Dear friends,

Is there something that you are worried about right now? Our Lord has told us that we do not need to worry.

Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14.27).

Do not be anxious about your life… (Matthew 6.25).

Fear not, for I am with you (Isaiah 41.10a).

But it’s difficult to let go of worry. I have found that one way to work at overcoming my own tendency to worry is to practice thanksgiving. I believe that thanksgiving has the power to completely transform our inner lives. As soon as we give thanks, whether it is for an affliction that has purified us or for reassuring blessings, the creative fount of God’s grace is able to pour out into our hearts.

Of course, when we are spiritually oppressed with anxiety, giving thanks is not easy to do. The path to holiness is not an easy path to walk. But there are words we can use in the Psalms to help get the river of gratitude and thanksgiving flowing again.

And despite what the enemy says to torment us and keep us locked in a state of shame, our sin is between us and our Saviour alone. The enemy no longer has authority over us because God has already delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1.13).

So we are free. We do not need to worry.

Jesus is holding us. It is going to be okay.

With love and my prayers,

James

Sunday and weekday Services

Our weekly service times are:
Sunday 10:00am Eucharist
Tuesday 10:00am Morning Prayer (BCP)
Thursday 10:30am Holy Communion (BCP)

Additional, Regular Services:
Choral Evensong: 1st Sunday of the month 5:00pm 
(Not during August and December)
Little Church: for 7’s and under 3rd Sunday of the month 9:00am
Evening Praise! An informal service 3rd Sunday of the month 5:00pm

We also provide a livestream of our Sunday Morning Eucharist Service. The link for the livestream page is
https://stmarymagdalene.church/livestream-service/

If you would like to talk to someone or would like to share a quiet, private prayer, then look out for someone wearing a badge like this. We are always ready to listen.

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Alpha Course

Do you know someone who isn’t Christian but might be interested in exploring Christianity over a meal and some videos? If so, tell them about the Alpha course we’re running! Or just bring them along with you!

Alpha will take place at St Luke’s Clay Hill, Phipps Hatch Lane
Mondays 11th May – 20th July
Starts with supper at 6:30pm
Ends no later than 8:30pm

No pressure. No strings.
Just good food, interesting talks, and open conversations
web address: https://alpha.org.uk/try (you can type “st luke’s clay hill” into the location search).


Little Church

Little Church, is a family friendly service for babies, toddlers and children under 7. The service lasts 30 minutes and includes songs, Bible stories with puppets, and an activity. It is designed to be both fun and a time for families to worship together.

Do join us for a morning of fun, laughter, singing and joy for the family.


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This is a wonderful opportunity to meet friends and new people in a relaxed, informal setting for an afternoon of tea, coffee, biscuits and a chat. We also have a variety of table top games such as cribbage, dominos and cards.

If you are able to help, please see Alison Reeve or Michael.

Rekindling, Tuesdays from 3:30pm

An open Bible Study in the Vestry following on from the Community Café.

A time of encouraging one another in our walk with God.

Questions:

• Would you like to join a group that looks at life together through the lens of Jesus’ words?
• The current day and time for our Rekindling group may not suit your schedule. What day(s) and time(s) work for you?

Please reply using the webmaster contact form: https://stmarymagdalene.church/contact/ if you are interested, including days and times that fit your schedule. Thank you.

Prayer Garden

We now have a dedicated area in our garden for prayer and quiet reflection. Ribbons are provided should you wish to tie one to the netting on the tree and say a quiet prayer.

The Eleanor Pritchard Concert Series

Join us at 11:30 am on Wednesday, 8th July, in the small hall for tea or coffee, cake, and a chat before going into the church for our 12:30 pm lunchtime concert, where Kayla Nicol will be performing.

Our YouTube Video ‘Praise and Worship’ Playlist

Opening the Church on Saturdays

Our church is a valuable resource for people in our community to take some time out of their daily lives to reflect and connect with God. Not everyone is available on Sunday mornings and some just want a few minutes to pause and be still. We are hoping to make our church available for private prayer on Saturdays and are looking for volunteers who can give a couple of hours of their time. A minimum of two people will need to be always present. Names will be added to a rota, so the more people who are available to help us, the less often you will be called upon. If you are able to help with this, please see Alison Reeve.

Prayer…

What exactly is it? How do we pray? Why pray?

If these questions echo your thoughts in any way and you would like to find our more, there is a really good website to visit that will begin to answer these, and more questions. Born out of an event that went viral during Lent 1999 (over 25 years ago!), 24-7 Prayer has become an international organisation that has encouraged people to pray.

Their website https://www.24-7prayer.com/ has teaching and resources available to aid understanding and help in building a prayer life centred upon teaching handed down throughout the ages. There is even a free app that can be downloaded for the iPhone or for Android called Lectio 365. This provides a series of up to three daily prayer times, morning, midday, and evening (you don’t have to do all three) that last no more than 10 minutes each if you listen to the audio recordings.

I encourage you to have a look – and be encouraged to join in!

Donate

Would you like to donate towards the work of St Mary Magdalene? If so, this QR code will take you to our donations page where you can choose the amount you wish to donate.

Ladychapel Memorial book

Every week we remember the anniversaries of death for different people. Their names are taken from two Memorial Books we keep. One for those whose ashes are interred in the Memorial Garden and a second, in the Lady Chapel, for people we wish to be remembered on a certain date (usually their death).

If you would like the name of someone to be remembered in the Ladychapel Memorial Book please speak to Ken Cope, the cost is £25.

Website Treasures – Vicar’s Vlog

Have you looked at our website lately? Someone recently remarked that it was the most informative of all the Enfield church websites!

This month, we look at some of our ‘Vicar’s Vlogs’, a selection of reflections by both James and Michael on a variety of topics that are not covered in sermons. Most come with a video and are quite short, 3-5 minutes long. Michael’s reflection on St George is the latest. You will find them here:
https://stmarymagdalene.church/resources/vicars-blogs/

Dates for your diary

July 2026

Sun 5th 5:00pm Choral Evensong
Weds 8th 11:30am Eleanor Pritchard Concert Series
Sunday 12th 6:30pm Summer Soirée of Song
Saturday 18th 6pm Patronal Feast at Enfield Golf Club
Sun 19th 9:00am Little Church
Sun 19th 10:00am Patronal Festival
Sun 19th 5:00pm Evening Praise!

August 2026

Sun 21st 5:00pm Evening Praise!

This magazine appears online only, with only a few copies available for archival purposes.

This magazine appears online only, with only a few copies available for archival purposes.