Emmanuel Church, West Hampstead

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is traditionally known as “Good Shepherd Sunday” when we celebrate in particular the pattern of love and care which Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ shows to the world – a pattern of love and care which he calls all his followers to emulate in the world in our own times.  What an appropriate theme that is on this day of our Annual Church meeting as we celebrate all that has been good in our life together at Emmanuel.  In common with the practice of many priests in our Diocese and beyond I am this year going to give my Priest in Charge’s report during the Eucharist as the Eucharist is the particular context that Christ bids his people remember in love and thanksgiving – because he, as Good Shepherd, first loved us and has put an answering love into our hearts.

Looking back over the past year our first reflection must, as always, be one of thanksgiving.  As Christians, our primary response to God must always be one of thanksgiving – for the creation and redemption of the world and how in Jesus Christ you and I are quite literally loved into salvation.  The principle service of the Church – the Eucharist – means literally thanksgiving, for it is in the Eucharist that we offer our whole lives to God, in thanksgiving for all that God has given us.

The main highlight of the year past must be Mother Alysoun’s ordination to the priesthood, alongside Mothers Emma & Christine at Hampstead Parish Church by Bishop Richard Harries and then her First Mass two days later on the happy occasion of our Patronal Festival of Corpus Christi.  This in itself witnesses to the inclusive generosity of the heart of God, beating at the centre of the universe and shown to us in Jesus Christ whose life and whose love each and every one of us is called to mirror in the world.

Later in the year we celebrated the happy occasion of Mother Annette’s formal licensing to the parish by the Bishop of Edmonton as she continues in her much appreciated ministry of prayer and pastoral care amongst us.

It has been very good to see our team of altar servers growing larger and larger with more children as well as adults fulfilling this important ministry of service, enabling others to worship God in the beauty of holiness.  We are grateful to our sacristans who prepare the sanctuary for worship, as well as to all those who wash the linen and the servers’ albs, clean the church and arrange flowers for the great festivals of the year.  Special thanks in this respect go to Casey Hammett, Diana Malzer and Matthew Shirley.

Alongside this, our choir and musical tradition has continued to be enriched and develop apace.  After a year with us Ben Lewis-Smith, having graduated from Queen’s College, Oxford moved on to a new position at St Columba’s, Church, Knightsbridge.  We thank him most sincerely for all he did in his time with and we wish him well for the future.  After a couple of months of Deputy Organists, we were delighted to announce the appointment of Andrew Earwaker as Organist & Director of Music of Emmanuel, which took effect from February of this year – and what a great start he has made with all the wonderful music most recently during Holy Week and Easter.  Thanks are due to all the members of our choir, young and old, who enrich our liturgy Sunday by Sunday and on the feast days and seasonal solemnities of the year.

Our Sunday School goes from strength to strength and we are most grateful to Claire Hammett, our Sunday School co-ordinator in ensuring all this goes smoothly and efficiently.  It goes without saying that extra children in Sunday School need extra adult leaders and helpers.  As ever we are always grateful for further help here, so do please talk to Claire or any of the clergy if you can help in this way.  We’d love to hear from you.

And yet, what gives our liturgies authenticity and rootedness are ALL the members of the congregation, which once again this year has grown incredibly along with the size of the formal church membership.  Thank you to each and every one of you for all that you give to Emmanuel in your time, talents and financial support of the Church.

The finances of any Church are always a cause for concern, not, I hope, because we money grabbing so and so’s, but because it is the finances of the Church which enable the ministry and outreach of the Church in the service of the Gospel.  It often surprises people to realize that ALL the finances of the Church from the upkeep of the building, to insurance premiums and the electricity and gas, to the stipend of the Parish Priest all have to come from the local congregation.  There is no external subsidy.  We still have some way to go before we are in the eyes of the Diocese a fully funding parish – and it is our aspiration to be so by 2015 – so your generous support in this is very much appreciated.

One of the ways in which we monitor the whole life and mission of the parish is through the Mission Action Plan (MAP) which we are expected to review regularly.  On your behalf the PCC has recently revised Emmanuel’s Mission Action Plan and all that is left to do now is to add some statistical information which is presented to today’s Annual meeting before it is sent to the Bishop and the Parish Ministry Development Adviser and then it will be posted on the website.

In the current revision of the Mission Action Plan we have identified some key areas we wish to develop in the coming year – a new parent and toddler group, work with teenagers and young people and how we grow the prayer life and spirituality of the parish.  Growth in numbers is always a wonderful thing, but our prayer and aspiration is always that this might be accompanied with a concomitant growth in prayer and spirituality, for without prayer and attentiveness to God we are nothing.

A small but faithful band of people have been supporting the celebrations of the Eucharist throughout the week.  These celebrations aren’t simply some add-on extra for odd God-bothering people who like that sort of thing, but fundamental to the prayer life of the parish as each day we pray for the sick and the departed and have a particular prayer intention as shown on the pew sheet each week.  Please do consider supporting these weekday celebrations if you possibly can as we undergird all we seek to be and to do in prayer and in faithful attentiveness to God’s still small voice.

One of the key resources for mission here at Emmanuel is our beautiful building as we recognise our mission as presence and engagement at the heart of this local community.  Over the past year more groups from the local community of West Hampstead have used our facilities at the Church and this coming week we will serve the community as a polling station as the people of the wider community express their democratic right to vote for those who will serve them in mayorality of this great city.  Originally English parish Churches, as well as being places of prayer and worship were places for the whole community and a whole range of community activities and life would take place within their walls.

Our biggest hinderance in serving the community as much as we would like to is the very poor state of our undulating floor and the lack of proper kitchen and toilet facilities for people of all sorts of challenges and mobilities.  We are nearing the end of what seems an interminable process of finalizing plans for what we would like to do to the building which includes the urgent under-piling and replacing of the floor and the addition of new rooms and facilities at the west end of the Church.  This will be a major development project for us and we have asked our architect and structural engineers to revise the plans so that the new rooms on the north and south sides of the Church will have the potential to be two floors.

The timing of this work will be determined by our raising the funds necessary once the formal tenders come in during the coming months.  You will notice from our accounts this year and in the two previous years that we are sitting on a very comfortable portfolio of investments.  The majority of these came from the sale of the Church Hall in Bloomsleigh Street to Camden Council almost three years ago.

