Underriver Village

Church Services

CHURCH OF ST MARGARET

Details of Services

The usual pattern of services at St Margaret’s is given below, although at major Festivals and on special days this pattern can change. Please always double-check in the Newssheet, or from the details inside the Church porch.

First Sunday : 11:15am Family Service

Second Sunday : 8.00am Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer) Wintertime is 11:15am Morning Prayer (‘Matins’) from the Book of Common Prayer Summertime is 6:00pm Evensong (Book of Common Prayer)

Third Sunday : 10:30 Sunday Club meet in the Village Hall  11:15am Short All-Age Service

Fourth Sunday : 11:15am Parish Communion (Common Worship)

When there is a Fifth Sunday in the month we ring the changes and then we sometimes have a 6:00pm evening service instead of our morning service. This Sunday is also an opportunity for joint worship with St Lawrence’s, our sister parish.

Special services are held at Christmas, Holy Week, Easter, the July Patronal Festival, Harvest Festival and Remembrance Day. These include a traditional Christmas Carol Service, a children’s Crib Service and a Palm Sunday procession to the Church with a donkey.  On the day  of the Harvest Festival Service we meet in the Village Hall for a Harvest Lunch, at which all are welcome.

There are also occasional mid-week events. In particular we hold a Prayer Time in a home - this is a good and less formal occasion in which to share and meet God and listen to him.  There is also a Bible Study for both parishes in the evening every two to three weeks in various homes.

For details of any of these, please see our Vicar, Michael Cooke

St Margaret

St Margaret’s Church family warmly welcomes people of all Christian denominations and none to its services and worship of God. 

The Church building is in the middle of the village, almost next door to the pub. It was built in 1865 by John Davison, the Judge Advocate General, who lived in Underriver House. Our Church is not old, but people usually become very fond of it. It is constructed in a simple Gothic style and it is now a listed building. The Church has a particularly fine organ. It is part of the Church of England’s Diocese of Rochester.

Full details of our services and events are in the monthly Underriver Newssheet and on the notice board inside the Church porch. Through the varied types of service we aim to provide worship for all ages, in old- and new-style liturgy and language.

There is a small and enthusiastic choir at St Margaret’s, who practise about once a fortnight. We also have a marvellous body of helpers who clean the Church, polish the brass, provide the flowers, tend the Churchyard, read the lessons and welcome all who come to our services.

Do come and join us in our prayer, praise and thanksgiving to God through Jesus Christ.

For more information - or if you would like to get involved in these or any other Church activities - please contact our Vicar, Michael Cooke (e-mail or Tel : 01732 761766) and his wife Elspeth, who both live at St Lawrence’s Vicarage; or one of our Churchwardens, Neil Fair (e-mail or Tel : 01732 832292) and Arthur Rucker (e-mail or Tel : 01732 833227).