Prayers for Healing Update – Those whose names are on the Pew Sheet requesting prayer are now either people with an urgent and present need for prayer, or those who wish to remain on this list for the present, for whatever reason. Those with long-term or chronic illness will no longer be listed here, as their need is different; they are now being prayed for separately by a small team of intercessors. Please let Rev’d Matt or Rev’d Alice know if you would like to make changes or additions to either list. Rev’d Alice.
Christian Aid Plant Stall – Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to the stall last weekend by donating plants, helping on the day or buying plants. So far over £400.00 has been raised for Christian Aid. The remaining plants are available in Church today, Sunday 10th May and during the week in the Main Hall foyer, so do have a look – you might find just what you need to fill that gap in the border.
Christian Aid Week begins today, Sunday 10th May – Those coming to Church today will have been given a Christian Aid Envelope. The envelope can be returned to Church (or to the Parish Office) with your donation. If you are a taxpayer, please complete the Gift Aid declaration to increase the value of your gift. More envelopes are available by the South Door if you would like to take a few and ask friends to donate. If you prefer to donate using the card machine, donations made today will be allocated to Christian Aid and there are Gift Aid slips beside the card machine. There are also copies of a Daily Devotional booklet with reflections and prayers to use during Christian Aid Week. Please take a copy.
A Bereavement Support Group takes place at St Peter’s on the second Monday of each month in the Main Hall for anyone who has lost a loved one. Come and join us for support and shared experiences within a safe and welcoming group. For people of any faith or none. The next one takes place on Monday 11th May (10.30am-12 noon) and everyone is welcome!
Fundraising – Our next Quiz Night is taking place in the Main Hall onFriday 15th May. This is now fully booked so thank you to all those who are coming. Just a reminder to contact the Parish Office if your payment is still due, £14.00 to include fish and chips or £7.00 for a ticket without food.
Join us for Compline, a beautiful and reflective service of prayers and Bible readings, on the 3rd Sunday of each month. The next date for Compline is Sunday 17th May at 7.30pm.
St Peter’s Church Bible Study Group – Come along and explore the Bible in a friendly and relaxed environment. The Group will now meet on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Mondays of the month at 10.15am in the Church. The next session will be on Monday 18th May – do come along and join in. For more information, please speak to Rev’d Matt.
Tea Club+ For Over 60s – You are warmly invited to join us on Tuesday 19th May for an afternoon of celebration and activities followed by Afternoon Tea from 3.00pm-4.30pm in the Main Hall. If you would like to attend, please let Dilys know on 07706 648362.
Explore Prayer – Rev’d Matt and Rev’d Alice will be running a monthly course on prayer, in Church, on the third Wednesday evening of the month, from 7.30pm to 9.00pm, starting on Wednesday 20th May. Tea and coffee from 7.00pm. This will be relaxed and informal, exploring a different way of praying at each session, and each session will stand alone, so if you cannot make one, or you can only make a few, that is fine. More details to come, but if you have any questions, do get in touch with Rev’d Matt or Rev’d Alice. We look forward to seeing you there!
Community Life Savers Training -We have the opportunity to join with St Peter’s Village Tour to receive training from the team at Community Life Savers. They teach basic life-saving skills, such as CPR, to anyone who is interested. The training will be on Wednesday 27th May at 11.00am-12 noon in the Portland Centre. If you are interested in joining the session, please let Rev’d Matt know. Booking is essential and places are limited.
A reminder that St Peter’s Lunch Club is meeting on Monday 1st June.
Exciting News! We have expanded our Garden Event on Sunday 7th June and it will now be called Tours, Teas and Treasures. We are planning several Churchyard tours, some open gardens to visit and a trash and treasure stall … plus a raffle and tea and cake. We will be open from 1.00pm to 5.00pm. Price is £5.00 which will include refreshments. Tickets on sale at the Parish Office now! Do make a date to visit us and we would be so grateful for donations of cakes to serve our guests.
Fundraising – Summer Fête -Saturday 27th June. Planning is now under way, and we would be grateful if you would let us know if you are available to help both on the day of the Summer Fête and also for setting up on part of the day before (Friday 26th June). Please contact gillpage1804@gmail.com . We now have raffle tickets available for selling. These are available from the Parish Office – do call in and get some to help support our mission and ministry. Zoe is once again running a Dog Show on the Village Green. She will hold a raffle and would be grateful for doggy raffle prizes and these can be left in the Parish Office.