Whilst these provide a very comfortable cushion for our day to day income which keeps the Church warm and lovely for us on a Sunday morning, we must surely reflect on why the hall was built in Broomsleigh Street in the first place in the late nineteenth century.  It was the vision of its founders and benefactors to be as a resource to the whole community of West Hampstead, not just the gathered, worshipping congregation.

In planning our development appeal in the coming months, the PCC on your behalf will be reflecting on how we raise the funds.  Quite simply, in an area of comparative affluence such as West Hampstead, we will not be eligible for grants and loans whilst sitting on such a large portfolio of investments.  We will, of course, be acting prudently and it will never be the intention to sell all the family silver but crucial to our thinking will be how the development project is central to our Mission Action Plan in the coming years and as we honour the intention of those who initially raised the funds for the hall so that Emmanuel Church continues to be presence and engagement for the whole local community.

Anyone walking down Mill Lane cannot fail to notice our lovely new School building going up adjacent to the open space, due to open its doors this coming academic year.   By agreement with the Borough and other local schools we will gradually be filling up from reception class upwards so that we will not be at full capacity on roll until 2017.

There is, however, a dire shortage of school places throughout the Borough and especially in the north west part of it.  As our school will not be at full capacity until 2017 the Governors agreed to a request from Camden that we should take an extra, parallel reception class for the coming year.  Our new £8 million building, financed by public money, would at first be like a brand new hospital opening without all its wards in action and so, after taking very careful advice, we agreed to this request.  The extra places in the parallel reception class have been offered by Camden to children in the immediate local vicinity of the school so that we continue to be an inclusive school at the service of the whole wider community.

Well, any priest of a parish, is only as good as his or her team and the life and witness of a parish is something in which must see ministry as partnership, not only with clergy colleagues and officers, but with each and every person in the parish.  In this regard we are ALL ministers in the fullest sense of the term.  As a priest friend of mine often says the Church is like a ship in which we are all crew and no one is merely a passenger.

But special thanks must go to William and Don our Churchwardens, to Marco, our treasurer, ably assisted by Diana as book-keeper and to all the members of the PCC.

Above all my heartfelt thanks go to my clergy colleagues Mothers Annette, Alysoun and Claire who assist me so very ably in the pastoral, liturgical and spiritual life of the parish.  People don’t always realize that they all do what they do for the parish as self-supporting ministers and without pay.   On your behalf may I thank all of them for all that they do.

And so, in concluding, my sincere thanks go to each and every one of you for making Emmanuel such a wonderful place in which to serve as your parish priest and as we commit ourselves in the service of the Good Shepherd and his people throughout this local community in all that is to come.  To God, then, who in Jesus Christ loves us into salvation, be praise and glory, both now and in all eternity.  Amen.

Dear all

Greetings to you all as we prepare to embark on Holy Week – the time of year when we most closely walk with Our Lord in his earthly and heavenly journey – a pilgrimage which is ultimately also yours and mine.

On PALM SUNDAY we shall celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey with our children’s palm procession and when we shall hear his passion according to St Mark dramatically enacted.  At the end of Palm Sunday Andrew and the Choir have been working hard to provide CHORAL EVENSONG for us at 6.30 pm.  During the first three days of Holy Week we shall wait patiently with him, pondering his divine love in simple celebrations of the Eucharist (with devotional addresses by the clergy) on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 8 pm.

After the Chrism Eucharist in St Paul’s Cathedral on MAUNDY THURSDAY at 10.30 am when the clergy renew their ordination promises and the Bishop of London blesses the holy oils for the coming year, we gather in Church at 8 pm for the SUNG EUCHARIST OF THE LORD’S SUPPER. This is the beginning of the ‘PASCHAL TRIDUUM’ (or great three days) leading up to Easter.  They are essentially ONE liturgy, each ending on an unresolved chord until we get to the great climax and crescendo of Easter.  On Maundy Thursday we recall Christ’s new commandment that we are to love one another as he has loved us (powerfully demonstrated in his washing the disciples feet) and the institution of the Holy Eucharist.  At the end of the Eucharist we move to the altar of repose in the south aisle, beautifully decorated with candles and flowers symbolising the Garden of Gethsemane, whilst the high altar and sanctuary are dramatically stripped of their hangings, calling to mind the desolation of the Cross.

GOOD FRIDAY begins with our STATIONS OF THE CROSS FOR CHILDREN at 10.30 am as we walk the fourteen stations of Christ’s last journey with him.  This service lasts about half an hour at the end of which we will serve hot cross buns and juice.  In the afternoon we at 2 pm we have LITURGY OF THE LORD”S PASSION AND DEATH, veneration of the Cross and holy communion from the sacrament consecrated on Maundy Thursday and reserved at the altar of repose.

HOLY SATURDAY begins with Church cleaning at 10.30 am am as we get the Church ready to welcome our risen Lord.  Many hands make light work and all help will be very gratefully received.

Following our custom last year, we will be celebrating the traditional EASTER VIGIL on Holy Saturday evening at 8 pm.  The liturgy starts outside the Church in darkness as we light the new fire, symbolising Christ’s resurrection from the dead and from that new fire we light the large Paschal (or Easter) Candle which is dramatically brought into the darkened Church as we hear the ‘exultet’ in praise of the resurrection and hear a short and beautiful sequence of readings starting with the creation of the word, through the Exodus from Egypt, leading through to the resurrection.  This is quintessentially the Easter Liturgy like no other and it would be lovely if as many of you could join us for this which will be followed by Easter BUBBLY, FIREWORKS and a PARTY.

On EASTER DAY after the quiet 8 o’clock Eucharist, we gather for our FESTAL FAMILY EUCHARIST at 10 am, followed by an Easter egg hunt for the children, generously sponsored by Chelsea Square

I very much look forward to celebrating this greatest of weeks with you.  My clergy colleagues join me in wishing you and all those you love a very happy Easter.

With my love and prayers, as always,

Fr Jonathan

Dear all

I hope this finds you well.  The Church year is marching on apace and Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on 22 February 2012.

The image most commonly associated with Lent is that of the desert into which Jesus went for forty days and forty nights.  It’s in the desert that we are confronted with ourselves, stripped of all pretence and where we learn once again our absolute dependence on our creator, redeemer and sustainer God.  The other image associated with Lent is that of the springtime of the year. Our term “Lent” is derived from an old English word meaning “the lengthening of days”.

