Pew News for Sunday 15th March

St Catherine - St Christopher - St Laurence - St Mark - St Mary

THE PARISH OF ST LAURENCE-IN-THANET

Five Churches United in Christ

Pew News

15^thMarch, 2026

Mothering Sunday

WELCOME to this CHURCH

Please be aware that the choice for communion is bread and wine or bread only, tincturing (dipping the bread) is no longer condoned by the Diocese.

At St Laurence - if you require a gluten-free wafer, please tell the sides-people at the door before the start of the service.

St LAURENCE 10:00 Communion & Healing Rev Catherine Tucker & Amanda Madgwick

St CATHERINE 10:00 Communion Rev Brian Griffiths & Rev Phil Barnes

St MARK 10:00 Service of the Word Frances Barnes

18:30 Evening Service Christine Martin

2Corinthians 1:1-7, 2Corinthians 1:8.11

St MARY 10:00 Communion Rev Ken Cox & Helen Crittenden

& ACM

St CHRISTOPHER None

READINGS FOR TODAY – Mothering Sunday

1Samuel 1:20-28; Psalm 34:11-20

Colossians 3:12-17; John 19:25-27

COLLECT and POST COMMUNION PRAYER for Mothering Sunday

Collect: God of compassion, whose Son Jesus Christ, the child of Mary, shared the life of a home in Nazareth, and on the cross drew the whole human family to himself: strengthen us in our daily living that in joy and in sorrow we may know the power of your presence to bind together and to heal. Through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord - who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit: one God; now and for ever. Amen

Post Communion: Loving God, as a mother feeds her children at the breast, you feed us in this sacrament with the food and drink of eternal life. Help us, who have tasted your goodness, to grow in grace within the household of faith. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

PEOPLE FOR PRAYER

Sophia, Daniel, Brenda, Prim, Graham, Katherine, Keith, Jonathan, Gill, Andrew, Nicky, Shirley, Dave S, Adam, Orla, Frederick, Val, David, Peter, Matt, Alistair, Roy, Gillian, Torben, Sheila, Maggie, Pete, Geoff, Doreen, Susan, Steve, Mick, Pam, Sharon, Dave

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

15^th March – the Ides of March – the first cricket test match between Australia and England began in Melbourne in 1877, Selfridges opened on Oxford Street in 1909, Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia abdicated in 1917.

What’s on this Week

TUESDAY 17^th

10:30 – 11:30 Belleplates Contact Jan Austin St Mark

18:30 – 19:30 Beginner’s bellringing practice St Laurence Tower

19:00 Home Group – Bible Study Contact 01843 583103 St Mark

19.30 – 21:00 Bellringing practice St Laurence Tower

WEDNESDAY 18^th

10:00 – 12:00 Churchyard Group Contact Barbara Byne St Laurence Churchyard

10:00 – 12:00 Knit and Natter £1 contribution for refreshments St Mark Lounge

Contact Frances Barnes

14:00 CTiR meeting Newington Free Church

14:00 Home Group – Crossroads Bible Study St Mark

Contact Norma Wright peterena12@outlook.com

19:00 PCC St Mark

THURSDAY 19^th

14:00 Ramble – Sarre – St Nicholas – Sarre St Catherine

Meet at St Catherine. Manston to share transport. Finish at The Crown in Sarre.

Contact Julia if more info required.

14:00 Thursday Fellowship St Mark Lounge

With speaker Councillor Debra Owen - contact Angela

18:00 Midweek Communion St Christopher

19.00 Deanery Synod Kearns Hall Grenham

FRIDAY 20^th

11:00 Prayer Meeting St Mark

18.00 Scrabble Club – social with nibbles Rectory

SATURDAY 21^st

10:00 – 13:00 “Mission to New Housing” course St Paul’s Parish Centre, C’bury

10:00 – 11:30 Thanet Bellringing Training Hub St Laurence Tower

WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY- 22^nd March, 2026: Fifth Sunday of Lent

Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45

St LAURENCE 10:00 Communion Rev Catherine Tucker

& Learning Lent

St CATHERINE 10:00 Service of the Word & Learning Lent Frances Barnes

& ACM & Rev Brian Griffiths

St MARK 10:00 Communion &Learning Lent Rev Phil Barnes

& Judith Andrews

18:30 Evening Service Christine Martin

2Corinthias 1:1-7, 2Corinthians 1:8.11

St MARY 10:00 Service of the Word Kevin Spain

& Learning Lent & Revd Ken Cox

St CHRISTOPHER 14:00 Café Church Sharon Cutler, Sue Cox

Notices and Forthcoming Events

UP-COMING ACMs: ACM St Mary's, Sunday 15th March, ACM: St Catherine's, Sunday 22nd March; ACM St Laurence, Sunday 29th March, ACM St Mark's, Sunday 12th April; APCM all at St Mark’s – Sunday 26 April lunch 12noon meeting 1pm,. Malcolm Story requires notice of amendments for each church’s electoral roll. He has sent application forms to each warden via email. Rev Catherine & Focal Minsters are awaiting annual reports from each church.

ST LAURENCE’S CHURCH & CHURCHYARD TOUR: season starts again on 4 April,

2 May, 6 June, 4 July and 8 Aug. Every 1^st Saturday at 10am – gather at the church’s front door.

ALTOGETHER HOLY WEEK AGAPE MEAL & SERVICE: – at St Mark’s Weds 1 April 6.30pm Sign up sheets in each church if you wish to attend – suggested donation £3.00.

