Easter 5 News

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

Do please join us after Mass for Tea, Coffee and Cake in the Vestry Hall - just ask if you don’t know the way!

Services this week: Thursday Mass 10.30am. Next Sunday Sung Mass for the Sixth Sunday of Easter at 10.30am

Next Sunday 10th May, we have our annual church meetings after our 10.30am Mass. As well as electing our Churchwardens, PCC and representatives to Deanery Synod, this is also a time to receive the annual accounts for 2025, to receive the PCC’s Annual report, as well as reports on the church buildings, bellringers and other groups – and to ask any questions you might have about the work of the PCC or the mission and ministry of St Michael’s church.

If you would like to seek appointment as a Churchwarden, member of the PCC, or as one of our representatives on the Deanery Synod please complete a nomination form, available at Back of Church or from Eleanor. Make sure your form is signed by a proposer and seconder, and then pop the nomination form into the box at Back of Church.

To be elected to the PCC, you must be aged 16 or over; an actual communicant member of the church, and (if you are aged 18 or over) your name must have been on the Electoral Roll for at least six months. To be elected Churchwarden you must be aged 21 or over, an actual communicant member, and your name must be on the church Electoral Roll.

We are delighted by the appointment of Bishop Martin Warner to be the next Vicar of St Peter’s Folkestone. He will take up this post following his retirement as Bishop of Chichester at the end of this month, and we look forward to his faith, prayers and energy in the Society parishes of Canterbury diocese.

FiF National Festival: concelebrated Mass, lunch etc, St Alban’s Holborn, Saturday 9th May – details from Eleanor. All welcome, but prior registration necessary.

A service for Christian Aid Week: A special service for Christian Aid Week with guest preacher Patrick Watt, CEO of Christian Aid. 3pm on Sunday 10th May at Holy Cross church, Bearsted (ME144EE). “Please do come and join us for this service to learn more about the work of Christian Aid, and to pray for the peace and justice which we long to see in our world today. (A large community car park is adjacent to the church).”

FOR OUR PRAYERS:

We pray for our ministry of welcome at St Michael’s church, that we may all provide a warm and inviting welcome to casual visitors and first-time worshippers, and help and guidance to our services and other activities. We pray that we would be an outward-looking, vibrant church, ready to welcome all and to share our faith with joy. We pray especially for those who serve as welcomers at the church door.

We pray for those in need, and especially Glynis Reynolds, Yvonne Young, Lindsay Wheeler, Martyn Nash, David Green, Norman Farrington, Phil and Marion, Joe, Keira, Freya, Isaac, Lexie Nicholson, Sarah, Janet and Alan.

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: Sandy McKenzie, Mary Flisher, Patricia Barton, Margaret Kent.

FROM THE BELL TOWER: Thursday, 23 April. 1 Logan S H Rich 2 Nigel Baker 3 Paul Barton 4 Mark Elvers 5 Richard Young 6 Neil Jones (C) Rung before Mass on St George’s Day. Remembering Peggy Thresh, 23/4/24, R.I.P.