. See Nina Barnsley.

*Readings: Deliver Bible excerpts and other readings in services. See Adrian Pearson.

*Prayers: Lead the congregation in praying for ourselves and others. See Denise Ward.

*Sound: Ensure we can all hear what’s going on! See Jif Thompson.

*Sunday school and youth work: Helping our children and young people grow and develop while having fun. See Susie Holland.

*Traidcraft stall: Sell fairly traded goods after the main Sunday service. See Lucy Blair.

*Choir: Make a beautiful noise and lead the congregation in worship. Skilled musicians sometimes needed too. See Justin Butcher.

*Socials and entertainment: Help make our concerts, parties and special events happen. Coordinators vary.

*PCC: Join the committee that helps run the church (annual elections). See Dave Tomlinson.

*Fundraising: Various events throughout the year. Listen out for notices or suggest your own ideas.

*Gardening: Keep our green space looking beautiful. See Jean Willson.

*Nightshelter: Cook, care, entertain or do the laundry (plus more) for our annual winter shelter for homeless people. Coordinators vary.

*Outside the four walls: From community campaigning to delivering collections to the local food bank, singing to dementia patients to promoting a credit union, there are countless ways we make a difference in our community. Listen out for notices.