Church | St Mary's Hertingfordbury

No one belongs here more than you

Welcome to

St Mary's with

St John's

No one belongs here more than you.

Welcome and thank you for visiting our website.

Following the example of Jesus, and seeking to model the inclusive love of God, we welcome all people, whatever your status, wealth, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age, health or mobility.

Blind Jesus by Alan Stewart

(No one belongs here more than you)

A few months ago, I was introduced to a lady called Celia Webster, a member of the Church of England Disability Group. For several years, Celia has had a vision for an image of the Last Supper where people of differing abilities are gathered at table with Jesus. Celia’s daughter was born with learning difficulties and as a family they have experienced first hand an intense feeling of not belonging inside or outside of church; of feeling rejected, invisible, misunderstood, vulnerable.

In conversation with Celia and with a friend Jonathan Evens, that vision evolved into this image.

It’s an image in charcoal which includes the central character of a visually impaired Jesus, surrounded by twelve people of differing ages, backgrounds and abilities, and an empty chair.

The idea is for the drawing to be nomadic, travelling from place to place, as a conversation piece or a meditation. We also hope to develop a resource for schools using wondering questions.

100 Limited edition signed prints are now available for you to purchase for £30. Proceeds will be divided between the charities Wave for Change and Mind. Please contact Rev Alan for details h.alanstewart1@gmail.com

Read a letter from Rev Alan in the latest edition of the Parish Magazine, here

News and Events

July/August 2022 edition of the Parish Magazine available now. Click here to read.

APCM results

We are delighted that David Gorton and Robin Bishop have been re-elected to serve as Churchwardens. APCM reports can be read here

Friends of St Mary's

The Friends of St Mary's was launched at the Parish Breakfast on 30 April. Its aim is to raise funds to support the maintenance and repair of Hertingfordbury St Mary's church and grounds. For full details of events and membership see the Friends' page here and the Parish magazine here .

Forthcoming events

(full details in the magazine)

Family Fun Day - 9 July

Pet service - 25 September - more details to follow

Harvest Festival - 9 October - more details to follow

Electoral Roll

If you would like to be added to the Electoral Roll, you can download a form here.

Please return your completed form to our Electoral Roll officer, Elizabeth Dempster (elizabethdempster@hotmail.com)

St Mary's is now open for individual prayer from

10.00 am to 4 pm Monday to Sunday

Be part of St Mary's while at home

Even though you may not be able to attend a service at St Mary's in person, you can always be part of St Mary's at home. Go here for full details

Support us

We know that some people like to make a donation each week via the collection plate. For the times when that’s not possible, we have set up a text giving number. For details of how to give by text, click here.

Keep in touch

To be added to our mailing list and to receive Thought for the Day and invitations to services, contact Robin Bishop (contact details here).

To join our WhatsApp group, contact David Gorton (contact details here.

For our younger members

Storytime

You can find a storytime story told by Rev Alan here

Sele Messy Church

Storytelling and more from Tracy on Sele Messy Church's page on Facebook here.

Special Services

Services by Zoom

For full details of our regular Sunday online services, click here

We are using the Zoom platform for this, and it is quite straightforward. More information here.

Meditation and Mindfulness

Online and in-person Wednesdays 8pm

At St Andrew’s Church every first Wednesday.

On Zoom every other week.

For further details and Zoom codes please see St Andrew's website here

or contact the St Andrew's church office

Tel: 01992 504373 email: standrew.hertford@

btinternet.com

Video of guided session available here

Breathe

Every first Saturday of the month, people from both our churches gather together for Breathe. Breathe is a chance to pray together about ourselves and our lives, our churches and our world. It is hoped that you will be able to use these prayers in the same way, by putting aside a time to pray, possibly on Saturday morning and perhaps with someone else. Find out more here

Our sister church, St Andrew's Hertford

Find out more about what's happening at St Andrew's on their website, www.hertfordstandrews.co.uk

Weekly Services

Sundays 9. 15 am

Holy Communion at St Mary's in church

All age services

A monthly, shorter, child-friendly, interactive communion service with songs, prayers and some new surprises. Next service:

27 March, Easter Sunday 17 April - 9.15 am at St Mary's

Sundays 10.30 am service via Zoom

For more details go to St Andrew's website here

Compline 7.00pm Sundays on Zoom