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Church notices for the weeks of
31st March and 7th & 14th April 2024

Upcoming events:
Easter Egg Hunt (in the churchyard)                                     Sunday 31st March @11.45am
Half Cut Theatre: The Canterbury Tales (in St Mary’s)    Sunday 7th April (See poster for details)
PCC Meeting                                                                          Monday 8th April @7pm
Family Time Together                                                          Sunday 14th April @3pm
Annual Church Meeting (APCM)                                       Sunday 28th April (after Communion service)

Farewell to Louise: After 3½ years as our Interim Minister, Louise’s time with us is coming to an end. There will be an opportunity to thank her and to bid her “Farewell” at a ‘Bring and Share’ Lunch in the church after the APCM on 28th April - this is Louise’s last Sunday with us. Everybody is welcome to join us to give Louise a really good send off.
There is a list for people to sign up to at the back of the church.

Recent Lent course: A big THANK YOU to Garth for leading our Lent Course this year. Thanks too to Jane who has organised it and everyone who helped make soup etc. for lunches. It has been a time of blessing and fellowship. All donated money, after any expenses, will be sent to CMS.

The process of appointing a Priest in Charge for our church has taken a big step forward. Following interviews last Tuesday at which we were represented on the interview panel by Jane Arnott and Tim Kidd, they were able to issue the following statement:
"We are delighted to tell you that interviews for Priest in Charge went well last Tuesday; the panel was able to make a recommendation to the Bishop of Dover for the appointment.  We are not able to say any more at this stage; the process may take a few weeks. We both felt, as did the rest of the panel, that we have found someone very special for St. Mary’s to build on the excellent foundations that Louise has laid down for us."
Appointment update: We have had notification that the applicant has now met with Bishop Rose and has accepted the position. It is now going through a DBS process. We are unable to make any further announcement until this is complete, but we hope this will be very soon.

Generous Giving Advisor: It was good to welcome Rev Lindsay Yates last month and hear the inspiring story about generous giving from Indian Christians. Lindsay encouraged us to review our financial giving and to consider leaving a gift to church in our wills too. There is plenty of information about ways to give to St Mary’s at the back of church, or have a word with Tim Kidd who will be happy to talk you through the options.
Donate securely and safely: St Mary’s Chartham is registered with the Parish Giving Scheme which allows you to make donations securely and safely.
Visit: https://www.parishgiving.org.uk/donors/find-your-parish/chartham-st-mary-canterbury/ . Or simply use this QR code:

The Annual Meeting of Parishioners and APCM and will be held after the Communion service on 28th April. If you have not yet joined the church’s Electoral Roll, please do so. Tim Kidd, St Mary’s Electoral Roll officer, has information about this.

Benefice News
The benefice is in the process of being reorganized – The Reverend Dawn Stamper has been appointed as the Associate Priest in the United Wye Benefice with specific responsibility for the parishes of Petham and Upper Hardres with Stelling. Dawn will be licensed to her new post by Bishop Rose on Wednesday 24 April at 7.30pm at St Peter & St Paul’s Church Upper Hardres.

St Mary’s Church, Chartham has a Facebook page which we use to advertise our services and events to the wider community. We want to grow this to advertise what’s going on at St Mary’s.
Please “like” our church page and share with your friends and neighbours.

Collects and readings for upcoming Sundays
 
31st March, Holy Communion
Easter Sunday Celebration
with Live Wires
Lord of all life and power,
who through the mighty resurrection of your Son
overcame the old order of
sin and death
to make all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin
and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
may reign with him in glory;
to whom with you and
the Holy Spirit
be praise and honour,
glory and might,
now and in all eternity.
Acts 10:34-43 & John 20:1-18

7th April, Family Praise
Second Sunday of Easter
Risen Christ,
for whom no door is locked,
no entrance barred:
open the doors of our hearts,
that we may seek
the good of others
and walk the joyful road
of sacrifice and peace,
to the praise of
God the Father.
John 20:19-end

14th April, Family Communion
Third Sunday of Easter
with Live Wires
Almighty Father,
who in your great mercy gladdened the disciples
with the sight of the risen Lord:
give us such knowledge of his presence with us,
that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life
and serve you continually in righteousness and truth;
through Jesus Christ,
your Son, our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Acts 3:12-19 & Luke 24:36b-48
 

 
Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Welcome 

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at St.Mary's (details below) for our Sunday Service starting at 10am. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits afterward. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Plan your journey: 

Open Google Maps

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main foyer.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10am with a warm welcome..
Visit our This Sunday page for more information
 

Children

Getting Connected


Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team

Get in touch with us to plan your visit
If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.
 
Name:
Telephone:
Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.
 
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes