At St Mary’s, we provide compassionate pastoral care to anyone in our village seeking support.Our goal is to be a warm, dependable presence for those going through tough times, feeling lonely, or simply wanting someone to listen.Friendly Conversation & CompanionshipOffering a caring ear to anyone who appreciates heartfelt conversation.Regular Check-InsSupporting residents who are unwell, grieving, or facing difficult challenges.Practical AssistanceProviding meals during hard times or helping with transport to appointments and community events.Quiet Reflection and PrayerAvailable gently for those who find solace in spiritual support.Gill Bennie, Office Administrator 📞 07485 445716 📧 admin@stmarys-leigh.org
WARDEN’S BRIEF I expect that by the time you read this the long summer of endless dry days will seem a long time ago, this and Halloween at the end of the month bring Ezekiel 37:1–14 to mind. “The Spirit of the Lord .. set me in the middle of a valley; It was full of bones….bones that were very dry. He asked me, Son of man, can these bones live? I said ‘Sovereign Lord, you alone know.’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones…’ This focuses on the hopelessness of the situation with the very dry bones symbolizing dead dreams, broken families, or a lifeless church. However the power of God’s word can break through bringing all back to life and hope. October marks the end of our friend Rev Liz Newman being Vicar at St Luke’s, St Thomas’ and St Richard’s in Charlton. During her time there we have enjoyed our visits to each other’s churches and church families and expect that these will continue despite the changes in both parishes. We wish her a long and happy retirement, I’m sure it will continue to be busy in God’s service. The other priests in their parish will give some continuity and we are happy to offer our support too during their interregnum which hope it is much shorter than ours. Do please come and join us for our Harvest Service on Sunday 11th at 9:30am in the church followed by a Harvest Brunch where we can all stay and share together. Shortly after “half term” we are planning a gathering of pupils from Leigh who started in secondary school recently. This should be a great chance to catch up with old friends and share stories or new schools, in the new Forest School classroom. Also a chance for parents to meet up too – I remember suddenly realising we had lost contact with friends we had at the school gate. Please contact Bel Swallow for more information. Halloween has been taken over by American culture and perhaps its original meaning has been lost. It is literally All Hallows Eve with the first of November dedicated to the remembering of the saints (hallows), martyrs and all faithful departed. St Marys will be holding an All Souls Service on November 1st. If you want to remember anyone special please come along or please contact Gill to purchase a lily as a symbol of your love for them. Saturday 31st October is also usually the final Churchyard working party of the year. If you can spare any time between 9.30 am and 12 noon, please come along armed with gardening implements. If you can let John Lording know in advance it will help him help him to plan jobs and refreshments Here in Leigh we see Spitfires from Biggin Hill overhead almost daily, a tangible link with WWII and the Battle of Britain fought largely in the sky above Kent. Don’t forget Remembrance Sunday is coming up on 8th November at 11am. We are looking forward to welcoming our local scouts & guides and former service men & women to join with all the village, in giving thanks for the service and lives of those who have protected our freedoms and continue to do so every day. We will also gather around the war memorial with the school at 11am on the 11th. As I said the summer may seem along time ago as the clocks go back to winter time on October 25th but magazine deadlines and my travel plans mean I am writing this in August with the outside temperature around 30 degrees C. Soon we will be yearning for the sun and heat to return. With God’s Blessings Richard (churchwarden.st.mary.leigh@hotmail.com)
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
