Welcome
Welcome to St. Mary's Church online. We hope that our website highlights our wide variety of worship, fellowship and services. You can read a bit about our church on this site, and hopefully visit us. We are fully inclusive and welcome everybody no matter what. We would love to meet you and share with you what we do as a church family in the community of Chartham.
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Come and join us!!
Our Mission
At St. Mary's we seek to be an active church, praying, listening, working and reaching out in love to God, each other, our community and the wider world.
We hope you can visit us at one of our services. Please feel free to come along and say hello to one of the clergy, churchwardens or other church members.
Weddings
Our church offers a lovely setting for your special day, please read more to find out how we can help.
Services
Services are held in the main Church:
Sunday Morning service is at 10am with an occasional 8am Book of Common Prayer Communion service as announced below.
We also have additional services at special times and festivals; these are also announced below.
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Chartham St Mary Safeguarding. Important to us; vital for you and your loved ones; keeping everyone safe.
Notices this week
w/c: 13th February 2020
Sunday next before Lent
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Collect
Almighty Father, whose Son was revealed in majesty before he suffered death upon the cross:
give us grace to perceive his glory, that we may be strengthened to suffer with him and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
Post Communion Prayer
Holy God, we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ: may we who are partakers at his table
reflect his life in word and deed, that all the world may know his power to change and save. This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Sunday 23rd February 2020
10am - Family Communion*
5pm - Evening Praise
* Refreshments and fellowship after main Sunday Service(s)
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An Alternative Collect
Holy God, you know the disorder of our sinful lives:
set straight our crooked hearts, and bend our wills to love your goodness and your glory in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
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The Bells of St Mary's
St. Mary’s Church, Chartham, boasts the oldest peal of bells in Kent and dates back to 1605 when the first bells rang out over Chartham Village Green. There are six bells, and they are rung every Sunday to welcome the congregation to worship. We also ring for weddings and other special events throughout the year.
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Practice night on Thursdays from 19.30 – 21.00 hours welcomes new ringers who would like to pursue an enjoyable and fulfilling pastime. We also welcome experienced ringers from other towers to come and join us, and then round off the evening with a pint of beer (or your drink of choice) in the local pub.
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All enquiries to The Captain – Bill Evans (07807 171293) or The Secretary - Clare Bellis (E-Mail)
Foodbank Bin
We keep a yellow bin in church for contributions towards the Canterbury Foodbank and all contributions are gratefully recieved.
If you have a problem transporting donations to church and would like them collected, call Maggie who can help: 738738
Thanks to all who have contributed.
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St Marys on Facebook
We have our very own Facebook Page. Why not drop in have a look there and check in?
We also have an events page with all the very latest news & pictures on events taking place at the Church.
St Marys Church, Chartham - Events on Facebook.
The Churches at Upper Hardres and Stelling Minnis
St Peter & Paul, Upper Hardres
Friends of St. Mary's
Visit our Friends page here.
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The Friends of St. Mary’s hold their regular Saturday Cafe on the first Saturday quarterly. Apart from the teas, coffees, and delicious home-made cakes and scones including gluten-free fare, we will still have our large selection of Blu-Rays, DVDs, & CDs for sale at 50p each. If you bring a friend you'll receive a free item. Everyone is welcome.
The next Saturday Cafe will take take place in the Village Hall on Saturday 7th March 2020, 10.30am.
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Hello and.....
.....welcome to the website of St. Mary's Church, Chartham. Please do have a look round at all we have to offer you. This site is updated most weeks so do come back regularly for all your St Marys news and events. Why not bookmark us in your browser now?
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A Warm Welcome
There will always be a warm welcome from the clergy, churchwarden and the congregation at St Marys @ Chartham. We have regular services and we would love to welcome you along - we are there each and every Sunday............
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Site Update - 13th February 2020
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Notice, Collect, and Post Communion Prayer updated.
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Have you any comments?
St Marys Church now has a comments and questions form at the bottom of this homepage. If you have any information, feedback or questions about St Marys Church or the website, please drop us a line as we would love to hear from you.
