What's On


EASTER EGGS

We need Easter Eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Saturday – please leave at the back of church

DAFFODIL TEA

St Nicholas Church, Leeds invites you to a Daffodil Tea on Saturday 2nd March 2-5pm. Come and visit the beautiful churchyard and enjoy Tea and Cake. 

A WILDE NGHT OUT

Detling players present ‘ A wilde night out on Saturday 9th March at 7.30pm – Detling Village Hall. 

Tickets £8. Students £5 07842 169725

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

Christian Aid is running its Count Your Blessings scheme during Lent. This gives you a chance to use the season to reflect on what you have and to remember those less fortunate. Each day there is something to pray about, take action on or make a donation for as you learn more about Christian Aid’s work. Count Your Blessings leaflets are available at the back of church, but if you want more information, please speak to Helen Judges 

FRAMED PHOTO OF REV BENTON

There is a framed A4 photo of Rev Benton at the back of church, this will hang with the other clergy from Holy Cross in the church room. The photo has been taken from a small picture from an old newspaper. We thank Jean and Sarah Corps for this.

THANK YOU

To all those who provided nibbles for the ‘In Celebration of Marriage Service last Sunday and for all those who helped serve the food. The comments from couples and others said that they much appreciated and enjoyed the service. 

BISHOP'S FAREWELL VISIT AND STEWARDSHIP ADDRESS 

Prior to the announcement of his retirement we invited Bishop Trevor to come and preach at our Joint Stewardship Sunday on March 10th 9.45am at Holy Cross.This will now also be an opportunity to say farewell to him shortly before he retires. Please put this date in your diary. This is a joint New Way and Classic Service.

STEWARDSHIP

Parish finances are being stretched three ways at the moment.

1. Parish reorganization means that Thurnham no longer contributes to ministry costs. They used to contribute 15% which means that we now have to collect this amount.

2. Church Council committed to a new  Children and Youth Minister.

3. Major repair work to the roof at Holy Cross which has been estimated at 4/5 thousand pounds.

TODDLER GROUPS

We need extra people to help with tea/refreshments at the Toddlers Group run at Holy Cross Church on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9.45-11.45am – Please email office@holycrosschurch.co.uk  if you are able to help on one of these days – thank you                                                                                                                      

HEALING SERVICE                                                                                                              Sunday 17th February 9.45am at Holy Cross Church.                                      

MESSIAH                                                                                                                                       Sutton Valence Choral Society with the Beresford Sinfonia are singing the Messiah at Rochester Cathedral on Saturday 2nd March at 7.30pm. Tickets www.suttonvalencechoral.com

BISHOP’S FAREWELL VISIT AND STEWARDSHIP ADDRESS                                                  Prior to the announcement of his retirement we invited Bishop Trevor to come and preach at our Joint Stewardship  Sunday on March 10th 9.45am at Holy Cross. This  will now also be an opportunity to say farewell to  him shortly before he retires. Please put this date in  your diary. This is a joint New Way and Classic Service. 

LENT TALKS                                                                                                                          Further Studies in St John’s Gospel. John will continue studies in this gospel  looking at material from the Upper Room and  Resurrection Appearances. Wednesdays 13th, 20th, 27th of March and 3rd, 10th of April.  11am and 8pm at Holy Cross.  The talk will be followed by a period of reflection and a closing act of worship.

BEARSTED CHURCHES TOGETHER – LENT  LUNCHES 2019
15th March – Holy Cross – Speaker from the Kenward Trust (Drug and Alcohol Rehab)
22nd March – Methodist Church – Speaker from  Priority House (Mental Health) Chaplaincy.
29th March – St Peters Church – Speaker from People with Autism in churches
5th April – Thurnham – Speaker from Maidstone  Christian Cancer Support Group
12th April – Langley – Speaker from the Anna Chaplaincy (in partnership with the Heart of Kent
Hospice)                                                                                                                                 Please join us from 12.15pm for a 12.30pm lunch. Our speakers will lead from 1pm. 

