Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields: Weekly Field Notes

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 or the Rev. Laura Palmer at 267-418-0123.

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 Worship

June 1st, 2025

8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (Spoken)

In Person

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

In Person

10:30 a.m. Choral Holy Eucharist

In Person & via livestream here

Annual Meeting

Immediately following the 10:30 a.m. service.

In Person

Features

Annual Meeting & Vestry/Convention Elections

This Sunday, June 1st following the 10:30 a.m. service

We are pleased to announce the following nominees for election on June 1st at the Annual Meeting:

Vestry:

Anthony Campisi, Al Good, Dani Reed, Rich Welch (4 year terms)
Victoria Sicks (1 year term to fill vacancy)

Diocesan Convention Delegates and Alternate:

Carolyn Green, Debby Schaff, Grace McGinley

Sunday's Youth Musician: Lily Martin, oboe

This weekend we will welcome one of our excellent young musicians to enhance our worship service with their talents. Oboist, Lily, will join the choir of St. Martin's in sharing our Offertory Anthem this Sunday.

Thank you to last week's musicians from The Primavera Fund, Yiguo and David Park, and to Chester for his singing a few weeks ago!

It is a joy to welcome these young artists into the life of our parish as we continue to grow and expand our music and arts ministries, particularly with children and youth. Their presence is a beautiful reminder of the power of music to connect generations, inspire hearts, and build community.

— Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music & Arts

You're Invited: All-Ages LGBTQ+ Dance Party!

This Upcoming Wednesday, June 4th

6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Parish Hall

Come celebrate Pride Month with joy, movement, and connection at our All-Ages LGBTQ+ Dance Party! Whether you love to dance or just want to be in community, this is a celebration for everyone—all ages, all identities, all are welcome.

Join us for an evening filled with:

Great music to get you moving;
Delicious food and refreshments;
A safe, joyful space to celebrate love, identity, and community.

Let’s honor Pride month with energy, inclusivity, and a whole lot of fun. Bring your friends, family, and your dancing shoes—we can't wait to see you there! All are welcome. All belong. Bring your friends and family!

LGBTQIA+ Pride Evensong with Bishop Gene Robinson

Next Sunday, June 8th at 5:00 p.m.

celebrate Pride Month with joy, music, and sacred community at our LGBTQ+ Pride Evensong—a beautiful, affirming service of sung Evening Prayer honoring the diversity and faith of our LGBTQ+ communities.

The Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields was the first in the Diocese of Pennsylvania to offer a Choral Evensong specifically in celebration and recognition of LGBTQ+ Pride in June 2022. This year we are delighted to welcome the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, as our guest preacher. Bishop Robinson is a trailblazer, justice-seeker, and inspiring voice for love and inclusion in the Church and beyond. The Choir of St. Martin's, with the Fairmount String Quartet, will sing music exclusively by LGBTQ+ and other underrepresented composers. Singers who may be interested in joining us for this event are encouraged to email Tyrone Whiting, Director of Music & Arts, at twhiting@stmartinec.org.

Children, Youth, & Families

Youth Interest Survey (ages 8-18)

Honoring Our Graduates

If you have a high school or college graduate in your life that you would like to honor at St. Martin's services on Sunday, June 15th (Father's Day), please submit their name and information using this form.

Safe Church Training

Tuesday, June 10th OR Saturday, June 14th

9-11 a.m.

At St. Martin's we are catching up with The Episcopal Church’s “Safe Church, Safe Communities” certification. This essential training provides participants with the tools and knowledge to prevent abuse and ensure that everyone, especially vulnerable and marginalized members, is welcome and protected within our church community.

This training is part of our commitment to uphold the dignity and safety of all who gather at St. Martin’s, fostering a culture of respect, care, and accountability. Whether you're a lay leader, volunteer, staff or clergy member, your participation is vital in helping us uphold these values. Virtual/asynchronous completion of this training is possible. To learn more or to register please contact Rev. Luke Selles, lselles@stmartinec.org.

VBS 2025:

Come Grow with Us!

Monday, June 24th-Friday, June 27th

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Please register by June 3rd to have your children join us this summer for a week of growth and discovery through storytelling, service-learning, gardening, and song. Click on the poster to learn more!

Volunteering for VBS 2025

If you are interested in supporting VBS this summer either the week of or with preparation before, please fill out this in-take form. Thank you!

Welcome to Lisa Wooldridge, Our New Soprano Section Leader

We are delighted to announce that Lisa Wooldridge will be joining our Music & Arts ministries as our new Soprano Section Leader, singing her first service with us this Sunday, June 1.

Lisa is a PhD Candidate in Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania. Alongside her academic achievements, she has spent the last three years serving as the Soprano Section Leader at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Hamilton Village. Lisa also sings with the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia and Penn Collegium Musicum as well as having sung with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. We look forward to the gifts Lisa will bring to our worship and community life. Please join us in welcoming her to St. Martin's!

