Welcome Our Services Our Church Diary Notices Collect / Readings Social Events Music / Choir About St. Mary's A year in the life of... Homegroups/Open Book Recommended reading Contact Us  -  Who is who...

A year in the life of St. Mary Magdalen, Sheet 2005 - 2006 Each year the Parish Office collates reports for the Annual Parish Church Meeting and creates a booklet showing the work and life of the community of faith at St. Mary Magdalen. This year you can download the booklet in Pdf format (6.72 Mb - so only for those with Broadband!) by clicking on this link, or alternatively you can go to the Contents page where you will shortly be able to download just those sections of interest to you. Vicar’s Message Dear Friends The last year has seen so much that has been wonderful and worth celebrating in the life of our church. We will all have our own highlights of the past year to give thanks for, but let me share some of mine. Holiday Club was once again a huge joy. More than three hundred local children experienced a week of activities as well as an opportunity to hear about Jesus. Once again we saw a huge representation from St Mary’s among the volunteers; it is fantastic for us to be able to give something to our town and to share with the other churches of PACT. It has also been fantastic to see our Alpha Course running at Anne Davidson’s home in Liss. It has been attended by 15 or so guests, many of whom have had little contact with the church before, while groups have been led and talks have been given by a variety of people from St Mary’s. On the worship front it has been great to see our band going from strength to strength this year, leading our worship with growing confidence and sensitivity in Family Services as well as on other occasions. I am very much looking forward to our Deanery Day at Churcher’s on 16 July when Jonathan and the band will lead our worship. This year has also seen the beginning of the new group Thursday mornings "Littlies" group bringing a group of mothers of young children to discuss faith issues. It has been great too to see some memorable social events; Summer Barbeque, Harvest Barn Dance, DIY Concert, trip to West Wittering by double-decker bus and a Quiz Night. It is encouraging to see Home Groups and Lent Groups continuing to flourish, a number of people involved in the push for Fair Trade in our town and Lesley Leon continuing in her training for the Priesthood and Anderson Marsh beginning to explore that path. Thank you to all who have been involved in that and have enabled us to grow.

The Kairos review process of the last two or three years has helped us to be more outward looking. As we continue in our response to this , there are three things that need to be our focus for the year ahead:

1. We need to continue the work that we have started on the church building; making it more welcoming to those who come. This will involve the provision of a toilet, improving our heating and reordering the area at the back of church. We need to make the most of the space we have for our worship, which may well mean reordering the chancel and making this a more open and flexible space.
2. We need to take forward our work with children and young people and to build up what we have long had a justified reputation for doing well. To this end we are meeting on 20 May for an hour and a half in the Community Centre to reflect and pray with Ben Mizen the Diocesan Youth and Children’s Advisor. If you have any interest in the work with Youth and Children in our parish please come along to this morning and develop a vision for sharing in God’s work with our younger members.
3. We need to push forward the vision that God has long sown in the hearts of people in St Mary’s for the healing ministry. In part this means making healing ministry more integrated into our worship in St Mary’s, allowing more opportunities for prayer with people in and after our services. It also means looking for ways in which we can offer prayer to those beyond our church regulars; seeking to respond to our conviction that God longs for us all to encounter and be changed by him. It is exciting to see people from St Mary’s looking to join the Acorn Listening Course which starts soon, and as we look to see how best to use the people who complete that course and make them available to those who need to be heard.

That leaves out a lot of thanks to all of you who continue to do so much within and beyond the church – who make St Mary’s a very special place to worship and to serve.
Thank you for all that you do and for the love and care that you continue to show to Verity, Elizabeth and me.

A year in the life of St. Mary Magdalen, Sheet Contents page 2005-2006