The origins of Lent lie in earliest communities of Christians who lived in the decades and centuries following the death and resurrection of Christ.  Lent was originally the final period of preparation for those who were to be baptized and confirmed during the great Vigil of Easter.  Before long it was felt that all Christians could do with a period of refreshment in their spiritual lives once a year, during which their apsiration would be to grow in prayer and in their relationship with God in ways that would bear fruit for the rest of the year.  And so it was that Lent came about.

Here at Emmanuel, as in Churches throughout the world and down the centuries, we have a number of extra activities during Lent which we hope that many of you will be able to share in as we refresh ourselves in God’s sacred spring time of the year.

Wednesdays in Lent – LENT COURSE – 8 pm at the Vicarage.
Along with fellow Churches across the denominations in Churches Together in Hampstead we will be following a Lent Course exploring some of the hard sayings of Jesus in the Gospels.  There are a number of passages in the Gospels in which Jesus says things which are not always easily understandable.  Examples of these are, “You must not think I have come to bring peace to the earth: I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew10:34) or “I tell you this: no sin, no slander is beyond forgiveness for people; but whoever slanders the Holy Spirit can never be forgiven…” (Mark 3:38-39).  Over the weeks of Lent we will be exploring how some of these tricky passages have been understood through the centuries and how we might apply them to our Christian lives today.  Everyone is warmly welcome at any or all of the sessions.  Basic notes for the sessions are available at the back of Church.

Fridays in Lent – STATIONS OF THE CROSS – 7 pm in Church.
I’m sure you must have noticed the fourteen Stations of the Cross which hang around the walls of Emmanuel.  These are Nineteenth Century oleographs depicting the last walk of Jesus from his trial at the hands of Pontius Pilate right through to the Crucifixion and his being taken to the garden tomb.  Stations of the Cross are the traditional stopping points on that journey and, at each one, we pause briefly to reflect on an aspect of our own discipleship or the life and witness of the Church and praying for something in our world of today.   This beautiful services takes no more than half an hour and begins each Friday in Lent 7 pm.  All are warmly welcome.

Why not attend an extra weekday celebration of the Eucharist ?
Each Sunday morning we advertise in the notice sheet and aloud in the verbal notices the weekday Eucharists.  These are shorter, reflective said services through which we offer ourselves and our whole lives to God.  It’s at these services that the sick and departed are prayed for each day and at each service we pray for a different street in the parish.  Each Eucharist also has its own specific prayer intention (shown on the weekly sheet).  These services are not bolt-on extras but they are central to the life of prayer at Emmanuel – the seed bed out of which all else goes.  If you are free, why not make it part of your Lenten springtime discipline to come along either on Monday evenings at 7.30 pm on Wednesday lunchtimes at 12.30 pm.  The School Eucharist at 2.30 pm on Thursdays is a public service and parents, carers and friends are warmly invited to attend this lovely weekly service with the children of Emmanuel School.

DIOCESAN LENTEN APPEAEL 2012 –Wheels for ministry in Angola & Mozambique
Our Diocese of London has for many years enjoyed a specific partnership with the Anglican Dioceses of Angola & Mozambique.  Each year there is a specific appeal during Lent for a particular aspect of the life and ministry of these sister dioceses.  This year the appeal is to provide vehicles which will assist in the vital Church work in these places.  Further details can be found at http://www.london.anglican.org/LentAppeal.  Specifically at Emmanuel we will be holding our annual Lent Lunch on the Fifth Sunday of Lent – 25 March 2012 – after the 10 o’clock Parish Eucharist.  A simple bread, soup and cheese lunch will be provided – the idea being that you would donate to this very worthy charity what you would have spent on your family Sunday Roast or at a local restaurant in West Hampstead.  The Domestic & Catering Committee will be sending out more information in the coming Sunday mornings as the time draws closer.

Mothering Sunday : 18 MARCH 2012
As is our custom, the children and staff of Emmanuel School will be joining the regular congregation of Emmanuel for a Community Eucharist for Mothering Sunday at 10 o’clock as we give thanks for our own mothers, our membership of mother Church and Mary, the Mother of Jesus.  It’s one the great highlights of the year, celebrating the partnership between Church and School.

Are you a member of Emmanuel’s ELECTORAL ROLL?  Emmanuel needs you…
The Church Electoral Roll is the formal list of all those over the age of sixteen who are members of Emmanuel Church.  It is a bit like a family photograph and a large, healthy Electoral Roll is the sign of a large and healthy Church family.  If you are not yet a member of the Electoral Roll, we’d love to have you on it.  Forms will shortly be available at the back of Church.

Holy Week & Easter 2012
In our next mailing we will be sending out details of our services for Holy Week and Easter, one of the highlights of which will be the Easter Vigil and First Eucharist of Easter on Saturday 7th April at 8 pm, followed by bubbly and sparkling refreshments and fireworks in the Church grounds.  We did this for the first time last year and it was a great success.  Why not come along again this year and help establish this as another great Emmanuel tradition.  There are also plans for an Easter egg hunt on the morning of Easter Day following the Parish Eucharist.  Watch this space for more details…

Welcome Andrew…
Last, but by no means least, a very warm welcome to Andrew Earwaker, our new Organist and Director of Music.  Andrew comes to us after serving at St Mary’s Church, East Barnet where until recently he has served as Organist & Director of Music.  Before that he was Assistant Organist at St Margaret’s Barking (the old Barking Abbey Church).  Andrew is looking to grow and expand the Choir and musical tradition at Emmanuel.  We are always looking for new singers in Emmanuel Choir (especially men’s voices).  We are also looking to re-form our Children’s Choir for the All age Eucharist in the first Sunday of each month.  If you or your child are interested in our Choirs, Andrew would love to hear from you at andrewearwaker@me.com or on 07518 277 056

My colleagues Mothers Alysoun, Annette and Claire join me in thanking you all for all that each and every one of you does for the life of Emmanuel and which makes our Church such a special place in which to serves as your priests.  We much look forward to keeping Lent 2012 with you and to celebrating the Great Festival of Easter with you when it comes.

