The Parish Church of Riverhead with Dunton Green, Kent; now part of the West Sevenoaks Team Ministry

Sunday Club (Lockdown)

Sunday Club is an all age group with members from 0 through to teenagers.

We come together on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month via a 9:30am 'Zoom' service to explore the Sunday bible readings and return to the full Congregation 'Zoom' service to share all that we have learned.

We are hopeful that we will be able to return to our regular 'in-person' gatherings in the Church Hall in Riverhead during the 9:30am Sunday Service soon.

There is a team of parent leaders and teenage helpers.

Teaching is based on the Sunday Bible readings as used at the main morning service using material from a variety of sources. Activities vary week to week and in the different classes, but can include reading, painting, singing, watching videos, drawing, acting, game creation, praying, listening to stories...; the list is almost endless.

For more information contact:

Examples of Sunday Club's work:- (click image to enlarge)

Sunday Club is Back!

We welcome all children, parents and carers, but we ask that children under 5 be accompanied by an adult.

We come together on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month. We meet in the 9:30am service and then head to the church hall to explore the Sunday bible readings. Afterwards, we return to the full congregation service to share all that we have learned.

Activities vary week to week, but can include reading, drawing, singing, watching videos, crafts, acting, game creation, praying, listening to stories, baking, quizzes, treasure hunts, biscuit eating - the list is almost endless!

"Sunday Club is an amazing time to get together and talk about God and Jesus. We do amazing fun activities and learn Bible stories", Bella

"Sunday Club is like walking through the door into a fun room", Dominic

For more information, please contact:

Please see below for examples of the children’s creations. (click image to enlarge)

Tots and Toddlers has reopened!

Our Tots and Toddlers group is back! Following a long break due to the pandemic, we are very pleased to announce that the group will be restarting from Monday 13^th September 2021. We offer a warm welcome to all babies and pre-schoolers, their parents and carers, offering an opportunity for refreshments and chat whilst the children enjoy time to play. The group takes place every Monday afternoon 1.30 - 3:30pm in the Church Hall.

Places will be limited to start with, and you must book a ticket to attend. Please note: Due to the regulations we are putting in place to keep all our group users safe at this time, there will be no admittance to anyone without having booked a ticket. Tickets will be available from a week before the session date. More information can be found on our Eventbrite booking page.

Details of any changes to sessions will be published here on St. Mary's Church Website and on the Netmum's Web Page for Sevenoaks Parent & Baby Groups.

For contact details please see the Contact Us page.

We look forward to seeing you!

http://totsandtoddlersriverhead.eventbrite.com/

Tots and Toddlers ...

We offer a warm welcome to all babies and pre-schoolers, their parents and carers, offering an opportunity for refreshments and chat whilst the children enjoy time to play. The group takes place every Monday afternoon 1.30 - 3:30pm in the Church Hall.

Details of any changes to sessions will be published here on St. Mary's Church Website and on the Netmum's Web Page for Sevenoaks Parent & Baby Groups.

For contact details please see the Contact Us page.

We look forward to seeing you!

Baptisms, Weddings & Funerals

Baptisms

We count it a privilege to be invited by people to share in important times of celebration in their lives and Baptism is one such celebration.  

In the first instance please contact the Vicar - you will then be put in touch with our Baptism team and receive a Baptism Application form. 

A date and time for the Baptism can then be arranged – we offer Baptism at the main 9:30am service. This enables the church family to welcome those being baptised into the Church Family.  Owing to the large number of requests for Baptism, the services could possibly include more than one family at a time. 

Prior to the Baptism, a meeting will be arranged with the Vicar as well as one of our Baptism Team who will discuss the practical details of the service. 

For answers to more general questions about Baptism you can visit the CofE website. 

Weddings

We are also delighted to celebrate marriages and full details of how to arrange a ceremony can be obtained from the Vicar. You will be invited to discuss dates and times and to complete a Banns of Marriage Application Form. Marriage preparation will be arranged and all details for the ceremony will be dealt with in good time so that ‘the day’ will be a memorable celebration. For details of the legal requirements please see the website http://www.yourchurchwedding.org or visit the CofE website. 

Funerals

St Mary’s church is the parish church of Riverhead with Dunton Green and anyone who lives within the parish has the right to have their funeral service conducted there regardless of whether they usually attend the church or not. We count it an extraordinary privilege to offer this and the service in church can precede either a burial or cremation. Arrangements are made in conjunction with the Funeral Director.

After the funeral our Garden of Remembrance provides a tranquil place to inter the cremated remains, and in church we have a Book of Remembrance where the names of loved ones are recorded and remembered in our prayers in the anniversary week and day of their death. 

Once a year we hold a service of commemoration when we invite people to church, light candles and offer prayers of remembrance for all our departed loved ones. 

A grave locator facility can be found on the following page: Other Information / Grave Locator

Note: You can check whether you live within the Ecclesiastical Parish of Riverhead with Dunton Green by using the following website: http://www.achurchnearyou.com and entering your postcode. After selecting St. Mary's Church, the 'Find Us' tab includes a map showing the boundary of the Parish.

Sermons

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History

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Riverhead was consecrated in 1831 as a Chapel of Ease to Sevenoaks Parish Church. Built to a design by Decimus Burton on land donated by the Amherst and Lambarde families, it encompasses a large open Nave with no intruding pillars and a Chancel in Early English style added in 1886.

St. Mary’s originally came under the authority of Canterbury but became part of the diocese of Rochester in 1905. This is noted by the engraving of the crests of Rochester and Canterbury on the inner West doors. Lancet windows bearing the shields of significant local dignitaries are to be found on each side of the Nave, and the Chancel and Sanctuary are dominated by a depiction of ‘Christ in Majesty’ in the form of an Italian glass mosaic. Above the south porch is the beautiful stained-glass Good Shepherd window paid for by monies (£45 !) collected by the children of Riverhead village and installed and dedicated in 1908.

Stained-glass windows in the Chancel, the Lady Chapel and at the north-east corner of the Nave are the happy result of many benefactors and the details can be found in a comprehensive guide available in the church.

Like most churches, the upkeep of St. Mary’s requires continual attention, not only to maintain the fabric of the building but to keep its facilities relevant to current needs. This has been achieved thanks to the generosity of the congregation and support from local people and charitable trusts; in recent years we have seen the installation of a magnificent electronic organ, a first-class sound system catering for those who are hard of hearing, and many other items that have enhanced the beauty of the church and contributed to our worship. In 1999 we saw the building next to the church of a well-equipped church hall with attendant facilities.

Following a pastoral re-organisation, as of 1 December 2019, we became part of the newly-created West Sevenoaks Team Ministry, working alongside St.Luke's, Sevenoaks and St.Mary's, Kippington.

[1] Scan - Centenary of the Consecration of St Mary's Church, Riverhead (1831-1931)

[2] Scan - Latest Church Guide

History of St. John the Divine

In 1908 the community of Dunton Green was separated from Otford and became a parish in its own right with its church of St. John the Divine, built in 1890. Mr Samuel Wreford was the local squire and the principal benefactor of the church but sadly in 1985 the falling congregation sadly meant that the church had to close and the parish came under the care of the vicar of Riverhead, and the congregations in the two villages came together as ‘the Parish of Riverhead with Dunton Green, worshipping at St. Mary’s Riverhead.

For further information please refer to the paper copy of our Parish Guide (please contact the Vicar for more information) which gives a much fuller picture of the history of the church and its community.

Vicar's Welcome

Please note that our post of Vicar is currently vacant.

We do hope that you might be able to spend some time with us here at St Mary’s; the parish church of Riverhead with Dunton Green.

As of 1 December 2019, we are part of the West Sevenoaks Team Ministry, working alongside St.Luke's, Sevenoaks and St.Mary's, Kippington.

You are welcome to come along whatever your age, whatever your background or beliefs: whether you are one of Riverhead & Dunton Green's regulars; a visitor from another parish or church tradition; a newcomer to church or the idea of church; an enquirer; a doubter; a struggler with life's complexities; someone who is thinking about coming back to church after a while; or just someone who wants simply to come and sit quietly at the back.

We all need reminding from time to time that it is good to spend time together; or in peaceful reflection; or to come to understand more fully that God never tires of enjoying our company and hearing from us.

We trust, above all, that the impression you will get from St Mary's is of a place and a people of peace, of prayer; of hope and of love.

As we say on our main page here on this website - St Mary's hopes to be a still point in a turning world. Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens," Jesus says in Matthew's Gospel, "and I will give you rest".

Amen to that.

Martin

PCC Members

(#) Assistant Churchwardens:  The PCC has also elected Diane Williams and Bennet Smith to serve as Assistant Churchwardens.

Further information about the PCC election process can be found by following this link

Church of England News

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