St. Michael and All Angels, Hartlip

06/06/2026

Dear friends

We do seem to be lurching between the seasons rather at the moment - but the rain of the last few days is so very welcome to the garden! I do love the longer evenings, and we have had some beautiful sunsets - this is the view from the vicarage just a few days ago, well after 9pm. The heavens are telling the glory of God indeed!

We all want to see our churches grow - anxiety about the future is a common theme among all our churches. To equip us to become more confident at sharing our own experience of God with our communities, seeking to grow spiritually and numerically, we have the opportunity to join a two-day Leading Your Church into Growth conference. It's on Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th June, at Seasalter Christian Centre; it comes with a proven track record, and is highly recommended by many. I will be going, and Gill Gay is coming too; we have another 10 places booked, and it would be wonderful to get a team from across the benefice to attend to be enthused and enabled. The perfect antidote to the anxiety so many of us feel about the future of our churches! If you think you might be interested, let me know. Please do consider this prayerfully.

Bishop Rose will be confirming candidates from across our deanery at Minster Abbey on Saturday 5th September. It is an important step in our lifetime journey as a disciple of Christ, and an opportunity to explore faith as part of a group during preparation. We have several candidates from Iwade already; if anyone else is interested, do let me know and we can have a chat about what is involved.

In my last email, I shared the sad news of Mary's mother's death. We have now fixed a date for a service of thanksgiving and memorial at St Mary's Newington; it will be on Saturday 27th June at 3pm. I hope many of us will be able to gather to support Mary and pray with her at this really challenging time.

Tomorrow, 7th June, is the 1st Sunday after Trinity and services are:
St Margaret's Lower Halstow - 8am Quiet Communion - Rev Ron Partridge
St Mary's Newington - 10am Morning Worship - Teresa Parker
St Mary's Upchurch - 10am Morning Worship - Jill Rothery
All Saints Iwade - 10.30am Family Communion - Rev Amanda Lane
St Michael's Hartlip - 10.30am Morning Worship - George Hulme
Uplift - 10.30am Family Worship - Gill Gay and Mark Burch

Every blessing
Amanda

Small Groups & Prayer meetings:
Opportunities for fellowship, prayer, study, discussion and worship
as part of being rooted in Jesus:
· Monday Zoom group: At 2.30pm, for link contact Gill Gay [email protected]
· Connect Group Newington: 7.30pm every Tuesday evening. Contact: Teresa Parker [email protected]
· Connect group Iwade: 7.30pm at 17 Meadow Brown, Iwade. Contact: Becky Ridley [email protected]
· Prayer Groups Newington: Wednesdays fortnightly (1st & 3rd) from 10am. Contact Teresa Parker. Tuesday morning at 7.30am in St Mary's Newington. Contact [email protected]
Lower Halstow Prayer and chat 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 10am at St Margaret of Antioch church. Contact [email protected]
· Men's Breakfast: second Saturday at 8.30am at St Margaret's Lower Halstow.
Other regular activities: If there are any gaps then do let us know. Next dates are highlighted.
· St Michael's Hartlip: Coffee morning first & third Wednesday from 10.30am: 17th June
· Bereavement Group: in St Margaret's Lower Halstow every Thursday morning from 10am.
· Rainbow Cafe: in St Mary's Upchurch on second Thursday from 2.00 to 4.30pm: 11th June
· Cornerstone Cafe: in St Mary's Newington third Thursday from 9am: 18th June
· Newington Methodist Coffee Morning: First Saturday morning from 10.00 to 12.00 in Newington Chapel: 4th July
· "Porch Sale" in St Mary's Upchurch: on Second Saturday from 10.00am: 13th June
Upchurch Choral Society: Rehearsals every Friday night, from 7.45pm to 9.15pm in St Mary's church. It is a four-part choir. New members are always welcome, with no audition needed. Interested? Contact the Secretary Liz Walters on: [email protected].
Happy Hour Singing Group at Lower Halstow Memorial Hall, 6.30pm-7.30pm, 1st and 3rd Monday of the month. Next meeting 15th June
· Newington Court: Two monthly events are open to local residents: Dementia Cafe every 2nd Friday / Craft Club every 4th Wednesday Book through 01795 843033.
Iwade Film Clubs are twice a month. Silver Screen is particularly appropriate to older folk and on the second Wednesday at 3.30. Family Film Club is especially suitable for children and is on the fourth Sunday at 3.00. All on the BIG screen at All Saints and all FREE. Refreshments will be served. Next Silver Screen 10th June, next Family Film Club 24th May.