With love and prayers, as always,

Fr Jonathan

Dear all

Autumnal greetings !

As I write the first leaves are beginning to fall from the trees and autumn is upon us with its promise of beautiful hues of russet and gold all around us.  The ongoing cycle of nature continues to provide us with a living parable of the new life, decay and harvest which is at the heart of our faith.

Here at Emmanuel October provides us with a slightly different pattern to our life together and worship.  This coming Sunday will be a regular Sung Eucharist, during which we celebrate the joy of our monthly baptisms, recalling our own baptismal promises and celebrating the new life and vitality with which God is always breaking into his creation.  There will be no Evensong this month as we move to a pattern of having this beautiful choral service slightly less regularly in the hope of drawing bigger congregations and as we await the appointment of a new Director of Music.

Harvest Festival – Sunday 9 October 2011
The following Sunday we celebrate Harvest Festival at the 10 o’clock Sung Eucharist when we warmly welcome children, staff and governors from Emmanuel School.  This is a tangible demonstration of the creative and collaborative relationship between Church and School in the service of the wider community of West Hampstead and as we eagerly await the opening of the new building in 2012.  Once again this joyful occasion will include the children’s performance of the Harvest Samba as we praise God for the abundant gifts of his creation and pray for a more just and equitable distribution of the world’s resources.

Confirmation Preparation 2011
Bishop Peter will be coming to Emmanuel for our annual service of Confirmation on Sunday 4 December 2011, when he will confirm both children and adults.  Confirmation preparation will begin after the October half term.  If you are interested in Confirmation – either for yourself or for your child – please don’t hesitate to speak to Mother Alysoun or myself.  We’d love to have you in this year’s Confirmation group.

Mother Annette
It was lovely to see so many people at Mother Annette’s Licensing last week, as she becomes more formally part of the clergy team here at Emmanuel, working together with me and Mothers Alysoun and Claire.  I am fortunate in having such a wonderful team of colleagues to share in ministry in West Hampstead – all of whom give their time and their great talents to Emmanuel for free.

All Souls Day – Wednesday 2 November 2011
November is very much a month of remembrance and once again we shall be having a Sung Requiem for All Souls’ Day on Wednesday 2 November at 8 pm. The All Souls’ Requiem Eucharist gives us a special opportunity each year of remembering all our loved ones who have gone before us, who have helped us on our own life’s pilgrimage and reflected God’s gift of life and love to us.  If you would like a loved one remembered at this service a list will shortly be available at the back of Church.

Vicarage & Grounds Clearing Day – Thanks!
Many thanks to all those who came and helped on the Vicarage and grounds clearing day.  Much preparatory work was done in advance of a new lawn being laid behind the Vicarage and essential landscaping carried out, transforming it from a rough and craggy wilderness into a garden of Eden at the heart of the Metropolis.  I much look forward to using the garden very much more in the social life of the parish and in our outreach to the local community.

Church Floor & Building Development Project
As I write, we will be moving forward in obtaining the final designs and seeking professional tenders for the work to be done.  This is going to be a major project and for which we will need to undertake major fundraising.  The project will not only correct the undulating floor of the Church, but enable the Church to be used much more by the wider local community in the new rooms and facilities which we will have.  It is a core value of our Mission Action Plan (MAP) that we should be an incarnational presence at the heart of the wider local community, as we live out the life of Christ who came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Ongoing Housekeeping & Stewardship
Equally as important as the building project is our ongoing housekeeping and stewardship of the every day things at Emmanuel.  Unfortunately the wherewithal for this does not descend like manna from heaven and we have to raise locally ALL our funds for the ongoing life and mission of the Church.  This includes everything from electricity and gas bills, insurance premiums, the upkeep of services, tuning and maintenance of the organ and pianos, Director of Music’s honorarium and my stipend, amongst many other things.  I hope you think it’s worth it!  Once again Marco Mongiello (our Treasurer) and the Stewardship team will be embarking on our annual awareness campaign.  We are so grateful for all that you all so generously give us which makes the abundant life, ministry and mission of Emmanuel possible.

As we embark upon the autumn our overwhelming response to God continues to be one of gratitude and thanksgiving – for the life and vitality of our parish, itself a reflection of the abundant life and love which flows from the heart of God himself.

With my love and prayers, as always,

Fr Jonathan

Dear all

SCHOOL’S BACK

I hope that by the time you read this emailing you will all have had a good and restful summer and, if you have remained in the UK, have enjoyed what sun there has been in another traditional British summer!  As I write, schools, colleges and universities are preparing for the new term.  We warmly welcome all the new children to reception and other classes at Emmanuel School and we wish all those who left school last term every blessing and happiness in their new schools.

St Benedict (c 480 – 543), the father of monasticism, once famously referred to the monastery – and by extension the whole Church – as a “school of the Lord’s service”.  Our common endeavour is always to grow in our knowledge and love of God and of one another.  Here at Emmanuel it has been a great blessing to welcome so many new people to the Church in recent months, so a very warm welcome to you if you are reading one of Emmanuel’s emailings for the first time.  Emmanuel Church very much depends on each and every one of us as members of the family of God here and your regular attendance at worship on Sundays and in all our other activities is very much appreciated.  We depend on you to ensure that Emmanuel remains strong and healthy and a lively witness of God’s love and hope for many generations to come.

THIS COMING SUNDAY
This coming Sunday is the first Family Eucharist of the new term when our 10 o’clock Eucharist will be especially geared to the children, with them reading, leading the prayers, serving at the altar and there will be a talk especially for them around the theme of new beginnings.  In the evening at 6.30 pm we will have our traditional service of Choral Evensong from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.  It would be lovely to increase the size of this congregation, so please do come along and bring your neighbours and friends.

