St. Michael’s Feedback Update

We are so fortunate to have so many amazing activities and events happening at our Church every year, and so here is an update of everything that happened January to July 2023…

We advertised for a new vicar and Trevor Kemp was appointed to start in September.

In January, our Halls were 60 years old and the women had a fun weekend away. We celebrated the King’s Coronation with a special service, crowns and cake and held our 2nd Health & Wellbeing Fair. We also held a 3-week Differences Course learning how to discuss difficult subjects well and kindly as a way of preparing for further discussions on the draft CofE proposal on prayers for same sex couples. Some of us did a First Aid course and some took part in the GYFC Quiz and the GWNS Supper Club. We gave all church children an age-appropriate bible and the Children’s Choir did an amazing Summer Garden Concert too. In our Morning Services we have had Sermon Series on: Walk Through the Bible; Resources for Christian Living; Lessons from Luke and in the Evenings we looked at The Psalms and also Women in the Bible.

Our Youth weekly programme continues to be full of food, fun and faith plus trips: Bubble Tea; Westend theatre & Juliet; and Clip & Climb. Also they attended  2 x ‘The Gathering’ youth event for 80+ young people from different churches being challenged to step out of the crowd and become part of Jesus crew. A youth weekend in May was also greatly enjoyed! July also meant St M’s Holiday Club – Jungle Jamboree – It was our biggest yet! We began to say our goodbyes to Joe & Lauren, our Youth Minister, who left St Michael’s after 12 years to move to Ipswich.

The church has been well used with a SMAG Art Gallery; 2 x Architectural lectures; Conservatoire Concerts, Hithertones Concert; 2 weddings & 2 baptisms, 3 funerals & 2 memorial services, and Bishop Christopher visited—as did a film crew! We enjoyed taking part in the special Churches Together Good Friday Service on the Heath and raised over £1000 for Christian Aid—mainly by eating cake!

Our CMS link partner, Alison Giblett, based in Kiev, visited us with updates about her church’s humanitarian work in Ukraine. We continue to host Ukrainian classes in our halls and support local charities: Debt Centre Greenwich; GYFC; Foodbanks; Greenwich Winter Night Shelter providing overnight accommodation & meals for homeless in the borough as well as several worldwide charities.

We hope everyone in our Church community has enjoyed this first half of the year as we begin to look forward to the coming months!