--
Amanda Lane
Priest-in-Charge of The Six

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

You are warmly invited to join us for Morning Worship on Sunday 7th June at 10.30 am

29/05/2026

Please join us at a joint evening Service as we share worship with the Methodist congregation in their chapel at 6.30 pm on Sunday 31st May. No service at St Michael’s

23/05/2026

Dear friends

Tomorrow is Pentecost, and we will be joining our Methodist brothers and sisters in the orchard next to St Mary's Newington for our annual combined Pentecost service. It looks set to be another swelteringly hot day, but there is plenty of shade in this beautiful space. We'll be singing a couple of songs which may be unfamiliar - if you'd like to have a listen, you can find Enemy of apathy here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EmkyT6uUZE and O God of burning cleansing fire at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEpsnCY3sMo

We will hear the story of that amazing day (Acts 2), not simply as a distant moment from the past, but as a living reality, when the Holy Spirit overwhelmed and filled those frightened disciples. Pentecost reminds us that God still comes to ordinary people through the Holy Spirit: bringing courage where there is fear, hope where there is weariness, and new life where people feel stuck or lost. The same Spirit that filled those first disciples still moves through the Church and the world today, drawing people together, renewing hearts, and helping us live differently. Pentecost invites us to a community which is different from so much we see in our world today.
A community where people do not need to pretend.
A community where difference is not feared.
A community where people are patient enough to hear another person’s story.
So let's gather for what should be a wonderful time of celebration!

On Trinity Sunday, 31st May, we will be worshipping back in our home churches.
St Margaret's Lower Halstow - 10am Songs of Praise
St Mary's Newington - 10am Morning Worship - Teresa Parker
St Mary's Upchurch - 10am Communion - Rev Liz Cox
All Saints Iwade - 10.30am Family Worship - George Hulme
St Michael's Hartlip - 6.30pm combined service with Methodists
Please do pray for Mary, who many will know from when she lived with Andrea and Julian at the vicarage. Mary's mother has died, very suddenly, and her funeral has already been held in South Sudan; this of course means that Mary is apart from her family at this most difficult of times. There will be a service of memorial and thanksgiving at St Mary's Newington, date to be confirmed, when we can gather with Mary to pray for her and her family.

Every blessing
Amanda

We have a wonderful garden on our doorsteps at Snakesbury in Iwade Road, Newington, where Ann Bedford, a member of the congregation at St Mary's, lives with her son Gareth. The garden is open through the Open Gardens Scheme today and tomorrow, 11am to 4pm Snakesbury is a beautiful five-acre wildlife-friendly garden with paths mown through wild areas and a newly-planted woodland. Having visited this afternoon, I can recommend it as a wonderful place to be in the heat! https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/48756/snakesbury

St Michael’s church in Hartlip hosted a wonderful wedding celebration today (Saturday). Following the wedding there is the most spectacular display of flowers in the church and everyone is welcome to pop in and take a look.

Lower Halstow's Tuesday Social is on Tuesday, 26th May, when Richard Emmett will give a talk entitled The Train That Jumped The Gap. It's at the Memorial Hall, Lower Halstow, starting at 7.30pm £4 on the door. Raffle and Refreshments. All welcome

Small Groups & Prayer meetings:
Opportunities for fellowship, prayer, study, discussion and worship
as part of being rooted in Jesus:
· Monday Zoom group: At 2.30pm, for link contact Gill Gay [email protected]
· Connect Group Newington: 7.30pm every Tuesday evening. Contact: Teresa Parker [email protected]
· Connect group Iwade: 7.30pm at 17 Meadow Brown, Iwade. Contact: Becky Ridley [email protected]
· Prayer Groups Newington: Wednesdays fortnightly (1st & 3rd) from 10am. Contact Teresa Parker. Tuesday morning at 7.30amin St Mary's Newington. Contact [email protected]
Lower Halstow Prayer and chat 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 10am at St Margaret of Antioch church. Contact [email protected]
· Men's Breakfast: second Saturday at 8.30am at St Margaret's Lower Halstow.
Other regular activities: If there are any gaps then do let us know. Next dates are highlighted.
· St Michael's Hartlip: Coffee morning first & third Wednesday from 10.30am: 3rd June
· Bereavement Group: in St Margaret's Lower Halstow every Thursday morning from 10am.
· Rainbow Cafe: in St Mary's Upchurch on second Thursday from 2.00 to 4.30pm: 11th June
· Cornerstone Cafe: in St Mary's Newington third Thursday from 9am: 18th June
· Newington Methodist Coffee Morning: First Saturday morning from 10.00 to 12.00 in Newington Chapel: 6th June
· "Porch Sale" in St Mary's Upchurch: on Second Saturday from 10.00am: 13th June
Upchurch Choral Society: Rehearsals every Friday night, from 7.45pm to 9.15pm in St Mary's church. It is a four-part choir. New members are always welcome, with no audition needed. Interested? Contact the Secretary Liz Walters on: [email protected].
Happy Hour Singing Group at Lower Halstow Memorial Hall, 6.30pm-7.30pm, 1st and 3rd Monday of the month. Next meeting 1st June
· Newington Court: Two monthly events are open to local residents: Dementia Cafe every 2nd Friday / Craft Club every 4th Wednesday Book through 01795 843033.
Iwade Film Clubs are twice a month. Silver Screen is particularly appropriate to older folk and on the second Wednesday at 3.30. Family Film Club is especially suitable for children and is on the fourth Sunday at 3.00. All on the BIG screen at All Saints and all FREE. Refreshments will be served. Next Silver Screen 10th June, next Family Film Club 24th May.
I will be away for a few days this coming week, from Wednesday to Saturday
--
Amanda Lane
Priest-in-Charge of The Six

16/05/2026

Dear friends
download.jpg

Three very precious words, words which remind us that we are not alone, that we have God's promise, and that we can be active partners in God's work in our world. During this time between Ascension Day and Pentecost, we are invited to pray for five people to come to know Christ, and that we ourselves will be changed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Some of you will already have the booklet for this year's Novena, written by our new archbishop, Sarah Mullally. Copies will be available in our churches tomorrow, and I do urge you to pray, Archbishop Sarah's words, 'that we may be the point of encounter between our Five and God's love'.

