Warm Welcome Space
The Warm Welcome Space, our joint venture with St Peter’s Baptist Church, is open in the foyer every Monday morning between 9.30am and 12.30pm and will continue each Monday at the same time until further notice. If you know of anyone who might benefit from it please let them know. Tea, coffee and biscuits are available (no charge, of course) so anyone who needs a warm-up should just call in. The Baptist Church of St Peter’s in Vicarage Street also holds a Warm Welcome Space on Wednesdays at 12.30 – 3.30pm. For further details please contact Roy Brown – 07763 964539.
Christian Aid, which already has an excellent track record of working with local partners in Northwest Syria, has launched a Turkey and Syria Earthquake Appeal in response to the devastating earthquake. We would encourage you to make a donation using the link www.christianaid.org.uk There is also a bucket in Church for your donations.
The quiz run by the St Peter’s Village Tour on Friday 3rd February was a great success. About a hundred people enjoyed a fun evening and £899.00 was raised. This amount is to be given to the Church to purchase a defibrillator for the Church Hall. Our grateful thanks go to the Village Tour for their hard work and generosity.
Thank you to all the volunteers who make it possible to run St Peter’s Toddler Group but in order to keep the group going forward in to its second year, more volunteers would be most welcome. If you can spare a couple of hours once or twice a month during term time and would be happy to chat to families and enjoy a cuppa, please let Laura know in the Parish Office. The sessions run from 9.30am – 11.00am on Thursday mornings in the Main Hall. St Peter’s Toddler Group will not run Thursday 2nd March due to school closures.
Fundraising
On Tuesday 14th February a Family Bingo and Childrens’ Craft Event took place in the Main Hall. It was the first event of its kind that the Fundraising (FR) Committee has arranged and was intended to coincide with the Spring half term holiday. For a first attempt it was a great success, with some 35 adults and children attending. In the end we raised a total of over £203.00 (gross). However, our expenses were considerable so our net total for the Church’s funds was only £124.15. The most satisfying result for the FR Committee was the fact that everyone who came seemed to have a great time and Toni Lawrence’s craft table proved to be a big hit with the kids.
We ran another Boot Fair on Saturday 18th February, which raised a total of £533.42 for the Church. The next Boot Fair is taking place on Saturday 11th March.
Watch this space for details of our forthcoming Quiz Night on Saturday 31st March.
To Book – Tables and tickets, etc. for all fundraising events can be purchased via the Parish Office, Hopeville Avenue between 9.30am – 12.30pm weekdays. You can also either ring to book – (01843) 866061 or email parishoffice@stpeterinthanet.org.uk Thank you, Roy Brown, Fundraising Team.
Easter Lilies – If you would like to provide a lily, for Church decoration, in memory of a loved one, please see Laura in the office who will arrange it. Cost is £5.00 per lily and the names of the loved ones will be put on the altar at Easter. Please ensure that this is arranged by Friday 2nd April.
Your tower needs you for the Coronation of King Charles III – This is your opportunity to take part. Bell ringing is fun and for all ages 10+ to adults, for all faiths and none. You don’t need to be musical or strong. It is a gentle workout with mental stimulation, a great way to make friends and be part of the community. An inexpensive all year-round hobby, that can take you to some amazing places. A traditional skill and a lifelong learning experience. Along with a growing number of bell towers in the country we find ourselves struggling for numbers to ring for services, weddings and funerals. If you have ever wanted to have a try or would like to find out more then please contact me Sarat White 07548917611 or visit https://stpeterinthanet.org.uk/c/bell-ringers/
Loose Change Boxes – Where has all the loose change gone!! This very valuable scheme has unfortunately dwindled to a trickle to the extent that over the last 5 months I am only receiving an average of one a month. Also due to personal and health reasons I am sorry to say I am not prepared to manage the scheme for much longer. Would anyone like to take this on? If no one comes forward say in the next 2 months it will cease to operate. In the meantime, those that still have boxes please would you hand them into the Parish Office even though they are only partially filled. If someone comes forward to take over and relaunch the scheme I will let you know. Many grateful thanks for all those that have contributed in the past to make this so successful – raising in excess of £9,000 over the years. Don Bumpstead.
