From the Vicar's Desk - 18 December

Welcome to "From the Vicar's Desk" for 18 December 2020


Services this weekend 


Saturday

9.00am : Morning Prayer : SMR Live

4.00pm : Carol Service, public worship : a few tickets will be available on the door 

7.00pm : Carol Service, public worship : a few tickets will be available on the door


Sunday - 4th Sunday of Advent 

9.00am : Morning Prayer : SMR Live

10.00am : Holy Communion, live streamed : SMR Live

12.00noon : Holy Communion, public worship : Book here and Earth Church for children (more information about that from Becky James) 

4.00pm : Carol Service, public worship : a few tickets will be available on the door

7.00pm : Carol Service, public worship : a few tickets will be available on the door


Christmas Services during the week


Everything about our Christmas service plan is on the website here for both public worship and live streamed worship. 


This is where you will find 

- what is happening, where and when 

- Orders of Services / Hymn Sheets to download 

- how to get the right code for those services being held on Zoom

- how to book tickets for Christmas Day Communion service (all other services are fully booked now)


All services in church (so that excludes Tuesday's Carols with the Salvation Army and Wednesday's Nativity Trail in the churchyard) do have a few tickets available on the door on a first-come-first-served basis. 


This is why we really need to know if you cannot make use of tickets that you have been allocated: we can then give your seats to people waiting in the queue. Please do contact the me or the vergers (0117 231 0061) if you are unable to use your tickets.


And, let's remind ourselves, please stay at home if you are suffering from any Covid-19 symptoms. 


Looking further ahead


Sunday 27 December

9.00am : Morning Prayer : SMR Live

10.00am : Holy Communion, public worship : booking form here will open on Tues 22 Dec

No Live Stream Communion service today


Sunday 3 January 

Back to what has become our standard pattern of worship:

9.00am : Morning Prayer : SMR Live

10.00am : Holy Communion, live streamed : SMR Live

12.00noon : Holy Communion, public worship : booking form here will open on Tues 29 Dec


Community News

It is with a heavy heart that I share some sad news with you. You may well have heard that Liz Scott died last week. Her funeral has now been arranged for Thursday 14 January. More recently, I heard in the last couple of days that Corrine Rees has also died: no plans have yet been made for her funeral. We remember their families in our prayers. May they rest in peace and rise in glory.


Bishop's Appeal for the clergy of Uganda

You may remember that back in November, Bishop Viv made an appeal for the Church in Uganda (read it here). I heard today that this has raised £33,000 and the bishop sends her thanks to all those who helped. The appeal is still alive and you can donate here. 


Don't forget ... 

TreeFest 2020

TreeFest has been launched as online event. Click here to see the entries and to read about the projects we are supporting this year. 

Carols for All (aka Carols by Zoomlight)

On Monday 21 December at 7.30pm. 

Zoom link here and Order of service here

Dial In Worship - 0117 427 0104

Don't forget to pass on details of our listen-in live streamed services from Sunday afternoon. 

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




We Are Bristol phone line is available for people who need support during lockdown: 0800 694 0184 (Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm)


 


More blog posts

An Update from Dan Tyndall

By sam.love • July 29, 2026
A year ago I preached my final sermon as Vicar of St Mary Redcliffe. Sarah and I were overwhelmed by the kindness of the send-off and your astonishing generosity. The following morning we packed everything we owned into a Transit van and drove it to London. If you think that felt abrupt, you'd be right. More than that, moving to London, when most retirees move away from the city, has been commented on many times. People often ask whether leaving was difficult. It was; very! However, the sheer scale of the change changed pretty much everything and all at once. Whilst we miss SMR and everything it stands for, a new home in a new city, with new routines and the freedom to shape our days differently, means that life has demanded our full attention from day one. The year since has been full of surprises. We've discovered that we enjoy living in a much smaller house than the vicarages we've lived over the last thirty years. Sarah now walks to work and I clean the house. We still haven't settled into one church, but we've enjoyed going to different churches and experiencing the extraordinary breadth of the Church of England. Without question, the greatest joy has been the birth of our first grandson. Living just an hour away has been an extraordinary gift, allowing us to be part of his life in a way that would never have been possible from Bristol. Professionally, coaching has continued to grow alongside research into leadership in complex parish churches. Personally, there has been time for lots of singing and I’m getting back on my bike again! Together we've made over fifty visits to theatres (including a fantastic production of Redcliffe at Southwark Playhouse a musical about an historic event that happened in the parish!), concerts and exhibitions—most recently The Art of Mini Golf, which was every bit as joyful and ridiculous as it sounds. Do I miss parish ministry? Of course I do. But I'm discovering that my vocation didn't retire when I did. I'm still curious about how people tick, what makes communities work, and how to name the question that unlocks a stuck situation. Thank you again for all the remarkable years at SMR. We remember them fondly and they continue to shape us in ways for which we shall always be grateful. Dan Tyndall 29.07.2026

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Staff Update: Joe Cryan, Director of Music

By joe.cryan • July 17, 2026
Last Sunday marked the end of another choir term—and what a term it has been! We've welcomed new choristers, learnt plenty of exciting music, sung for some wonderful liturgies, and eaten what can only be described as a significant amount of biscuits. The day began with a very special visit from Sing Start! , who joined us for the Eucharist. Together we sang Litany of the Holy Spirit and Joanna Forbes L'Estrange's St Helen's Mass. A huge thank you to Helena from Children's Church for organising ice creams afterwards—a thoroughly appreciated post-service treat! We're also delighted that a large number of Sing Start! children will be joining our regular treble lines from September. This is tremendously exciting, not only for the choir's future growth but also for the long-term strength and sustainability of our music-making at SMR. In the evening, we gathered for a special service celebrating the composer Charles Wood, marking 100 years since his death. It was a fitting tribute to one of the great figures of Anglican church music—but the occasion was also notable for another reason. Several of our own choir members stepped into new musical roles and showcased talents beyond their usual singing duties. Our Head Chorister conducted the introit, one of the back-row singers composed the psalm chant, and our Corner Chorister wrote the organ voluntary. It's wonderful to see so much creativity and musicianship flourishing within the choir. The final service of the year was followed by the all-important choir party: pizza and a screening of Sister Act. Judging by the enthusiastic reaction afterwards, there is now considerable demand for I Will Follow Him to appear in a future service. We make no promises—but do keep an eye on next year's music lists... The choir is now taking a well-earned summer break, but music certainly won't stop at SMR. Sunday morning Masses will continue with a cantor leading the music, and we're looking forward to welcoming several excellent visiting choirs over the coming weeks, including St Andrew's Backwell, St Mary's Ross-on-Wye, and the Handful Chamber Choir. Our regular choir returns on Sunday 13 September, refreshed, recharged, and ready for another exciting year of music. Have a wonderful summer, and thank you to all our choristers, families, volunteers, and supporters for another fantastic year.

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