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St Martin's Church, Maidstone
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Ignite
 

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Ignite is a pioneering café-style church, launched in Margate, it is being used as a blueprint for new worshipping communities – there are now many Ignite churches. God loves to bring people into community, into a knowledge of being loved and valued, through genuine friendships and relationships. This is Ignite’s core DNA.

 

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Every Monday (except Bank Hols) 6pm for 6.30 to 8pm 

  • The ‘meet and greet’ is welcome, coffee / tea and chat. Food is served, normally a main meal at 6.30pm.  

  • The ‘main event’, lasts around 45 mins to an hour.
    Something of the BBC’s ‘One Show’ feel about it - full of short, varied, interactive segments, with a Christian theme.    

 

Prayer is always available at the end of the evening.
We might use video clips, table discussions, quizzes, short talks, craft activities, drama, and prayer responses.
Occasionally, we share Communion. Regularly, we hang out socially with each other for the whole evening.  
If you have any questions or need to get in touch with us about anything we will be happy to help.  

Sounds of Maidstone - Every Tuesday @ 1pm, in the Church. 

For a cuppa, a natter & a bit of singing.
Everybody is welcome, whether you can sing or not. 

Tea & Toast - Every Thursday 11am to 1pm in the church. 

Drop in for FREE coffee or tea and toast.
A friendly welcome awaits you,
come on your own or with friends. 

Please contact Angie Frost, our Ignite Enabler for more information on 07732 681792 or afrost@diocant.org  

In Summer, find us a welcoming cool space; in Winter a welcoming warm space! 

How Ignite engages with the local community


Our missioners go out of their way to intentionally serve and befriend people; to be relational people within their communities and to share God’s love in whatever way it is needed. They embed themselves into the local area, working out who the ‘movers and shakers of that community are. Gradually, they become involved in the lives of local people and in the life of the community, in order to make a positive difference.

Our model of evangelism is relational; we want to show people that God is for them and not against them. When we go to where the people are and care about the things that they care about, we begin to earn the right to speak into their lives.
 

How an Ignite evening works


An Ignite evening is a game of two halves. The first half is what we call the ‘meet and greet,’ and the second half is known as the ‘main event’.

The ‘meet and greet’ does what it says on the tin… as people come through the doors, we welcome, have a coffee or tea and chat with them, building intentional relationships and friendships with them. During this time, food is always served, normally a main meal. Everybody is given a name lanyard as they come in, so that everyone can be addressed by their name. We do this because someone knowing your name is incredibly powerful and affirming.

The second half of Ignite is what we call the ‘main event’, which lasts around 45 mins to an hour. It has something of the BBC’s ‘One Show’ feel about it… because it is full of short, varied, interactive segments.

Each week’s main event always has a Christian theme, which might be subtle or very obvious. Thus, each event touches on our relationship with God, through Jesus. However, mixed into all of that is a very large and eclectic selection of other subjects that we might be wanting to teach on, such as lifestyle choices, anger management, forgiveness, how to live more ethically, or even how to live and shop within a budget! But a Christian theme always permeates all that we do. Prayer is always available at the end of the evening.

We might use video clips, table discussions, quizzes, short talks, craft activities, drama, and prayer responses. Occasionally, we might share Communion. Very regularly, we just hang out socially with each other for the whole evening. If you have any questions about our Monday Services or need to get in touch with us about any other enquiry we will be happy to help. Please Contact Us for more information.
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Glenys
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.
Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello 

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our friendly Welcome Team.

We serve tea, coffee and biscuits after the service. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There are disabled toilets in the main building.

Our Service

The main service begins at 10am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. Then follows a time of sung worship, led by our singing group. We celebrate Holy Communion every Sunday except for the second Sunday of the month when we have a Service of the Word. The gospel is read by the reader by processing to the middle of our congregation, everyone turns to face the reader and hear the Word of God. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. This is followed by prayers which are read by volunteers and a response by the congregation. After this the Creed is said and the church team organises the Communion, once ready the Communion is shared. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church and our community. We finish with a final worship song. This might seem strange the first time you experience it but it’s all part of our connecting with God!

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What about my children?

We really value worshipping God all together as a family. Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome and opening prayer. Then on the second, third and fourth Sundays, the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy for the first time.

On the first and fifth Sundays, the young people co-lead worship. The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is always a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games, and free play. The children come back and join the main service during Communion and remain for the end of the service with their families in the main congregation.

Children

Getting Connected


Small Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. 

Small Groups
  • Bible Study
  • Book Club
  • Midweek Garden and Chat Club
  • Men's Breakfast
  • Fabric Group
  • Knitting Group
Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

  • Men's Ministries
  • Foodbank - Grab & Go (Run during holidays)
Get in touch with us to plan your visit
If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.
 
Name:
Telephone:
Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.
 

Leadership 

Joyce Addison   Andrew Edwards
Rev Joyce Addison, Priest-in-Charge           Rev Andrew Edwards, Curate        
Hi, my name is Joyce and I have been serving at St. Martin's since 2011, first as Curate, and then from 2015, as Priest-in-Charge.  It's a privilege to be here and I have come to know many wonderful people in the course of my work.  I have a passion for caring for God's world and it is through the church's environmental work, that we make Jesus known to others. In my spare time I love to swim, jog and go for long walks.     I arrived at St Martin’s in 2018 to help launch Ignite, the wonderful mixture of food, fun and serious bits that meets at the church on a Monday evening. During this time I was also training at College to become a ‘Rev’ and I am very happy to have recently returned to St Martin’s for my practical training as Curate. I like music, especially singing, and it is through music that I find that I can most easily express what is on my heart to God.
 
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church. We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Best Wishes,

Rev Joyce Addison & Rev Andrew Edwards