Fairmount String Quartet: Voices of Spring

This Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Martin's

Repeat performance Sunday, June 1st at 12:00 p.m at Main Line Unitarian Church

Pay-what-you-can at the door admission. $30 for adults and $8 for students is suggested.

A Meet the Artists reception follows these concerts.

Click here to reserve your seats!

Program:

Franz Joseph Haydn – String Quartet in Bb, Op. 76, #4, “Sunrise”

Elena Ruehr – String Quartet #8, “Insect Dances”

Giuseppe Verdi – String Quartet in e minor

Sermon Transcript

The Rev. Laura Palmer

May 25, 2025

Shalom or Bust

“Shalom or bust” as one theologian summed up Jesus’ ministry, gets to the heart of John’s gospel this morning. “Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give to you.” The peace of shalom—a peace of wholeness and belonging which makes one feel fully alive-- or who God called them to be—is different and deeper from the peace we commonly think of as an end of war and violence—although that peace—deadly elusive in Ukraine and Gaza—would be an answered prayer to millions today.

The peace Christ offers I believe is “the peace that passes all understanding.”

Continue reading here.

Take Action

POWER Northwest Town Hall

Sunday, June 8 from 3-5 p.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church

Join us at POWER's Northwest Philly Housing Justice Town Hall to hear stories from POWER leaders about plans to launch an agenda for truly affordable communities. POWER has invited NW Philly Council Members Cindy Bass (8th District) and Anthony Phillips (9th District) to attend. Please click here to register.

POWER Virtual Citizen Climate Action Lobby Day

Wednesday, June 5th

As people of faith and moral courage, we are called to be stewards of creation — to protect the earth and care for one another. Together with PennEnvironment and a growing coalition of people across Pennsylvania, we’ll meet (via Zoom) with our state legislators to advocate for climate justice:

- Clean, renewable energy

- Air free from pollution

- Policies that protect vulnerable communities

Whether this is your first time speaking with elected officials or your tenth, you won’t be alone. POWER will match you with others in your district, provide talking points, and offer support every step of the way. This day of virtual action will also include a rally and online tools to amplify our faith-rooted message. Register here.

Volunteer at Face to Face

Second Sunday of Each Month

St. Martin's scheduled day for volunteering at Face to Face is the second Saturday of every month, starting June 14th and continuing for the remainder of 2025. The commitment is for the Meal Prep crew, 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. each time. (Earlier departure is possible if other commitments conflict). Please continue volunteering at other times as well, but we will be looking for at least six volunteers from St. Martin's for each of those Saturdays. If you are able to volunteer on a second Saturday, please contact Mark Birdsall mdbirdsall@gmail.com or Jason Martin jason.martin.temple@gmail.com to sign up.

Guatemala Student Scholarship Fundraising Campaign 2025

St Martin’s Guatemala Companion Parish Committee will be collecting pledges for the 2026 San Juan Apostol Scholarship Fund and the Totonicapán Scholarship Fund from Sunday, June 1st through Sunday, June 29th. In 2024 St Martin’s parishioners generously pledged and donated to support 34 young learners otherwise unable to attend school due to economic hardships. The annual awards of $550 per student support tuition, uniforms and healthy nutrition for students and provide families with hope for bright futures. Education is making a difference to break a cycle of poverty with student graduates making a difference in their families and local community. The young people we sponsor and their families are so very thankful for our support.

This year our goal is $15,000. Please consider pledging a contribution to this scholarship fund for the 2026 school year. Pledges beginning at $25 dollars can be made. A full scholarship for a student is $550. Committee members will be available at the end of all services with clipboards for you to sign up or you can contribute directly online or via the plate. Contributions of pledged funds are expected to be paid on or before Sept. 30th.

Coming Up

Book Talk: "Happenstance” by Parishioner David Contosta

This Saturday, May 31st, at 4:30 p.m.

At Booked, 8511 Germantown Ave

Long-time St. Martin's member David Contosta has recently published a novel entitled "Happenstance." He will be giving a book signing and reading from it on Saturday, May 31 at "Booked," a bookshop in Chestnut Hill. The event is free and open to the public. The novel unfolds during the years from 1916 to 1938 and is set mainly at a picturesque orphanage in a village just outside Philadelphia, as well as more briefly in Center City Philadelphia, Greenwich Village, New York, and suburban Boston. David's new novel, "Happenstance," represents his 26th published book.

The Philadelphia Eleven Film Screening

Sunday, June 22nd, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall

The Philadelphia Eleven tells the story of the first group of women to be ordained as priests in the Episcopal Church. Join us June 22nd at 4:00 p.m. for a screening of the film to learn more about this historic group of women and the lasting impact they made in the Episcopal Church and beyond.