WELCOME TO ST MARY'S AND ALL SOULS
Confirmation We are holding a Confirmation course in August/early September this year for anyone who would like to be Confirmed. The Confirmation Service will take place on Sunday the 19th October 4pm at St Andrew’s Church, St Mary Cray. If you are interested please let Reverend Susan or Reverend Michael know. |
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Take a look at the churches in the Benefice from the air |
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St Mary's and All Souls Services We will post any revisions to services here and on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/StMarysAndAllSouls |
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St Mary's and All Souls latest Newsletter |
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PCC Papers You can now download minutes and other PCC documents from the PCC page |
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Food Bank latest needs: https://bromleyborough.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food/ *PLEASE DON'T SEND US FROZEN OR CHILLED ITEMS AS WE DON'T HAVE THE CORRECT STORAGE FOR IT AND IT SPOILS BEFORE WE CAN DISTRIBUTE IT* WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF PASTA, CEREAL & BISCUITS
Thank you!
Judith Simmonds will be taking the Parish contributions towards the end of the month so please drop your donations into our box in the porch before then. |
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Ken writes:
I was brought up in a cheery, loving Christian home the second of three brothers and a sister. We always said grace at meals, said our prayers at night and when old enough went to Sunday school.
I had a very good Sunday school teacher who was an impressive person. He had a good sense of humour and was a convinced Christian.
When I was about ten, I joined the crusaders which was good for boys. They had rousing choruses, good teachers and games nights on Mondays.
They also had summer camps at Aviemore where you went climbing in the Cairngorms. It was a very Christian atmosphere with daily quiet times morning and evening services, and Crusader leaders were committed Christians. When I was about twelve, I went up to the front at one of the services to accept Jesus as my lord. It seemed the most natural thing to do.
At school I went to the scripture union. I then went to a missionary exhibition in Belahouston park which had lots of information about David Livingstone. I came home resolved to be a medical missionary; no point in not doing something useful if you were going out to Africa.
In the third form you had to choose between Greek, German or Science so I couldn’t be a missionary and a doctor, and I wasn’t too hot at science, and you needed Greek to be a minister, so I did Greek. So did my best friend who was a member of the Episcopal Church of Scotland (C of E) and he was going to be a minister. When I was sixteen, I was confirmed in the Church of Scotland. I went to university to study Greek and moral theology with the intention of following my arts degree with a divinity degree. But I didn’t. I wasn’t sure enough that I could stand up and tell people how to live their lives as a minister.
I got a job with an international company and lived in various places overseas. I always found a church and the people of faith of whatever denomination whether in Hong Kong, South Africa or Canada or Thailand.
I got married and we have four daughters. I started a reader course about 40 years ago, but I didn’t have the time to manage it. They say the Christian life can be an up and down journey and during periods of doubt or apathy, I have received support from other Christians.
What I always come back to is the life and example of Christ. He showed us what it meant to be open to God’s will, to love our neighbour as ourselves. His willingness to face the pain of the cross and identify with the pain of the world. To quote the well-known hymn, “Love so amazing so divine demands my soul my life my all”.
So why did I decide to be a reader at St Martin’s 16 years ago? Our Rector Leslie Virgo suggested I should. I believe that if you want to understand anything properly, teaching it clarifies your understanding or misunderstanding. If the good news of the gospel is that good, we better tell people about it.
Kenneth L’Anson
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