St Mary's, Upchurch
St Mary’s Church is at the heart of the village of Upchurch. There is a service every Sunday, usually a communion service supported by the choir. A strong musical tradition has long been a feature of our regular worship and of the village as a whole.
Upchurch is also home to Uplift, a thriving informal worshipping community which meets in the Village Hall behind the church. Uplift meets twice a month on the first and third Sundays and is particularly suitable for families with children and for people looking for a contemporary style of worship.
The church has a quiet chapel space for private prayer, with simple resources to help you pray. Information about where to obtain a key is available in the church porch.
The Church also hosts Upstarts, a toddlers group with good quality toys, and coffee and a listening ear for parents. Upstarts takes place on the 1st Wednesday of every month between 2:00pm and 3:15pm. Please contact Elizabeth Shorthouse on 01634 364676 for more details.
Our services follow a regular pattern each month
1st Sunday 9:00 Sung Communion
10:30 Uplift (in the Village Hall)
2nd Sunday 9:00 Sung Communion
3rd Sunday 10:30 Uplift (In the Village Hall)
4th Sunday 9:00 Sung Communion
5th Sunday 10:30 Cluster service. At a different one of The Six Each month.
Restoration work to St. Mary the Virgin, Upchurch
The church building is almost entirely fourteenth century. Major repair work is now urgently needed on some of the windows and stonework, also there are parts of the tower walls that need attention. The total cost of the work has been estimated at £125,000. English Heritage has offered a grant of £88,000 and the rest of the cost has to be found through fundraising during the next two years.
Various events are planned for the next few months, including an Art Exhibition on May 14th and 15th, a concert by Upchurch Choral Society on July 3rd, an organ recital to be given by Dr. David Flood, Organist and Choirmaster of Canterbury Cathedral on Fri. 16th July, a concert by Opus 32 on Sept. 16th. Other fundraising events include a monthly sale of books, bric-a brac, and home-made cakes held on the second Saturday of each month and regular boot fair sales.
A Gift Day, flower festival, treasure hunt, quiz night and barn dance are proposed for 2010/11.
The restoration work will begin in January 2011. We are grateful to English Heritage for once again helping us to save our beautiful church.