Please send items for the Pew Sheet and News Sheet to vicarpa@stpeterinthanet.org.uk before 12 noon on the Wednesday before the Sunday you would like them to be considered for inclusion.
THE ANNUAL MEETING for St Peter’s Church will take place in Church on Sunday 22nd May at 10.45am.
This is a meeting of those whose names are on the Civil Electoral Roll of the civil parish and/or those whose names are on the Electoral Roll of the Parish Church. Anyone on either of these rolls can attend and vote. At this meeting, we will elect our two Churchwardens for the next year.
This will be followed by the ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING (APCM) at which we need to appoint five members of the Parochial Church Council. Please do consider standing for one of these posts – but each nomination must have a proposer and a seconder please. The necessary forms can be found in Church, or are available from the Parish Office. We will also appoint our Sidespeople, and our Independent Examiner (who keeps an eye on our accounts).
All lay persons whose names are on the Electoral Roll of the Parish Church shall be entitled to attend this meeting, and no other person shall be so entitled. A Clerk in Holy Orders shall be entitled to attend and take part in the proceedings if s/he is licensed to the Parish, resident in the Parish, or is a habitual worshipper in the Parish.
The agendas for both meetings along with reports for the APCM will be available shortly.
Christian Aid Week: Next Sunday marks the beginning of Christian Aid Week and the 9.30am Service will have a Christian Aid focus. The collection will be for Christian Aid and there will be Christian Aid envelopes available, particularly for those who can Gift Aid their donation.
Church Watch – We hope to have our Church open for visitors during the Summer months, but to do this we need volunteers to be in Church for two hours (10.00am – 12 noon) each morning to welcome visitors. Volunteers are required for Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. If you feel you can help, please contact Richard Baker at dick.baker1@btinternet.com or on (01843) 865090.
Thanet Food Link – Thank you so much for all those who give so generously to this food bank. The coordinator has said that present shortages are: tinned tomatoes, tinned soup, tinned fruit, tinned vegetables, cereal, pasta, rice, biscuits, tea bags (box of 80), coffee instant (100g jar). Also needed are toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrushes, shower gel and shampoo). Items can be left in Church on a Sunday 9.30am – 11.00am or Wednesday morning 10.00am – 12 noon. Thank you, Rev Jan.
Fundraising
Thank you to all those who helped out at the ‘Talk and Tea’ event – the cake makers, sandwich spreaders, those who helped with the tables and chairs and, especially, to our speaker Rev Alice Bates. The final total for the funds raised is not available at the time of writing this but will be announced in Church on Sunday and on next week’s Pew Sheet.
The Thanet Male Voice Choir has agreed to perform for us on Saturday 21st May and the concert will start at 7.30pm in the Church. Tickets are now available at £10.00 each, bookable in advance, and wine will be served during the interval. If you would like tickets, please call the Parish Office, or simply call in during office hours. It should be a lovely evening, so please come along if you can.
Our Summer Fair, the most important fundraising event of the year, will take place on Saturday 25th June and the planning team is already well advanced with the preparations. However, the Fair can’t work without volunteers to run the various stalls (e.g. bric-a-brac, toys, clothing, crafts, produce etc.), as well as the cafes, tombolas and the raffle. Not to put too fine a point on it, we need you! We have therefore organised a meeting for 2.00pm on Friday 20th May in the Main Hall for anyone who is interested in helping out on the day. In the past the fairs have always been very well supported by members of the congregation and others and we very much hope that it will be the same this year. If you can’t be there on the 20th May but would like to help, please let us know by calling or emailing Roy Brown ((01843) 604524; btstmarys@aol.com), Robin Page or Don Bumpstead.
We like to run raffles at some of our events, but we are rather short of Raffle Prizes now and we would be very grateful for anything which you could donate. Please bring any contributions to the Parish Office. If you can help by selling some Raffle Tickets for the Summer Fair, do please phone or call at the Parish Office so that some can be given to you.
In addition to the £660 already sent to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, our congregation’s continuing generosity has enabled us to send an additional £150 to the appeal. The harrowing images coming from the country only serve to amplify just how vital these funds are. Thank you all. Robin Page, Treasurer.
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 £330 has been raised for Christian Aid. The remaining plants are for sale in the hall foyer, so do pop in during the week when the hall is open and have a look – you might find just what you need for that gap in the border. Elspeth Cooke (01843) 863293.
Could you help post some envelopes through letterboxes? During the week 8-15th May, we shall be delivering Christian Aid Delivery-only envelopes in the streets close to the Church with a note inviting recipients to return them to the Parish Office. Could you deliver some envelopes? If so, please either speak to me or sign up on the list near the south door of the Church today. Thank you. Elspeth Cooke (01843) 863293.