From the Vicar's Desk

From the Vicar's Desk - 5 February

Welcome to From The Vicar's Desk for 5th February

In the beginning was the Word ...

It may seem odd, so soon after Christmas and the (usually) magical reading of this gospel passage to a packed church in the middle of that night that ushers in the incarnation, to hear it read once again on a potentially wet and windy February morning. We have left Christmas with Candlemas last weekend and we await the arrival of Lent on Ash Wednesday. We are in a liminal space between significant events in the church's calendar; we are in a waiting zone between the celebration of the incarnation and a period of preparation prior to Easter, between the abundance of Christmas and simplicity of Lent .. and into this waiting room walks the Word, to underline the truth of the waiting, the difficulty of the waiting and the experience of waiting whilst "all things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being".

Ash Wednesday : 17 February

Do join us for a special service on Zoom (details to come) and click here to sign up to receive some ash for the service which was created at the end of the Service for Candlemas.

Lent Journey of Prayer

For full details about our Lent programme on Prayer, click here.

Joyce Tyley funeral

Joyce Tyley's funeral will be in church at 2.30pm on Tuesday 9th February. Under the current restrictions we are limited to the number of people who can attend in person. The service will be live streamed on SMR Live and the order of service is here.

Redcliffe Emergency Foodbank

We are continuing to support neighbours in Redcliffe who are facing financial crisis with food parcels. Can you help by donating some food? Donations are currently being accepted at Faithspace Flat (at the back of the centre) on Wednesdays between 10am - 1pm. We are currently low on the following items:

- tinned fruit

- tinned vegetables

- tinned meat or fish

- jams

If you are not able to deliver your donation on a Wednesday, please click here to see alternative donation points.

Virtual Quiz Night : Wednesday 10 February

An opportunity to meet with others from church and to get our "little grey cells" working. The quiz is free to enter and will be on Zoom. If you'd like to know more drop an email to smrquiz@needlevision.co.uk. We look forward to quizzing with you and giving your little grey cells a work out.

Liz Hewitt; Chris Duncan; Belinda Phillipson

If anyone else would like to organise another online church social event (coffee morning, wine tasting or anything else) please do get in touch with Kat - it's good to things to look forward to!

Night Shelter appeal

Thank you to those who have already given generously in support of the Bristol Churches Winter Night Shelter: we topped £1000 mark this week. If you haven't yet donated, and would like to, the link is here.

Parish Giving Scheme - it's gone digital

Until a week or so ago, I had no idea that it has been very difficult to get through the PGS on the phone! For those of you who have been persisting (or have given up!) the good news is that PGS has gone digital!! Click here to start the process which (I've been told) is "an easy process and much quicker and easier than by phone. Clear info section answers all questions about security, comms etc" Just keep an eye on your spam folder for the activation link!

Send on / Contact me

Please forward this email on those who might be interested in SMR and contact me here (rather than using reply please)

With my best wishes

Dan

Canon D F Tyndall

Vicar, St Mary Redcliffe

0776 929 6220

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Interregnum Information

By Laura.Verrall-Kelly • August 7, 2025

Keeping You Updated During the Interregnum As I prepare to go on maternity leave at the end of August, I want to share some important updates regarding our Sunday Services and communication during the Interregnum period. We’ve taken time to consider what is sustainable and meaningful in this season of transition, and while some of the changes have been difficult, they are intended to ensure we can continue to worship together well. Service Changes 8am BCP Eucharist We’ve made the difficult decision to pause this service during the vacancy, following a PCC vote (with 3 votes against). This is due to the limited availability of clergy to cover two Eucharist services on a Sunday. We’re grateful that this decision has allowed us to secure strong cover for the other services. If you’re looking for an early service, the Cathedral offers Morning Prayer at 7.40am and BCP Eucharist at 8am. This change to the 8am will happen from the beginning of October. Mattins & Evensong These will continue with support from a growing team of Lay Leaders. If you're interested in helping lead, please speak to Simon Goodman. Please note: bespoke online orders of service will no longer be produced weekly. Instead, we will use a standard booklet and hymn book in church. Online viewers will receive a standard order of service plus a document with Bible readings and hymns. 10.30am Sung Eucharist Some small changes are being made to simplify things for visiting clergy: Notices will be read by a Church Warden, Duty Warden or Church Representative Communion distribution will return to queue formation A Gradual Hymn will replace the Responsorial Psalm - there is simply not the resource to produce a weekly or termly Psalm hand out in church. We’ll use a standard “Eucharist during the Vacancy” order of service (in booklet form), with hymn books provided in church. As with other services, online resources will mirror this setup. These changes to the 10.30am will happen from the 17th August. Christingle Service Due to the scale of this service and the planning it requires, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause it this year. Without full-time clergy to oversee preparations and lead the service, we don’t believe we can deliver it safely or well. We know this will be disappointing, but this service will be back. Ongoing Communication Thanks to Chris Duncan and Sam Love, we will continue to send out a weekly email during the Interregnum. I’m very grateful to both of them for stepping up to support in this way. We know some of these decisions may not affect everyone, while others may feel them more deeply. We don’t expect universal agreement, and that’s okay — your questions and thoughts are welcome and valued. All we ask is that feedback is offered with kindness and respect for those who have worked hard to make these plans in a short space of time. Thank you for being part of this community and for your ongoing support as we navigate this together.