Upcoming dates for your diary (details below)
Family Time Together                                                                                   Sun 14^th Sept 3pm
Coffee & Cake concert                                                                                 Sat 20^th Sept 11am
First Aid Training                                                                                            Sat 27th Sept 9am
Harvest Festival Communion Service                                                   Sun 28^th Sept 10am
Harvest Supper                                                                                              Mon 29^th Sept 7pm
Cocoa & Compline at the Craft Dome                                                        Sun 5^th Oct 6pm Open tower during fete:
Our open church tower during the church fete on 7^th Sept was extremely popular with 93 people climbing up to see the ringing chamber and the belfry, and many of those expressing an interest in learning to ring. Regular bellringing practice and teaching is now on Friday evenings, and so hopefully we will soon have a ringing team of our own for Sunday mornings and other events. Music concerts in St Mary’s
The recent concert on 6^th Sept was a wonderful occasion that was very well received and raised £201.23 for church funds. Thank you to Emily & Tim for organising this.
Our next event is our regular “Coffee & Cake” concert with a voice and piano recital entitled “What a wonderful world” at which Emily Renshaw-Kidd will be accompanied on piano by Richard Ansell as they perform songs based around significant events in the singer’s life and memories of loved ones. Saturday 20^th Sept at 10.15 for 11am start. Harvest Festival Service on Sunday 28th September
An informal Communion Service with an All-Age talk, harvest hymns and songs led by the band, choir and organ, and offering of harvest gifts. Please bring any food to the service that you would like to donate to our local food banks, fresh fruit and vegetables will be shared with City Church food bank and tins, packets and other non-perishables with the food bank in the Parish Hall. Come and find out if St Mary’s has achieved the bronze Eco-Church award! Harvest Supper – Monday 29^th Sept @7pm in St Mary’s Church
Our annual Harvest Supper is coming up, and everybody is welcome.
We’ll be having a 2-course meal with Fish & Chips (or Sausage/Chicken & Chips) and dessert.
Tickets £15 to include all food - bring your own drinks.
Booking is essential – Please contact Tim Kidd on 07725 316617 or tim@timkidd.com.  
Wildflower area in the churchyard – request for seeds & bulbs.
We are planning our wildflower area and would be very grateful for donations of wildflower seeds & spring bulbs. We plan to plant the bulbs on Sat 11^th Oct at 3pm and the seeds on Sunday 12^th Oct, with the help of the children in Family Time Together, at 3pm. Any offerings from your own gardens & other sources will be much appreciated.
Please speak to Sarah Challender or email her at ecochurch@stmaryschartham.org
More information about the work that is being done to develop St Mary’s as an eco-church can be found on the Eco-church notice board in church and on our website via this QR code Cocoa & Compline:
Sunday 5th Oct is 'St Francis Sunday' and this brings to a close the church's ’Season of Creation’. That Sunday will also see an innovation: at 6pm, at The Craft Dome, we will be holding the ancient order of Compline - Night Prayer which will be preceded by cocoa. Expect to be warmed by the woodstove, too. If it is really muddy, do consider bringing some soft shoes to change into. Revd Andrew will be leading the service.
See Jenny Oliver for more information.
Directions using What3Words for the School’s Car park entrance ///tour.rejoins.pairings Ride & Stride - Thanks to everyone who helped with the Ride and Stride event on Saturday 13h September. David Arnott Collects and readings

14^th September: Communion Service
Almighty God,
who called your Church to bear witness
that you were in Christ
reconciling the world to yourself:
help us to proclaim the good news of your love,
that all who hear it may be drawn to you;
through him who was lifted up on the cross,
and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Phil 2:6-11, John 3:13-17

21^st September: Morning Service
Almighty God,
whose only Son has opened for us
a new and living way into your presence:
give us pure hearts and steadfast wills
to worship you in spirit and in 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.
 
1 Tim 2:1-7, Luke 16:1-13