ST CATHERINE’S MONTHLY MID-WEEK SERVICE: every 4^th Wednesday of the month at 4.30pm. Created and led by LLM Amanda Madgwick. The first one is Wed 22 April

CLOCK RESTORATION APPEAL: The next fund-raising event will be one of our ever popular quiz nights. Saturday 18th April in St Laurence Church. If you can’t make this quiz, a donation of a raffle prize would be appreciated. Remember you can also make cash donations by bank transfer direct into the clock restoration appeal bank account. Account name: St Lawrence Clock Restoration Appeal: Sort Code: 30-99-50 Account Number: 37336762

RISE HOMELESS PROJECT: This has been extended to end of June at the St Laurence Parish Hall – more volunteers urgently needed for early morning breakfasts and supper time. Also tell your friends from other churches in Thanet. Contact Carl of Salvation Army

MONTHLY BIBLE STUDY, DISCUSSION & REFRESHMENTS AT THE RECTORY: Next date is Tues 21 April at 6.30pm. It is aimed at those new to faith and also for anyone wishing to deepen their understanding of the Bible (currently the book of Acts) and feel part of a supportive group. All are welcome from across the whole Parish. Contact Rev Catherine

THANET FOOD BANK: March’s most wanted items are: tinned meals and desserts, baked beans, cereal bars, biscuits. Please take donations to your church. Many thanks.

ROCK SOLID 2 Junior Church: St Laurence runs a Sunday School for children aged 4yrs -11yrs - called Rock Solid 2. It runs monthly: Sundays, 12 April, 10 May and onwards. It is fun-packed. Led by Kelly, Marion, Marcia, Andrea and Barrie - these leaders are experienced with children with autism and ADHD. All children and parents are welcome. Arrive 9.50am at the actual church for 10am start, ends 11.30am. And children are welcome in church every week.

THURSDAY FELLOWSHIP for next few weeks: 26^th March – hymns & mini biographies, hot-cross buns, 2^nd April – none, 9^th April – Flower Picture Quiz. Contact Angela

ST CATHERINE’S “WALK for your SOUL”: Parish wide and beyond – for you and your friends and family. See flyers in your church.

Walk 1: Thursday 19 March at 2pm-4pm+: Ramble & Chat around Sarre and St Nicholas involving a local pub/tap room.

Walk 2: Saturday 18 April at 11am-1.30pm+: it’s at the end of the Easter Holidays. Your Area, Your Community Through Flete, Lydden and Coldswood with many lovely views and even some alpacas! Returning for a lunch at the Jolly Farmer Pub, Manston.

Walk 3: Tuesday 19 May at 5pm-7pm+: Walking and Nature The walk will be in & around Manston itself and then out to Woodchurch returning to St Catherine’s Church Manston for buffet.

Walk 4: Friday 26 June at 2pm-4pm+: Stroll & Natter around Minster finishing at The Bell pub

Walk 5: Sunday 19 July at 12noon-2.30pm: A Tale of Two Churches Starting and ending at St Laurence-in-Thanet Church Ramsgate. We walk to St Catherine’s for a break & buffet lunch…history and architecture all along the way.

Walk 6: Saturday 29 August 11am-4pm: It’s Bank Holiday! Walking As Pilgrimage Starting at St Augustine’s Cross we pilgrimage to Minster Abbey and return (return a choice of whether by foot or train) for refreshments at St Mary’s, Cliffsend.

EASY FUNDRAISING: If you shop on line then you could earn % for church funds via https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/st-laurence-in-thanet-parish Partners in this scheme include: ARGOS, TESCO, JOHN LEWIS, EBAY, JUST EAT…

Looking ahead:

Mothering Sunday at each church – Sunday 15^th March

Holy Week & Easter:

7pm Weds 1 April Altogether Agape Meal at St Marks -a service at a supper.

7pm Thurs 2 April Altogether Maundy Thursday service & Silent Vigil at St Laurence

Good Friday 3 April : 10am Last Hour at St Mark’s 1pm Meditation at St Mary’s

2pm Meditation at St Catherine’s, 2pm Stations of The Cross with Meditations and ending with Veneration of the Cross.at St Laurence

Saturday 4 April: 10am Servers Training at St Laurence

Sunday 5 April Easter Day!

6.00am Dawn Service of First Light at Viking Ship site Cliffsend

8.00am Easter Communion Service at St Christopher’s

10am Easter Services at all churches

PARISH OFFICE

2 Newington Road, Ramsgate, CT11 0QT, 01843 592478

Please note that the office has volunteers manning it. Regularly, this is Steve on a Thursday morning and Barbara B on a Friday morning (9-11am). Here are some contacts:

Team Rector: Reverend Catherine Tucker rectorcatherine@stlaurenceparish-ramsgate.org.uk

Parochial Wardens: Sharon Cutler warden2@stlaurenceparish-ramsgate.org.uk

Kevin Spain kmschurchwarden@hotmail.com

PCC Secretary Malcolm Story pccsecretary@stlaurenceparish-ramsgate.org.uk

Parish Treasurer: Alison Willoughby-Browne treasurer@stlaurenceparish-ramsgate.org.uk

Baptism Clerk: Kelly Gooding baptisms@stlaurenceparish-ramsgate.org.uk

Wedding Clerk Alison Willoughby-Browne (temp) weddings@stlaurenceparish-ramsgate.org.uk

Safeguarding: Kevin Spain kmschurchwarden@hotmail.com

Anna Chaplain: Judith Andrews judithandrewsllm@outloook.com

Pew News: Julia Penn diamond-jules@hotmail.co.uk

St Mark’s Church General enquiries 07352 166932

If anyone feels able to take on the role of Wedding Clerk, Alison Willoughby-Browne would like to hear from you. Please contact her as above.