St Mary’s Church, Leigh, St Mary’s is supporting The Friends of Kent Churches Sponsored Ride & Stride Saturday 12th September 2026. What is Ride & Stride? Ride & Stride Day is a wonderful opportunity to support Kent’s churches and chapels by: · Cycling · Walking · Being a welcomer in your church Why take part? Your involvement helps care for Kent’s historic places of worship, ensuring they remain open, safe, and cherished for generations. If you would like more information or a sponsor form, please contact Gill Bennie admin@stmarys-leigh.org - 07485 445716
WARDEN’S BRIEF Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Sometimes God leads me in unexpected ways. Through the end of June and beginning of July He led me to visit several of our neighbouring parishes followed by Bishop Jonathan and Archdeacon Nick, all within two weeks. While not having a Vicar has not been easy, as a Church community we have learned a lot and we have enthusiastically embraced the gifts God has given us. Other churches around have seen this and much of the discussions was to share this good news and encourage others facing change to see the positive possibilities. Developing the ministry of the lay members of congregations, as we have through the Leading God’s people, Hearing God’s Word and Speaking God’s Word courses, enables the whole church to do so much more. A while ago we were being told that two services a month in Leigh should be the limit of our ambition, now we have two every Sunday and it does not seem outrageous that members of the congregation have been suggesting adding an evensong. Out of these discussions also came several ideas for sharing God’s work together, however, a little more planning is needed to work out the details. Partnering with Scripture Union has enabled us to provide a workshop and books to help the Leigh Primary Y6 prepare for their move to 8 different Secondary Schools. We have plans to arrange a class reunion in the Autumn so the students can catch up with old friends and compare their experiences. During August we have decided that we will not run Children’s Church on 2nd & 4th Sundays and instead will design our worship services to encourage children to remain in with the rest of the congregation. Our Hymns & Pimms evening was a great success with over 40 people enjoying singing familiar tunes and having some fun, as well as raising over £400 towards church repairs. On the back of this the upbeat PCC yesterday (as I write this) agreed to arrange some similar events in future. We are looking forward to the Pet Service on September 6th, hopefully in a marquee on the Green - look out for posters with details. All creatures great and small are welcome. It is sad that there will not be Superstars this year nor a tennis club dance, as no one volunteered to organise them. For me this was once the highlight of Leigh’s year, marking the strong community spirit. In recent times we have also lost the Church / Village Fete and looking back a little further the Village Fireworks on November 5th. None of these events happen by themselves and too often the same small, in many cases aging, band of people are expected by everyone else to make things happen. If you enjoy our community activities, please help make them happen! Finally, returning from the tour God arranged for me, I can say I returned to Leigh much encouraged and with the knowledge that God has plans for Leigh & St Mary’s. PS I know that the firewall on my official email is sometimes overzealous. If you have difficulty contacting me my alternative email is sometimes better... churchwarden.st.mary.leigh@hotmail.com With God’s blessings Richard
We meet on the last Saturday of each month from 9.30–11.30am.Please do come along, even if you can only spare half an hour. All help is welcome and very much appreciated, and there will be cake and coffee for everyone. Don’t let rain put you off either – we always have indoor tasks ready.We have a list of jobs, so please bring any tools you might need for the tasks, which will be emailed to you. If you can, let me know in advance so I can make sure there’s enough cake to go round.We are also looking to grow the team, so if you know anyone who might enjoy joining us – regularly or just occasionally – please do invite them along or pass their name to me. New helpers are always warmly welcomed.Thank you for all you do to keep our church grounds looking loved.
Our Church is a community of people who worship and meet in important buildings. These need ongoing attention to maintain them for our worship and fellowship. While large and complex tasks must be undertaken by professionals, there are many other aspects of Church life that can and should be done by volunteers.Volunteers are such a wonderful resource for our church and are so valued in whatever role they undertake. This could include joining the cleaning rota (or St. James’ Guild) where teams of one, two or three keep the Church swept and dusted on a weekly basis. Obviously, the more people available means that cleaning duties could occur perhaps every other month. All our services are welcoming and inclusive, whether the Family Service or our traditional services/communion. Would you consider welcoming visitors or our services in the first instance? Perhaps you would like to read a lesson at our regular services, or maybe leading prayers? Or maybe your skills lie in areas of social media, marketing and/or websites. This might lead on to fund raising or community events. All these are suggestions and the team at St. Mary’s would be happy to talk to you about any of these or other ideas you may have for some level of involvement. If you are new to Leigh and are looking for some social activities, we have community groups such as Totzone, Strollers & Striders, flower arranging, Home Groups and a monthly Film Club. Details of all these events are in this monthly Parish Magazine so please come and say Hello and see what we do - you would be most welcome. Why not just come to Coffee Stop between 10 and 12 noon on a Wednesday morning in the Genner Rooms - attached to the Church - for coffee, cake and a chat without any pressure to do anything other be social! For more information, contact Gill Bennie, our office administrator. Tel: 07485 445716 Email: admin @stmaryschurchleigh.org
