I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who came to my licensing service on Sunday, and for making it such an unforgettable occasion for me. Thank you so much for all your gifts and good wishes! Thank you for being so kind and welcoming to my family. But most of all, thank you for receiving me back so warmly among you as your Associate Priest alongside Matt. I couldn’t be more thrilled and honoured, and promise you I will be the very best that I can be to fulfil your trust. THANK YOU! With my love and prayers for you all, Rev’d Alice.
Sunday Praise Singers – For our monthly Sunday Praise service on the 2nd Sunday of each month, we’re gathering a scratch choir who will come and boost the singing during this particular service. This is open to people of all ages and abilities, from experienced choristers to those who fancy having a go. Join us on Sunday 11th February and sit in the choir stalls to make a joyful noise to the Lord.
Thank you to those who make it possible to run St Peter’s Toddler Group but more volunteers are desperately needed for the year ahead. If you can spare a couple of hours once or twice a month during term time, please let Laura know in the Parish Office. We will not be meeting on Thursday 15th February as it is half-term but will return on Thursday 22nd February. Thank you.
A Lent Course based on Being Christian by Rowan Williams will be taking place over 4 weeks during Lent in the Portland Centre (Themes: Prayer, Bible, Eucharist and Baptism). The course will begin on Tuesday evenings at 7.30pm and the same session will also run on Wednesday mornings at 11.00am, starting on 20th and 21st February. Please take a flyer (and one for your friend(s) too) giving fuller details. Refreshments will be provided so please let Rev’d Matt know if you are planning to come.
Evensong and Taizé -Rev’d Matt, Rev’d Alice and the PCC, in consultation with Patrick our Organist and the Choir, have decided to make changes to our regular Evensong and Taizé services. Instead of Evensong being held monthly between April and October, we will instead have four festival Evensongs, held on Palm Sunday, St Peter’s Day, Harvest and Advent Sunday. It is hoped that this will increase interest and safeguard the future of Evensong for many more years. In addition, the Taizé service will restart in April, and will become known as the ‘Evening Service’. This will allow those leading a greater range to what we can offer during this service. The Evening Service will be held monthly on the 4th Sunday, and will continue for 11 months of the year (with the exception of December). Lastly, both of these services will now take place at 4.00pm. We feel that the changes made will have a very positive impact upon the worshipping life of our Church, and we hope that you will enjoy taking part when they restart in the spring. If you have any questions or comments about the changes, do chat to either Rev’d Matt, Rev’d Alice or one of the PCC members.
Volunteering Opportunities – We have produced a handout with some volunteering opportunities currently available at St Peter’s. If you, or someone you know would be interested in helping with any of the listed roles (Welcomers at our 9.30am Sunday Services; Church Refreshments; Intercessions Leaders for Sunday Services; Church Cleaner; Gardeners for the Garden of Rest; Helpers for Toddler Group), please do get in touch with Rev’d Matt. Thank you.
Charities for 2024 – Our charity partners for 2024 are Pathway and Smile Train. More information about each charity can be found at the back of the Church. We will be holding a coffee morning in aid of the charities in the near future, so watch out for more information soon.
https://www.pathway.org.uk/ https://www.smiletrain.org.uk/
Our Community – It is lovely to see that so many new faces have joined our Church family over the last few months. If you’ve been a regular at St Peter’s for a while and notice someone new, do go and say “Hello!”. If you are new to St Peter’s please know that you are so very welcome here and we’d love to get to know you more, so do please stay for refreshments after the service. Perhaps though, there are some members of our community that we haven’t seen for a bit. If there is someone who you usually see at Church or a community group but haven’t seen in a while, do get in touch with them, or alternatively mention it to either Rev’d Matt or Rev’d Alice.
