This Sunday, 20 May, St Luke’s is hosting a musical evening with our community choir, Vox Holloway, celebrating the ife and legacy of Richard Cloudesley, and 500 years of support in Islington. A great evening, not to be missed!
Holy Week at St Luke's
Easter is one of the busiest periods in the Christian calendar, and St Luke's will be buzzing with activity over Holy Week.
Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter) commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, before the tide turned, leading to his crucifixion five days later. So on 25 March, we'll start our 11am service in the garden before processing into the church carrying woven crosses.
On 29 March, we'll gather in the church for a Maundy Thursday supper at 8pm. Food is provided - this year, with the help of two Syrian cooks - and you're invited to bring a bottle. A relaxed and sociable meal will be followed by a brief meditation and table communion. (Please email patriciatomlinson@mac.com if you intend to come, so we know how many to cater for).
Good Friday meditations at 12 noon on 30 March will be a short, reflective service, when we'll use a series of 'stations' to aid our contemplation. These artworks or installations are created by members of the congregation - this year the theme is 'The Strong Hands of Love'.
On Saturday 31 March, we'll gather at 11.15pm for the most dramatic service of the year. The Vigil of Fire & Midnight Mass uses darkness, fire and light to meditate on the dark hours after Christ's death, followed by his glorious rising.
On Easter Sunday, 1 April, we'll be back in the church for the family Easter celebration at 11am - a light, bright service, including activities for the kids.
Whether you're a regular at St Luke's, an occasional visitor or have never joined us before, you're very welcome at any of our Easter events.
Easter at St Luke's
Maundy Thursday Supper 29th March 8pmA sit-down meal organised by Jacqui with two Syrian cooks, followed by table communion. It really helps to know numbers, so please let Pat Tomlinson (patriciatomlinson@mac.com) know if you would like to be included. This is an ideal opportunity to introduce friends to St Luke's, or to meet new friends.
Good Friday Meditations 30th March 12 noon Based on stations created by members of St Luke’s around the theme of ‘The Strong Hands of God'
Vigil of Fire & Midnight Mass Holy Saturday 31st March 11.15pm
Easter Sunday Service 1st April at 11am
Painting the Stars
Tonight's Painting the Stars session is cancelled due to bad weather. The series restarts next week, 8th March.
Can You Help Us Run Things...
... or do you know someone who could?
We are St Luke's West Holloway, an Anglican church in north London, and we're looking for a skilled administrator to help us manage parish life.
Working on a flexible basis, up to 20 hours a week, and based in the church office, the role involves carrying out the day to day administrative functions of the parish in partnership with clergy, churchwardens and PCC.
The Parish Administrator is often first point of contact with local community and church members and so the successful applicant will have excellent communication skills and be comfortable multi-tasking.
If you'd like to see a detailed job description and for details of how to apply, please email Joy on joyhinsonraven@gmail.com
Closing date for applications is 11th March at 5pm.
Mr Darwin's Tree
Next Friday (12th January) at 8.00pm, Andy Harrison is performing his one-man play ‘Mr Darwin's Tree’ in the side hall at St Luke’s. It’s a great opportunity to experience an evening of entertainment in aid of the Fighting Fund for St Luke's.
He'll be performing Murray Watts' play, 'Mr Darwin's Tree'. Here's a flyer.
Tickets available from Jean: jean@willsonfamily.co.uk. or £10 on the door.
Don’t miss it!
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 17 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!
In the evening, at 8pm on 17 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, we’ll have our normal Sunday family service at 11am. Then in the evening, 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 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.
Throughout Advent, after Sunday morning services, there’ll be stalls selling church members’ handmade and fairtrade gifts, so if you’ve got presents to buy, bring your wallet – a percentage of sales go to support St Luke’s.
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.
A welcome for 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 1 December at 7.30pm, we’re hosting our annual newcomers evening to welcome 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 fizz 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 normally see. You’ll learn more about the history and 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 patriciatomlinson@mac.com to let us know you’re coming, so we can make sure we have enough refreshments for everyone.
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 29 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 29 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.
The Speakeasy returns
Here at St Luke’s, we’re blessed with some amazingly talented people in our congregation, from singers and musicians to actors and comedians. 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 10th St Luke’s Speakeasy is on Friday 13 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/e/speakeasy-10-tickets-215075 (69p/56p 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.