Pew News for Sunday 22nd 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

22^nd March, 2026

Fifth Sunday of Lent

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 Rev Catherine Tucker

& Lent Learning

St CATHERINE 10:00 Service of the Word Frances Barnes

& Lent Learning & ACM & Rev Brian Griffiths

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

& Judith Andrews

18:30 Evening Service Christine Martin

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

St MARY 10:00 Service of the Word Kevin Spain

& Lent Learning & Revd Ken Cox

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

READINGS FOR TODAY

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

COLLECT and POST COMMUNION PRAYER

Collect: Most merciful God, who, by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ, delivered and saved the world: grant that, by faith in him who suffered on the cross, we may triumph in the power of his victory. 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: Lord Jesus Christ: you have taught us that what we do for the least of our brothers and sisters we do also for you. Give us the will to be the servant of others as you were the servant of all, and gave up your life and died for us – but are alive and reign, now and for ever. 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, Ann, Sheila, Maggie, Pete, Geoff, Doreen, Susan, Steve, Mick, Pam, Sharon

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Even the smallest acts of kindness, moments of prayer, or pauses for gratitude can become seeds of renewal.

What’s on this Week

TUESDAY 24^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 25^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 Home Group – Crossroads Bible Study St Mark

Contact Norma Wright peterena12@outlook.com

15:00 Formal Installation of Archbishop Sarah on BBC Canterbury Cathedral

spot Rev Catherine & LLM Judith!

THURSDAY 26^th

14:00 Thursday Fellowship St Mark Lounge

hymns & mini biographies, hot-cross buns - contact Angela

FRIDAY 27^th

11:00 Prayer Meeting St Mark

18.00 Scrabble Club – social with nibbles Rectory

SATURDAY 28^th

10:00 Open Church St Laurence

17:30 Diocesan Welcome Service for Archbishop Sarah Canterbury Cathedral

Offer lifts to one another! You should have a ticket but no one will be turned away

WORSHIP NEXT SUNDAY - 29^th March, 2026: Palm Sunday

Start of Passiontide

Special readings for Passiontide - Gospel of Matthew

St LAURENCE 10:00 Communion Rev Catherine Tucker

& ACM & Group Passion Reading

St CATHERINE 10:00 Communion Rev Brian Griffiths

& Amanda Madgwick

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

18:30 Evening Service Christine Martin

Psalm 61, Matthew 21:33-46

St MARY 10:00 Communion Rev Ken Cox

St CHRISTOPHER None

Notices and Forthcoming Events

UP-COMING ACMs: 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 by Sunday 12 April. 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

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: 2^nd April – none, 9^th April – Flower Picture Quiz, 16^th April – Pastor Rita Brown, 23^rd April – History of St Laurence with Barbara Byne. 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 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:

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 with reflection by Dan Sutton and local family Baptism

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.