St Lawrence, Seal Chart Parish Magazine April 2015

Transcription

1 Services at St Margaret s Underriver during April 2015 In the Church, every Thursday at 08:30, Morning Prayer (said) - CW St Lawrence, Seal Chart Parish Magazine April 2015 Sunday 5 April 11:15 Family Celebration of Holy Communion CW Sunday 12 April 08:00 Holy Communion BCP 18:00 Evensong BCP Sunday 19 April 10:30 Sunday Club (tbc) 11:15 Family Holy Communion (short) CW Sunday 26 April 11:15 Parish Communion CW Sunday 3 May 11:15 All Age Family Service ST LAWRENCE CHURCH AND VILLAGE CONTACTS Vicar - Revd Carol Kitchener Reader - St Lawrence Church - Mrs Gretel Wakeham Admin Assistant - Tim Pearce admin@stlawrencesealchart.com Parish Website - Churchwardens Ron Drury Rob Otto PCC Hon Secretary John Morris PCC Hon Treasurer Andy Rowell Electoral Roll Clive McLintock Covenant & Envelopes Rob Otto Organist Lizzie Veglio Choir Director John Morris Bellringers Hon Secretary Peter Wharton Sevenoaks Deanery Synod Ron Drury Peter Wharton Sunday School Hilary Darque Child Protection Rep Kate Clark Church Flowers Sheila Jackson St Lawrence CE Primary School Headteacher Alison Saunders Chairman of Governors Paul Martin Clerk to the Governors Sarah Brew St Lawrence Pre-School Becky Stammers st St Lawrence Brownies Janet Boswell S oaks District Councillors Julia Thornton Roderick Hogarth Seal Parish Council Chairman Robin Watson Vice-Chairman Edward Oatley Clerk Lorna Talbot Ward Councillors Peter Granville Tony Bulleid St Lawrence Village Hall Management Committee Chairman Peter Wharton Secretary Janice Brooker Treasurer Andy Smaggasgale Bookings Secretary Clare Murray Cricket Club Secretary Robin Webster Badm ton Club Contact Peter Wharton Archery Club Secretary Mike Davies Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators Stone Street Contact Janice Brooker Seal Chart Contact Nicola Mitchell Copy for the next issue should be sent, preferably by , to the editor, Brian Sutton ( ) at manofkent99@yahoo.com to arrive by 08:00 on Wednesday 15 April 2015 The next issue of the Parish Magazine will be in Church on Sunday 26 April 2015 Edited and Typeset by Brian Sutton, 50 The Crescent, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 3QY ( ) Printed by Highland Printers, Church Farm, Seal, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 0AN ( ) And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. Luke 24 v2 Vicar The Revd Carol Kitchener St Lawrence Vicarage Stone Street Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0LQ Ron Drury Garden Cottage, Raspit Hill Ivy Hatch Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0PE Church Wardens Reader Mrs Gretel Wakeham The White House Bitchet Green Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0NA Rob Otto 23 Hillingdon Avenue Sevenoaks Kent TN13 3RB

2 Our Vicar s Page The month of April can be a warm and pleasant month with colour returning to the world once again, or it can be a cold and wet month with daffodils flowers and blossom being torn away almost before we have seen them. Perhaps we have to hope for a moderate mixture of rain and sunshine? Geoffrey Chaucer spoke about the change in weather that April could bring in his Prologue to the Canterbury Tales these are his words (in translation) When that April, with his showers sweet the drought of March hath pierced the root Chaucer knew that in April the spring rain would arrive and begin to penetrate roots enabling flowers and leaf buds to open. At the same time roads would become passable and that the pilgrims of Medieval England could begin their pilgrimage from Southwark to Canterbury Cathedral. This year the month of April will begin on Wednesday of Holy Week and we have the opportunity to make a spiritual pilgrimage with Christ through the last few days of his life from the sadness of the Last Supper to the joy of Easter Day. On Thursday 2 nd is Maundy Thursday, we remember Jesus and his twelve disciples gathering for the Last Supper. As they shared the wine and the bread Judas stole away to betray Jesus. (joint Holy Communion at St Lawrence s 8pm). On Good Friday 3 rd we remember Jesus suffering and death on the cross. If you would like to make a pilgrimage through woods and across fields from St Lawrence s to St Margaret s meet at St Lawrence s at 9am. There will be hot cross buns and hot drinks on arrival in Underriver (joint Good Friday Service at St Margaret s am) On Easter Day Sunday 5 th we will gather in our own churches to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. There will be services in both churches 9.15am (St Lawrence) and 11.15am (St Margaret) with a child friendly talk and chocolate. Yours in the love of Christ For the Children 2 11

