Trinity 17 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: Thursday Mass at 10.30, next Sunday Sung Mass at 10.30 followed by refreshments.

Next Sunday is our Patronal Festival, Sung Mass 10.30am, followed by a Bring & Share Lunch. If you will be coming to the Lunch please add your name to the list at Back of Church and indicate what contribution you will be bringing towards the food. DO JOIN US FOR THIS MAJOR CELEBRATION IN OUR CHURCH YEAR!

TUESDAY – Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham at Harbledown, 7pm. If you will be going please make arrangements for car share after Mass this Sunday.

ADULT BAPTISM & CONFIRMATION. I have two people wishing to begin a course leading to Adult Baptism and Confirmation. If there is anyone else who would like to join this, please let me know asap.

FINANCE. Just to let you know that our finances are very stretched this year, seemingly mainly due to a new and more expensive energy contract signed last year. Thank you to all those who contribute regularly to our finances and thank you for continuing to do so in these difficult times. If you haven’t increased the value of your giving in recent years, could I ask you to think about making an increase if you are able? If you are new to St Michael’s and don’t yet give regularly, please consider doing so as part of your Christian discipleship. We give back to God from what we have received by his providence, in thanksgiving to Him and so that we can worship him in this beautiful place and bring his love and mercy to the community around us. The cost of upkeep of the building is considerable, and we receive NO Government funding and NO contribution from the Diocese towards these costs. If you are not able to help us in this way, please be assured you are VERY WELCOME to be with us Sunday by Sunday, there is no entry-fee to the Church of Christ !!

DEANERY ROADSHOW, ST LUKE’S 1st October 7pm. This is an opportunity to hear our Area Dean, Archdeacon and Diocesan Secretary and to quiz them as they talk about the future of the Church in our Deanery and Diocese. PCC members are especially encouraged to attend.

FOR OUR PRAYERS: We pray for St Michael’s primary and junior schools as they come into our Church on Friday for their Michaelmas Service, and we pray for our celebration of Michael and All Angels next Sunday, that it will be a joyful and well-attended occasion. In our town and parish we pray for Making a Difference Maidstone and other local organisations as they make plans to care for the homeless over the winter, and as we think what we might do to help.

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, Claire Goodwin, Sara Dray, Robert Hill and Michael.

We pray for the recently departed. 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: Phyllis Evelyn O’Brien, Stanley Payne.

FROM THE BELLTOWER: Sunday, 15 September 1312 Spliced Surprise Major (4m) 352 each Lincolnshire, Superlative, Yorkshire; 256 Cambridge; 40 com. 1 Stuart Cox 2 Philip Jarvis 3 Jacqueline Barlow 4 Jane L Kostelnyk 5 Lucy Harvey 6 Mark Elvers 7 Nigel Pointer 8 Neil Jones (C)

Rung on the Saint's Day of Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, Martyr, 258, also for Battle of Britain Day.