Vicar Reflects......
September / October 2011
I haven’t written a blog for many months but today after what has been a quiet period, this week it seems that things are really starting up again now that it is September.
However I definitely had a sense of new beginnings and change when the new chairs for the church finally arrived. For some time now we as a church felt that it was right that we changed our seating from pews to chairs to make our worship space more adaptable. Rose Page our Pastoral Assistant helped speed the process up by gathering the names of people who would donate a chair in celebration of an event or in memory of someone. At the same time our Churchwarden Michael Brooks was gathering names of individuals who would be interested in buying the old pews.
This morning our Chairs arrived and with great excitement Don Reeks, Revd. Chris Baker and I unpacked them and placed them in church. When we had finished somehow the building looked transformed. For the last few years St. Mark’s has been used as a place of worship, but also a venue for film evenings, Jazz and Choral concerts. The new chairs will allow us to be more flexible with our worship space as well as sitting more comfortably when study evenings and courses are held in church.
I mention study courses, in the next couple of months we have a variety of events happening at St. Mark’s. On Saturday 24th September, as part of our Harvest Celebrations, a murder, mystery play is being performed. This will be the third Murder/Mystery play that has been performed at St. Mark’s, they always prove very popular with local community and great fun for the ‘amateur actors’ who take part. This years Murder, Mystery play is entitled, ‘ Who killed the Captain.’
The next day Sunday 25th September will be our Harvest Festival. David Shannon, our Reader will be preaching. As our Harvest Offering we will be collecting Shoeboxes on behalf of Biggin Hill Romania Group. These boxes of gifts for children and families are delivered to Schools, Children’s Centres, and families.
On the 12th October we have our annual Parish Supper, (7-7.30pm) and this year’s guest speaker is James Langstaff, the Bishop of Rochester. As yet we don’t know what he will be speaking about, but please do look at the events page because as soon as we know the theme, we will post it on the website. Bishop James will be visiting us later this year, in June he comes to us for a Confirmation Service.
In October a Listening Course is being held this will be led by members of the Acorn Christian Healing Foundation, who are trained Counsellors. This will be happening on Saturday 22nd October. (10.00am-4.00pm.) For further details please contact the Parish Office or the Vicarage.
Many members of St. Mark’s as well as those around the local community will remember Captain Chris and his wife Claire, who left us about two and a half years ago as Chris went to Oxford to train for the Ordained Ministry. On Saturday 10th September Chris was ordained Deacon at Rochester Cathedral by the Bishop of Rochester. A few of us from St. Mark’s went to the Ordination service to support Chris. He and Claire are very excited about their new parish. Chris is now serving at St. Mark’s (yes another St. Marks) Northfleet in Gravesend.
I’m sure we all wish them well and every blessing for their ministry in their new parish.
So as Autumn begins, we have much to be thankful for at St. Mark’s.
As the season of Harvest approaches, may we all give thanks to God our heavenly Father for all he provides for us.
Blessings to you all,
Jeanette.
Vicar of St. Mark’s, Biggin Hill
