Children, Youth & Families:

Epiphany 2026 Newsletter

In this Newsletter:

• The Life and Witness of Pauli Murray: An All-Ages Study
• Join the Easter Pageant 2026: All Ages Team
• Looking Ahead:
• Christ-Centered Yoga Mini Retreat, 2/7
• Shrove Tuesday Party + Pancake Supper, 2/17
• St. Martin's Youth: Face to Face Meal Serving, 2/21
• St. Martin's Youth: Bowling with St. Luke's Youth, 3/14
• Family Movie Night, 3/22
• Lenten Quiet Day for Families with St. Paul's, 3/28
• Climate Action Eco-Fair, 4/19
• Spring Family Work Day, 4/25
• Safe Church for Kids, 4/26

Join us this February for an all-ages study of the life and legacy of Pauli Murray—poet, priest, civil rights lawyer, theologian, and saint of the Episcopal Church—whose courage and faith continue to shape both our church and our nation.

We will begin on Sunday, February 8th, (9:40-10:15 a.m.) with a conversation for all ages in the Houston Room using the book Pauli Murray: Shouting for the Rights of All People, an accessible and engaging introduction to Pauli’s life and work (ages 6+). Our study will continue on Sunday, February 28th (3 - 5 p.m.) with a viewing and discussion of the powerful documentary My Name is Pauli Murray, also in the Houston Room.

Pauli Murray’s witness helped lay the legal and moral groundwork for desegregation, women’s equality, and LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. As the first Black woman ordained an Episcopal priest, and now honored as a saint in our church’s calendar, Pauli’s life also calls us to see how faith, justice, and identity are deeply intertwined.

Together, we will reflect on themes of privilege and exclusion, faith and resilience, race and gender, belonging and belovedness—listening for how Pauli’s story speaks to our own lives and to our call as Christians today. 



All are welcome. Come read, watch, listen, and share as we honor a life that still calls us to shout for the rights—and the sacred worth—of all people.

Easter Pageant Play 2026

Date: Easter Sunday, April 5th

Call-Time: 8:15 a.m.

Play: during the 9:00 a.m. family service

Storytellers of all ages are invited to join an immersive, hands-on Lenten journey as we prepare for the mystery of Easter: Jesus' resurrection from the dead. Together we will pray, read, design, cast, and act out the most central story of our faith as told in Matthew 28:1-10. Using our voices, movement, and creativity, we will proclaim the Gospel at the 9 a.m. family service on Easter Sunday 2026. No acting or theater experience is necessary, and you don’t have to be "on-stage" to be part of the team: there are many ways to participate, and everyone is welcome to join for any or all of the sessions.

Rehearsals:

• Sunday, February 22nd, 4–5 pm (Hybrid: Library + Zoom) — Bible Study on Matthew 28:1-10
• Sunday, Mar 1st, 4–5 pm (Hybrid: Library + Zoom) — Staging the Story
• Sunday, Mar 8th, 3–4:30 pm (in the Library + Sanctuary) — Full Cast Read-Through
• Sunday, Mar 15th, 3–4:30 pm (in the Church) — Blocking & Costumes
• Saturday, Apr 4th, 3–4:30 pm (in the Sanctuary) — Dress Rehearsal

All are invited to attend an intergenerational pancake supper for Shrove Tuesday. Youth, ages 10+, are encouraged to help with cooking and serving the meal with our adult mentor team. We'll also have materials out for making festive Mardi Gras masks, and if you'd like to participate in our pop-up intergenerational Mardi Gras band in playing "When the Saints are Marching In," feel free to bring an instrument!

Please email Rev. Luke, lselles@stmartinec.org,

to sign up to serve.

Youth ages 12 and older are invited to join Rev. Luke and St. Martin's ministry partner, Face to Face, as we serve a meal to those in need.

Youth, ages 11-18, are invited to join youth from St. Luke's, Germantown for bowling. Please email Rev. Luke, lselles@stmartinec.org to RSVP by February 25th. An additional adult chaperone, in addition to Rev. Luke, would be wonderful if there is a parent interested in joining.

Families are invited to join for a movie night featuring a classic musical retelling of the biblical Exodus out Egypt focusing on Moses, the unlikely hero and prophet. This story is central to our faith, to both the Jewish celebration of Passover as well as our celebration of Easter, and it's also thrilling. Snacks will be provided!

This Lent we are partnering with our neighbor, St. Paul's, Chestnut Hill, to offer an all-ages quiet day using Ignatian Spirituality to immerse ourselves in Jesus' life and teaching as we prepare together for the mystery of Easter. More details, including time, location, and link to register, coming in early Feb 2026.

Children are invited to join the annual St. Martin's Easter Egg Hunt following the 9 a.m. service on Easter Sunday. If you have egg shells to donate, please reach out to Rev. Luke, lselles@stmartinec.org.

For more information,

email Jason Martin at jason.martin.temple@gmail.com 

or Rev. Luke at lselles@stmartinec.org 

Co-hosted by the Climate Action Team, CYF Ministries, and the Buildings & Grounds Committee

Celebrate spring and Earth Day with the Climate Action Team (CAT) and Building and Grounds (B&G). Join us for tasty treats, seed-planting and fun activities with CYF, and information on future eco-friendly projects with B&G.

If your family can attend, please RSVP with the number of folks coming by emailing Rev. Luke at lselles@stmartinec.org so we can ensure there’s enough food for everyone.

Join Rev. Luke and the St. Martin's Climate Action Team (CAT) and Buildings & Grounds Committee (B&G) for food, fellowship, and fun as we identify spring flowers with a scavenger hut, clean off memorial benches, remove invasive species, and tend to our flower beds. We'll start at 9 o'clock on April 25th with donuts and coffee, and the Buildings & Grounds Committee will treat us to a cookout at noon. If you’d like to participate in any planting or invasive species removal, please bring your own hand trowel or gardening gloves. We will have a few spares.

For more information, please email Rev. Luke Selles at lselles@stmartinec.org.

The Episcopal Church's "Safe Church, Safe Communities" training is intended for all church members to take with an eye to preventing abuse and fostering a culture of respect, care, and accountability. However, this training is inaccessible for our youngest members. Join Rev. Luke and other St. Martin's families for a Safe Church training designed for kids that will teach them about their bodies and their agency in a theological, age-appropriate way.

Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields | 215.247.7466 | 8000 St. Martin's Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19118 | StMartinEC.org