VALENTINE QUIZ EVENING
 

On Friday, 9th February, a goodly gathering in the church hall enjoyed a special Valentine’s quiz evening. Five teams competed: from St Andrew’s (Andy’s), and representing Charlton, the Best of Buddies, took on Foxy Ladies, East Kent Kittens and the Medway Wheelers. The Foxy Ladies struggled to contain their hilarity, while after an encouraging start, Andy’s fell behind and the Best of Buddies, their morale propped, perhaps illegally, by a mascot in the form of dog Trixie, strode on to victory. Delicious pancakes made by Thelma and served by Grace and Jackie were enjoyed in the interval. Expertly selected questions were delivered with style and good humour by quiz master Chris, and a raffle was organised by Maggie. Many thanks to everyone for an excellent evening. Watch this space for the next quiz date!
quiz 1
quiz 2

quiz 4
chris quiz
BUBBLE CHURCH SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH!

 
Ten children and their parents were welcomed to the Charlton Church Hall on the afternoon of 28th January, for a great treat – an introduction to church for little ones.
 
The dedicated team led by Rev. Melissa told Bible Stories with wonderful fluffy puppets, and there were prayers and music. Delicious cakes had been made and were enthusiastically consumed.  Taking place on the 4th Sunday of each month, Bubble Church promises to be one of the loveliest and most enjoyable events offered by Charlton Church.

RECITAL FOR CELLO AND PIANO by
ERIC BOSSHARD AND CHARLES SPANNER
 
Charlton Church was delighted to welcome about 50 people on Sunday 28th January for a beautiful recital of music for cello and piano. The duo played Elegie by Gabriel Faure, Sonata no. 2 by Ludwig van Beethoven and Variations Concertantes by Felix Mendelssohn. Their encore was The Swan by Saint-Saens.
 
The discriminating audience, including all generations, from babes in arms to the elderly, listened attentively as the music resounded in the fabulous acoustic of the church. It seems that the building is particularly suited to the sound of the cello. We are very grateful to the artists for donating a proportion of the proceeds to the church. Mr Bosshard accepted no fee.
 
Most of the audience stayed afterwards for refreshments and there was a pleasant, convivial atmosphere. The next recital in our Fine Arts Series features the excellent counter-tenor, Richard Decker, on Sunday 3rd March at 3pm.
 
Delicious Epiphany Lunch!

On Sunday 7th January, Charlton celebrated the beginning of the Epiphany season with a delicious lunch served to a large party in the Church Hall. A warming butternut squash soup, garnished with cream and parsley, was followed by a hearty and very tasty beef casserole with all the trimmings. Dessert was a choice between an uplifting lemon surprise and a sumptuous pavlova. It was clear from the babble of talk and the happy faces that the food was much enjoyed and it was altogether a lovely sociable occasion. A million thanks to the hard-working chefs, Jackie and Jenny, and to Maggie, the Social Secretary, for her organisation and the raffle. Thanks also to Chris for manning the CD player and serving at table, and to Michael for setting up. Many thanks to Revd Melissa for attending and for her thought-provoking reflections on the Epiphany. A great time was had by all.epiphany cooksepiphany lunch 2
 


EXCITING NEW INITIATIVE!

bubble church ad
BUBBLE CHURCH caters particularly for children under the age of 7 and of course their parents. This wonderful new experience for children was trialled in London and is now taking the country by storm. It's great fun and a lovely way to begin learning about Jesus and the Bible stories. Come and join us to make friends and see for yourself. Puppets, stories, games and refreshments!

CHRISTMAS AT CHARLTON CHURCH
There was a lovely range of services at Charlton in the lead up to Christmas, including the Stations of the Nativity. The church was beautifully decorated by devoted Sacristan, Jackie, and her assistants. At the Christingle Service on Christmas Eve, children dressed up to present a live nativity scene, even including the donkey. The Midnight Mass was an atmospheric service led by the Revd Richard Woods. The traditional Christmas Fair on 9th December was well-attended: there were carols from the Charlton Buds, delicious refreshments and numerous stalls selling crafts and other gifts. Thank you to all those who worked so hard to make it a success and to make Christmas at Charlton special.

SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE, 5th November
Revd Melissa Carter led a beautiful and touching Service of Remembrance for All Souls. On entering the church, she offered each member of the congregation the choice of a lovely cross of olive wood or a pure white pebble, as aids to reflection. The opening hymn was “Abide with me, fast falls the eventide”, the final one “The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended”. In an inspired touch, Sacristan Jackie Cray and Server Sue Jarrold had arranged low tables in the shape of the cross, covered in tea lights, and the congregation was invited to approach and light the candles in memory of their loves ones. The congregation had previously submitted the names of their passed loved ones, and these, along with numerous photographs, were shown on the large screen, accompanied by suitable subdued music chosen by Chris Tyler.  Thank you to everyone who made this service a special and memorable time.
Memorial serviceMemorial Service candles
 


Click to read Charlton Church's Link magazine for October.

OLIVER POOLE, PIANIST EXTRAORDINAIRE

The second recital in the Charlton Fine Arts Series took place on Sunday 29th October. We were privileged to hear an hour's music from a truly virtuosic pianist. Poole introduced the music himself in a friendly and warm-spirited manner. An arrangement of themes from Wagner's Ring Cycle displayed his formidable technique as well as his considerable finesse and huge dynamic range. The highlight for most was probably the tremendous Ride of the Valkyries. It was followed by a more introspective piece, Celestial, by the Kazakh lyricist and songwriter Yerkesh Shakeyev. It had a beautiful, haunting quality. Then came the audience participation: Poole took tune requests from the audience and ingeniously wove them into improvisations for our delight, showing his immense versatility and talent as an entertainer. The progamme ended with Gershwin's famous Rhapsody in Blue, normally played by piano and orchestra. Poole's interpretation of this piece has won praise in high places: Lang Lang described it as the best Gershwin he had ever heard. We were not disappointed. It was hard to see how Poole had the energy left to play this monumental piece, but we were spellbound by the gorgeous tunes, jazz rhythms and flawless performance. On top of all this, everyone was delighted by the modesty and warmth of this accomplished young man. The audience remained behind for refreshments and many were able to chat with him.

The baby grand, recently donated to Charlton Church, has already proved its worth and we look forward to hearing it in action again later this month. NEXT MONTH'S RECITAL: at 3pm on Sunday 26th November, we will host Robert Amon, the entertaining operatic tenor.  See Upcoming Events.

OLIVER POOLE AND CHARLES SPANN

CHARLIE BROOKES AND CHARLES SP
FINE ARTS SERIES LAUNCHED!

Today at Charlton Church, the inaugural recital of our new Fine Arts Series took place. The duo Charlie Brookes (violin) and Charles Spanner (piano) gave a delightful and absorbing programme of Mozart, Beethoven and Elgar. The duo played these demanding and beautiful works with great skill and feeling, and the concert was altogether a most enjoyable occasion. Charlie Brookes freelances as a professional orchestral player here and abroad, and is the founder of the Elgar Ensemble.
 

 


NEW FAMILY SERVICE!
FAMILY SERVICE PHOTO

We have launched our wonderful new Family Service! At 9.30am on the second Sunday of each month, a service specially designed for children and their parents and carers takes place in the Church Hall.

Charlton Church will be strengthening its connection with the Charlton Church of England Primary School, and reaching out warmly to all families in the locality.

Lay Leader Alistair Mackie has designed a beautiful, uplifting service with live music, audio-visuals and lights in the more intimate setting of the Church Hall. You will be invited to join the main congregation in the magnificent Charlton Church for part of the service. There will be time for fun, making friends and the all-important refreshments!

Please join us and bring your friends.

The hall has Ladies, Gents and Disabled toilets, as well as a baby-changing facility.


