Remembrance Sunday

14 November 2021

"Arrangements for the Churches Together In Mottingham act of Remembrance at Mottingham War Memorial and Remembrance Services in the Mottingham Churches this year are as follows:

The roads will be closed and members of the public are invited to gather from 10:30am when the band will start playing. Members of the churches will gather in their respective churches and walk to the War Memorial whre the act of Remembrance will commence at 10:50am with the silence observed at 11am.

The act of Remembrance will be led this year by Revd Dr Catherine Shelley, Moderastor of Churches Together in Mottingham, Vicar of St Edward's Mottingham and Area Dean of Eltham and Mottingham. Local councillors from Bromley and Greenwich will attend together with members of Mottingham Residents Association and other community leaders.

Linked to the act of Remembrance, services will be held at St Andrew's and St Edward's at 9:30am and at St Alban's at 10:45am with wreaths also being laid in each church. All are welcome to join the congregations of these churches if they wish to attend a full service in addition to the act of Remembrance. There will be processions from St Edward's and St Andrew's to the War Memorial. No booking is required for the services.

For the gathering at the War Memorial we are mindful that Covid 19 is still spreading, along with colds and other seasonal flu viruses. We therefore ask that all attending take responsibility for keeping at a safe distance, taking a Lateral Flow Test on the morning of the 14th and not attending - or allowing children to attend - if you are suffering from any symptoms that could be an infectious illnes or virus.

Having said which, we look forward to being able to mark this occasion with you, your families and communities and wish you every blessing for your safety and well-being at this time."

Revd Dr Catherine Shelley

8 November 2020

Following the announcement by the Prime Minister and the vote by parliament on 4 November acts of worship in churches are not permitted for the duration of this second lockdown.
This page will be updated as further information is made available.

A message from Revd Ian Welch, Rector St Andrew with St Alban, Parish of Mottingham

"...many people of faith stand appalled at the cruel and tragic waste of life that war entails. It is also quite proper to give great thanks for those who sacrificed their lives in the cause of freedom in WW2. There is, however, the thought that often the moral case for war is not so strong as it was in 1939. So often, it seems, war is used as an extension of statecraft to serve perceived national interests. Moral discernments are much more challenging in such cases, and the Christian call is surely to pray for peace and reconcilliation? As these prayers are offered one remembers also that those who died, did so in the cause of peace, and that the best way, therefore, one can honour their legacy is by striving unreservedly to achieve that great goal."

With every blessing, Revd Ian Welch

This message is an extract from Revd Ian's Remembrance Sunday Message which can be read in full on the attachment (pdf) below.

Speaking for CTIM, Revd Dr Catherine Shelley, Vicar of St Edward's has provided the following information for Remembrance Sunday 8 November 2020:

Mottingham & Coldharbour - St Andrew's, Court Road and St Alban's, William Barefoot Drive - 10am Sunday worship on Zoom. Contact Revd Ian Welch - 020 8851 1909 for Zoom details. The Act of Remembrance at 11am will will follow the service. Private prayer - St Andrew's 10-11am Fridays; St Alban's noon-1pm Thursdays.
Mottingham - St Edward's, St Keverne Road - From 9:30am on FaceBook http://www.facebook/stedsmottingham/ . The church will be open for private prayer and opportunities to lay personal tributes at the Remembrance Day Display from 10am - 4pm on sunday 8th and Wednesday 11th November and from 10am - 1pm daily. Councillor David Cartwright will also lay a wreath on behalf of Bromley Council.
Mottingham - Our Lady Help of Christians, Mottingham Road - Contact 020 8467 2325 or email mail@ourladymottingham.org for details of arrangements
Mottingham Methodist Church - Notification from Deacon Maureen Spinks, "Due to Covid-19 Mottingham Methodist Church is not able to be open for worship during November, but from 1 November our Remembrance Cross will be in the church front garden. If you would like to pause in prayer in the garden or add a homemade poppy or flower to the cross in week leading up to Remembrance Day in memory of a loves one, or in memory of those whose lives were lost in the world wars please feel free to do so. The cross will remain in place until Sunday 15 November,"

As a mark of respect Revd Ian Welch will lay the CTIM wreath at the village War Memorial after the service at St Andrew's, circa 11:30am.

The CTIM Annual Remembrance Sunday Service is attached below (pdf).

More information on what individual CTIM members will be doing to mark Remembrance Sunday 2020 is available on the CTIM FaceBook page @CTIMottingham

Mottingham Residents Association MRA - In a message posted on FaceBook, Laurie Bell, Chairman and Treasurer of Mottingham Residents' Association says, "Poppies are now up on the War Memorial, but sadly, there will be no service there this year. If anyone wishes to leave a wreath, please do so on Sunday 8 November. Wreaths will be secured to the Memorial later that day."

Photos of the Act of Remembrance in Mottingham held in previous years are shown in the photo gallery below. Click an image to open and enlarge. The relevant year will appear when the mouse pointer is positioned over a photo.

David & Thelma, our Home Group leaders, sent this Remembrance themed postcard to all Home Group members in time for Remembrance Sunday. See the Home Group Page for the message.