All Saints Margaret Street.

Dear Friends,

We will have a new deacon among us this Sunday: Michael Lynch, who’s been a familiar face at All Saints for some time, will be ordained as a deacon in the Church of God by the Bishop of London in St Paul’s tomorrow afternoon to serve in our parish as, technically, a ‘self-supporting minister’. Ministry is not primarily a ‘job’ and SSM clergy work out their diaconal and priestly ministry in a secular workplace as well as a parish.

The word ‘deacon’ comes from a Greek word meaning ‘agent’ or ‘intermediary’. We are accustomed to think of ‘deacons’ being chosen and ordained from the earliest days of the Church, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. From that story the role has often been understood to be primarily an embodiment of ‘service’ (in Acts 6 the deacons seem to be chosen almost as social workers for the Christian community, to free up the apostles to get on with preaching and teaching).

But recent research has shown that this understanding was defective. The order of deacons was, from the beginning much more than an embodiment of Jesus’ bias to service over status: all Christians, including all clergy, are called to that. Historically, deacons were ordained to assist the bishop, who sent them out as ministers of the whole diocese in a wide variety of matters: pastoral work, worship, preaching, administration and communication. Originally they acted as links between all parts of the Church in any way which builds up the body of Christ. The deacon’s role at the Eucharist in assisting the priest (by proclaiming the gospel, leading prayer, preaching, administering Holy Communion and dismissing the assembly), is emblematic of this role in the community, assisting in making things happen and sending us out to do more.

All of us who are priests have first been (and continue to be) deacons, which we often model at High Mass when one of our priests takes the diaconal role. In fact all the roles which altar servers and sub-deacons undertake at Mass derive ultimately from the deacon’s role (in which priests and bishops share): to me that is a helpful reminder that all ministry is shared and all baptized Christians are called to exercise ministry. 

It is part of our relatedness in Christ, enacted in the liturgy because the liturgy is the offering of our whole lives (‘ourselves, our souls and bodies,… an acceptable sacrifice’) to God.

As we pray for Michael, entering this new relationship with the Body of Christ both locally at All Saints and within the diocese and wider Church, please examine your own relationship with Christ and the Church and consider whether it could grow and develop further in some new way. And please pray especially for Michael tomorrow as Fr Alan presents him for ordination.

Fr Michael Bowie
Assistant Priest 
All Saints Margaret Street

Please pray for those who have asked for our prayers: Harry Allan, Alan Bishton, Susan Beauchamp, Jean Brackston, Rachel Clayton, Rosamond Clayton, Kate Down, Jean East, Ursula Edwards, Geoff, Yvonne & Philip Harland, Lewis Harvey, Kate Hickman, Juliet Jefferson, Katherine Lee, Molly Leng, Joshua Levy, Christine Loffty, Santa Luca, Kerry Manuel, Jonathan Mani-Weoki, Megan and Chantal, Norman Newby, Frances O’Neil, Malcolm Richards, Prebendary Tunde Roberts, Peter Royle, Marilyn Stansfield, Dilys Thomas, Mary Thomas, James Wheen and Joy Wright.

For the recently departed: Filipp Gramatica di Bellagio, Tony Stock, Arthur Ferns, Gillean Russell, Ellen Aitken (Priest), Stewart Marshall, May Normisle and Andrew O’Connor (Deacon).

At the anniversary of their death (during the coming week): Michael Comber, Edith Taylor, Frieda Bailey, Edward Roberts (Bishop and Former Assistant Curate, All Saints 1931 – 35), Gladys Dare, Harry Lye, William Roberts, Andrew Barker, Richard Price (Priest and former member of the All Saints Choir), Barbara Treadway (All Saints Friend), Philip Cranmer (former All Saints Chorister & Trustee of the Choir and Music Trust Fund), Valerie Southcott (2013), Mary Lightfoot, Kenneth O’Ferral (Priest, Curate of All Saints and Headmaster of the Choir School 1923 – 30), Barbara Brentnall, John Pearce (All Saints Friend), Emily David and Marie Padley.

EVENTS THIS COMING WEEK 

ALL SAINTS MARGARET STREET- BAPTISM & CONFIRMATION SERVICE
FRIDAY 27 JUNE, 6.30pm Evening Mass – Bishop Michael Marshall will be with us for the celebration of Baptism and Confirmation at the Evening Mass. Please come and support those being baptised and confirmed.