3 10 ST LAWRENCE S AND ST MARGARET S GARDEN PARTY Saturday 16 th May 2015 at Fishponds, Seal Chart (off the A25 between Seal and Ightham, near Crown Point) from 2.00 to 5.00 pm by kind invitation of Annette and Jim Mackellar Spectacular Rhododendron Garden Punch & Judy and Roving Entertainment Hartley Morris Men St Lawrence s School Orchestra Children s Crafts and Games Stalls, Sideshows, Raffle and Tombola Pre-loved Quality Classics (see below) Delicious Teas and Refreshments Champagne Marquee We need help with stalls, teas, setting up and taking down - and donations of Bric-a-Brac, Books, Cakes, Flowers, Jams, Plants, Produce, Scones, Savouries, Raffle & Tombola Prizes. Questions and offers of help to John Carlisle or Ron Drury This year, St Lawrence s Stitchers will be repeating their very successful Pre-loved Quality Classics Stall. Please search your wardrobes and consider donating any good quality clean ladies wear items you no longer wear - including dresses, skirts, trousers, jumpers, coats, hats, scarves, belts, jackets, gloves and jewellery. Enquiries to Roz Morris ( ). The Garden Party is a vital fund-raiser for both our Churches It is also a lot of fun Please put the date in your diaries. John C Local Bank Holiday bike ride now in its seventh year On the first Bank Holiday Monday in May, Kent cyclists will be pumping up their tyres to enjoy the seventh Cloisters Charity Bike Ride, starting and finishing as usual at Stansted Village Hall, Kent, TN15 7PH on Monday 4th May. This year, we are very proud to be in association with chyps (the children s hospice at home service of Kent charity Ellenorlions Hospices) Last year 450 riders took part, raising funds for the Friends of St Mary s Stansted and had a wonderful day riding through the quiet leafy lanes and charming villages of the North Downs of West Kent. The three rides provide something for everyone, from families to the serious cyclist, with interesting routes, excellent back-up, a ploughman s lunch and the promise of tea with scrumptious homemade cakes. Enjoy the ride and raise sponsorship for the EllenorLions Hospices! 44 miles The Challenge : A lovely ride on many unknown lanes. A very good workout for the most hardened cyclist, a real challenge for the less experienced. 23 miles The Classic : A great ride that includes a very short 1 in 4 hill, with badges awarded to those who ride it! Suitable for all, but requires some training if you don t normally ride a bike 13 miles The Cruise : Quiet lanes especially suitable for the occasional cyclist and for families with younger children. Entry is open to all ages and costs from 15 for adults, and 10 for children. Check out the website - or call (answerphone) for an entry form John C A Puzzle! Once upon a time there was a donkey who lived in a. field by the side of a river, On the other side of the river there was another field full of delicious carrots. The donkey wanted the carrots but the river was too deep for him to wade and too wide for him to swim and there was no bridge. The donkey didn't have a boat and he couldn't fly. So how did he cross the river? Do you want to give up? See Page 4 for the solution. 3

4 Sunday Brunch 12th April We are planning to support Rochester Diocese s Challenging Poverty 2015 initiative with a fund-raising Brunch after the service on April 12. We will be raising money for the Medway Branch of Emmaus which provides a home and support to help the homeless get back on their feet. A speaker from Emmaus will be at the service and the Brunch. See below for details: FUND-RAISING SUNDAY BRUNCH In aid of Emmaus Medway Sunday 12 April, 2015 at a.m. in St Lawrence School Hall Donations welcomed at the brunch. If you cannot attend but would like to donate you can use electronic banking to credit: St Lawrence (Seal) PCC Account No SUNDAY 19 APRIL :00 IN THE CHURCH Sort Code Reference: Emmaus THE ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING Elect the new PCC: Hear what has happened in the past year: What is planned for the future: This is your opportunity to have your say The Solution: Well, that's all right, because so did the donkey. EASTER SERVICES AT OUR TWO CHURCHES Maundy Thursday 20:00 Joint Holy Communion Good Friday 09:00 Devotional Walk from St Lawrence s to St Margaret s Some miscellaneous observations on life. 11:15 Joint Good Friday Service at St Margaret s Easter Day 08:00 Holy Communion (BCP) at St Lawrence s 09:45 Family Celebration of Holy Communion at St Lawrence s 11:15 Family Celebration of Holy Communion at St Margaret s We hope that you will be able to celebrate the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord at one of these special services Christ is Risen. He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Hosanna in the Highest Cosmetics: A woman's way of keeping a man from reading between the lines. Do not believe in miracles...rely on them. Each of us is a mixture of dust and deity. Every day is a gift; that's why they call it the present. Friendship is a responsibility...not an opportunity. The two hardest things to handle in life are failure and success. What we see in others often reveals something about us. Why is it called a drop cloth when the paint usually drops where the cloth ISN'T? 4 9

