Our parish is an ancient one in the northern suburbs of Ashford, Kent. The medieval parish church of St. Mary is in the old village, while St. Mary's Community Centre is in the more modern part of the parish.
We hope you will enjoy your visit. Please feel free to contact us for further information about any of our activities.
The Parish Magazine is Available Now! |
| Click here for details |
It's cold outside so why not come along to St. Mary's Hall (next to the church) at 11.30am and join the Friends for a warming meal!
A chance to reflect and prepare for this most important time. Click below to download a printable poster advertising all the details:
All men are welcome to join us for breakfast and a talk from Richard Foulger of the Pilgrims Hospices. Click below to download a printable poster advertising all the details:
Recruitment is now open for Ashford Street Pastors and the Prayer Partner Team. Please e-mail henbreeder@yahoo.co.uk if you are interested. There is also a vacancy for a Street Pastor Coordinator.
A selection of photos taken after Christmas Eve Midnight Mass and before New Year's Eve. Browse the pictures at our Flickr photostream (go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/stmaryskennington/) or click below to enlarge the images. Thanks to Mike Wharrad for his photos.
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A Christmas message from our friends in Madagascar!
"I'm glad to share with St Mary's congregation the program we had during Christmas event. On Christmas vigil, the 24th, at 2.30 in the afternoon, we had 15 children baptised and later on at 7.30pm we had a Holy Communion service followed by a drama played by some young people of All Saints'. It lasted at 11pm. Then on Christmas day I had to run 2 Holy Communion Services, one at St Michael's at 7.30am and the other one at All Saints' at 9.30am. The pupils' christmas party began at 2.30pm and ended only at 6.40pm. 250 pupils alternated on stage. The whole moments were, though tireing, very blessed. I join then some photos of these moments and I hope you'll enjoy them.
With love in Christ.
Revd Steven"
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Kennington Community Forum (KCF) recently rediscovered a tradition of planting oak trees on Kennington's Recreation Ground to commemorate great events, from Victorian times to the occasion of King George VI's Coronation in 1937 and the Festival of Britain in 1951.
KCF hopes to plant an oak tree this year to mark Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Ashford Borough Council has given consent and requested a tree of suitable girth costing in the region of £150 to £180. The Forum proposes, in part, to use existing funds, but would gratefully accept donations from local residents to cover the total required. Further details at www.kenningtoncf.kentparishes.gov.uk.
St. Mary's Church Kennington recently forged new links with a parish in Madagascar! Find and click on Madagascar Link to the left of the page to read all about it.
Robin Britcher - News Editor for Kennington Community Forum and a leading light in the Forum's ongoing Memorial Shelter and Garden Of Remembrance restoration project - has very kindly sent us a recent version of his research into Kennington War Memorial. A few years ago Robin investigated the stories behind all the names on the memorial and held an exhibition in the Church Hall on Remembrance Sunday 2008; a presentation Book is held at St. Mary's Church Kennington. Download and read the copy Robin prepared for Kennington C of E Junior School here. Thanks Robin!
Mike Wharrad writes: "On Sunday 23rd October 75 people attended the Annual Service of Light where we remembered those loved ones who have departed, especially those who have died in the past year. Before inviting everyone to light a candle and place it on the altar, Richard King reminded us that grief must not be rushed, nor must we let it stop our lives. He said that it is important that we recognise the various stages of grief so that we are able to move forward and eventually resume our lives, even though they can never be the same again. We must also remember that God is with us and loves us. He too has felt grief when Jesus mourned the death of his friend Lazarous."
A new Home Group meets on Monday evenings in Burton Road from 8.00pm. Further details from Janet Busk (330121) or Shirley Leslie (624855.)
The first photos of this year's Harvest celebrations at St. Mary's Kennington are in! View Hilary Evers' colourful selection on our Flickr photostream (go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/stmaryskennington/) or click the pictures below to make the individual images bigger...
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Gifts of packets and tins of food received at all services were distributed to Ashford Charities and envelope offerings donated to USPG Anglicans in World Mission Harvest Appeal and Kent Farming.
Earlier this month Bishop Trevor returned to Ashford for the Service of Rededication at our town's renovated St. Mary the Virgin church (click here for map.)
Recent images of the reshaped interior can be found at http://revelationstmarys.tumblr.com/ or by clicking the arrow below to view a short YourKentTV.co.uk report about the renewal of this centre for worship and the arts.
Get the latest information from St. Mary's Ashford sacred space: go to their website (http://www.stmarysashford.org.uk/.) Forthcoming performance events are posted on http://revelationstmarys.com/.
"The Friends of Kent Churches Sponsored Ride and Stride takes place on the second Saturday in September each year. 50% of sponsorship money raised goes to the church or chapel of your choice, with the other 50% going to the Friends, who use it to help the most needy churches and chapels in use in the County."
Visiting 22 churches Mike Paddy, Marianne Hughes, Ted, Methild and friends rode 40 miles and raised £341 - half of which comes to St. Mary's. Thanks to Mike Paddy for photos from Sevington, Bilsington, and Warehorne!
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The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has launched an appeal for funds to help sustain Christian communities in the Holy Land. "I returned from a visit to the Holy Land last year with a very, very strong sense that we had to do more to express our solidarity with the Christian communities there...We know our brothers and sisters there are suffering; and we don't always ask ourselves often enough what our response needs to be."... "I want to appeal for your support in creating a fund with which we might assist projects of community development and work creation, especially among Palestinian Christians." The rate of emigration from Christian populations in the Holy Land has been growing steadily for a long time. Dr Williams commended to Synod this summer the work of the Friends of the Holy Land, a small ecumenical charity. He hopes that a substantial fund can be established from which regular income could be derived for channeling into simple but effective projects with partners in the Holy Land. Details at: www.friendsoftheholyland.org.uk.
Kennington Summer Fayre
A massive thanks to everyone for making this year's Fayre our best. The Church sold a record number of raffle tickets, beat our previous record for takings on the stalls and had over 50 people helping. After reclaiming tax on some of the takings, the Church will receive just over £2,000 from the event. From those who gave goods to sell, to those who cleaned up at the end and to everyone in between, including those who spent money, we thank you all. A special thank you to Rev. Richard King who received 120 wet sponges thrown at him during a session of twenty minutes in the stocks.
On a lovely July Sunday £156 was raised for church funds from 26 visitors who were treated to an enjoyable tour of our church, followed by cream tea and cakes. Thank you.
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Our church, it is an old church, Built centuries ago; It did not then look quite the same As does the church we know. |
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It had no tower or peal of bells The people there to call, For it was built long, long ago When Kennington was small. |
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Our house, it is an old house, Built centuries ago; It probably looked much the same As does the house we know. |
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But I wonder, oh, I wonder, As I ponder thereupon, Would the families who lived here once To St Mary's Church have gone? |
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Would they have made "a joyful noise" And loved the hymns we sing? - And did they have a Vicar Like the Reverend Richard King? |
| B.J. |
News stories from earlier in the year have moved to the news archive (also accessible from the menu on the left of every page.)
If you would like to take away a free copy of the latest sermon to listen on your computer or MP3 player, click "Sermon from St. Mary's" at the top right of this page.
The sermon is also available on the Apple iTunes store. If you wish to find the sermon on iTunes, download and install the iTunes software at http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/, register then go to the iTunes Store and search for St. Mary's Kennington.
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