The Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields

Field Notes

For Pastoral Care 

Call 215-247-7466 and leave a message. If you are experiencing a pastoral emergency

text or call the Rev. Dr. Mary Barber at (845) 527-9545.

Have you had an address, email, or phone number update?

Send us your update here.

Field Notes submission requests must be emailed by Tuesday at noon to ndiskan@stmartinec.org.

This email is best viewed as a webpage. Click here to make sure you don't miss anything!

Sunday, September 6, 2026

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (Spoken)

9:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist for Children, Youth, & Families

Under the Tent

10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music

Also via livestream here

Followed by Worship Reflections (in person only)

This Sunday's Readings

Exodus 12:1-14 | Psalm 149 | Romans 13:8-14 | Matthew 18:15-20

Please note: the office will be closed this upcoming Monday, Sept. 7th, in observance of Labor Day.

Rector's Note

After another week of investigating and cleaning, throwing some things out and airing out spaces, I am happy to report that the basement of the parish house is in much better condition. Sarah O’Connor cleaned out the window well in the room with the mustiest smell and found layers of algae, moss, and a family of frogs! Basically, we had a terrarium down there and it was blocking the drain. James did a similar process with the grate outside one of the basement doors, getting leaves and muck cleared that was blocking the drain there. 

This is an annual maintenance project that likely fell away in COVID times, so this initial cleanup is big, but will be less messy and time-consuming once we get it back to an annual thing. Continue reading here.

Features

Upcoming Memorial Service for Nate Pierce

Next Saturday, September 12th

11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary

Followed by Reception in the Parish Hall

You're Invited: The Wedding of Mac Prell & Nigel Law!

This Saturday, Sept. 5th

11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary

Parishioners Mac Prell and Nigel Law are getting married at

St. Martin's this Saturday! All are welcome to witness and to celebrate. A reception in the Parish Hall will follow the service.

Food & Fellowship Pizza Party & "Ask the Rector" Gathering

Next Wednesday, September 9th

6:00 p.m. Dinner & 7:00 p.m. Ask the Rector

Join us next week for the return of Wednesday Night Programming! To kick off our weekly Food & Fellowship community meal, we'll gather at 6:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall for a pizza party with our Chorister families. Following dinner, Rev. Mary will host an informal "Ask the Rector" gathering at 7:00 p.m. in the Houston Room. Our traditional Adult Forum series returns the following Wednesday, Sept. 16th!

Small Engine Ministry

St Martin's member David Zopf is offering his gift of small engine repair to members of St Martin's. You can email him here about your weedwacker, snowblower, or other tool that needs fixing, with your phone number, and he'll get back to you. You pay him for parts and he suggests a donation to the church. More details here!

Farewell Celebration & Purse Gift for the Rev. Luke Selles

Sunday, September 27th

Rev. Luke's last Sunday at St. Martin's will be Sept 27. They will preach and preside, and we will celebrate them and all they have done for and with our community with a festive coffee hour after the 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services! If you would like to contribute to a purse gift for Rev. Luke, please click here. Click the drop down menu and select "Purse Gifts".

Realm Is Now Live!

St. Martin's has officially moved to our new church record-keeping software, Realm. With Realm, we’ll have more ways to communicate and connect as a church. Realm will make it easier for members of ministries to communicate with each other, parishioners to track their giving, and parishioners to securely access an online directory. All parishioners should have received an email from Realm with a link to access their online profile and opt-in to the online Directory. If you did not receive this email (it may have gone to spam), please alert our Director of Administration, Lorie Hershey: lhershey@stmartinec.org.

Save the Date: "Exploring Spirituality with Wellspring—An Afternoon Retreat"

Saturday, September 26th

This no-cost retreat begins with free lunch at noon in the Houston Room, followed by three one-hour sessions that explore spirituality from different perspectives.

• 1-2 p.m. Liturgical Symbols: See how the symbols of our liturgy draw us to the Holy by experiencing them in the context of poetry and music. (Presented by a team of St. Martin’s liturgical ministers)

• 2-3 p.m. Mystical Teaching: Learn how the spiritual mystic, Rudolf Steiner, continues to inspire the spiritual development of students and teachers in Waldorf schools. (Presented by Laura and Mark Birdsall, seasoned Waldorf teachers)

• 3-4 p.m. Praying the Psalms: Discover the subtle power of the Psalms as they express our deepest desires and transform our hearts in the life of prayer. (Presented by Michael Cameron).

Come for lunch and stay for all three sessions, or drop in on a single session that interests you. Please RSVP if you will join us for lunch: loriesimmons@comcast.net

Children, Youth, & Families

St. Martin's Church School 

Starting Sunday, Sept 13th

Weekly on Sundays, 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.

Church School will resume on September 13th! Join us immediately following the 9 a.m. service in Hilary House, around 9:45 a.m., for time with Bible stories and stories of our faith. To learn more about Godly Play, the curriculum that we will be using for ages 4-12, you can click here.

A Faithful Journey: Preparing for Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation

This fall, St. Martin's will offer confirmation classes for youth and adults. All seekers, age 12 and over, are welcome to join us between the 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. service for five Sundays: Sept. 20th and 27th; Oct. 11th and 18th; and Nov. 8th. If you are interested in making a public confirmation or reaffirmation of your baptismal vows or being received into the Episcopal Church at the end of this course, please fill out this form. All are welcome to join for one or all of the five parish-wide sessions and the additional opportunities even if you are unsure about being confirmed/received. Click here for more details.

