The Assumption Of The Bvm News

Priest-in-Charge Fr John Ainslie (revjohnainslie@gmail.com; 01628 629827)

A very warm welcome to any new readers, and to visitors and newcomers to St Michael's. If you are new to St Michael's, do join us for refreshments in the Vestry Hall after the service, so we can welcome you properly.

PRAYER REQUEST SLIPS are available at the back of church if you want to request prayer for yourself, for someone else or for a particular situation.

SERVICES THIS WEEK: NO MASS ON THURSDAY THIS WEEK, next Sunday Sung Mass 10.30am followed by refreshments.

Enhancing our Church Presence. Those who have been to our Church recently will have been greeted by the sight and fragrance of beautiful lilies outside the main door – enhancing the appearance of our church building, giving happiness to those who see them and speaking of the love, joy and beauty of our Christian faith. A sign of the life of our Christian community here at St Michael’s. We are fortunate to have a large and prominent corner site on the main road and we will aim to maintain the colourful containers, but more help and ideas to enhance the beauty of our church as seen by passers-by would be welcome, for example volunteers to ‘adopt’, care for and maybe replant sections of the borders would be particularly welcome – as Jacqui already does in memory of her husband.

Ride+Stride takes place this year on Saturday 14th September – for those not familiar with it, this is a day when volunteers are encouraged to visit churches in their own area especially by walking, running or cycling, and being sponsored for so doing. The sponsorship money is split 50:50 between the church chosen by the volunteer, and the Friends of Kent Churches, which makes donations towards care and maintenance of churches across the County. Catherine Garland is volunteering so do consider adding your name to her orange sponsorship form at the back of church sponsorship can be gift-aided, and 50% of money she raises will come back to us. We may be submitting applications to the Friends of Kent churches for various maintenance works around our building, so it is good to be seen as a church that supports the Friends. If you would like to be a volunteer and be sponsored, Catherine Garland or myself can get the forms for you.

Heritage Open Day is also on 14th September, and we will be opening our church for the day with refreshments and information about the history and architecture of our church and the Oxford Movement which inspired it (and still inspires our worship, teaching and pastoral care). Please put the date in your diary and do come along to learn more about our church history and to welcome those who will be visiting the church. If you would like to help with refreshments, bunting, advertising or in any other way do please let me or Eleanor know.

Dates for your Diary: Tuesday 1st October – Deanery Roadshow at St Lukes Church. An opportunity to learn more about the churches within our Deanery and diocese and think about encouraging church growth and ministry. Open to all, but especially members of the PCC. Saturday 12th October, Deanery Environment Conference, Canterbury.

Cathedral News: Through August, Canterbury Cathedral has Discovery Days, painting days based on the stained glass windows, open-air performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Peter Pan. See their website for details.

FOR OUR PRAYERS: We pray for the appointment of a new Bishop of Richborough, and for the Diocesan Forward in Faith Pilgrimage to Walsingham this week. We pray for peace particularly in Gaza and the Middle East.

We pray for those in need, and especially Paul Jones, Glynis Reynolds, Yvonne Young, Jessica O’Sullivan, Frank Carr, Lindsay Wheeler, Peter Rowe, William Danes-Volkov, Martyn Nash, Lisa Thompset, Fran, Keanna, Ellie Tomlinson and Claire Goodwin.

We pray for the recently departed, including Luke. We remember those who have faithfully served God in this Church in previous generations, and we pray for those whose year’s mind occurs this week: Rose Logan Green.

From the Belltower:

Sunday, 11 August 2024 1296 Bourne Surprise Minor
Composed by Daniel W Brady

1 Chris M Trafford 2 Jacqueline M Barlow 3 Emma Jarvis 4 Jane L Kostelnyk 5 Mark Elvers 6 Philip Jarvis (C)

Rung on the Saints Day of Clare of Assisi, Founder of the Minonesses (Poor Clare’s) 1253