You can help us keep our doors open…

Covid-19 Emergency Appeal: please respond today…

Dear Friend

Given the current crisis, we’ve had no choice but to close our doors for the first time in the long history of St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Although our buildings have fallen silent, our vital work in the community must still continue – now, more than ever. That’s why today, we’re launching our St Martin-in-the-Fields Covid-19 Emergency Appeal to visitors and supporters like you.

DONATE NOW

You’ll know how important it is that we’re able to provide people who are homeless – or vulnerably housed – with shelter, food and advice when they need it most.

During this time, we are working incredibly hard to ensure that people continue to receive the support they need. We are helping people who were sleeping rough into accommodation to enable them to self-isolate, and are delivering food and other essentials. Your extra support at this time could provide frontline workers with the supplies they need to continue their work in spite of the unfolding challenges of this crisis.

Please, take a second to send your urgent gift today. I can assure you; your generosity will make a real difference to people’s lives at this incredibly frightening time.

I hope you and your loved ones are safe and well. Thank you so much for your continued support.

Revd Dr Sam Wells
Vicar - St Martin-in-the-Fields

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St Martin's Voices - Agnus Dei.

HeartEdge: March Mailer

The March Mailer from HeartEdge is a slightly plumper, Covid-19 edition this month. Read it by clicking here.

What a difference a month makes. With the spread of Covid 19, our mailer finds many of us in lockdown, routines upturned, imagining alternative futures to those from just a month ago.

The pandemic presents huge challenges for life, vocation and mission, even as many of us find ourselves in impossible contradictions - how to express compassion while maintaining social distancing? Ways to 'do church' and renew congregations, as crisis piles up - redundancy, bereavement and loss. How to grow community, respond to need, as we self isolate? How will business survive - what will our commercial activity look like locally as economies tank? How will culture flourish as artists struggle ever more precariously? Even as we confront our own fears about the virus.

Central to HeartEdge is a belief that Kingdom communities are built on wisdom and faith found in exile and rejection. Our default is church and our cultural, charitable and commercial projects nourished from a place of exile, abandonment and adversity. And here we all are.

In our context of lockdown, quarantine and exile, a rapidly shifting global pandemic and a static front room, kitchen-office or one-bed flat.Here, our emphasis turns to making connections, sharing insight and growing solidarity online.

We've had a few Zoom workshops (we're getting used to it). 100 of you joined the HeartEdge Practitioners page on Facebook. We share frustrations, find encouragement, be listened to and find resource.

Following an online workshop last week one Church-of-England vicar wrote: "As the only priest in the parish here, it feels like having some colleagues... It was just so helpful to sit with others, with uncertainty, to reflect together... in a space that I didn't have to hold, plan, prepare for, know all the answers... I could participate in, be nourished by. Just thank you."

Here's to more of this solidarity and usefulness.

Normal service is unlikely to be resumed. So, we are all working out the implications and changes together. We are trying new things and using social media, and our website to engage, equip and resource in this changed landscape. Plus our regular mailer, a slightly plumper, Covid-19 edition this month. Lockdown and our emerging way of life will remain a theme.

Let us know ideas or topics you want covered and we'll get onto it. Got articles or blogs to share? Be in touch via the website.

In the midst of these strange days, we hope you will make contact, share insight, find solace and join in.

The HeartEdge Team

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Sixpence None The Richer - Down And Out Of Time.