Author: Stephen Barker

Bishop of Dover Preaching at Choral Evensong

The Bishop of Dover will be preaching at Choral Evensong on Sunday 1st May. Do join us in church or online at 6pm.

Mothers’ Union Lady Day Service

St Stephen’s Mothers’ Union is hosting a Lady Day Service on Friday 25th March at 2.30 pm in St Stephen’s Church.  The Members extend a welcome to anyone who would like to come along and join them.  There will be refreshments in the church hall afterwards.

Ash Wednesday – 2nd March 2022

We have two Communion services on Ash Wednesday with the Imposition of Ashes for those who wish to take part. We look forward to welcoming you at these and any of our services.

10.15am HOLY COMMUNION
A quiet said service with the Imposition of Ashes.

7.30pm SUNG EUCHARIST
A choral service with music sung by our choir and with the Imposition of Ashes. This service will also be live-streamed.

Rowan Williams on: Pandemic Lessons: What have we Learnt about our Society and our Churches?

Wednesday 16th February Contemporary Theology Group 

St Peters Methodist Church at 7.30pm also live streamed. If you would like to access the live stream please email Rosemary Walters at ra.walters@btinternet.com and you will be sent the link.

Annual Commemoration of the Anniversary of the Death of Lady Loretta de Braose, 4th March 1266

Saturday 5th March 2022 at 11.00am GMT

This year we will be celebrating the life and death of Lady Loretta de Braose with a talk by Dr Cate Gunn on the Ancrene Wisse, a guide to the anchorite life written during the period of Loretta’s enclosure, and other written works relatingto anchorites. The lecture will be followed by midday prayers led by the Canterbury Gregorian Society. 

This will take place at St Stephen’s Canterbury, where all are welcome, subject to the Covid guidance then in place. It will also be live streamed on Youtube.

See our Loretta pages on this website for more information.

From the Deanery: Exploring Together in Lent: Living in Love and Faith

For Lent 2022 we are planning Deanery wide groups to enable us to come together and explore the resources provided by the national church.

Living in Love and Faith sets out to inspire people to think more deeply both about what it means to be human, and to live in love and faith with one another.

It tackles the tough questions and the divisions among Christians about what it means to be holy in a society in which understandings and practices of gender, sexuality and marriage continue to change.

The material includes encounters with real, contemporary disciples of Christ whose stories raise questions which ask us to discern where God is active in human lives. 

There will be five weekly sessions in the weeks beginning March 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, April 4th . 
Please book to join a group, even if you have had some discussion in your own parish, so that we can share together across our Christian families in thinking through the response of faith to these important issues.
email or phone Rosemary Walters who is co-ordinating and organising the groups
ra.walters@btinternet.com  or 01227 768891 and include
·       Your name and parish
·       Your preferred option, live or Zoom
·       Your preferred day of the week (Mon-Fri) and am or pm
emails need to be sent by Friday Feb 18th

Acorn Cafe would welcome volunteers to join their team.  It would involve setting up and serving coffee to people who come.  It could be a duty once a month or even once every six weeks. It is a very relaxed happy time when friends are able to meet up and chat. Do have a word with Libby if you are able to help.

Would like to contribute to the services week by week by becoming an intercessor?

We are very short of intercessors at the present time and consequently people are being asked to do them rather often; it would be good to have some new blood.  It is not difficult, you are given the scriptures for the week and the names of those sick to pray for and those whose deaths fall on the particular Sunday.  You can make up your own prayers or you can use prayers from the large variety of books available.  We can take you through the procedure and give you an opportunity to have a practice to get the feel of doing them.  There is always someone available to help you whenever you feel you need support.  If you are interested please speak to either Margaret Horwood or the Rector.  Thank you.

Churchyard Working Party

The Churchyard Working Party will meet regularly on the first Monday in each month, beginning on Monday 6th December.  

We shall begin at 9.30am to avoid the school run and finish about lunchtime.  Please don’t feel that you must come for the entire morning.  We shall be delighted to see you at any stage during the morning.  Please wear stout shoes and gloves, and if you could bring some tools, it would be much appreciated.

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided.

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