Trinity 15 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 Matthias, our celebrant this morning, who will also kindly be saying Mass for us on Thursday at 10.30 am – St Matthew's Day. If you are new to St Michael's, do join us in the Vestry Hall today after the service, so that we can welcome you properly.
MICHAELMAS is the feast on which the Church celebrates the ministry of God's holy Angels, and, as our church is dedicated to St Michael and All Angels, it's a very special time for us. To give everyone the best possible chance of joining in our celebration, we are keeping Michaelmas on Sunday October 1st rather than on the actual day (September 29th), and 10.30 Mass will be followed by a buffet lunch in the Vestry Hall. Everyone is most welcome - do invite your friends and family! - and there is no charge. This of course will only work if generous church members are ready to be angels too! There is a list at the back of church – please indicate what you can bring, and whether you can help with setting-up and clearing-away.
NB Our sister parish of St Michael's, Harbledown (near Canterbury), is keeping Michaelmas on September 29th itself, and welcomes all visitors. Mass will be at 7pm, followed by a buffet reception. Fr Peter and his congregation will be delighted to see supporters from Maidstone!
Our Garden Working Party meets on Saturday 23^rd^ September from 9.30 am, the plan being to trim our hedge. All helpers will be really welcome – please see Martyn for further information. There is further scope here for anyone who can be an angel on a Saturday morning – it really does something for our witness as a church if our grounds look inviting and well cared for.
Great news for families with primary age boys: after a long break, there will once more be Cubs and Beavers in our Vestry Hall. In addition, there will now be Squirrels – for boys not yet old enough for the Beaver colony. To learn more, come along to the opening night – Monday, 18th September, at 6pm. Further information from Ralph.
Renewed thanks to Catherine, who cycled round 20 churches in blistering heat for Ride and Stride and achieved over £400 in sponsorship. Thanks also to her sponsors - if you have still to catch up with Catherine and give her your money, please try to catch her today!
Praying for sick people is something Christians have done from the very earliest days of the Church, and we continue to do it as a church every time Mass is celebrated. Sometimes we need to check, in case our Sunday prayer list may be out of date, particularly as we avoid using surnames because of Data Protection. Please let Eleanor know of any updates or additions; we may need to attempt a complete revision of the list sometime soon.
It's not too early to start having ideas about our pre-Christmas Fair on December 2nd. This is a marvellous time to make jam or chutney (remember to stick a list of ingredients on the jar!), to look out for possible Tombola prizes, or to produce a hand-made decoration or craft item. Or why not try a pot-plant or some bulbs? There must be people out there with all sorts of ideas; contact Sara in person or on 07837 919761, and let's make this a piece of real St Michael's teamwork.
A chance to support the Royal National Lifeboat Institution: there's a box in the narthex for used stamps! Please don't try to detach them from the envelopes – about an inch of envelope all round the stamp is good if you can manage it.
Lay Pastoral Ministry sounds rather abstract – but in fact we are all engaged in it, whether or not we've noticed. When we try to be a Christian presence at work, or come alongside someone in trouble, or explain to a neighbour what happens at a christening, that's what we're doing. And sometimes we feel that a bit of training and practical advice would help. A diocesan course is being offered in October-November, and the closing date for enrolment is tomorrow, September 18th. For information, visit https://www.canterburydiocese.org/ministry/equipping-for-ministry/ministry-development/pastoral-assistant-training/ Could God be calling you to develop your own pastoral ministry at St Michael's?
From Our Tower:
Kent County Association: Maidstone, Kent, St Michael and All Angels
Friday, 8 September 2023 in 42m (6–1–24 in C) 1320 Hull Surprise Minor
- Jacqueline Barlow
- Janice Byrne
- Emma Jarvis
- Mark Elvers
- Philip Jarvis
- Stephen Coaker (c)
Rung to mark the first anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II and remembering the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Could you pass on this sheet to someone else who might like to see it?