DIOCESE OF LONDON, PETERTIDE ORDINATION OF DEACONS, St Paul’s Cathedral – SATURDAY 28 JUNE 2014 at 3pm (doors open at 2pm, please be seated by 2.40pm). We have an allocation of eight tickets to support All Saints’ Ordinand Michael Lynch. If anyone would like to attend the service, please contact the Parish Administrator Mrs Dee Prior on 020 7636 1788 to obtain a ticket. First come, first served!

WORSHIP AT ALL SAINTS THIS SUNDAY 29 June – SS PETER AND PAUL APOSTLES
HIGH MASS, 11am
Preacher: Prebendary Alan Moses
Missa Brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo – Haydn 
How lovely are the messengers – Mendelssohn

There will be a special meeting of the PCC after Mass to consider the outcome of the Tender for the Lighting & Electrical Renewal Restoration Project and to approve a contractor for the works.

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION at 6pm
Preacher: Fr Julian Browning
Service in B minor – Noble
Tu es Petrus –Palestrina

NOTICES THIS WEEK – The Parish Office will be closed 30 June – 2 July. Voice messages and emails will be collected and dealt with. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY – 6 JULY – THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY

HIGH MASS at 11am
Preacher: Father Michael Bowie
Missa Brevis – Leighton
Pange lingua gloriosum – Bob Chilcott

CHORAL EVENSONG & BENEDICTION at 6pm
Preacher: Prebendary Alan Moses
Service in F minor—Gray
Unser lieber Frauen Traum—Reger

SPECIAL EVENTS FROM JULY TO SEPTEMBER at ALL SAINTS & ELSEWHERE

ST CYPRIANS, CLARENCE GATE NW1 6AX – CHORAL EVENING PRAYER & BENEDICTION Saturday 5 July, 3pm Responses: Bernard Rose; Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis: George Dyson – Evening Service in F; Anthem: Henry Balfour Gardiner – Evening Hymn. With the S^t. Cyprian’s Singers, directed by: Julian Collings.

ALL SAINTS, Sunday 6 July after Benediction, at 7.15pm – ORGAN RECITAL by All Saints’ Dr John Birch Organ Scholar – NICHOLAS MANNOUKAS.
The programme includes: Psalm-Prelude Lento, poco appenato (ps. 34 v. 6) op. 32 – Howells; Plein jeu, Tierce en taille, Grand jeu – du Mage, Prelude & fugue in C BWV545 – Bach; Choral no. 3 in A minor (1890) – Franck. Retiring collection to support the Choir and Music at All Saints (suggested donation £3.50). The All Saints Licensed Club/Bar below the Church will be open afterwards.

ALL SAINTS PARISH PILGRIMAGE TO WALSINGHAM (Friday 18 – Sunday 20 July) will be led this year by Fr Michael Bowie. Please let Ross Buchanan (Assistant Secretary Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham, All Saints Margaret Street) know of your interest on Tel: 020 7221 1312.

THE ANNUNCIATION MARBLE ARCH – Centenary Feast of Celebration
Tuesday 16 September 2014, 7.30pm in The Annunciation
To celebrate the Annunciation’s 100th birthday and in the tradition of Dinners in the Community Ben Wegg-Prosser has put together a glittering event to raise funds for the restoration of the church.
The speakers are Alain de Botton, Matthew Parris and Tessa Jowell with Fr Victor Stock (author and former Dean of Guildford) in the chair. The Churchill Hyatt Hotel has most generously donated the hospitality for the evening so all ticket money goes to church funds. Tickets are £50 or tables of 10 are £450. Please contact Fr Gerald (gerald.beauch@btconnect.com) if you would like to come.

NOTICES

ALL SAINTS SUPPORT FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE – MARYLEBONE PROJECT:

A Day Centre, Residential and Transitional accommodation provider, re-settlement project and Educational and Training Unit for women. The Emergency Bed Unit – for which we have for some years provided the funds for one of the 4 beds – provides a safe haven and refuge for women escaping domestic violence, financial crisis, sexual exploitation and mental health issues.

Seasonal Appeals – Last year we donated £2,790 to this Mission Project, collected through the All Saints Festival and Lent Appeals. The PCC has just agreed to a target of £3,000 for 2014.

Year Round Support – we also support the Resettlement Project with non-perishable food and toiletries or household necessities like cutlery or bed linen/blankets. Please contribute to this effort, bringing donations to the Parish Office or leaving them in Church in the basket in the Baptistery.