The Late Mrs Alison Burgess – Robert Burgess would like to thank all the friends who sent him kind messages of sympathy on the death of his wife. He would also like to thank all the helpers who made the Service of Thanksgiving and the gathering afterwards so gratifying. Alison would have been pleased.
Sally and John Wood – Sally and John are in the process of moving to Norfolk to be near their daughter. Sally was our Parish Administrator for many years, and lately one of our Church cleaners, and has looked after the churchyard at the front of the Church to the South Porch. A collection for a gift is being arranged, and if you would like to contribute, please give your contribution to Robin Page. There is also a card by the South Door.
Thanet Food Link – Thank you so much for all those who give so generously to this food bank. The coordinator has said that they are desperately in need of hot dogs, tinned and instant mashed potato, soup, pasta sauce and whole long life milk. Items can be left in Church on a Sunday 9.30am – 11.00am or Wednesday morning 10.00am – 12 noon. Thank you.
The Homeless – I have been able to take gifts recently and The Salvation Army is very appreciative, thank you. I am collecting warm gloves, scarves, hats, socks and any thermal garments which I give to The Salvation Army, who are helping large numbers of homeless who are sleeping rough on the streets. There is a box in the Church Porch. (Please do NOT give large items like suitcases which I cannot donate). Thank you for your kindness, June Binfield, junebinfield@outlook.com or (01843) 861286 or 07711 072233.
Missing – Can you help to be the ears and eyes of our Church family? Do you care about those around you? If the answer is yes, then next time you’re in Church look around you. If a familiar face has been missing for some weeks do something about it – make enquiries, make a phone call mention it to someone. THIS IS NOT BEING NOSEY but showing concern for our Church family. Next time it could be you missing from that pew.
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.
Morning Prayer is held via Zoom on a Monday and Thursday morning at 9.00am and in Church (in St James’s Chapel) on a Wednesday morning at 9.00am. Please enter the Church through the 1832 door. For the Zoom link, please contact Rev Alice at curate@stpeterinthanet.org.uk
The Monday Home Group begins this Monday a Lent Course ‘Rhythm of Life’. Over five sessions and drawing on mini videos, Bible texts, music and discussion thoughts we’ll reflect together on what it means to walk with Jesus, to be a disciple of His in the world today. Our first session is ‘Resting’, c.f. “Come away with me and you’ll recover your life, take a real rest” (Matthew 11.28ff). We meet at 2.30pm at 92 Dumpton Park Drive, CT10 1RL for an hour and a half, concluding as always with a cup of tea and prayer. All are welcome to join us even for a single session – why not give it a try! More details from Michael and Elspeth Cooke on (01843) 863293.
‘Hour of Prayer’ in Church on Wednesdays 11.00am – 12 Noon – A non-led opportunity to sit quietly with God, to light a candle if you would like to, and – if you feel God has said something to you which you’d like to share – to write that down for others to pray over. Come for as long or as short a time as you like, and be renewed and refreshed by God. Any questions, please contact Rev Alice on curate@stpeterinthanet.org.uk and do come if you can!
The Wednesday Group – The next meeting is on Wednesday 1st March when we will begin our Lent Course. Please bring a Bible. We start at 2.30pm and we have time to pray together and share a cup of tea before you go home. We will meet weekly on Wednesdays in Lent. Our Lent Course is based on a book recommended by the Archbishop of Canterbury, ‘Failure: What Jesus Said about Sin, Mistakes and Messing Stuff Up’ by Emma Ineson. I have a booklet for each person who comes, which is called ‘Dust and Glory’, written by Emma. Each week has a theme and the booklet provides a Bible reading and a Reflection for each of the 40 days of Lent. All are welcome and do attend all or any of the sessions as you can. We meet at 21 Fig Tree Road, Broadstairs, CT10 3AQ. For more information or if you need a lift, please contact June Binfield, junebinfield@outlook.com or (01843) 861286 or 07711 072233.