CHILDREN’S CHOIR
During the Family Eucharist our children’s choir will be singing and Ben would like to have a rehearsal with them at 9 o’clock on Sunday morning in the choir room upstairs above the Sunday School room.  New members are always welcome in the children’s choir.  If you would like to find out more about the children’s choir, or specifically about this coming Sunday, please feel free to contact Ben at benlsmith320@gmail.com

SUNDAY SCHOOL
Our growing Sunday School will resume after the summer holidays on 11th September.  We are so grateful to all those who volunteer to lead and help in Sunday School.  We are always looking for more volunteers to help so that we can continue to expand this ministry still further.  I am delighted that Claire Hammett has now taken on the role of Sunday School co-ordinator.  Claire and I are working on the new Sunday School rota at the moment – If you would like to help with Sunday School we’d love to hear from you – either by contacting me or Claire at clairehammett74@btinternet.com

CHURCH AND GROUNDS WORKING DAY
On Saturday 10th September from 11 am we will be having one of our regular church and grounds working parties as we ensure that the outside of the Church continues to be a beacon of welcome to all who pass by.  We will also be working on the grounds behind the Church and Vicarage as we seek use them for far more Church and community activities.  We would love to see as many as possible for this – many hands make light work – and we will be serving soup, bread cheese and even the fruit of the vine for all those able to come!

MOTHER ANNETTE FRITZE-SHANKS
Over the past few years Mother Annette has become a much loved member of the clergy team here at Emmanuel and we all greatly value her pastoral care, wisdom and sacramental ministry.  Hitherto Mother Annette has been been authorised to be here simply by a diocesan wide permission to officiate.  I am delighted to say that Bishop Peter has agreed to license Mother Annette formally to the parish and he will be coming to Emmanuel on Monday 19th September at 7 pm to preside at the Eucharist and to license her.  I am conscious that weekday evenings are not always the best time for members of Emmanuel with young families, but I do hope that as many of you as possible will make every effort to be with us to support Mother Annette and to celebrate with us this important occasion in our parish life together.

PRAYER AND STUDY GROUPS
During the coming months we will be beginning two new groups at Emmanuel.  Mother Annette will be starting a new prayer group, which will meet regularly to undergird all that we do at Emmanuel in prayer and to pray especially for people and concerns in the wider community and further afield.  We would also like to start some sort of regular study or book group which will meet regularly and informally.  Watch this space and the pew sheet for further details as to when these will begin.

CONFIRMATION PREPARATION
After the autumn half term we will be commencing Confirmation preparation for the Bishop Peter’s Advent visit to Emmanuel in December.  A children’s class will be meeting at the school during the school day, but if there are other children not at Emmanuel School who would like to be confirmed, we will also run another class at a different time.  Adult preparation classes will be on a weekday evening.  If you would like to find out more about Confirmation, please don’t hesitate to speak to me or one of my clergy colleagues.  It would be lovely to have a large Confirmation group again this year.

TEA AND COFFEE ROTA
We all love the opportunity we have to meet over tea and coffee after the Sunday morning liturgy.  To enable this to happen we very much depend on our faithful rota of volunteers, although we are always looking for more volunteers to add to the rota.  If you feel that you are able to help your Church in this way Casey Hammett would love to hear from you at cemcdh@yahoo.co.uk

EMMANUEL SCHOOL
All who come in a several mile radius of West Hampstead cannot fail to see the large crane over the site of the new school on Mill Lane as work continues to build our new, state-of-the-art, building.  As I write, deep piling has taken place, the foundations laid, and the deep level of the plant room and the new hall at the front put into place.  If you pass the site on Mill Lane you will notice perspex viewing windows – at both child and adult height – have been put into the perimeter fencing so that you can see the work as it progresses.  As we begin the new term we look forward to seeing the new school go up throughout the year in readiness for its opening in September 2012.

BEN LEWIS-SMITH
It has been great having Ben with us since last September and he has done so much to develop the choir and expand the music at Emmanuel.  Sadly, Ben, will be moving on at the end of September and has been appointed to a post at St Columba’s Church of Scotland Church in Knightsbridge.  As some of you may know, Ben travels all the way from Clapham to Emmanuel and this has sometimes been quite a long and complex journey for him, so he has, understandably, accepted a post nearer home.  We thank Ben most sincerely for all that he has done with us during his time at Emmanuel.  We are in the process of searching for a new Director of Music, but in the short intervening period after September, our music will be covered by a couple of visiting organists.

There is so much happening at Emmanuel as September begins and our life together is characterised by its usual vibrancy.  It is a great place to serve as your Parish Priest and I and my clergy colleagues are most grateful for all that each and every one of you does for the life of our community.  It is very much appreciated.

With my love and prayers, as always,

Fr Jonathan

Dear all

Summer greetings to you all !

I hope that wherever the summer finds you, at home or on holiday, it will be for you a time of rest and relaxation in preparation for all that is to come in the autumn.

The past month or so have been full and memorable for us at Emmanuel.  At the end of June Mother Alysoun was ordained to the priesthood at Hampstead Parish Church, alongside Mothers Emma Smith and Christine Cargill.  The following Sunday we celebrated our patronal festival of Corpus Christi, which was also the occasion on which Mother Alysoun presided at the Eucharist for the first time.  It was lovely to see such a full Church for this happy occasion.  Thank you so much to everyone who worked so hard to make the weekend go so smoothly and for it to be such a celebration of the full and rich life of the people of God here.

During August when so many are away on holiday things move to a slightly slower pace at the Church, although the worship of almighty God never ceases!  The first Sunday of August will be an ordinary sung celebration of the Eucharist and there will be no Evensong.  We very much look forward to our next Family Eucharist and Choral Evensong on the first Sunday in September.  It is wonderful that so many of our children want to play a full part in our liturgy, doing the readings, leading the prayers, serving at the altar and singing in the choir.  People sometimes refer to children as the future of the Church, but they are also very much the present of the Church, alongside people of every age, all of whose presence we value and celebrate.

OVER 50s FELLOWSHIP
We very much value the older and senior members of our congregation, whose wisdom and prayerfulness contributes so much to our life of prayer, witness and service.  As usual our over 50s Fellowship meets for the Eucharist and lunch on Wednesday 10th August at 1230.  Please do come along and bring your friends and neighbours.

MOTHER ANNETTE FRITZE-SHANKS
Over the past few years Mother Annette has become a much loved member of the clergy team here at Emmanuel and we all greatly value her pastoral care, wisdom and sacramental ministry.  Hitherto Mother Annette has been been authorised to be here simply by a diocesan wide permission to officiate.  I am delighted to say that Bishop Peter has agreed to license Mother Annette formally to the parish and he will be coming to Emmanuel on Monday 19th September at 7 pm to preside at the Eucharist and to license her.  I am conscious that weekday evenings are not always the best time for members of Emmanuel with young families, but I do hope that as many of you as possible will make every effort to be with us to support Mother Annette and to celebrate with us this important occasion in our parish life together.

