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Church notices
for the weeks of
17th & 24th March 2024

Upcoming events:
Lent talks (led by Rev Garth Barber)                                    Fridays throughout Lent (see below)
Half Cut Theatre: The Canterbury Tales (in St Mary’s)    Sunday 7th April (See poster for details)
Annual Church Meeting (APCM)                                       Sunday 28th April (after Communion service)

Holy Week and Easter at St Mary’s
24th March 10am Palm Sunday Family Communion with Live Wires. This year we will be joined by Don the Donkey who will lead our own Palm Sunday procession. The service will start outside by the notice board in the churchyard (car park side of church) for the blessing of palms and we will then process into church.
28th March 7pm, Maundy Thursday Agape supper in church. Please sign up if you’d like to attend. We ask for a £5 donation to cover costs.
29th March 12 noon Good Friday service in the churchyard
31st March 10am Easter Sunday Celebration Holy Communion, followed by an easter egg hunt in the churchyard.

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.

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/

Lent course: ‘Watch and Pray:  wisdom and hope for Lent and life’
Watch and Pray invites us to seek God in both familiar and unfamiliar places this Lent: in darkness and in quiet; in movement and migration; in the healing and transforming work of the Spirit; in the weeping of Holy Week and in the joy of Easter morning.
You can also join through our own Lent course in St Mary’s Church. This will be led by Rev. Garth Barber at 11.00 a.m. with a simple soup and fruit lunch at 12.00 midday on the Fridays of 23rd Feb, & 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd March.
If you are planning to come it would be helpful if you would contact Jane Arnott (email: jmgarnott1959@gmail.com) but it is also fine to come without pre-booking.

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
Sunday 17th March
Fifth Sunday of Lent
Morning Service with Live Wires
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.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 & John 12:20-33

Sunday 24th March Palm Sunday
Family Communion with Live Wires
True and humble king,
hailed by the crowd as Messiah:
grant us the faith to know you and love you,
that we may be found beside you
on the way of the cross,
which is the path of glory.
Mark 11.1-11 (the Palm gospel)
Mark chapters 14 & 15 (the Passion gospel)

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