Bishop Peter led our All-Age Worship on 6 May. Everyone was given a white sheet of paper, and were guided by the Bishop to follow him as he folded and tore his own large sheet while he explained how the various adaptations being made to the papers were similar to the events and experiences, ups and downs, we all experience through life. Some eagerly expected that the result would be a paper aeroplane, however once the sheets were unfolded, as the Bishop explained that God’s agape – a love we find with all other loves and a love undergirding the universe – is wrapped up in what our sheets had become – the Cross.

© 2018, St Edmund Chingford

Throughout Holy Week, St Edmund’s re-lived the story of Jesus’s last week from his triumphal entrance to Jerusalem (marked on Palm Sunday) to his death on the cross (on Good Friday). Along the way, we heard voices from the foot of the cross (a soldier, Satan, and the mother of James and John) in reflective monologues in the evening services at the beginning of the week, before to the great events of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Eve.

The story culminated in our celebration on Easter Day with its theme of restoration and new life, and welcomed a new member into our family through baptism.

© 2018, St Edmund Chingford

The whole church family – adults, Junior Church, members of Little Edmundos and local Girlguiding groups – all met on Sunday 11 March to give thanks for their mothers and for those who have cared and nurtured them in life.

Creating “hand baskets” from intertwined fingers, enfolding people in cloth, and the whole congregation holding hands in one long unbroken continuous line, we learned how strength comes when we come together, and how we are all woven together in God.

© 2018 St Edmund, Chingford

This Lent, we are using the York Course ‘On the Third Day’ for our weekly discussion groups. The first week we looked at what is the Resurrection for us, with people sharing freely what gives them strength in faith and also doubts and questions they have.

The groups are open to all, and are held throughout Lent on Wednesday evenings at 8pm in the Vicarage, with a repeat session on Thursday afternoons at 1.30pm in Church (after the lunchtime Eucharist).

© St Edmund Chingford

Curate Dr Sara Batts said goodbye on Sunday 11 February, after 18 months with us in her first curacy. She helped us to look at what we do and how things might be done differently, especially in exploring prayer and in welcome.

She now takes up post as Assistant Curate at Coggeshall in Essex, to gain wider experience of ministry.

We thank her for all she shared with us and her contribution to the life and work of this church and community. We wish her well in this next step in her ministry.

© St Edmund, Chingford