St Peter’s Women’s Group meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month in the Portland Centre at 7.30pm. Come along as a member’s guest or join us and see if you enjoy the evening and would like to attend more often.
St Peter’s Toddler Group meets during term time on Thursday mornings from 9.30am-11.00am in the Main Hall. We are always looking for more volunteers to support this great community group, so if you are able to spare a couple of hours every month please let either Rev’d Matt know or Laura in the Parish Office.
As you know our Charity Partners for 2026 are ACTS (Active Christianity in Thanet Schools) and the Mission Aviation Fellowship. Our Young People have chosen the Dogs Trust as their chosen charity. Information on these is now up on our noticeboard at the back of the Church.
Thanet Food Link – Our Church has a permanent collection point for the foodbank, which you can use to donate 365 days a year. Currently, their most needed items are: tinned tomatoes, tinned soup, tinned fruit, tinned vegetables, cereal, pasta, rice, biscuits, tea bags (box of 80), coffee instant (100g jar). Thank you.
Open Church – Our Church building is open every weekday from 10.00am-12 noon. Do pop in whenever you are passing by.
Recycle Your Greeting Cards! We would really appreciate any used birthday cards or cards from other occasions for our card recycling group to transform into new greeting cards. Please note that we are not collecting Christmas cards at this time.
Supporting Readers at St Peter’s Junior School – The English team at our lovely local Church school are looking for volunteers to help support children with their reading. Ideally, they would be looking for someone to give up at least one afternoon (two hours) of their time each week to hear children read individually. The children benefit greatly from this 1:1 interaction and it really helps them improve their confidence when reading aloud. We would be able to provide training and support to any volunteers. If you are interested or would like to offer your time, please speak to Rev’d Matt.
If anyone enjoys gardening and would like to help in the garden at Nuckell’s Almshouses, your assistance would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Pam Hancock on 07311 111343 for further information. Thank you.
To check your eligibility and apply for a Canterbury Cathedral Pass, see https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/visit/the-cathedral-pass/ .
Canterbury Cathedral has introduced free day-entry tickets for those in receipt of Universal Credit or Pension Credit. For further details see https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/news/posts/free-sightseeing-entry-universal-credit-day-ticket/ .
Gluten Free Wafers – If you require a gluten free wafer please inform one of the Welcomers before the service. Thank you.
Church WiFi Code – Name: St Peter’s Parish WiFi Key: 78054Y627x
There is something for children every Sunday at St Peter’s! Children’s Church runs on the 1st, 3rd and 4th Sundays (and 5th Sunday when this occurs); featuring stories, crafts, games and songs. It takes place during the main Sunday service for all children aged 2+ (any under 2’s are welcome too but need to be accompanied by an adult). The group will go out during the first hymn and return for Holy Communion. Then on the 2nd Sunday of the month we have Sunday Praise – a relaxed, all age service for everyone (where our children stay in the Church throughout). We look forward to welcoming you!
Morning Prayer is held via Zoom on Monday mornings at 9.15am. For the Zoom link, please contact Rev’d Alice at revalice@stpeterinthanet.org.uk .
At the moment, we have three Home Groups which are meeting regularly. If you are interested in joining a group please have a chat with Rev’d Matt or one of the contacts listed below:
- Monday: This group meets weekly each Monday afternoon at 2.30pm. We will be reflecting on and exploring some of the joys, insights and questions we find in the Bible readings heard in Church the previous day, and we always end with a short time of prayer. Do join us, even for a one-off occasion!
Michael and Elspeth Cooke (01843) 863293.
- Tuesday: This group meets weekly on a Tuesday evening at 7.30pm.
Ian and Rita Dunn (01843) 865340.
- Wednesday: This group meets on the first Wednesday afternoon of the month at 2.30pm.
June Binfield (01843) 861286 or 07711 072233.
Julian Prayer Meetings – Please note that we will be meeting in the Lady Chapel from now on, and will be delighted if you can join us. Meetings are held on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 2.00pm, the next one being on Wednesday 27th May. This is largely a time of silent prayer and reflection, beginning with a reading from Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love and ending with tea and biscuits. It is led by Rev’d Alice and everyone is welcome. Further details from Rev’d Alice on 07790 903316.