Thanet Food Link – Thank you so much for all those who give so generously to this food bank. Due to rising demand, they are desperately in need of tinned meals, preferably those that don’t require use of an oven, tinned desserts, especially fruit, pasta sauce, cereal bars and cereal. Items can be left in Church on a Sunday 9.30am-11.00am or Wednesday morning 10.00am-12 noon. Please would you bring donations of food into Church and not leave them in the South Porch. The baskets are in Church on the pews behind the information shelf, on the South side. This has become necessary because of recent thefts. Thank you. Sylvia Mills.
Rough Sleeping; The Homeless – Thank you for the many wonderful donations. With the colder weather having arrived, I am collecting for the rough sleepers. There is a box in the Church Porch. I will take your gifts to The Salvation Army in Ramsgate. Please donate gloves, hats and thick socks. The Salvation Army takes hot soup, food and clothing to rough sleepers and also offers breakfast in its building in Ramsgate. (If you are concerned for someone who is sleeping rough you can report the circumstances to thestreetlink.org.uk/start ). Thank you for your help. June Binfield.
St Peter’s Old Boys and Community Association – Don’t know what to do with your postage stamps? Why not bring them in to us? We are collecting for the RNIB. (These can be brought into the Parish Office or left in post box outside.) Many thanks for your support. St Peter’s Old Boys.
Photographs – Please do not take photos during the service. If you want to take them after the service has finished, please ensure you only take a picture of your own child or family member. Please obtain permission from anyone else before you take their photo. Thank you.
Fundraising
The results from the recent Boot Fair will be published in the News Sheet at a later date. Many thanks to everyone who helped on the day. The next Boot Fair, the last of the winter season, will take place on Saturday 16th March. Tables can be hired for £10.00 each as usual.
Pancakes, Storytime and Bingo – 13th February – The plans for our children’s half-term event are now in place. There will be Bingo for children and the caller, as last year, will be Ian Carter-Chapman. After that Ian will read one or two stories and then there will be craft activities involving pancakes, so the children can eat their work afterwards! Following all that, tea (or juice) and cakes will be served. The event will run in the Main Hall starting at 2.00pm and entry will be £3.00 for adults and £1.00 for children (free for age 4 or under) so we hope that as many as possible will come along. Looking forward to seeing you all there!!
Don’t forget our Craft Fair which will take place on Saturday 4th May!
To Book – Tickets and bookings for all fundraising events can be purchased via the Parish Office, Hopeville Avenue, between 9.30am-12.30pm weekdays. You can also either call to book – (01843) 866061 – or email parishoffice@stpeterinthanet.org.uk
Morning Prayer is held via Zoom on Monday mornings at 9.15am and in Church (in St James’s Chapel) on Wednesday mornings at 9.15am. Please enter the Church through the 1832 door. For the Zoom link, please contact Rev’d Alice at revalice@stpeterinthanet.org.uk and she will email you the link.
The Monday Home Group meets weekly at 2.30pm at 92 Dumpton Park Drive, Broadstairs, CT10 1RL. This Monday 12th February we continue to reflect on the Bible readings heard in Church the previous day, but from Monday 19th February we shall be following the St Peter’s Church Lent Course (i.e. an additional venue for the course described in the News Sheet). We always end with a cup of tea and a time of prayer. As each of our meetings is a stand-alone, please do join us, even for one session! More details (and/or if you’d like a lift) from Michael and Elspeth Cooke on (01843) 863293.
Open Church on Tuesdays 10.30am-12 Noon – The Church is open for anyone to come in, enjoy the beautiful surroundings to pray or reflect, or to have a cup of tea and a chat with someone who’ll be here. We hope you will come, tell your friends, and enjoy the space provided.
The Wednesday Home Group – We will be in Church on Ash Wednesday 14th February and will meet again on Wednesday 21st February and remaining Wednesdays in Lent. We are a small group who meet to share Bible passages and to pray together. We meet at 21 Fig Tree Road, CT10 3AQ at 2.30pm on a Wednesday. We share a cup of tea and a chat before you go home. All are welcome. For more information or if you need a lift, please contact junebinfield@outlook.com or (01843) 861286 or 07711 072233.