March 2015

With the arrival of March comes, in time, daffodils, sunshine, slightly warmer weather, and brighter days. I do hope you have a wonderful month after the wet and gloomy months of January and February.

CONFIRMATION
If any adults or children would like to be Confirmed at a special Confirmation service on Saturday 2nd May at 6pm please could they let me know as soon as possible. Children must be Secondary School age by September this year. We have three adults so far who are definitely preparing for confirmation and two adults who are considering it. It would be lovely to have some children being confirmed too. If you have not been in church much regularly please do not worry - I realise how busy life can be. I am more concerned that we meet your spiritual needs and if this might help then please let me know. The "classes" (really mutual conversations) for adults are on Sundays at 4pm to 5pm. 

HYMNATHON
I am busy getting ready for a HYMNATHON which will take place on Saturday 28th March from 2pm to 4pm in All Saints church. The idea is to try and sing 30 hymns or songs during those two hours, though there will be cold drinks available if you need a break at any point. Then we will have afternoon tea together in the hall at 4pm

Do you like singing? If so would you like to do this as a sponsored event to raise money for our organ refurbishment? If so please let me know and I will email you the sponsorship form. Even easier, you can download it from our website advertising the Organ appeal. The website is http://allsaintswhitstablechurchorganappeal.blogspot.co.uk/

I will also make sure there are lots of hard copy sponsorship forms in the church on Sunday if you prefer to get one that way.
Please do approach friends and family and ask them to sponsor you either for the whole two hours or "per hymn/song" if you prefer.
Also if you have a favourite hymn or song you would like sung, please do email it to me or put a note through the Vicarage door. THANK YOU!

Even if you think you might only be able to raise a few pounds it would still be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Another new venture this month is a project Pat Holland has been working incredibly hard at.
Here are the details

SING FOR LIFE
A new church community project Singing for Fun and Health based on the Sing for your Life project www.singforyourlife.org.uk will begin in the church hall on Wednesday 18th March from 2.30-4.00pm and then the following third Wednesday of each month. It will be run by volunteers. This is an opportunity to sing some of the old favourites; songs from the musicals etc. have a cuppa and a chat. There is no charge but donations towards refreshments will be welcome. Why not come and join us? Contact Pat Holland 01227 772402

DENISE BLASKETT _ READER IN TRAINING
Denise is a member of All Saints and is training to be a Reader, which means "Lay Preacher" though the role involves more than preaching. It is a role with a special spiritual role within the church community.  Denise will be preaching her first sermon this Sunday 1st March at our 10am service and we wish her all the very best and pray for her.

FAMILY SERVICE
Our Family Communion service will take place as usual on Sunday 8th March at 10am. Do come along!

MOTHERING SUNDAY SERVICE

This child friendly service takes place at 10am on Sunday 15th March. It will be suitable for all the family. Children will be given flowers during the service to in turn give to their mothers. The brownies will be singing another song following their brilliant performances last autumn and Advent-tide.

YOUR HELP NEEDED
Please see the visual display in the church advertising all the various posts needing to be filled at the moment.
I am particularly keen for helpers to come forward for Saturday 7th March at 10am in the church when we are compiling our Easter newsletters round the homes into bundles for the various streets. It would be great to have a good turn out of people so please can you consider coming. "Many hands make light work". We also need new people to come forward to help with the delivery round the homes. Please email me at tillotsons@gmail.com if you can assist with this.

CHURCH COUNCIL SECRETARY
One of the most urgent jobs we have to fill is Secretary to the Church Council. The council meets about six times a year and you also are secretary at the Annual District Church Meeting.  Please speak to myself or Linda Young if you are interested in this post. It really is a very interesting job. Church Councils are places you really get to see the life of the church in detail.

ANNUAL DISTRICT CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING
This will take place on Sunday 22nd March at 4pm in the Church Hall. You can view the reports from the various committees and groups here https://app.box.com/s/li5txfafh4s5s563sypm5nxah9ka6max
though a hard copy with the accounts should be available in church from 8th March. We are only producing 100 copies this year so please can you share a copy with a friend if possible.

SACRED SPACE

is on Monday 23rd March - 8pm to 9pm. Please bring a torch. At All Saints Whitstable. Quiet, peace, Taize music, silence.

Looking ahead to 

HOLY WEEK AND EASTER

I understand Archbishop Justin Welby will be giving some addresses at the Cathedral on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Holy Week in the evening. Please check the Diocesan Website for more information.

Here at All Saints

Maundy Thursday 2nd April - Agape supper and prayer at the cross 7.30pm – please call 01227 275947 to let us know you are coming or you can email me at tillotsons@gmail.com

There will also be a list at the back of church from about two weeks beforehand for you to sign up so we know how many to cater for. NB This is going to be a ceremonial meal - ie very light - so a good idea if you eat something before you come. We finish the service with a meditation as the altars are stripped of their candles and frontals. It is always a most special evening.

