Notices for Sundays 30^th March & 6^th April

Upcoming dates from the diary (details below)

Lent talks: How to pray & Community lunch Wednesday 2^nd April 12 midday
Friends for Mental Health Coffee Morning Saturday 12^th April 10:30
Palm Sunday procession and communion service Sunday 13^thApril 10am
Holy Week Reflection Monday 14^th April 7pm
‘Agape’ Meal Maundy Thursday 17^th April 7pm
Good Friday Service in St Mary’s Churchyard Friday 18^th April 12noon
Easter Day Communion Service Sunday 20^th April 10 am
Electoral Roll Everybody must reapply to be on the church electoral roll
Annual Church Meeting (APCM) Sunday 18^th May (after the morning service)

Church Rota: We will be constructing the church rotas for May - August soon. Please let David Arnott know by 13th April of any dates when you are unavailable or if you wish to come off a rota (dmarnott@yahoo.co.uk, 01227470831).

Friends for Mental Health (East Kent) Coffee Morning: Saturday 12th April 10.30.

Hot and Cold Drinks, Homemade Cakes and Savouries, Raffle, many other stalls in support of people with mental illness who are in hospital or live at home. Phone Janet Onslow on 01227 730019 for more information or email The Friends on thefriendsformentalhealth.ek@gmail.com

Palm Sunday 13th April 10am: Palm Sunday Procession into church with Don the donkey, followed by a Communion Service and Live Wires.

Volunteer Live Wires Team Member Vacancies Can you help us as part of our Live Wires Team?
Live Wires is a church children’s group that meets at the Village Hall and St Mary’s Church each Sunday apart from the first Sunday of the month.

The Live Wires session is 9.30 to 11.30am, according to the team rota.
As a team member, you will be expected to:

Encourage children to learn about Jesus and to grow in faith
Assist with the leading of group sessions or activities
Attend meetings for your support, guidance or supervision

For more information, role Description and application forms please follow the QR code, see our website: stmaryschartham.org/Groups/345463/Children Families Young.aspx or speak to our Live Wires Team Coordinator, Bronny Slowe.
St Mary’s Chartham is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders and volunteers are expected to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to acceptable pre-appointment checks, including a satisfactory Enhanced DBS Check.

Weekday Morning Prayer during Lent:

If you are available on any Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday mornings during Lent why not join us for Morning Prayer? This is from 9 to 9:30 am with - music, bible reading, reflection, silence and prayer.

Lent Talks - 'How to Pray'. Our final Lent Talk for this year is on Wednesday 2nd April at 12 noon followed by a soup lunch at 1pm - you are most welcome to join us.

Deepening Discipleship Courses – Spring / Summer 2025
Deepening Discipleship is an eight / nine session exploration of how to follow Jesus together with other disciples, with an opportunity to:

Explore your journey of discipleship and unique calling and gifts
Identify key gospel discipleship practices as a basis of service
Reflect on the growth and development of Christian communities

It is an especially helpful foundation course for anyone wanting to explore pastoral ministry or worship leading.
There are two courses starting soon:

Online Course starting with a Face to Face introductory Session on Saturday 26 April.
Face-to-Face Course in Canterbury on Thursday evenings starting on 5th June.

For more information please see https://www.canterburydiocese.org/deepening-discipleship.php or ask Rev Andrew.

Annual Church Meeting
The APCM meeting has been rescheduled for Sunday 18^th May - immediately after the morning service. Please change the date in your diaries.
Before the APCM, this year the electoral roll must be completely recreated. This must be done every 5 years and anybody who wishes to continue on, or to join, the electoral roll must complete a new application form - these are available in the church or from Tim Kidd. We encourage everybody who is part of our church to be on the roll. Please speak to Rev Andrew if you would like more information about this.
Please could anyone who runs a group in the church - send a report to secretary@stmary'schartham.org by Sunday 27^th April - to enable the full report to be compiled in time for the meeting - thank you.

Collects and readings

30^th March - Mothering Sunday Praise
God of compassion,
whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary,
shared the life of a home in Nazareth,
and on the cross drew the whole
human family to himself:
strengthen us in our daily living
that, in joy and in sorrow,
we may know the power of your presence
to bind together and to heal;
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.
John 19:25-27

6^th April - Family Praise
Most merciful God,
who by the death and resurrection
of your Son Jesus Christ
delivered and saved the world:
grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross
we may triumph in the power of his victory;
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.
John 2:1-8

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.

Visitors click here.

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

Notices for Sundays 30th March & 6th April