IMG_3014.jpeg
Last Sunday was Rogation Sunday, and the congregation from St Mary's Newington went into the orchard next to the church and prayed for God's blessing on the coming year's crops.
And at Pentecost, on 24th May, we are all invited to gather at 10.30am for our annual combined Pentecost service, also outdoors at St Mary's Newington, joining with our brothers and sisters from the Methodist church. We'll be singing a couple of songs whgich may be unfamiliar - if you'd like to have a listen, you can find Enemy of apathy here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EmkyT6uUZE and O God of burning cleansing fir https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEpsnCY3sMo

Services for the Sunday after Ascension/ 7th Sunday of Easter
St Margaret's Lower Halstow - 10am Communion - Rev Liz Cox
St Mary's Newington - 10am Morning Worship - Teresa Parker
St Michael's Hartlip - 10.30am Communion - Rev Amanda Lane
All Saints' Iwade - 10.30am Family Worship - John Guest
Uplift - 10.30am Family Worship - Gill Gay and Mark Burch

Tomorrow there is an opportunity to explore the history of St Mary's Newington and talk to experts at Newington History Group's Sharing History event. There will be talks, activities and stalls to explore, the chance to have your own interesting artefacts looked at by experts, and refreshments. All taking place between 2pm and 5pm.

Only one more week of school, then a break. During the week, Newington Methodist Church is running a games club. It's on the morning of Wednesday 27th May - all details on the poster below.
Screen Shot 2026-05-16 at 18.34.44.png
More opportunities to enjoy the beauties of creation are available through the National Gardens Scheme, and we have a wonderful garden on our doorsteps at Snakesbury in Iwade Road, Newington, where Ann Bedford, a member of the congregation at St Mary's, lives with her son Gareth. The garden will be open over the weekend of 23rd May, and An is asking if anyone might be able to offer cakes for the refreshments on offer. She is offering to give a donation to the church in thanks. Please do get in touch with Ann if you can help or would like to know more about the opening of the garden, which is a beautiful five-acre wildlife-friendly garden with paths mown through wild areas and a newly-planted woodland. Her email is [email protected].

Every blessing
Amanda

Small Groups & Prayer meetings:
Opportunities for fellowship, prayer, study, discussion and worship
as part of being rooted in Jesus:
· Monday Zoom group: At 2.30pm, for link contact Gill Gay [email protected]
· Connect Group Newington: 7.30pm every Tuesday evening. Contact: Teresa Parker [email protected]
· Connect group Iwade: 7.30pm at 17 Meadow Brown, Iwade. Contact: Becky Ridley [email protected]
· Prayer Groups Newington: Wednesdays fortnightly (1st & 3rd) from 10am. Contact Teresa Parker. Tuesday morning at 7.30am in St Mary's Newington. Contact [email protected]
Lower Halstow Prayer and chat 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 10am at St Margaret of Antioch church. Contact [email protected]
· Men's Breakfast: second Saturday at 8.30am at St Margaret's Lower Halstow.
Other regular activities: If there are any gaps then do let us know. Next dates are highlighted.
· St Michael's Hartlip: Coffee morning first & third Wednesday from 10.30am: 20th May
· Bereavement Group: in St Margaret's Lower Halstow every Thursday morning from 10am.
· Rainbow Cafe: in St Mary's Upchurch on second Thursday from 2.00 to 4.30pm: 11th June
· Cornerstone Cafe: in St Mary's Newington third Thursday from 9am: 21st May
· Newington Methodist Coffee Morning: First Saturday morning from 10.00 to 12.00 in Newington Chapel: 6th June
· "Porch Sale" in St Mary's Upchurch: on Second Saturday from 10.00am: 13th June
Upchurch Choral Society: Rehearsals every Friday night, from 7.45pm to 9.15pm in St Mary's church. It is a four-part choir. New members are always welcome, with no audition needed. Interested? Contact the Secretary Liz Walters on: [email protected].
Happy Hour Singing Group at Lower Halstow Memorial Hall, 6.30pm-7.30pm, 1st and 3rd Monday of the month. Next meeting 18th May
· Newington Court: Two monthly events are open to local residents: Dementia Cafe every 2nd Friday / Craft Club every 4th Wednesday Book through 01795 843033.

--
Amanda Lane
Priest-in-Charge of The Six

16/05/2026

You are welcome to join us for Holy Communion at 10.30 am on Sunday 17th May