Following on from our 24-7 Prayer event, we will be running a Prayer Course starting on Tuesday 30 April at 7.30pm in church. The course is an 8 week journey through the Lord's Prayer, and each week will include refreshments, video teaching and time for discussion and praying together. Whether you're new to prayer, or have been praying for years, the Prayer Course is for anyone who wants to grow in their relationship with God. Sign up for the course at www.hampton-church.org.uk/prayercourse

From 7 April we will be looking at the Book of Joshua. Here is the schedule of readings:
7 April
Joshua 1:1-9
Strong & Courageous
14 April
Joshua 1:10-18
Commissioning of Joshua
21 April
Joshua 3:1-17
Crossing the Jordan
5 May
Joshua 6:1-7,15-26
The Battle of Jericho
12 May
Joshua 7:1-26
Failures & Renewed Commitment
19 May
Joshua 8:30-35
The Foundation of Faith
26 May
Joshua 10:1-15
Conquering Challenges
2 June
Joshua 23:1-16
Passing on the Legacy

We are now advertising for a new part time Children & Youth Coordinator/Administrator. If you know anyone that you think will be suited to this role, or you are considering the role yourself, then please let Ben know.
For a full job description and application form, please see our vacancies page:
hampton-church.org.uk/vacancies

Since the launch of the appeal £24,492 has been raised. This is in addition to the £15,000 which has been pledged by Middlesex County Association and London Diocesan Guild of Church Bell Ringers Bell Restoration Fund.

We have a new sermon series starting 4 February where we will be looking at some of the people Jesus met. Here is the schedule of readings:
4 February
Nicodemus
John 3:1-15
11 February
The Samaritan Woman
John 4:5-26
18 February
Simon the Pharisee
Luke 7:36-50
25 February
Martha & Mary
Luke 10:38-42
3 March
The Man at the Pool
John 5:1-18
10 March
Pilate
John 18:28-19:11
17 March
The Two Criminals
Luke 23:32-43

The 24:7 Prayer Movement celebrates 25 years this year. Here at St Mary’s we will be hosting a prayer hub in church from 4-8 February. You can find out more about 24:7 at 24-7prayergb.com

SUNDAY 17 DECEMBER
5pm Contemporary Carols

WEDNESDAY 20 DECEMBER
8pm Carols & Readings by Candlelight

CHRISTMAS EVE
3pm & 4.30pm Children’s Crib Services
11.30pm Midnight Holy Communion

CHRISTMAS DAY
10am Family Carols & Communion 

As part of our preparations for Christmas we remember the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. Our two crib figures travel from house to house spending the night in 24 different households in the parish before coming to rest in church on Christmas Eve.

We have a new sermon series for September where we will be exploring the Second Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians. Here is the schedule of readings:
3 September 
 2 Thessalonians 1
10 September
2 Thessalonians 2:1-15
17 September 
2 Thessalonians 3

We have a new sermon series for summer. Here is the full schedule:
30 July, Psalm 100, A Joyful Noise
6 August, Joshua 6:1-6,12-20, A Victorious Noise
13 August, Amos 5:18-24, An Unwelcome Noise
20 August, Acts 2:1-13, A Powerful Church
27 August, 2 Peter 3:8-18, The Final Noise

Thank you to everyone who contributed in any way to making the Coronation Garden Party such a success. We have received some lovely messages of thanks from members of the public complimenting
us on making them feel incredibly welcome. The Coronation of King Charles III was a day to remember!

Congratulations to Cara on her new appointment as Kensington Area Director of Ministry. In this role Cara will oversee the fostering and accompaniment of vocations to both lay and ordained ministries as well as leading on Post Ordination Training, Ministerial Review, clergy development and training, and lay training. You can read more about the role HERE. Please pray for Cara as she prepares to take up this significant role which will start in June.

Ben’s Recommended Book for Lent is written by The Rt Rev’d Dr Emma Ineson, our new Bishop of Kensington. Failure, published in 2022, is subtitled ‘what Jesus said about sin, mistakes and messing stuff up’ and is also Archbishop Justin’s recommended book for Lent.

Gracious God, we give thanks
for the life of your servant Queen Elizabeth,
for her faith and her dedication to duty.
Bless our nation as we mourn her death
and may her example continue to inspire us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Catharina is to be appointed the next Vicar of the Benefice of St Mark's with St Mary's Island, Gillingham. She will be moving there in September ready for her licensing in the autumn. Please pray for Catharina and Per and their family as they prepare for their move. Her last Sunday at St Mary’s is Sunday 4 September.

On Sunday 3 July we‘ll be ‘doing our bit’ at Hampton’s annual classic car show. If you are coming to the event, do stop by and say hello. You will find us running the Giant Scalextric and Laura and her team will be doing children’s craft activities.

If you look at the top of the flagpole above the tower, you will see a golden crown. This represents the strong connection between St Mary’s and the Sovereign, ‘who has long held the Manor of Hampton’. You are invited to join us in the churchyard on 4 June as we celebrate this long-standing connection by coming together as a community and raising a toast to Her Majesty to thank her for her 70 years of service. Starting at 11am you can expect, amongst other things, Live Music, a Traditional English Tea Tent, Barbecue, Bar, Bouncy Castle and Crypt Tours.

In previous years during Lent we have held a frugal Lenten lunch after our 11am Sunday service.
Traditionally this has comprised of a simple meal of soup and bread to help us empathise in a very small way with those who are struggling and have little to eat. There will be a Lenten Lunch on Sunday 20 March after the 11am service with an opportunity for you to donate what you would have spent on Sunday lunch to the Ukraine Appeal. Everyone is welcome but to help us with planning, please book your place HERE.

We were pleased to welcome a good audience to our free concert of solo and choral music on Saturday 26 February in aid of the Bell Appeal Fund. It was great to see members of our congregations and guests from the wider community. The concert was preceded by ringing of the bells and members of the Middlesex Association were there during the interval to talk to the audience about the bells and bell ringing. We raised over £2,000 for the bell appeal which is a great result for the re-launch of our campaign after the pandemic. For more details of the campaign, please visit https://www.hampton-church.org.uk/bells