WELCOME
Welcome to the website of St. Mary's Church, Riverhead and Dunton Green. Whether you are a first-time visitor or enquirer, or a member of our Church community, we hope the information provided will be helpful.
A summary list of dates of Notable Church Services and Events for 2019 can be viewed via this link.
For all enquiries about our Church Hall, please do not contact the Vicar, but follow this link.
INTERREGNUM ARRANGEMENTS AT ST MARY'S RIVERHEAD
With the departure of Revd Martin on 10 March 2019, the Parish is now in an 'interregnum' (formally 'Church in suspension'). However a successor cannot be appointed until the Proposed Pastoral Reorganisation (see article below) has been concluded. In the meantime, the work of the Parish will continue, with the assistance of visiting ministers. The usual Services will still be held, babies will be baptised, couples married and lives celebrated. Contact details during this time will be as follows:
'SHOE BOX' APPEAL 2019
St Mary's will again be supporting the Operation Christmas Child (Shoe box) Appeal in November. If you would like to contribute, Appeal leaflets, giving details of items to put in your shoe box, are available at the back of the Church. You can also view the guidance by following this link. Further details about the scheme can be found by clicking on the logo to the right. Filled boxes should be returned to Church by Sunday, 1 December 2019. Thank you. DH
CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL 2019
Preparations are now in-hand for this year's Christmas Tree Festival. The Festival will take place at St Mary's Church, Riverhead, on Saturday and Sunday, 7 and 8 December 2019. Invitations have been sent out to previous participants, but any clubs, school groups, families, individuals, charities and businesses are all welcome to display a tree which could depict their organisation or hobby, especially where it serves people in our Parish community of Riverhead and Dunton Green. This link provides further details.
PRAYER DURING INTERREGNUM
GOD Our Father
You have welcomed each one of us in Jesus and called us to be His Body in this place;
Send us your Holy Spirit, at this time of uncertainty and change, to fill us with vision, energy, and faithfulness in prayer, that we may be true to our calling to bring new life to our communities;
And guide with your heavenly wisdom those who are to choose new Incumbents for our parishes, that those whom we receive may be wise and gentle shepherds of your people: ready to serve us with joy, to build us up in faith, and to lead us by example in loving obedience to your son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen
PRAYER EVENINGS, IN SUPPORT OF PROPOSED TEAM MINISTRY
The evenings start at 19:15 and run for about 30 to 40 minutes. Each Church takes it in turn to host:
* Tuesday, 5 November - St Mary's, Riverhead with Dunton Green
* Tuesday, 12 November - St Luke's
* Tuesday, 19 November - St Mary's, Kippington
* Tuesday, 26 November - St Mary's, Riverhead with Dunton Green
.... and so on
THREE PARISHES CONSULTATION (UPDATED)
It was announced to the congregation, in December 2017, that the Bishop was to give some consideration to a possible reorganisation of the three Parishes of Kippington (St Mary), Riverhead with Dunton Green (St Mary) and Sevenoaks (St Luke). Below is a collection of documents which provide the latest position on these developments. Further details can be obtained via the Churchwardens.
CHARITIES BEING SUPPORTED 2018/9
This year: Maidstone Area Parents Support (MAPS) Group, Kerry West Orphanage Project, Mercy Ships, as well as the Rochester Diocese Povery & Hope Appeal. As usual, the intention will be to invite representatives to 9:30am Sunday services, spread throughout the year, and to have retiring collections. The speaker from MAPS, Jenny Endean, visited our our 9:30am Service on Sunday, 3 November 2019, and gave an excellent talk about the work of MAPS in supporting children, and their parents, after a diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes.
BIBLE STUDY GROUP
Our Bible Study group has resumed. We meet in the Church at 10 for 10.15 each Monday morning and are currently studying Jesus from the point of view of Luke's Gospel.
Everyone is welcome. Ronnie/Daphne
MOTHERS' UNION EVENTS 2019
The Indoor Members' Christmas 2019 Letter from Sheran Harper, our Mothers' Union Worldwide President, has been received (link)
Anyone interested in joining events please contact Karen Forster-Pearce know 01732 451396 
Please don't forget donations of non-perishable food are urgently required every week, as part of our support for the Community Food Bank. Contributions can be left in the basket at the back of the Church.