SUNDAY SCHOOL
Our growing Sunday School has now broken up for the summer holidays, but will be beginning again in September.  We are so grateful to all those who volunteer to lead and help in Sunday School.  We are always looking for more volunteers to help so that we can continue to expand this ministry still further.  I am delighted that Claire Hammett has now taken on the role of Sunday School co-ordinator.  If you would like to help with Sunday School we’d love to hear from you – either by contacting me or Claire at clairehammett74@btinternet.com

TEA AND COFFEE ROTA
We all love the opportunity we have to meet over tea and coffee after the Sunday morning liturgy.  To enable this to happen we very much depend on our faithful rota of volunteers, although we are always looking for more volunteers to add to the rota.  If you feel that you are able to help your Church in this way Casey Hammett would love to hear from you at cemcdh@yahoo.co.uk

CHURCHYARD & BUILDINGS WORKING GROUP
At Emmanuel we are starting a new group which we are calling the Guild of St Joseph the Carpenter who will work periodically to ensure that our lovely Church building and grounds remain in good order.  Our next working party will be on Saturday 10 September from 11 am onwards, when refreshments and a light lunch will also be served.  Do put the date in your diaries and come along if you possibly can.  Many hands make light work.

WEBSITE
We apologise for the break in transmission of the website which had been “phished”, corrupting its contents to those who visited on line.  Many thanks to Sukey for helping rectify this and the many hours she spent cleaning it and getting it back on line.  I am delighted to say that Enitan Williams has agreed to take on the role of webmaster as we develop this vital form of electronic communication into the future.

THE SCHOOL
All who come in a several mile radius of West Hampstead cannot fail to see the large crane over the site of the new school on Mill Lane as work continues to build our new, state-of-the-art, building.  As I write, deep piling has taken place, the foundations laid, and the deep level of the plant room and the new hall at the front put into place.  If you pass the site on Mill Lane you will notice perspex viewing windows – at both child and adult height – have been put into the perimeter fencing so that you can see the work as it progresses.  At the end of term we said farewell not only to our leaving children but also to Joyce Gregory, Diane Laherty and Katrina Dinzer who have been teaching assistants over many years.  We thank them most sincerely for everything that they have contributed to the school over the years and wish them every blessing for the future.

As we enjoy the warm, lengthy days of summer there is so much for which to give thanks at both Church and School.  Thank you so much for everything that each and every one of you does for the life of our parish.

It is a privilege and honour to serve as your parish priest.

With my love and prayers, as always,

Fr Jonathan

Dear all

HAPPY EASTER – all 50 days of it!

It was lovely to celebrate Easter, both at the Vigil on Saturday night and on Sunday morning which such full a church.  This is the first time we have celebrated the Easter Vigil here at Emmanuel and the rich symbolism of lighting the new fire in the dimming light of the evening and bringing the Easter Candle as the only light into the darkened Church was deeply evident.  Making the first celebration of Easter the Vigil on the Saturday night comes from the tradition of the earliest Christians (taken over from their Jewish antecedents) that the new day commences at sundown the previous day (cf the accounts of creation in Genesis Chapter 1 – “evening came and morning, the first, second… day).  Many thanks to all who worked so hard throughout the whole of Holy Week as we kept pace with our Lord in his final earthly journey.  Especial thanks to all who took part in our liturgies: our altar servers, our readers and Ben and our choir who excelled in Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Parry’s “I was glad” on Easter Day and all those who cleaned the Church and arranged the flowers on Holy Saturday.

But of course Easter is not just one day but a full FIFTY days leading up to and including the great festival of Pentecost (this year 12 June) as the coming of the Holy Spirit is the fulfilment of the promises of Easter and God’s presence in the world, until Christ comes again in glory.

There is lots to look forward to in the coming weeks and months:

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK begins this year on Sunday 15th May and we much look forward to welcoming as our speaker at the 10 o’clock Sung Eucharist Stephanie Hubbard from the London area office of Christian Aid.  Stephanie will be talking about the ecumenical and international work of Christian Aid in bringing relief and aid to the poorest and most deprived communities of the world.  In giving as generously as we can to Christian Aid we express our solidarity with our brothers and sisters throughout the world in some very challenging situations.  It would be lovely to have as full a Church as possible for this important fundraising occasion.

That same afternoon, Mozaik Voices of Belgium and Rudsabee Company of Singers will perform here at Emmanuel.  Free admission with a retiring collection and all proceeds going to Emmanuel Church funds.  This is part of the London Sangerstevne organised by Philip Norman Music Services.  For further details please see www.sangerstevne.org.uk

MOTHER ALYSOUN’S ORDINATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD & FIRST CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST
It’s hard to believe that Mother Alysoun has now been with us for very nearly a year, following her ordination as deacon in St Paul’s Cathedral and she has become a much loved part of Emmanuel’s family.  As her deacon’s year is complete, Mother Alysoun will be ordained priest by Bishop Richard Harries, alongside Emma Smith (formerly our Reader here at Emmanuel) and Christine Cargill (from Ss Mary and James) on Friday 24 June at 7 pm in St John-at-Hampstead. This venue has been chosen as it is the largest church of our three parishes so that as many as possible can attend this happy occasion.

The following Sunday – 26 June – will see Mother Alysoun presiding at the Holy Eucharist for the first time.  The first occasion at which a newly ordained priest presides at the Eucharist is a deeply significant and happy occasion in that priest’s life and the life of the parish in which they serve.  By happy coincidence Mother Alysoun’s first Eucharist will also be our Patronal festival of CORPUS CHRISTI, so it will be even more extra special for us at Emmanuel!  As usual we shall be having our customary parish lunch after the Eucharist, but I do hope everyone at Emmanuel will make every effort to be present for this milestone in Mother Alysoun’s life and vocation and the life of our parish.

