Stone Church, St Mary the Virgin
13th Century parish church of Stone-next-Dartford, Kent
A place of welcome, prayer, healing and peace.
Notices for the week beginning Sunday25th May 2025
Ascension Day
This principal festival of the Church falls this Thursday 29th May. As far as possible try to keep the day as a holiday. We mark it with Holy Communion at 7 pm and the usual rocket finale. The Thursday bell-ringing practice follows; make this the day that you come up and investigate how it all works. You are most welcome
No Mow Summer
Enjoy the churchyard as it grows naturally through the summer. Please also notice the seed exchange pouch on the Eco-board as we pray that God will give growth in all departments of life at St Mary’s.
Summer Fair
This essential fundraiser takes place at Stone St Mary’s school on Saturday 7th June between 11 am and 2 pm with all the usual attractions and any new ones you can suggest. Please consult the stalls list in the usual place and sign up to support.
To aid the bottle tombola, please bring a spare bottle to church each week and place it in box provided. Many thanks!
Farewell to Dennis and Val
Marking Dennis Moor’s retirement from St Mary’s please do join us on Sunday 8th June(Pentecost)
- for Holy Communion at 10 am,
- a bring-and-share meal in the rectory garden afterwards,
- and Evensong at 3 pm.
Inaugurating the Deanery of Swanscombe
The Bishop of Rochester comes to St Peter and St Paul, Swanscombe also on Sunday 8th June at 4.30 pm. If you have any energy left (!) please come and join the celebration for our new deanery.
Safeguarding Training
Following on from last Sunday’s focus on our shared safeguarding responsibility, please come along to a morning in the church on Saturday 21st June from 9.30 am. Basic and Foundation level training leading to certificates in those areas will be given using resources from the Church of England safeguarding unit.
Caribbean Evening
On Wednesday 25th June at 7 pm Sharon Bryan invites us all home to 51, Bell Close for a taste of the Caribbean in her own personal fundraiser for the church.
Calli by Candlelight
And on Thursday 26th June at7.30 pm a very special concert in the church in aid of the Lantern Appeal given by Calli Mann accompanied by Abraham Hampton. See the flyer for details on how to reserve a place. Ticket/suggested donation £8.
Calendar & Dates
Please note the following moveable dates for 2025: 5th March – Ash Wednesday; 20th April – Easter Day; 11th May - Annual Parochial Church Meeting; 29th May – Ascension Day; 7th June - Summer Fair; 8th June – Pentecost; 19th June – Corpus Christi; 28th September – Harvest Thanksgiving; 5th October – Dedication Festival; 30th November – Advent Sunday.
This Week at St Mary’s: -
Daily (except Tuesday)
9 am Mattins
5 pm Evensong (not Monday)
Wednesday28thMay
3.15 pm Messy Church (at the school)
Thursday 29thMay~ Ascension Day
2-4 pm Church open for prayer
7 pm Holy Communion
followed by rockets and bell-ringing practice
Friday 30thMay
7pm Choir practice
Next Sunday isthe Sunday after Ascension
9 am Mattins
10am Holy Communion
5 pm Evensong
Hymns, Reflections & Prayers
Daily hope from the Church of England. Do share the following free phone number with anyone, especially those without access to the internet: 0800 804 8044
A Guide to getting on to Facebook
1.Type ‘Facebook’ into your computer or tablet or phone search box
2. Click the link ‘log into Facebook’ and you will arrive at a screen which will let you create your own account.
3. Enter your email address as directed and create a password that you will remember (e.g. an old address or phone number or a car registration number)
4. Enter a birth date
5. Click ‘sign up’ and an email will then be sent to you with a number code to enter into the box on the next screen.
6. Enter the code from the email into the box and click ‘continue’.
7. A message should appear to say your account is confirmed and that you will use your email address to log in. Click OK.
8. To find the St Mary’s page type st mary the virgin church stone-next-dartford into the search box at the top of the screen and then click the first post on the screen that appears next to see the most recent posts.
9. To make sure you see all new posts from St Mary’s as they appear, click the ‘Like’ button (the thumbs up symbol).
10. If you only want to follow St Mary’s this is all you have to do.
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General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
You are invited to give consent that we may contact you from time to time. To continue hearing from us or to join our contact list for the first time please complete the online form on our website or the sheet available in church. Our privacy notices are on the noticeboard in church and our website here www.stmarystone.org/gdpr.