Services
Services at St Giles’
Sunday 30 January 2022 Epiphany 4 Presentation in the Temple - Candlemas
10am Parish Eucharist
Music and Readings - available later in the week
Notices
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 18-25 January
Members of the congregation with Alex our curate attended the Annual Ecumenical Service at Wesley's Chapel together with members from St Joseph's, and Jewin Welsh Church on Thurday 20 January.
Each year a Christian community is invited by the World Council of Churches to put together an order of service that is then used around the world. This year it was the turn of the churches in the Middle East. As we are still in the Season of the Epiphany this played an important theme in the service and especially as the Orthodox churches had celebrated The Feast of the Epiphany on Wednesday.
Afterwards we were invited to enjoy refreshments together. It was a great pleasure to be with so many of our ecumenical friends that we haven’t seen since the start of the pandemic
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Next Sunday’s readings
6 February 4th Sunday before Lent
Accession of Queen Elizabeth II 1952
Isaiah 6,1-13, 1 Corinthians 15 1-11, Luke 5 1-11
Weekday Services
There will be no Morning Prayer on weekdays during the Interregnum.
Private Prayer
Thursday 6 January 2022 - Private Prayer and Reflection from 13.00-13.30
You are invited to join others in church on 6 January for our monthly private prayer. You may find this prayer sheet helpful - please bring a copy with you to church. If you are not able to join us, we hope you will continue to pray with us wherever you are.
Our text for January, ‘and when Jesus had been baptised and was praying, the heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ Luke 3 v 21-22.
Let us pray for the church and the world and thank God for his goodness.
Heavenly Father, we give thanks for the fellowship of the church, that supports and helps us to put our faith into practice. Strengthen us, Lord, in your service, that we, may be an encouragement to others and hold fast to all that is good.
At the start of the season of the Epiphany let us worship the Saviour with joy and make our prayer to our heavenly Father, grant to Christians everywhere the spirit of adoration and give us a new commitment to prayer and worship in our lives as we proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.
We pray for our ecumenical friends at St Joseph’s who have invited us with Wesley’s Chapel and Jewin Welsh church to join them on Saturday 15 January for a time of dreaming, listening, and sharing about the Church we are called to be and on Thursday 20 January for us all to meet at Wesley’s Chapel at 12.45pm for a service together during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
We pray for the priest who has been chosen and has accepted the living of St Giles’ who will be named in the next week or so.
We pray for comfort to those who suffer in body, mind and spirit remembering those who have mental health problems or suffer from dementia and all you care for them.
We pray for all who are homeless or living on the streets, refugees and migrants from Afghanistan and other areas of conflict, for local councils including the Corporation of London and charities seeking to rehouse them, that they may be welcomed into our communities and helped to start new and safe lives among us.
As we start the New Year, we pray for all who are suffering from Covid, for all in the NHS and other front-line services, for children as they return to school after the break, for businesses trying to keep their operations going with staff off sick or isolating including the transport services, care homes and the hospitality sector.
We pray to our Heavenly Father, to give grace to us, our families, friends, and neighbours that we may serve Christ in one another and love as he loves us.
Lord of Glory, hear our prayer.
We finish by saying the Lord’s Prayer.
Lectionary for Sundays January and February
30 January Presentation in the Temple – Candlemas Malachi 3 1-5, Hebrews 2 14-end, Luke 2 22-40
6 February 4th Sunday before Lent
Accession of Queen Elizabeth II 1952
Isaiah 6,1-13, 1 Corinthians 15 1-11, Luke 5 1-11
13 February 3rd Sunday before Lent
Jeremiah 17 5-10, 1 Corinthians 15 12-20, Luke 6 17-26
20 February 2nd Sunday before Lent
Genesis 2 4b-9, 15-25, Revelation 4 1-11, Luke 8 22-25
27 February Sunday before Lent
Exodus 34 29-35, 2 Corinthians 3 12-4.2, Luke 9 28-43a
Our Liturgy
We use Common Worship for all services except on the first Sunday of the month when the 1662 Communion Service is used.
Baptisms
For many centuries parents who counted themselves members of the Christian Church have brought their children to be baptised. When a child is baptised (or Christened, both words mean the same) he or she is welcomed into the household of God and made a member of the church. It is the start of a journey.
The people who were baptised in the time of Jesus were adults. In the earliest days of the church only adults were baptised and this is still the custom in
some Christian traditions. As time passed, parents asked if their children could also be baptised and this custom was established. Children were baptised on the understanding that their parents would
bring them up in the faith of Christ. The church baptises babies and young children aware that the parents and Godparents will not always be fully involved in the life of the church but on the
understanding that they take seriously the opening of the life of the child to the touch of God. In the baptism service parents and Godparents promise to bring up the child to follow Jesus, and to
show him or her the right way to live by their own example. The child receives the love and shared faith of the whole people of God.
Baptisms here take place during the Parish Eucharist at 10.00.
