Month: January 2013

Food and fellowship form an important part of the life of our congregation and of our welcome to visitors.  We provide a light 2-course lunch after the Sunday morning service at the extremely reasonable price of £2 (children eat free).

The rota for providing these lunches over the next few months has several gaps and we have lost some of our stalwart teams.  This is a very valuable service which is much appreciated by members and visitors alike, and is an important part of our outreach.

Please give serious consideration to joining the group of volunteers who provide lunches every Sunday – speak to our Lunch Convenors, Cheryl Cuthbert and Marlene Tyler, who will be happy to tell you more about what is involved.

The theme of this year’s lecture series is “Wealth – blessing or curse?”  The first lecture will be held at Hinde Street Methodist Church at 7.30pm on Tuesday 12 February, when the speaker will be Niall Cooper and the theme “Wealth – closing the gap”.

Admission is free and all are welcome.

The BAFTA awards ceremony will take place at the Royal Opera House on Sunday 10 February.  As usual there will be a number of road closures that day and on Saturday 9 February (including Bow Street and Russell Street) and therefore severe limitations on parking.

Available on the welcome desk are copies of the latest issue of Circle of Care, giving news from CrossReach, the social care arm of the Kirk.  This has details of Williamwood House, a specialist dementia home run by the charity.  As the new Guild project is Alzheimer’s and dementia, this article is particularly relevant.  Copies are free, so please take one.

The Burns Supper will be held on Saturday 9 February at 6.30 for 7 pm in the hall.  Tickets, price £18.50 are available from Margaret Ross.  Book yours now to avoid disappointment!

The Minister will be holding a class of enquiry for anyone interested in joining the church in the vestry from 10 am to 3 pm on Saturday 9 February.  Please give your name to the church secretary if you wish to attend.

The Burns Club of London are holding a wreath laying ceremony at the Robert Burns Memorial in Victoria Embankment Gardens at 12.30 pm on Friday 25 January.  All are welcome.

Last year a group from the Friends of St Columba’s visited Crown Court, where they were given a talk on the history of the church, entertained to tea and then attended the evening service.

We have now received an invitation from the Friends of St Columba’s for a return visit to St Columba’s Church, Pont Street, to be held on Sunday 3 February.

It is proposed that the visit should start at 2.30 pm with a tour of the church.  Tea and refreshments will be served at 4 pm and we are then invited to attend the evening service at 5 pm.

The service will be taken by the Reverend Angus MacLeod, the new Minister of St Columba’s, so this will be a good opportunity to meet him, as well as to get to know our colleagues at the other Church of Scotland congregation better.

The Friends of St Columba’s would like an indication of possible numbers for catering purposes, so if you are intending to attend, please let our Church Secretary, Sheila Haddon, know by Wednesday 30 January.

The funeral of Jean Campbell  will take place here in Crown Court at 12.30 pm on Wednesday 16 January.  There will be a reception in the hall after the service, to which all members and friends are invited.

The AGM of Churches Together in Westminster will be held on Monday 21 January 2013 at 6.15 for 6.30 pm in St George’s Church, Hanover Square.  The subject of the panel discussion will be the Church and Social Justice, and the speakers are Sarah Teather MP, former Minister of State for Children and Families, and Niall Cooper, National Co-ordinator for Church Action on Poverty.  All are welcome.