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GOOD NEWS FOR ASHFORD

BUMPER DOUBLE ISSUE

24 APRIL & 1 MAY 2022

TEAM RECTOR’S MESSAGE

What a privilege and joy to share Holy Week and Easter this year with the Archbishop of Canterbury. I have so many wonderful memories still fresh in my mind – the Maundy Thursday service at Charing, walking with the cross from Willesborough to Sevington, the ‘Easter Liturgy’ on Holy Saturday evening at St Mary’s in the town centre. I hope you have some of your own as well.

A huge amount of work went into the week, not just in terms of hosting the Archbishop and supporting the activities he was involved in, but also having four amazing young people from the global Community of St Anselm staying with us in the parish. I’m really grateful to everyone who helped with the planning and practical arrangements – hosting, catering, driving, organizing, carrying stuff around. Thank you too to everyone who participated in the various activities involving Archbishop Justin and the Community of St Anselm, especially to those who in one way or another went outside their comfort zone to do that.

I hope you have some great memories of the week. As I’ve said on various occasions, it probably won’t happen again for many of us. But when we look back on it in a couple of years’ time, I really hope we will be able to see it as something of a landmark for our churches here in Ashford Town Parish. Archbishop Justin came to help us share our story – to open doors for us to do that in places we may not find it easy to reach, and above all to give us confidence in the story of Jesus Christ crucified and risen, confidence to share it with others out of love, joy and peace. Did he succeed?

To see more photographs of the Archbishop's visit to our Deanery, click on the button below:

Click Here

ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING
(APCM)

Our Annual Parochial Church Meetings (APCM) takes place at Willesborough church on Saturday 23 April, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

As well as receiving formal reports on 2021 and electing new members of the PCC, we will be thinking and planning together about how to share in God's mission across our town. As part of that, there will be time allocated for people from each church community in the parish to meet together and discuss their plans for the future, and we hope there will be a good number of people present from each church community to contribute to that. We’re also going to be voting on a significant change to PCC membership, by reducing the number of people directly elected to the PCC.

APCM papers are available by email from the office - please let Jacquie or Libby (email: info@ashfordchurches.co.uk) know if you would like a set and have not received them already. It would be especially useful to look at Appendix E before the meeting, ‘Moving Mission Planning into Action’, as well as the PCC Annual Report.

Please note that the annual meeting of parishioners (also known as the Vestry Meeting) that elects the churchwardens will take place separately on 31 May at 7.30 p.m. We are delaying this as long as possible while we wait for the process of approval for an increase in the number of churchwardens in the parish from two to seven.

ON THE MOVE

The five-year time bounded dual role as priest to Ashford Town Centre and Chaplain at Ashford School that Reverend Richard Bellamy began in the summer of 2017 will be completed on 22 June, when the current licence expires.

Richard is in discussion with Ashford School and hopes to continue serving as school chaplain from September in a part-time capacity. Richard and Carol will be returning to their home in Folkestone in the summer.

Many people beyond the congregation at St Mary’s in the town centre will have been touched by Richard’s ministry, rooted in prayerfulness and faithful service.

His final service at St Mary’s will be on Sunday 15 May, at the slightly later time than normal of 10.30 a.m.

Do please pray for Richard and Carol as they begin a new stage in their journey of discipleship and ministry.

WALK CHURCH - 24 April 2022

Walk Church, led by the Revd Alex Bienfait, has now been approved by our PCC as a fresh expression of church supported by Ashford Town Parish. Their next gathering begins at St Mary the Virgin Westwell, at 1.45 for 2 p.m. this Sunday - 24 April 2022.

Starting at Westwell, walkers will head into the Downs, passing some of the lime kilns overlooking Westwell; evidence of a busy industrial past. They will then head along the Pilgrims way to Canterbury, skirting past Eastwell Manor estate and pausing at the ruined church of Eastwell before heading back to Westwell walking along some quiet country lanes. The weather is set to be dry, but looks quite windy, so have some wind proof clothing at the ready. There will be wide views across the Weald so it's worth packing binoculars too, if you have them.

Practical information:
The route is 3.8miles, (6.1km), with two stiles along the route. Sheep are in one field, but no other livestock. Dogs are welcome provided they are under close control.

Parking: There is no dedicated car park at Westwell church, but it should be fairly easy to park nearby. Sadly there is no toilet in the church.

For more information, or to join the Walk Church emailing list, please click on the button below:

Click Here

SUNDAY 8 MAY 2022

6pm for 6:30pm start

The Tent is an informal worship gathering; a relaxed space to pray, worship and encounter the power and presence of the Lord, an opportunity to be refreshed through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, to grow in spiritual gifts and to receive prayer ministry.

The Tent is open to all, and everyone is very welcome within and beyond the Ashford Town Parish, meeting monthly at St. Francis church on Cryol Road.

We look forward to seeing you there and discovering where the Lord will lead us this year. Do spread the word!

LIVING GENEROUSLY – GIVING GENEROUSLY

All church members should have received a leaflet headed ‘Living Generously – Giving Generously’.

It sets out the financial situation facing us in the parish as a whole and in the church you belong to, and suggests some principles to guide us in considering how to respond.

If you’ve not got one yet, please speak to your LLT finance officer, or any other LLT member. And if you have, please use it to think, pray and talk with others.

WHAT'S ON

May 2022

14th – St Mary’s Willesborough = Richard Harrington – Magician – 7.30 pm – see poster above

15th – St Mary’s Ashford – “Putting the Puff Back in the Pipes” – Third Sunday Concerts – 3.30 pm – The Two Sopranos – Admission £5.00 minimum – Doors Open at 3.00 pm. Refreshments available. See poster above.

Every Saturday – 10 am – 12 noon – Community Cafe, St Mary’s Ashford.

Every Monday to Friday 9.00 am – 1.00 pm – in inSpire Café, St Mary’s Willesborough.

June 2022

11th – St Mary’s church Willesborough, 9:45am-4:00pm, ‘Growing a Healing Ministry’ – a day for existing healing and prayer ministry teams and for those who wish to explore ministry for their home Church – the day will include worship, teaching, prayer and group work. Suggested donation £15 – bring your own lunch. Please book via Eventbrite or contact@the-living-well.co.uk

19th – St Mary’s Ashford – “Putting the Puff Back in the Pipes” – Third Sunday Concerts – 3.30 pm – Lees Court Music – Admission £5.00 minimum – Doors Open at 3.00 pm. Refreshments available.

Every Saturday – 10 am – 12 noon – Community Cafe, St Mary’s Ashford.

Every Monday to Friday 9.00 am – 1.00 pm – in inSpire Café, St Mary’s Willesborough.

For details of events later in the year, please click on the button below:

Click Here

PRAYING WITH AND FOR ONE ANOTHER

Points for Prayer this week:

For Archbishop Justin and the Community of St Anselm – giving thanks for their ministry amongst us last week, and praying for them as they face new tasks and new challenges back at Lambeth Palace
For all members of our churches, that we would grow in confidence in sharing our story of faith with others
For the APCM this Saturday – that we will be able to encourage one another, listen together to what the Spirit is saying to us, and make wise decisions where the situation requires it
For Richard and Carol Bellamy, as they prepare to begin a new stage in their journey of discipleship and ministry – that they would know the presence of the risen Christ accompanying them on the way.

Pray for our Diocese, and in the wider the Anglican Communion, for The Churches of Papua New Guinea and Nigeria (Lagos Province)

Please note that, due to staff holidays, the next edition of
Good News for Ashford will be issued on Friday 6 May 2022.