A prayer for your child
God of love, May this child grow to love, to worship and serve you And bring life and joy to the world. Amen
Christingle and Mothering Sunday Services
We especially welcome parents, Godparents and children to the Christingle service on Advent Sunday at 16.00 and to the Mothering Sunday service in the Spring as part of the Parish Eucharist at 10.00.
Christingle service 2015
Weddings
We like weddings at St Giles' and are very glad when couples want to get married here. A wedding is one of life's great moments, a time
of solemn commitment as well as good wishes, feasting and joy. The most important part of your wedding will be the service held in church. Planning for this should be one of the happiest times in
your life together. Whether the ceremony you want is quiet and simple, or elaborate with glorious flowers and music and the bells ringing out, at the heart of the service the bride and bridegroom
face each other, make their promises and receive God's blessing.
Your wedding matters to us, your celebration takes place in the life of this church. You and your family and friends become part of the ancient tradition of prayer and
worship that has taken place in St Giles' over hundreds of years day by day and week by week. As you prepare for your wedding day we will be holding you in our prayers.
We like to get to know you before your wedding, and we invite you to come the main Sunday service at 10.00. There is coffee after the service and this gives us the opportunity to meet you and for you to speak with the Director of Music and to hear the choir and the organ.
"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing,but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,endures all things". 1 Corinthians 13. 4-7
For details of who can marry in St Giles and for planning your wedding click on the button below and scroll downs to Weddings at St Giles'
"Welcome Back Sunday Service"
Each year we hold a "Welcome Back Service" on the second Sunday in May as part of the 10.00 Parish Eucharist, when we invite those who have been married or have worshipped here and moved away. We give thanks for faithful relationships and marriage, we sing many of the hymns chosen for weddings and the organ music at the end is one of the famous recessional pieces.This is a popular service and all are welcome. There is also an opportunity after the service to show your photos and enjoy a glass of wine or fruit juice.
Funerals
Parish funerals take place either in St Giles' or at a crematorium.
Practical arrangements are made by the undertaker who will manage all fees. A church service needs to be arranged in consultation with the Rector.
Practising Christians may wish for the funeral to be conducted in the context of the Eucharist, or to be a service of hymns, readings and prayers
Families should be aware that it takes an hour to get to the nearest cremaorium.We can advise you on the different arrangements you can make when a church service is followed by a private committal at the crematorium.
Music is arranged by the Director of Music.There is a professional choir of four voices.
We are happy for receptions after the service to be held at the back of the church.
All Souls' Service
A very popular service, the Commemoration of All Souls is held here on the Sunday nearest 2 November at 16.00.There is music and readings, prayers and the lighting of candles by members of the congregation; the names of the dead are read out and silence kept. People find it very moving and beautiful and make a point of coming back each year.
Memorial Services
Generally a memorial service takes place several weeks after the funeral. Sometimes a memorial service is referred to as a service of thanksgiving. Usually the deceased had a connection either with the church or this part of London.
The Rector and Director of Music are involved in the planning of the service.
The Columbarium
The Columbarium is known as 'one of London's secret gardens.' It lies to the east of the church down a flight of stairs. There are some niches on an outside wall and others are in a covered area enclosed by a gate. We have many requests for the placing of ashes here, but because of the limited space, only the ashes of those who were worshipping members of the congregation or who lived within the parish at time of death are placed there.
"I am the resurrection and the life," says the Lord."Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." John 11.25,26
Where to visit us:-
Services at St Giles'
Sunday 30 January 2022 Epiphany 4 Presentation in the Temple - Candlemas
Weekday Services
There will be no Morning Prayer on weekdays during the Interregnum.
Wednesdays
26 January 2022
Home Prayer Group - Lectio Divina 19.30 via Zoom. To join contact Suzanne Royce susanjroyce@gmail.com
The church is open for private prayer
The church is open from 11.00-16.00 Monday-Friday for private prayer. Please observe social distancing and any other instructions required when visiting the church.
Private Prayer and Reflection on first Thursday of the month
You are invited to join others in church on Thursday 6 January
If are not able to join us, we hope you will continue to pray with us wherever you are.
Dates in 2022
3 February, 3 March, 7 April, 5 May, 2 June, 7 July, No session in August, 1 September, 6 October, 3 November, 1 December.
Cleaning Angels
The monthly sessions on the first Thursday of the month from 13.30-15.00 including tea and cake from 14.30.
Cleaning Angels
Dates in 2022
3 February, 3 March, 7 April, 5 May, 2 June, 7 July, No session in August, 1 September, 6 October, 3 November, 1 December.
2022 Dates of PCC meetings in church at 19.30
Monday 31 January,
Tuesday 29 March,
Monday 25 July,
Tuesday 20 September
Monday 21 November.
2022 Annual Parish Church Meeting
The date for the APCM has been changed from Sunday 8 May to Sunday 24 April at 11.30am after the Parish Eucharist.
Parish Office Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 11.00-16.00
Tel: 020 7638 1997
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