NEWS FROM EMMANUEL SCHOOL
As I write, a large candle celebrating Christ the light of the world has been received by Emmanuel School and then passed on to St Mary’s School, Kilburn.  This candle celebrates the 200th anniversary of the founding of the National Society by Joshua Watson in 1811, which provided the equal opportunity for an education for all children, irrespective of wealth or social status.  The candle is slowly travelling around the 150 Church of England Schools in the Diocese of London and we received it in turn from All Saints School in Childs Hill.  It was lovely to welcome many parents and guests from the local community at our celebration this morning on the first day of term.  Emmanuel School was founded in 1845 and has the lovely inscription over the door of “Early will I seek thee”.  As we look to the future, pile driving has now begun at the site of the new school and we eagerly anticipate our expanded school opening in September 2012.  In preparation for this we will be taking a full form entry at reception this autumn, as the reception classroom is the statutory size for a full class.  This eases the pressure on places Borough-wide and we much look forward to the new children starting in September.

DEPUTY LIEUTENANT – congratulations!
Many congratulations to our Executive Head – Sheila McCalla-Gordon – who has been appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for London by Her Majesty the Queen.  This is a great honour for Sheila and we offer her our warmest congratulations.

As Christians our primary vocation is to give thanks to God for his amazing and wonderful generosity.  This Easter there is much for which to give thanks.  Our Electoral Roll at the Annual Meeting rose to 257 – we give thanks for this great growth in number and in our knowledge and love of God and one another as we seek to grow still further for the future.

Emmanuel is a great place in which to serve as your parish priest.  Thank you for your ongoing generosity and support of our community.

With my love and prayers, as always,

Fr Jonathan

Dear all

THIS GREATEST OF WEEKS @ EMMANUEL

This coming Sunday is PALM SUNDAY and marks the beginning of HOLY WEEK – the week in the Church’s calendar when we walk most closely of all with our Lord.  On PALM SUNDAY we shall celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey with our children’s palm procession and when we shall hear his passion according to St Matthew dramatically proclaimed.  During the first three days of Holy Week we shall wait patiently with him, pondering his divine love in simple celebrations of the Eucharist (with devotional addresses by the clergy) on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 8 pm.

After the Chrism Eucharist in St Paul’s Cathedral on MAUNDY THURSDAY at 10.30 am when the clergy of the diocese renew their ordination promises and the Bishop of London blesses the holy oils for the coming year, we gather in Church at 8 pm for the SUNG EUCHARIST OF THE LORD’S SUPPER. This is the beginning of the ‘PASCHAL TRIDUUM’ (or great three days) leading up to Easter.  They are essentially ONE liturgy, each ending on an unresolved chord until we get to the great climax and crescendo of Easter.  On Maundy Thursday we recall Christ’s new commandment that we are to love one another as he has loved us (powerfully demonstrated in his washing the disciples feet) and the institution of the Holy Eucharist.  At the end of the Eucharist we move to the altar of repose in the south aisle, beautifully decorated with candles and flowers symbolising the Garden of Gethsemane, whilst the high altar and sanctuary are dramatically stripped of their hangings, calling to mind the desolation of the Cross.

GOOD FRIDAY begins with our STATIONS OF THE CROSS FOR CHILDREN at 10.30 am as we walk the fourteen stations of Christ’s last journey with him.  This service lasts about half an hour at the end of which we will serve hot cross buns and juice.  In the afternoon we at 2 pm we have LITURGY OF THE LORD”S PASSION AND DEATH, veneration of the Cross and holy communion from the sacrament consecrated on Maundy Thursday and reserved at the altar of repose.

HOLY SATURDAY begins with Church cleaning at 10 am as we get the Church ready to welcome our risen Lord.  Many hands make light work and all help will be very gratefully received.

For the first time at Emmanuel we will be celebrating the traditional EASTER VIGIL on Holy Saturday evening at 8 pm.  The liturgy starts outside the Church in darkness as we light the new fire, symbolising Christ’s resurrection from the dead and from that new fire we light the large Paschal (or Easter) Candle which is dramatically brought into the darkened Church as we hear the ‘exultet’ in praise of the resurrection and hear a short and beautiful sequence of readings starting with the creation of the word, through the Exodus from Egypt, leading through to the resurrection.  This is quintessentially the Easter Liturgy like no other and it would be lovely if as many of you could join us for this which will be followed by Easter bubbly and a party.

On EASTER DAY after the quiet 8 o’clock Eucharist, we gather for our FESTAL FAMILY EUCHARIST at 10 am.  Ben and the Choir have been working really hard to learn the Mozart “Coronation Mass” for this special Easter Festal Eucharist.

I very much look forward to celebrating this greatest of weeks with you.  My clergy colleagues join me in wishing you and all those you love a very happy Easter.

With my love and prayers, as always,

Fr Jonathan

Dear all

SPRINGTIME GREETINGS

I hope that this finds you well.  All around us plants are springing up from the dark cold of the ground below as spring (at last) gets underway.  It seems that nature itself is a powerful parable of the cycle of new life which eternally springs from darkness and death.  Jesus himself reflects on this when he says, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain, but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24).

With the late date of Easter this year, Lent begins in the second week of March.  The word “Lent” is derived from and old English word for “the springtime of the year” or, quite literally, “the lengthening of days”.  Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (March 9th) when there will be two Eucharists celebrated at Emmanuel – a School Eucharist at 2.30 pm (which parents and any members of the parish are very welcome to attend) and a Sung Eucharist at 8 pm.  Central to the Eucharist of Ash Wednesday is the imposition of a small cross in ash on our foreheads, powerfully recalling our mortality and our utter dependence on God, the source and origin of all life and love.  It would be lovely to have a large congregation (especially in the evening) as we get Lent off to a good start.

LENTEN STUDY
As the sacred springtime of the year, Lent is especially a time when we seek renewal and refreshment in the joy of our faith.  This year our parish Lent course will be exploring the tangible ways in which we live out our faith, following a short booklet called: “Guidelines for Christian Living”.  The group, which will involve informal discussion is pen to everyone and will meet for five Wednesday evenings in the Vicarage at 8 pm beginning March 16th.

LENTEN APPEAL
Once again during Lent we will be supporting the Bishop of London’s Lent appeal for our partner Anglican Dioceses of Angola and Mozambique, which have seen remarkable Church growth, in the context of great material poverty.  This year’s appeal is called “Training God’s People” and, once again, we shall be having our annual Lenten lunch in support of the appeal on Sunday 27th March after the Sung Eucharist.  For further details of the appeal, please see the display at the back of Church or click on http://www.almalink.org.

