St Michael the Archangel, Smarden
All Saints Church, Biddenden
News & Events – August/September 2024
Monthly services at St Michael: We are pleased to offer an additional service of Holy Communion BCP at 8.00am on the first Sunday of every month. The first service for this will be 6th October 2024. Every fourth Sunday, we are excited to welcome all to ‘Worship for Everyone’ at St Michael which replaces the service of Sung Eucharist. The first service will be on 22nd September at 10.00am. We look forward to seeing you there.
You are warmly invited to our Vineyard Deanery 5@10 group service on Sunday 29th September 2024 at 10.00am in St Michael’s Church, Smarden. All are welcome to this wonderful time as we join together in worship, informal communion, refreshments and fellowship. We look forward to seeing you there.
‘Farm Church’
We are excited for the return of our popular Farm Church experience on Sunday 29th September 2024. All ages are welcome as we meet to worship God at ‘White House Farm’ near the Three Chimneys pub in Biddenden at 2.30pm. The Sergent family have kindly agreed to host us again in one of their enormous cattle sheds where we will have comfortable hay bales to sit on. A small band of guitarists will lead us in worship as we celebrate our wonderful farming communities. Last year saw great excitement and wonder at creation as a calf was born during the service! Although we can’t guarantee such perfect timing this year, we are certain God will bless our time together. At the end of the informal service, there will be refreshments and a free tour of the farm, look out for the amazing milking robots. ‘Farm Church’ is suitable for all the family, parking is available on site and all are warmly welcomed.
St Michael the Archangel, Smarden
St Michael: The roofing project at St Michael’s is now underway. The scaffolding is still in place, and it is expected that these works will last for a few more weeks. Please contact one of the church wardens if further information is required. We would like to thank our benefactors, the Friends of Smarden Church, Marshall’s Charity and Benefact Trust for their generous support.
Friends of Kent Churches Ride and Stride
St Michael, Smarden and All Saints, Biddenden
Saturday 14th September, 10am – 6pm
St Michael. Cycle or walk around Kent Churches. Sponsorship forms can be downloaded from www.kentrideandstride.co.uk. Do join in and raise money for our church, St Michael the Archangel, Smarden. Tony Richter has once again agreed to take part and, as usual, there will be a sponsorship form in his name, at the church for completion for any donations. He would be very happy for anyone so inclined, to join him on his journey around the local village churches. Friends of Kent Churches have kindly supported our request for a grant towards the cost of repairing the footpath. We hope that this annual day will therefore be supported
by as many parishioners as possible.
All Saints. This is a fantastic way to help raise funds for our church and anyone can join in (under 18s need parental consent). For a fun family bike ride or walk anywhere in Kent: https://www.kentrideandstride.co.uk
• simply plan your route from the List of Participating Churches
(see display in church or on above website)
• download (or pick one up in church) your Sponsorship form
• ask people to sponsor you per “church visited”
or to give you a lump sum for participating)
• On the day, sign the Welcome Form at each church visited and
if the church is manned, ask the welcomers to verify your visit on your Churches Visited form. (available in church or on above website)
• Once you have collected your sponsorship money, hand it in to the Church office, making sure that where possible the Gift Aid box is ticked. Cheques can be made payable to Ride and Stride or to The Friends of Kent Churches. Money raised is shared equally between the church or chapel nominated by the participant and the Friends of Kent Churches which awards grants to Kent’s churches and chapels to help preserve them. In 2023 Kent’s Ride & Stride raised £140,019.
• On your Sponsorship form you are supporting Biddenden, All Saints Church
and your local organiser is Lindi Harman.
Please check out our new Active Church details for St Michael, Smarden under ‘What’s On’ or click on https://www.sbcofe.org/active-church/