Services

Dear Fellow Parishioner,

We had a fine attendance of over 50 at the Annual Parochial Church Meeting on Tuesday. Reports were received from the various officers which showed that your church remains in good repair on all fronts. You will notice that there is a new name at the bottom of this note as at that meeting Edmund Townend took over from Bede Northcote as churchwarden.

We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Bede for the work which he has done over the past two years: he set up streaming from the church during the lockdown, re-invented our IT system, ran the rota for the 8am service flawlessly and was hugely helpful throughout our search for a new Vicar. Happily, Bede will remain on the PCC and as Tower Captain, where he has ambitions to return Chelsea Old Church bell ringing to its stature of old. Its bells were so well known that on one occasion Queen Elizabeth I fined the church for not sounding them when her barge went past on the river.

Speaking of Queen Elizabeths, it will not have escaped your attention that Platinum Jubilee celebrations will take place shortly. We feel we can safely say that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everyone concerned and so your church will be marking the event with a really special Sunday morning service which aims to combine the energy and enthusiasm of the Family Service with the solemnity and tradition of our Parish Communion. Our Vicar-elect, the Reverend Max Bayliss, is coming down from Cambridge to lead the service which will start at 10.30am on Sunday 5th June. That of course is Whit Sunday, which marks the birth of the Church at Pentecost, so the day could not be more propitious.

The Special Service will be followed by a Party for Parish in the courtyard. There will be bunting, stalls and games for the children, a raffle, a commemorative tree planting, a champagne stall and lunch. We are asking everyone to bring a plate of finger food for themselves or their family group and that will be set out in the Hall before the service for general consumption after the Service. It is important for us to have an understanding of likely attendance so could you kindly check your diary when you get this note and if you think you will be likely to attend could you please email Rosemary Hadow at the Office on office@chelseaoldchurch.org to say if you will be attending and how many will be in your party.

All attendees at the Service will be given a commemorative edition of The Anchor which Hallie Swanson is currently lovingly editing. An heirloom for the ages.

Services will continue as normal throughout May. We hope to see you at one of the services.

Yours faithfully,

Christopher Rees and Edmund Townend Churchwardens

Sixth Sunday of Easter (22nd May)

Readings: Acts 16.9-15 John 5.1-9

8.00am Holy Communion

10.00am Family Service Mrs Naomi Leveson-Gower Story No: 288 The Lost Sons

11.00am Mattins Lay Reader Tim Gee

6.00pm Evensong Lay Reader Tim Gee

Seventh Sunday of Easter (29th May)

Readings: Acts 16.14-end John 17.20-end

8.00am Holy Communion Revd David Bell

10.00am Family Service Revd David Bell & Mrs Naomi Leveson-Gower Story No: 337 Home to Heaven

11.00am Mattins Revd David Bell

6.00pm Evensong Lay Reader John Watherston

The church will continue to be open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 2 to 4 pm for private prayer.

The office can be contacted on office@chelseaoldchurch.org.uk or 020 7795 1019