LENTEN THANKS
Thank you to all of you who have completed Gift Aid and Standing Order forms which are still coming in.  The results have been very encouraging and we are most grateful to you all for your generosity.  It is still not too late to complete a standing order form or a gift aid form (available at the back of Church).  Further information can be gained from our parish treasurer, Marco Mongiello on m.mongiello@imperial.ac.uk.

LENTEN OUTREACH
The begin our Lent this year finds us revising our Mission Action Plan (last done in 2008) and doing some focused thinking about how we might connect more fully with the wider local community of West Hampstead.  As we move forward with the plans for the interior of the Church, we are looking at ways in which we might be a more servant-hearted community, making our resources available to more community groups and enabling more community activity to take place in the Church.  On your behalf the PCC is conscious of the biblical teaching “Those to whom much is given much will be required” (Luke 12:48) and how we might make some of the proceeds from the sale of the hall in Broomsleigh Street available for the Church redevelopment.  It was the vision of our forebears, in building the hall in Broosmleigh Street, for it to be primarily a community resource.  We are exploring how we might honour that vision by using some of those resources to create more community space at the Church, whilst retaining a significant amount of them for an ongoing source of investment income to those who come after us.

ELECTORAL ROLL REVISION
A reminder that we are in the midst of our Electoral Roll revision.  Our Church electoral roll is the formal membership list of all those over 16 who are members of Emmanuel Church.  A large electoral roll is a healthy and vibrant church.  If you are not yet on our electoral roll we’d love to have you on it.  Forms are available at the back of Church and.  Further information can be gained from our Electoral Roll Officer Carrie Reiners on creiners60657@yahoo.com

ANNUAL MEETING AND NEW PCC MEMBERS WANTED…
Our Annual Meeting this year follows he Sung Eucharist on Sunday 10th April.  This is the time when the accounts for the year are presented and the Churchwardens, Parochial Church Council (PCC) members and officers are elected for the coming year.  An APCM, far from being a dull and dreary meeting is a celebration of Church life.  We are looking for more members to join the PCC as the elected members of the congregation.  If you’d like to consider being on the PCC and participating in the decision making surrounding the exciting  development and growth of Emmanuel in the year to come, we’d love to hear from you.

As the springtime begins, the signs of new life and growth are clearly evident in our Church family.  Thank you to each and every one of you for the part you play in making our church community the vibrant and special place that it is.

With my love and prayers, as always,

Fr Jonathan

Dear all

THANK YOU

I hope this finds you well in the chilly cold of early February.  Thankfully the warmth and vitality of our Church family here at Emmanuel keeps us well insulated whatever the weather.  We are most grateful to you for commitment and support, both by your presence with us and your tangible support through your giving.  Like every other Anglican Church up and down the country we are entirely dependent on our members for the £1700 each week that we need to run Emmanuel Church.

Thank you to all of you who have completed Gift Aid and Standing Order forms. The scheme of Gift Aid allows the Church to claim back from tax an extra 25% on your gift at no extra cost to yourself and greatly helps us at the Church.  Giving by Standing Order allows your giving to made automatically and saves you the worry when you come out of your house on a Sunday morning of cash for the collection. It also helps us in planning and budgeting for the year ahead.  There is still time to complete either or both forms which are available at the back of Church.  Please be assured that all giving is entirely and properly confidential to our Church giving officer.  If you have any queries about this please don’t hesitate to contact our treasurer, Marco Mongiello on m.mongiello@imperial.ac.uk

ELECTORAL ROLL
A Church’s Electoral Roll is the formal membership list of all those over the age of sixteen who are members of a local Church. It is a bit like a family photograph – and a large and healthy electoral roll is a sign of healthy and dynamic Church.  If you are not yet on our electoral roll we’d love to have you on it. Forms are available at the back of Church,  which may be brought back to Church at any time in the coming weeks.  If you have any queries about the electoral roll, please don’t hesitate to speak to one of the clergy or our electoral roll secretary Carrie Reiners on creiners60657@yahoo.com

WE LOVE CHILDREN…  AND SOFT TOYS…
We love the fact that Emmanuel Church is so full of children every Sunday morning.  Few Churches are able to enjoy, as we do, more than a third of every Sunday morning congregation being children.  The acoustics of the Church are such, that even with our very good sound system, some people are having trouble hearing some parts of the service, especially the sermon.  I wonder whether we might encourage you when you come to Church to bring soft toys rather than hard or metallic ones.  Please be assured that soft giraffes, zebras, monkeys, lions will be as warmly welcome as you are…

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Over the coming weeks and months we shall be exploring a collaborative partnership with Sington nursery, so that Sington may be kept at the heart of the community of West Hampstead and so that we might make the resources of our Church more available to the wider community in all its diversity.  It is central to our core values at the Church  that we connect more fully with the local community in our inclusive and incarnational vision.

LENT
Lent, as God’s sacred springtime of the year, will soon be upon us.  Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on 9th March and that day there will be a School Eucharist at 9.15 am and a Sung Eucharist in the evening at 8 pm.  This is the time of the year when we receive the imposition of ashes as a sign of our dependence on God, the source and origin of all life and love  - and also calls to mind our mortality.  It would be lovely to have a large congregation in the evening as we begin Lent in earnest.  On the Wednesdays following Ash Wednesday we will have our Lent Course at the Vicarage at 8 pm when we shall be following a course called “Guidelines for Christian Living”, exploring the basics of our life and mission in the world as Christians.  All are most welcome to join this course.

EMMANUEL SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT
As I write, the demolition of the houses on Mill Lane has begun in preparation for our exciting School expansion project which will make the wonderful things of Emmanuel School available to far more children of the community of West Hampstead, irrespective of wealth, background or affluence.  In line with our School’s core value of being a sustainable community, the demolition is being carried out very carefully by hand so that the bricks and others resources from the buildings which are coming down can be used in the new build.  This is another tangible means by which both Church and School in partnership serve the wider local community in a way which is environmentally and ecologically aware.  The progress of the school development from initial planning stages until the latest news may be followed on the school website at www.emmanuel.camden.sch.uk

Thank you for all that each and every one of you does for the life of Emmanuel Church and School.  It is a privilege and honour to serve as your Parish Priest.

With my love and prayers, as always,

Fr Jonathan