Good Friday 3rd April - Churches Together Walk of Witness, leaves Tankerton Evangelical Church, Northwood Road, at 10am 

Good Friday 3rd April - Three hours at the cross - 12 noon to 3pm (come and go during this period at the top of each hour) led by Rev Simon Tillotson and Denise Blaskett

Easter Sunday 5th April - 6.10am Tankerton Beach Sunrise Service - meet on promenade beneath Marine Hotel- service finishes in church at 7am followed by hot cross buns and coffee 

Easter Sunday 5th April - 8am and 10am Holy Communion services in church including Easter Egg hunt for children at 10am 

Normal service times Sundays 8am Holy Communion and 10am Sung Holy Communion with Adventurers and Xplore for children – Family Communion on 2nd Sunday at 10am 

Also please note we have a healing service each Thursday at 10am

Thanks for reading this! I do appreciate it. Rev Simon Tillotson

February 2015

February is starting as January finished - cold and wet and windy. I am sure like me you are looking forward to some better weather in only a few weeks time.

The first thing to let you know about if you do not know already is our Valentine dance. This promises to be a lovely occasion and you don't have to have a partner to come along. It's a wonderful occasion. 

VALENTINE DANCE come and join us on Saturday 14th February at 7.30pm in the Church Hall 

Dancing to ‘Maelstrom’ 6 piece band 

Tickets £6 - available from Phillip Williams and members of the Social Committee or phone 263095 / 07787 127641 Please bring your own drinks and glasses (crisps / snacks will be provided) 

Dress Code Smart 

This has been very popular in the past, so come for a really enjoyable evening 

FAMILY COMMUNION SERVICE WITH HOLY BAPTISM

Secondly, this coming Sunday, 8th February, is our Family Communion and we have two children from our regular Sunday school who are being baptised at this service, Evan and Savannah Marara. Please pray for them as they prepare for this big day in their lives and please come to the service, at 10am. By far the majority of our baptisms (christenings) are in the afternoons, but it is lovely when a family requests one in the morning, and always special when we know them well.

CONFIRMATION

Are you or your children interested in being confirmed this year? Our Deanery Confirmation is Saturday 2nd May at 6pm at Christ Church, in the centre of Herne Bay. Bishop Trevor Willmott (above) will be taking the service as our effective Bishop for the Diocese of Canterbury (although the Archbishop is technically the Bishop of the Diocese, Bishop Trevor is the Bishop who does the huge majority of the ministry here as Archbishop Justin is obviously busy in the wider church world).

A number of adults have expressed an interest in confirmation. Could they please email me or phone me about when would be best for them to have their classes of which there are usually half a dozen - I can do most Wednesday evenings, some Saturday mornings, some Saturday afternoons and some Sunday afternoons. Please let me know what you can do and I will be in touch.

If it's a child that is interested in being confirmed it is best to have these classes on a weekday after school. The child has to be of secondary school age come September this year. I could do 4pm or 5pm on Tuesdays or Wednesdays here at the Vicarage. Please let me know what is best. 

There is also the option of having your Baptism and Confirmation "renewed". If it seems a long time since you were confirmed, there is now a liturgy that takes part at the Confirmation service where you can recommit to God in a new way. The above times for classes for this would still apply so please speak to me if you are interested.

COFFEE ROTA

We are urgently in need of people to help with the coffee rota
This Sunday 8th February we are short of people for our 10am service - can you help? Please let me know if you can.

One group in need of new helpers is doing the following dates
May 10th, September 13th, December 13th - please email Karen our co-ordinator for the rota know  if you can help at this email address
kag@goodwin95.plus.com
 Karen and Liz are already doing these particular dates but need a couple of extra helpers

Another group is doing coffee and tea on these dates
June 14th, October 11th  - again please let Karen know if you can help via the email above. We have two people who have very kindly come forward for this, Debbie and Liz (not the same Liz as above!), but we need a couple more to help them please.

CHURCHWARDEN VACANCY

Contrary to any rumours going round we have not been able to find a person who would be willing to take on the role of churchwarden from March 22nd (NB our Annual District Church meeting is this day, Sunday 22nd March, at 4pm in the church hall).
 This is getting quite urgent now so please can you speak to myself or Christine and Linda our churchwardens if you think you could manage this very large and responsible task in the church, yet one which is very fulfilling too. I can send you a role specification if you would like more information first. Please will you pray about it. Thank you. I would be so grateful.

