St. Martin’s News: 4/18/2025
Here you can find weekly news and upcoming events at the Episcopal Church of St. Martin’s. This changes every week.
Good Friday, Easter Vigil, and Easter Day Services at St. Martin’s
Good Friday, April 18, 12pm: Stations of the Cross in the church with optional veneration of the cross. Guided labyrinth walk follows the service.
Good Friday, April 18, 7pm: Good Friday Liturgy with optional veneration of the cross.
Easter Vigil, Saturday, April 19, 8pm: The Great Vigil of Easter with lighting of the new fire, dramatic readings, and ending with a festive Holy Eucharist. Feel free to bring bells and noisemakers. Reception following the service in the narthex.
Easter Day, Sunday, April 20, 8am: Festive Rite II Holy Eucharist with music and choir.
Easter Day, Sunday, April 20, 10am: Festive Rite II Holy Eucharist and Baptism with music and choir. Easter Egg hunt for children of all ages and special Easter Coffee Hour after the service. Nursery open during 8am and 10am services for children 5 years and younger.
All are welcome!
Please see our Holy Week Website Hub for the service bulletins.
Easter Sunday! Special Easter Coffee Hour and Egg Hunt
On Easter Sunday, stay after the 10am service for a special Easter coffee hour, a time to reconnect with our parish family and welcome all who are visiting our parish for the first time. We will have an Easter Egg Hunt for children of all ages. Bring your baskets. The nursery will be open during both the 8am and 10am services for children 5 years and younger. If you are bringing a food item for coffee hour, please drop it off in the kitchen before the service. Happy Easter to all!!
Good Friday Offering for the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East
We join Episcopalians across the country in a 103-year-old tradition of collecting donations on Good Friday Offering to support the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. For more on the history of the Good Friday Offering, see The Episcopal Church website. As Bishop Megan said in a recent letter, “In addition to forming Christians, our denomination there supports schools, hospitals, and numerous other essential ministries in a time of so much difficulty. This Province needs both our prayers and our financial support.” How to Give: Write checks to The Church of St. Martin with memo “Good Friday Offering.” Or you can give on our website by clicking the blue GIVE button and choosing “Good Friday Offering” from the menu.
Easter Offering for the Social Justice and Outreach Committee
This year, the Easter offering goes to St. Martin’s Social Justice and Outreach Committee. This committee follows the tenets of Matthew 25 and contributes to projects, grants, and advocacy for nonprofits that serve individuals and families living on the margins. Your Easter Offering will allow the committee to reach wider and deeper in their service to others. How to Give: Write checks to The Church of St. Martin with “Easter Offering” in the memo line or use the blue GIVE button on our website. All donations in the offering plate at the Easter Vigil and Easter Day services will be given to the above ministry unless otherwise noted (e.g., “Pledge”).
Vestry News and Review
Interested in the most recent Vestry news? See the latest issue of Vestry News and Review written by Jr. Warden Beth Capell. She recaps the March 2025 Vestry meeting and extends thanks from the Vestry for two of St. Martin’s ministries. Read the article HERE.
Sowing Seeds of Hope and Resilience
An Earth Day Gathering with Rev. Pamela
Are you seeking more hope, resilience, and faithful groundedness? Join us for an Earth Day gathering on Zoom on Tuesday, April 22 at 7pm, led by Rev. Pamela, co-chair of the Commission on the Environment and author of Contemplative Gardening. Join the Zoom gathering: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84713027890
Questions? Contact Rev. Pamela (pamela@churchofstmartin.org)
LGBTQ+ Gathering and Board Games
On Saturday, April 26, from 1-4pm, St. Martin’s members who identify as LGBTQ+ (and their partners) are welcome to gather and play board games (such as Ticket to Ride, Ascension, Pandemic, and others). Please RSVP to the church office so that we know how many to expect. The Diocese of Northern California also has a Rainbow Ministry to “celebrate and embrace the gender and sexual diversity of all God’s people, fostering education, invitation and connection throughout the diocese.”
Newcomers’ Brunch, Sunday, May 18
If you are a newcomer to St. Martin’s in the past year, or if you have been here and wish to meet other parishioners, join us in Room 6/7 and on the patio in front of it for a Newcomers’ Brunch after the 10am service on May 18. The event is sponsored by the Vestry. More details to follow.
The Church Office will be closed on Monday, April 21, the Monday after Easter.