If you have any events taking place in or around the church that could be added to this site then please contact us via this form as well.
Whats Happening at St Marys
Coffee and Cake Concert
The next Coffee and Cake Concert will take place during March 2020. Prices are £3 on the door and include refreshments. A raffle also normally takes place as well. Doors open at 10.15am for Coffee and Cake with the Concert starting at 11am.
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Calling all Art Lovers - Art Exhibition 2020
There is an Art Exhibition taking place at St Marys Church every day from Monday 21st February to Monday 24th February from 10am to 4pm (Sunday from 12 noon), featuring art for sale from local artists.
There will also be a pop-up cafe serving Tea, Coffee, Cakes and Lunches each day.
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Catching Lives - Chartham String Band
The Chartham String Band (formed of our very own Rev'd Phil Brown and his wife Marjorie and Jake & Emily Weekes) have recorded a song in aid of Catching Lives, our local charity which helps the homeless.
You can hear and buy it here and be able to support this worthwhile charity
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VE 75th Anniversary
Put it in your diaries now; there will be an event in the church on Friday 8th May (Bank Holiday Friday) between 2 & 5pm to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
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"Make it St Marys" in 2020
Why not make 2020 the year to pop along to St Marys on a Sunday and see what goes on? We have a family Service every first Sunday, Morning Praise every third Sunday and Family Communions all the other Sundays - all these services are at 10am.
We also have a modern Evening Praise service every last Sunday at 5pm.
We have Sunday School most Sundays running alongside the 10am service.
We love socialising too - with coffee after main services and other events throughout the year.
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Looking for help.....
We are always looking for volunteers to help in and around the church. If you could help us, then let us know. People we are currently looking for are:​
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Health and Safety Officer
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Cleaners
Please contact us if you can help.
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Patrons of St Marys
- Funding to keep the church in your community -
We are launching the "Patrons of St Marys Church" to help fund the future of the church in the community of Chartham. By the end of 2018 the church will be deficit by £15000 (income projected as £56000 and expenditure of £71000 - much of which goes to the Church of England) and this cannot continue indefinitely. The church receives no money from central government or the Church of England to keep going and is now looking tho the wider community to ensure the church remains open.
A leaflet has been produced and has been distributed throughout the village but you can download your own PDF copy from HERE, and a Standing Order/Gift Aid form from HERE. Its never too late to become a St Marys Patron!
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Sunday School
Sunday School restarted during 2016 and is going strong. If you would like to find out more, then please come along to the Sunday Service at 10am - or get in touch with us via the Contact Us form towards the bottom of this page.
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Evening Praise
Our new contemporary Sunday Evening Praise services started on 25th November and have become very popular. These are now a regular event on the last Sunday of the month at 5pm - with refreshments beforehand at 4.30pm. The next one is-scheduled for Sunday 23rd February 2020.
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Chartham Parish Magazine
Chartham Parish Magazine is published once per month all year on behalf of the Parochial Church Council. All articles are welcomed and can be submitted by e-mail here.
The magazine is sold in village retail outlets at 70p per issue or can be delivered to your door for £7 per year payable each January, Use the "CONTACT US" box below for more details.
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CONTACT DETAILS:
Rev'd Phil Brown - Click HERE
Churchwarden - Click HERE​
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Robin Slowe
or use the CONTACT US form
"The end of the rainbow", May 2019
With thanks to Stuart Dodd and his freelance business, Inochi Pictures
Click Here for High Resolution version (Warning: large file)
2017 Flower Festival Video (Youtube) - "Biblical Dreams & Visions"
Flower Festival videos from 2011 and 2014 are still online on Youtube and via links on our Audio Visual Page.
<----- Church Grotesque and Friend having a chat. Photo courtesy of Wendy Williams, our Parish Magazine editor. Do you know the history/background of the grotesque? Please do Contact Us below as we'd love to know.
Any Comments/Questions?
Please feel free to contact us with any comments or questions about St Marys Church or the website that you may have. It will be forwarded to to the correct person for information and/or reply.
Both these pictures are used by permission of, and with thanks to, local company AM Marketing