Welcoming Back Our Choir & Choristers!

After a well-deserved summer break, our Adult Choir returns to the 10:30 a.m. service next Sunday, September 13th! Our Choristers Children's Choir also resumes rehearsals next week and will support various worship services throughout the year.

If you are interested in joining the Choir, or know a child who loves to sing, please email Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music & Arts, at twhiting@stmartinec.org

A Beverage with the Director of Music & Arts 

As we look ahead to the start of the new program year, I warmly invite all members of St. Martin's for a one-on-one catch-up over a beverage of your choice to connect and discuss your hopes and wishes for our music and arts ministries this program year and beyond.

Meetings are available Monday through Thursday, ideally between noon and 7:00 p.m. (though I am happy to be flexible around work commitments, etc.) and will take place at the church or a mutually convenient local spot.

Please email me directly (twhiting@stmartinec.org) to schedule a time/location, and let them know your beverage preference!

Cantate Domino! — Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music & Arts 

Summer Sunday Musicians

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to offer music this Summer. This Sunday will feature the B'roke Ensemble, St. Martin's Amateur Baroque Ensemble: Rob Jennings (oboe), Carolyn Green (recorders), Martha Crowell (recorders), Kim Kanevsky (flute), Faith Watson (cello), Tyrone Whiting (violin).

Take Action

What’s Happening in Haiti Now: Beyond Borders Forum

On Wednesday September 30 at 7 p.m., Beyond Borders Co-Chair Coleen Hedglin will visit St. Martin’s to eat supper with us and share the work of her organization. We will view the brand-new documentary that captures the heart of Beyond Borders’ movements to overcome poverty, prevent violence and develop leaders in Haiti. Shot in June during a stretch of intense heat (and months since the last rainfall), the short film tells the story of our interwoven programming through the personal lens of one woman’s life and lived experience. Continue reading here.

St Martin’s Successful Guatemala Scholarship Drive

Muchas Gracias, Saint Martin’s parishioners, for your support through the pledge drive for the 2027 San Juan Apostol Scholarship Fund and the Totonicapán Scholarship Fund. Sixty-eight pledges totaling $18,110 were received for the Guatemala Student Scholarship Drive in the month of June. This year we exceeded our goal of $15,000! Without your help, these students would not be able to go to school. Your support opens the door to a better future for them and provides hope to their families and communities.

So far $10,245 in pledged funds have been received. Pledges may be paid via the St Martin’s website or via the plate. If pledges are paid via the online payment option, please use the “Guatemala Scholarship” choice in the drop-down box, when paying the pledge. If a check is provided via the collection plate, please write “Guatemala Scholarship” in the memo section of your check. 



Pledges are kindly due by September 30th. Donations are accepted even if you did not have the opportunity to pledge during the scholarship drive. Thank you to everyone who supports this wonderful mission!

Sermon

Eugenie Dieck

August 30, 2026

Please click here to view a video recording of Sunday's sermon by Eugenie Dieck. The sermon begins at the 29 minute mark.

Coming Up

First Meeting of Wellspring's Spiritual Classics Book Group

Saturday, October 3rd, at 2:30 p.m.

Our new Spiritual Classics book group will hold its inaugural meeting on Oct. 3rd at the home of parishioner Lorie Simmons in Mt. Airy. We will discuss Henri J. M. Nouwen's book, The Return of the Prodigal Son, A Story of Homecoming. After the discussion we will decide what titles to read next and when and where to meet in the future! Please contact Lorie Simmons with any questions and for the exact address: loriesimmons@comcast.net.

Adult Forum Returns Sept 16th - Topic Suggestions Wanted!

Adult forum will resume in September at its usual time and place: 7 p.m. Wednesdays in the Houston Room. The hunt for program ideas is on. Is there a parish ministry or initiative you'd like to learn more about? Are you doing something neat in your life that you're eager to share with the parish? Is there a writer, artist, thinker, activist, doer or leader in our Philadelphia community you think we should invite? Any trends in spirituality or theology that await exploration? If any such great ideas for a forum are rattling around in your brain, please send them to Chris Satullo at csatullo@gmail.com or 610-828-6935.  Note: Forums should be as interactive as possible, with no more than 40 minutes for presentation, leaving at least 20 for Q and A.



Do you want to help with Adult Forum? Can you help run a Zoom call or set up a powerpoint? Please reach out to Tyrone Whiting, as we are looking for additional volunteer tech. helpers for the many events that happen on campus.

Wednesday Noon Eucharist

Mary Chapel

Wellspring Worship Reflections

After the 10:30 a.m. service

Houston Room

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACA)

Thursdays 7-8:30 p.m. (Library)

Al Anon

Sundays 6-7 p.m. (Houston Room)

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

1 - Tuesdays 8-9 p.m. (Houston Room)

2 - Thursdays 7-8 p.m. (Houston Room)

3 - Fridays 7-8 p.m. (Houston Room)

4 - Sundays 8-9 p.m. (Houston Room)