Day-to-day Support – we respond to the needs of homeless people who visit the church, providing luncheon vouchers for the West London Day Centre for rough sleepers who apply to the office and allowing a few individuals, who need a place to shelter or sleep during the day, to rest in the back of the church. We have created an information resource for Church Watchers, giving useful advice to homeless and vulnerable people seeking particular support or services.
In the face of a rising tide of homelessness in London, please help us fund and support people in need through our Mission project.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO HOST TWO DUTCH CHRISTIAN GIRLS THIS SUMMER? 
Carola Groenewold and Anne-Louise Dekker are Nijmegen University students in their first year, studying Business Administration and Communication, with English as a foreign language. They met through the same Christian student association. They want to improve their fluency in English, and are hoping to stay with a family – perhaps with children of their own age. Both have experience with babysitting children of different ages, and would like it to be of use in families. Their main goals are to improve their English and have contact with native speakers, and they say they ‘would consider all options! We would very much appreciate it if you would pass on our message to your church members’. The period they hope to stay is: 4th – 23^rd August. If anyone is able to help them: please email carola@polygre.com and annetjed@live.nl.

ALL SAINTS RESTORATION APPEAL UPDATE
The Programme
The electrical scheme is progressing well. Preparations continue to advance each week, with the Butterfield designed lighting fittings now commissioned and in construction at the blacksmiths. 
Tenders for the work have been returned and are being analysed. After these have been reviewed a recommendation will be made to the PCC for approval on Sunday 29 June.  Then the work of stripping out the existing installation can commence in July, subject to sufficient funds being available.

As in previous phases of the restoration programme, weekday worship, except on major feasts, will take place in the Parish Room. This will enable to contractors to have more uninterrupted working time, keep costs down and speed the whole process.

The Fundraising Appeal
Fund-raising continues. Applications are in to a small number of charitable trusts we hope may be sympathetic. So far the extended family of All Saints has donated or pledged a total of £221, 033 towards our target of £250,000. This is over 88.4% of the sum required, an excellent result in a little over seven months. Our thanks to all who have so generously contributed to date. With some £29,000 still to find – further donations are of course welcome! Cheques should be made payable to: All Saints Church Restoration Appeal and be sent to the Parish Administrator. Please indicate where Gift Aid may be applied as it increases the value of your contribution by 25%. Thank you!

FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS OR ASSISTANCE FROM ALL SAINTS MARGARET STREET:-
* If you would like to encourage others to take an interest in All Saints/keep up with what is happening here, please forward this email on to them, or to people you would like to invite to services.

* If you know of others who would like to receive this correspondence please encourage them to sign up for the email on the All Saints website – see the tab News & Events> Weekly Newsletter.

* If you would like prayers offered at All Saints, please email the Parish Administrator Mrs Dee Prior at: astsmgtst@aol.com.

If you would like any pastoral assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the Vicar, Prebendary Alan Moses: alanmoses111@gmail.com. Or Assistant Priest Fr Michael Bowie: mnrbowie@hotmail.com.

DAILY SERVICES (the Church is open every day of the week from 7am to 7pm except on Bank Holidays, when it opens for the lunchtime Mass only)

SUNDAYS
Low Mass at 6.30pm (Saturday), 8am and 5.15pm
Morning Prayer at 10.20am
HIGH MASS AND SERMON at 11am
CHORAL EVENSONG, SERMON and BENEDICTION at 6pm          

MONDAY TO FRIDAY
Morning Prayer at 7.30am
Low Mass at 8am, 1.10pm and 6.30pm
(Except bank holiday – 1.10pm Mass only)
Confessions from 12.30pm -1pm and 5.30pm
(No Confessions on bank holidays)
Evening Prayer at 6pm

SATURDAYS
Morning Prayer at 7.30am
Low Mass at 8.00am and 6.30pm (First Mass of Sunday)
Confessions at 5.30pm
Evening Prayer at 6pm

On major weekday feasts, High Mass is sung at 6.30pm with Evening Prayer at 5.45pm.

A priest is available in church for confessions or counsel every weekday from 12.30-1pm (except Saturdays) and at 5.30pm, or by appointment. The clergy are always happy to see anyone for whatever reason. Please enquire at the Parish Office (to the right as you enter the church courtyard).

www.allsaintsmargaretstreet.org.uk and e-mail: astsmgtst@aol.com.