5 Village Hall Bookings Secretary It is with great pleasure that we can announce that Claire Murray has taken over with immediate effect. She should now be your first contact for booking dates, invoice issues or payments. Claire can be contacted via on telephone number or by post at Old Soar Cottage, Old Soar Road, Plaxtol, TN15 0QX. Easter Faith Three years after the Russian Revolution of 1917, a great anti-god rally was arranged in Kiev. The powerful orator Bukharin was sent from Moscow, and for an hour he demolished the Christian faith with argument, abuse and ridicule. At the end there was silence. Then a man rose and asked to speak. He was a priest of the Russian Orthodox Church. He went and stood next to Bukharin. Facing the people, he raised his arms and spoke just three triumphant words: Christ is risen! At once the entire assembly rose to their feet and gave the joyful response, He is risen indeed! It was a devastating moment for an atheist politician, who had no answer to give to this ancient Easter liturgy. He had not realised he was simply too late: how can you convince people who have already experienced God, that He does not exist? Smile Lines 8 I sat up all night thinking about the sun. Then it dawned on me. You can't have everything - where would you put it? Advert in newspaper: Home computer, as new. Never been figured out. The trouble with referees is that they just don't care which side wins. Your Prayers are asked for.. Christians wherever they are; the Christian Church throughout the world; all who have been persecuted for their belief; non believers that their eyes may be opened; Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer Released for Mission, growing the Rural Church The challenges of rural ministry are addressed in a new report aimed at releasing the energies of clergy and lay people for mission in the countryside. The study Released for Mission, Growing the Rural Church, which was approved at February's meeting of the General Synod, makes a series of recommendations including locally accessible training and development for lay people and clergy working in multi church groups. A review needs to be carried out urgently to examine how to simplify legal governance structures of multi church groups, the report recommends. Multi church groups would also benefit from improving systems to take care of administrative tasks, financial accounting, and building and churchyard management on behalf of the whole group. More ecumenical partnership should also be encouraged, opening up the possibility of new initiatives that might not be possible for a single denomination, the report adds. Mission and growth are more likely to flourish in rural multi church groups where time and space is created for this, the report notes, and where the ministry of lay people is supported. Nearly two thirds or 65%, of Church of England churches 10,199 are in rural areas and almost all work in groups. James Bell, Bishop of Knaresborough, and chair of the Rural Affairs Group of the General Synod, writing in the foreword to the report, described the recommendations as "practical and achievable." "A Christian presence in every community is more than a strap line it is the heart of English Anglicanism. It is the expression of our obligation, as the church for all the people of the nation, to leave no community untouched by the gospel of Jesus Christ, lived out among the people of every place. Further information can be found at: St Lawrence Cricket Club The Club plays on the picturesque Bitchet Green ground and would be delighted to welcome new members for the 2015 season. The club plays in the very successful Kent County Village League. Indoor nets are held on Wednesdays at 7.00 pm at Sevenoaks Indoor School ( Plymouth Drive) Please contact membership secretary Richard Smith (rsmith@savills.com or tel ) or club secretary Robin Webster (robin@littlemaddox.co.uk or tel ). 5

6 Services and Events at The Church of St Lawrence Seal Chart during April 2015 Every Tuesday at 08:30, in the Church Morning Prayer (said) (CW) Thursday 2 April Maundy Thursday 20:00 Maundy Thursday Holy Communion (joint) 1 Cor 11: John 13: 1-17, 31b-35 Friday 3 April Good Friday 09:00 Devotional Walk from St Lawrence 11:15 Good Friday Service at St Margaret s Underriver Sunday 5 April Easter Day 08:00 Holy Communion BCP Acts 10:34-43 Mark 16: :45 Family Celebration of Holy Communion Acts 10:34-43 Mark 16: 1-8 Thursday 9 April Prayer Time - (lasts about an hour - all are welcome) 14:00 At Grenadiers, Riding Lane, Hildenborough Sunday 12 April Second Sunday of Easter 09:45 Family Communion CW Acts 4: John 20: 19-end Sunday 19 April Third Sunday of Easter 09:45 Family Communion (with Sunday School) CW Acts 3: Luke 24: 36b-48 11:00 ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING Tuesday 21 April Prayer Time - (lasts about an hour - all are welcome) 10:00 At 50 The Crescent, Sevenoaks Sunday 26 April Fourth Sunday of Easter 09:45 Matins BCP Acts 4: 5-12 John 10: Sunday 3 May Fifth Sunday of Easter 08:00 Holy Communion BCP Acts 8: John 15: :45 All Age Family Service Acts 8: Friday 8 May Prayer Time - (lasts about an hour - all are welcome) 10:00 At The White House, Bitchet Green Our Church Garden Party Our Annual Garden Party will be on Saturday 16 th May, at Fishponds, the lovely home of Jim and Annette MacKellar. We are very grateful to them for again agreeing to host this prestigious event! We can already promise the St Lawrence School Orchestra, Punch and Judy, and (hopefully) the Hartley Morris Men, as well as plenty of stalls, delicious teas and children s entertainment.all this and more in the most beautiful surroundings. (see page 10) John C Church Flowers Sunday 5 April Jean Stirling Christine Hughes (porch) Sunday 12 April Jean Stirling Sunday 19 April Anthea Carlisle Sunday 26 April Anthea Carlisle Sunday 3 May Pat Wilson Children meet promptly at 09:45 in St Lawrence School Hall on the dates shown ibelow They will rejoin their parents in the church towards the end of the service. All children aged 3 and upwards are welcome 19 April The Resurrection Sam and Lesley 17 May Ascension Day Hilary and Lesley 21 June Father's Day, The Prodigal Son Sam and Lyn 19 July Diocesan & Parish Picnic - Details to follow later For further information contact Hilary Darque [ ] 6 7