Easter 6 News

A very warm welcome to any new readers, and to visitors and newcomers to St Michael's. A special welcome and thanks to Fr Paul, our celebrant this morning, who will also kindly be saying Mass for us on Thursday – Ascension Day - at 10.30 am. If you are new to St Michael's, do join us in the Vestry Hall after the service, so that we can welcome you properly.

Ascension Day: Please note that the 10.30 am Thursday Mass this week is our Ascension Day Mass. If you are not at work, why not come and celebrate this very important feast day?

Thank you to everyone whose generous contributions of food, drink, decorating and hard work delivered such an enjoyable Coronation celebration lunch last Sunday, and particular thanks to Alison Ponter for drawing it all together.

The PCC meets on Wednesday 24th May. Any apologies, or items to be included in the Agenda, to Vice-Chairman Paul Jones, please.

“As I was going to Strawberry Fair…“ What can we do to encourage the customers to come to our Strawberry Fair on Saturday afternoon, July 1st? The strawberry teas will be the central attraction, but what other ideas can we suggest – and put into operation – to entertain those who come, and make some extra money? Sara will be most grateful for ideas and offers of help - tombola prizes, raffle prizes, home-made goodies, publicising, and, of course, setting-up and washing-up. Please contact Sara on 07837 919761 or email sara_pointer@msn.com.

First impressions matter… Coming into an unfamiliar church for the first time can be difficult – especially for a newcomer who may have little experience of churches, or who may never have visited a church that does things in quite the way St Michael's does. A person at the back of the church who can welcome newcomers, show them which book is which and direct them towards the refreshments after Mass is doing a hugely important job. Can YOU volunteer to take on this job occasionally? If so, do speak to Jonathan or Paul. NB If a newcomer comes to sit in a nearby pew, particularly if he or she has arrived late and may not have picked up books, we can all offer help if it seems to be needed. People would generally rather have too much help than too little, and a bit of friendly concern can mean such a lot.

A Fashion Show with a Difference! MADM (local charity Making a Difference Maidstone) is organising a Fashion Show of formal/bridal wear at MidKent College on 26th May. All the outfits shown will be secondhand – a chance to address the cost of living crisis, to encourage recycling, to raise money for MADM – and to see how glamorous a quality second-hand fashion item can be! Refreshments will be available, admission is free, and donations on the day will be much appreciated. There is actually going to be a pop-up shop! There will be two sessions -12.30 pm and 2 pm – and you can make sure of a place if you reserve your free ticket by scanning the QR code on the poster in the narthex. This show will go on for just under an hour and is in our own locality (Oakwood Road) – do support it if you can!

Could you pass this sheet on to someone else who might like to see it?