CHURCH COUNCIL SECRETARY

We are also in need of a new Secretary for the Church Council from the ADCM on 22nd March, so if you would be interested in this please can you let me know or a churchwarden know. Thank you.
The meetings are once every two months on average and help is also required compiling the Annual Report.

ASH WEDNESDAY

A very important date in our annual calendar, there will be the special Service of Ashing and Solemn Eucharist at All Saints on Ash Wednesday at 8pm. This is Wednesday 18th February. It is preceded by a special service at 7pm on Shrove Tuesday when we burn the Palm Crosses at the door of the church. The service on Shrove Tuesday starts in church at 7pm. Please bring your Palm Cross to this service.

Ash Wednesday is the day when we bring to God our sins and ask for his forgiveness. I realise we do this every day of our lives, but it is a day when we are specially conscious of our brokenness and waywardness and where we commit to following Him with a more pure and whole-hearted devotion, especially in the light of the season of Lent starting on the same day. 
I find this whole experience extremely healthy and spiritually strengthening, not gloomy or sad at all. What would our society be like if everyone faced up to their shortcomings and tried to live purer and more holy lives? A lot better I am sure.

We have to be honest with ourselves and with others and in our prayer lives with God about the fact that we are far from perfect, and seek His strength to live better lives. If we don't do this we run the risk of becoming spiritually stagnant. We are not condemning ourselves, simply being honest and attempting by God's grace to live more wholesome and holy lives in the future.

CHURCH FAMILY BREAKFAST

Why not start your day and join the regulars for breakfast in the hall every 3rd Sunday of the month (8.30 – 9.30 am)? It’s another social occasion for our church family. Hope to see you on 15 February. Helpers for the Breakfast are also needed – please speak to Anne Cross, Paula Comins or Maggs Seppala or either churchwarden for details

GERMAN EXCHANGE 2015 

Message from David Sims

The dates are 13 - 17 May and we will be staying with families in Tegernau and nearby villages in the attractive Black Forest area of Southern Germany. Also friends from Teltow, Berlin, whom some of us visited last May/June, will also be there. We shall be renewing/making friendships, going to church, having discussions, eating and drinking extremely well and sightseeing. We intend to take a mini-bus to Ashford; train to Paris and then on to Basel. The current price is £100 return, if we book early! It gradually gets dearer . . . Please let me know by 15 February Thank you. David Sims 263616

I have written a piece about the German Exchange here which gives more details

Dear all

Our partnership with several churches in Germany has been going on for well over a quarter of a century and we have another trip planned to Germany, to the beautiful area of the Black Forest, in May.

The dates are in the noticesheet and the contact information too.

Please may I encourage you to think about coming on this trip? It is free of charge apart from the cost of travel there and back because we stay with host families.

I have been on two occasions to the Black Forest and once to Teltow and enjoyed every minute of both visits. The German hosts are extremely welcoming and kind and we have great trips out and discussions and all sorts of other enjoyable events.

God does indeed seem to have blessed the partnership.

But, to be honest, we do need new faces and new interest in order to keep this partnership alive and vibrant. Of course I am glad we have our regular group coming, but it would be lovely if we could see some new people as well, so will you consider coming this year?
The two people to talk to are David Sims on 263616 and Michael Cooke on 272427, though if you are planning to come please give your name and details to David Sims. Of course also feel most welcome to talk to me too.

It is fun, it is warm, it is worth the effort of time and travel out there. But I really hope and pray we will see more interest from the congregation this year.

So will you pray about it and ask yourself the question – is this for me? Is this for us?

Thank you

Simon

I will include all the information about Mothering Sunday, Holy Week and Easter in the March mailing

For the latest on my blog please read my reflections on being at Lee Abbey

http://simonsblogallsaints.blogspot.co.uk/

Please look at our display about Cursillo and homegroups in the church. I am intending to keep this in place till 22nd February when there will be a new focus on "Practical help for the church". If you help with working parties looking after the churchyard or church, or serve on the Church Council, or help in other ways behind the scenes, would you be willing to give a five minute talk at this service about this in order to encourage others to serve too. You may feel a bit hesitant as you would probably prefer not to pay attention to your service, but it would honestly help others to come forward I think too. Do you enjoy it? Have you met others in the church? Has it helped your spiritual life to help in practical ways?

A LINK you may be interested in
https://www.canterburydiocese.org/spirituality-and-discipleship/e-news-subscribe/
You would need to navigate around that link to find out more information about what it is please but I recommend it!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DIOCESE PLEASE CLICK HERE
https://www.canterburydiocese.org/media/ebulletin/february2015/default.htm

THANK YOU!
Rev Simon Tillotson
01227 272308
tillotsons@gmail.com

A lot more information about the church can be found on our church website

www.allsaintswhitstable.com