BENEFICE SERVICE AT THE MARINA CURVE, 17TH SEPTEMBER 2023        "Christ our Anchor"

For the first time, congregations from all four Dover Town Benefice churches met for a service, held at 10.30am at the Marina Curve. Fortunately the weather remained dry and the wind was fairly light. Approximately eighty people attended. Presiding were Revd Catherine, the town rector, and Revd Melissa, the vicar, but much of the service was ably lay-led by Alistair Mackie of Charlton Church.  The sermon was delivered by Lay Leader Henry Coates of St Martin's. The sea nearby provided the theme, "Christ our Anchor". There were contributions from each church in the form of readings, prayers and music: these included an anthem from the robed choir of St Mary's and songs from both Charlton's and St Martin's Worship Bands. Acknowledging the different styles and traditions of each church, the Charlton servers were present with incense and bells, readings were taken from different versions of the Bible and there was a Taize chant from St Andrew's. Thanks to Revd Catherine for organising the event, and particular thanks to Alistair Mackie for planning the service and working hard to make it a reality.

AMERICAN SUPPER
On Saturday, September 1st, an American Supper was held in the spacious Charlton Church, the theme this time being 'Songs that include a place name'. An excellent evening was enjoyed by all. Thanks to Chris Tyler for his hard work in organising the occasion, providing a varied mixture of songs from different eras with videos and photos to match. Thanks also to Maggie Tyler for running the raffle, and to Richard Harman (Churchwarden) for his practical assistance.


BABY GRAND PIANO GIFT and FINE ARTS SERIES
With the donation of a baby grand piano, we are able to announce an exciting series of classical music recitals at Charlton Church, starting this autumn, organised by Charles Spanner, organist. See 'Upcoming Events'.


REV ANGIE
Charlton Church said a sad farewell in August to Rev Angie Stupple who has been our focal minister for some time. Angie left to develop her new role of Spiritual Care Chaplain at the Pilgrims' Hospice in Canterbury and to spend more time with her family in Ireland. We are extremely grateful that we benefited from her care and spiritual guidance, her excellent preaching and her ready smile, and wish her every happiness as she pursues her path.

ANGIE

VISIT OF BISHOP ROSE
 BISHOP ROSE PHOTO
On Tuesday, 23rd May, 2023, Charlton Church was delighted to host the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, in the Church Hall, as part of her official visitation of the Dover Deanery.
 
We were treated to a fascinating talk from the Bishop, largely focused on her own life and spiritual journey.  She talked openly about her family background and touched on the subject of discrimination.  The Bishop also mentioned the challenges she faced as Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.
 
Questions were taken from the floor and the lasting impression was of the strength of Rose’s religious certainties.
 
We were very grateful to the Bishop for her visit and thought-provoking words.


CHARLTON CHURCH OPEN DAYCHARLTON OPEN DAY DOVES

 
On Saturday, 15th July, 2023, Charlton Church threw open its doors to the public, offering hospitality and fun for all the family.  This wonderful occasion was attended by approximately 250 people over the course of five hours, enjoying complimentary tea and cakes in the beautiful church setting.  Candles had been lit and priestly robes displayed.  Outside the trees had been decorated with bunting and children enjoyed face-painting, a dog show, games and a walk round the labyrinth.  A splendid, very reasonably priced barbeque did a roaring trade and there was music and general merriment. The Area Dean, Andy Bawtree, said prayers and blessed the town of Dover.  Gordon Cowan, the Chairman of Dover District Council and Ed Briggs, the Deputy Mayor of Dover participated in the day’s activities and, assisted by Mrs Maggie Tyler, released three beautiful white doves at the climax of the proceedings.

DOVER PROM!
On 7th July, 2023, a wonderful concert was given by the Festival Prom Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by David Burridge and Michael Lewis.  The church was packed with an enthusiastic audience who waved their flags and sang along at the appropriate moments.  The Prom organisers had spent the afternoon decorating the church, and they served wine and nibbles during the interval.  This was a charitable event in aid of the Pilgrims Hospices; a representative of the charity spoke to explain the work of the organisation.  Charlton Church's excellent accoustic and spacious chancel area helped to make this a successful and enjoyable occasion.
DOVER PROM

17/08/2018
You can now very easily keep up with all that's going on at church by using our website calendar.
17/08/2018
Our new website comes with an on-line Bible! Added by our new website provider ChurchInsight and powered by YouVersion.