MURDER MYSTERY EVENING FOR HOLY CROSS ‘RAISE THE ROOF’ FUNDS                                ‘The Great British Bump Off’ will be performed by the Chandeliers Drama Group on Saturday 16th March, 7.30pm start at Bearsted and Thurnham Memorial Hall, Manor Rise. A sumptuous 3 course dinner with wine will be provided by Souffle To You (you may bring extra drinks if you wish) and a vegetarian option is available upon request. Tickets are £45 per head, which is payable on booking. An evening not to be missed! Just 80 tickets available, so book early to avoid disappointment. Further details at the back of church. Tickets available from Sandra on 631538 or 07769585553

SAVE THE DATE

Diocesan Day of Prayer and Pilgrimage, 7-8 June 2019

ELECTORAL ROLL REVISION
Every 6 years the Electoral Roll for the Parish has to be fully revised; the current roll will cease to be valid and a completely new roll  has to be compiled. This is due this year and the process will start in February and needs to be completed by the end of March. If you wish to remain on, or join the roll, then please complete a new application form. You will find blank forms at the back of church and at the New Way Welcome Table at the Memorial Hall. On completion they may be left in one of the boxes provided in the church or handed to one of the Church Wardens.
In order to be included on the Roll, you must be:
1. Baptised.
2. At least 16 years of age at the date of the Annual meeting (24 April 2019)
3. A member of the Church of England or a church in communion with the Church of England and be resident in the parish OR if not resident, have attended worship in the parish regularly for the previous 6 months.

CHRISTIAN AID COLLECTION AT TESCO                                                                              Thank you to all who helped or contributed to the Christian Aid Collection at Tesco last month. The final total, after some additional donations, was 626.28. Apparently, according to colleagues, this is more than double the average for a Christian Aid Tesco  collection, so well done everyone, and thanks for your support. 

NEW WAY WEBSITE

Further to our review of New Way we have launched a new dedicated web-site www.newwaybearsted.co.uk including Facebook and Twitter.

ANNOUNCEMENT                                                                                                                       The Rev'd Mark Pavey is to become Team Vicar in North Downs Team with responsibility for Leeds, Broomfield, Kingswood, Otham and Langley.  He hopes to join us in early March.

PRAYER GROUP                                                                                                                          It has been suggested that across the benefice, and as an ecumenical group we should try to form a Study-cum-Prayer group which would look at and learn about various troubled areas in the world and then pray about them. It would involve people reading a very little about one or two such places in their own homes and then coming together at a suitably agreed time to pray about these areas. It is not to involve any great effort but there is so much going on in the world that is working against God’s Kingdom so that we need to stand against it all and where two or three are gathered together there is Jesus in the midst of them. So there is great power in prayer. For further information please speak to Margaret Doak or call her on MD. 738508 

HOME GROUP IN THE AFTERNOON

For anyone thinking of joining a Home Group, could we draw your attention to the one we have on Thursday afternoons. We meet most weeks but sometimes fortnightly and there are currently 7 to 8 of us. Home Groups are a great way to get to know a small group of people really well and to learn more about our faith and how it works out in our daily lives. Contact Les Smith or Peter and Meryl Ashford.

ADVANCE NOTICE

The next Parish Weekend will be held at Ashburnham Place, East Sussex, from Friday 15th – Sunday 17th November 2019. Our speaker will be Canon Jean Kerr, retired canon for Mission in the Rochester Diocese. Jean led the two-hour meditation at Holy Cross on Good Friday 2017. More details will be available in the Autumn. 

HOLY LAND TRIP

Rhian and John Huggins are organising a 10-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2019, probably starting at the end of April using professional Christian guides. For all who are interested, contact  Rhian on rhianbanham@gmail.com  or Md. 844010

SAMARA AID APPEAL

Latest update can be found here

TALKS/SERMONS

These can be found on Sermons and Talks page of the web-site including last Sunday's at Holy Cross. Click here or select "Sermons and Talks" from the "What's On" menu bar above.                                  

HOMEGROUPS

Homegroups at Holy Cross continue to meet regularly providing an opportunity to enquire about
and discuss our faith and also to meet socially in an informal setting. 

These are the groups running at the moment:- 

  • Every or every other Thursday afternoon - Les Smith (8 members)
  • Every other Monday evening - Julie Osborn (7 members)
  • Every other Monday evening - Ian Clark (5 members)
  • Every 1st & 3rd Tuesday evening - Peter Richardson (12 members)
  • Every Tuesday evening - Jim Gibson (10 members)
  • Every other Wednesday evening - Emma Clark (7 members)
  • Every Wednesday morning (ladies group) - Diana Sandford  (10 members) 
  • Every other Thursday evening  - Juliet Mee (9 members)

All these groups welcome new members. If you are interested in joining a group please contact 

Liz Richardson - 738463