St Margaret’s

OUR FAITH

ROOM FOR
FAITH.

Questions, discovery and a faith lived together. Explore what we believe, find a group, or make a little room for prayer. Wherever you are starting from, you are welcome at St Margaret’s.

Looking towards the altar through St Margaret’s Church

EXPLORE OUR FAITH

Reading an open Bible

READ. ASK. DISCOVER.

Bible Study

Bring your curiosity. Read the Bible with others, explore its meaning and discover how it speaks into everyday life.

Tuesday evenings · 7pm to 9pm

Common Worship prayer books

A LITTLE SPACE TO PAUSE

Daily Prayer

A moment to pause and pray. Listen to Morning or Evening Prayer, or explore the words of the daily services.

Morning and evening

A group meeting inside St Margaret’s Church

FIND YOUR PEOPLE

Small Groups

A smaller circle of people to share life with. Find friendship, explore faith and look out for one another.

WEEKLY GATHERINGS

A candle burning in front of a cross

A SHARED HOPE

What We Believe

Discover the beliefs at the heart of our church: God’s love, the life of Jesus and the hope that shapes how we live.

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

Bible Study

This is an opportunity to spend time studying the Bible together in more detail than we can do on a Sunday. We meet weekly on a Tuesday evening in an informal setting, usually someone’s home, where a study is led, and together we explore the insights given to us by the Holy Spirit. The studies are delivered on themes, and to get the most from them, it is probably best to attend all of the studies on that theme, but the studies also stand alone. Each session starts at 7pm and aims to finish before 9pm.

Whilst the studies require no great Biblical knowledge or insight, they do seek to look deeply into God’s word.

For more information or to join, please contact:

Terry Whittakerterry@rainhamchurch.co.uk

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

Daily Prayer

Listen to Morning and Evening Prayer from Common Worship, with readings, prayers and space for reflection. The audio player opens the Daily Prayer podcast.

Prefer to read along or pray at your own pace? The Church of England’s daily prayer texts provide the words for the services.

DAILY PRAYER TEXTS ↗OPEN PLAYER ↗

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

Small Groups

The church currently has three small groups that meet weekly. These are belonging groups where we look out for each other, share, look at the Bible or a theme, and just spend time together. They are a great opportunity to get to know a group of people, socialise, and have some fun too. Our current groups meet on a Monday Evening at someone’s home, a Tuesday late morning in church, and a Thursday afternoon in someone’s home. We appreciate that these times may not work for everyone, and if you are interested but these days and times do not work then please be in touch as we are always looking to see if a new group needs forming.

For more information or to join, please contact:

Terry Whittakerterry@rainhamchurch.co.uk

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

What We Believe

At St Margaret’s, we’re an ordinary group of people who believe that God is with us, here and now, and that his love is for everyone. We don’t have all the answers, and life is often messy, but we trust that Jesus shows us the way to live with hope, courage, and compassion, right here in Rainham.

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

God

We believe in one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That sounds mysterious, and it is. But at heart, it means God is love, and that love is at the centre of everything, including the life of our town.

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

Jesus

We believe Jesus is God with us. He showed us what God is really like: welcoming the outsider, forgiving the broken, and offering new life. His death and resurrection are not the end of the story but the beginning of hope, for us, for our neighbours, and for the whole of Rainham.

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

Living the Faith

We believe following Jesus changes how we live. It means seeking justice, showing mercy, forgiving when it’s hard, and loving our neighbour as ourselves. At St Margaret’s we want our faith to make a difference, not only inside the church walls but in the heart of Rainham: caring for the vulnerable, working for peace, and building a community where everyone belongs.

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

Our Hope

We believe the story isn’t finished yet. One day God will make all things new. Until then, we live with hope, trusting that his kingdom of peace, healing, and joy, is already breaking in among us here in Rainham.

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

The Bible

We believe the Bible is God’s word to us. It’s full of stories, poetry, wisdom and challenge. It helps us to see the world as God sees it, and to discover how we might live in faith, honesty and kindness, in our homes, our schools, and our workplaces here in Rainham.

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

The Creeds

The words above describe how our faith shapes everyday life in Rainham. But we also stand in a much bigger story. For centuries, Christians across the world have summed up what they believe in short statements called creeds.

The word creed comes from the Latin credo, meaning “I believe.” These words aren’t just old formulas; they are ways of saying together, across time and place: this is the heart of our faith.

Two creeds in particular—the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed—are shared by the worldwide Church. At St Margaret’s, we join our voices with countless others in affirming them.

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

The Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is God alive and at work today. The Spirit comforts us when life is hard, nudges us towards truth, and gives us courage to love when we’d rather give up. Here in Rainham, we see the Spirit at work in acts of kindness, in friendships across differences, and in the strength we find to serve our community together.

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

Worship and Sacraments

We believe God meets us in simple things, bread and wine, water and prayer. In baptism we celebrate that every person is God’s beloved child. In Holy Communion, we share bread and wine, remembering Jesus and receiving his life and love. These moments remind us that God is not far away but with us in the everyday life of Rainham.

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

PRIVACY POLICY

LAST UPDATED: 19 OCTOBER 2026

We want you to feel welcome at St Margaret’s and confident about how your personal information is used. This notice explains how we handle information connected with rainhamchurch.co.uk, church communications, enquiries, bookings and giving.

QUESTIONS OR A PRIVACY REQUEST?

Email office@rainhamchurch.co.uk, telephone 01634 362023, or write to the Church Office,
St Margaret’s Church, High Street, Rainham, Kent ME8 7JH.

1. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) of St Margaret’s Church, Rainham is responsible for personal information used for the parish website and parish administration. “We”, “us” and “our” in this notice refer to the parish acting through its PCC. Please send privacy enquiries to the Church Office using the details above.

Clergy, the Diocese of Rochester and external organisations may be separately responsible for some records or services, including statutory registers, safeguarding casework and transactions you make directly with another provider. Where that applies, their own privacy information also explains their responsibilities.

2. WHAT INFORMATION DO WE RECEIVE?

We normally receive information from you. We may also receive relevant details from someone arranging an activity on your behalf, a booking or giving provider, church officers or authorised organisations. If we receive information about you indirectly, we provide privacy information as required by law, unless a lawful exception applies.

3. WHY WE USE IT AND OUR LAWFUL BASES

You do not have to give us optional information. If you do not provide the information needed to answer an enquiry, complete a booking or administer Gift Aid, we may be unable to provide that particular service. We do not use the website to make solely automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects on you.

4. SENSITIVE INFORMATION, CHILDREN AND SAFEGUARDING

Information about religious beliefs, health or certain other matters has additional protection. Where we need it, we must identify both a lawful basis and an appropriate additional legal condition. Depending on the circumstances, that may include explicit consent, the lawful activities of a religious not-for-profit body, or conditions supporting safeguarding and other legal duties. Membership of a church is not a blanket permission to use or share sensitive information.

Please only include information that is relevant to your request. Avoid sending sensitive information through the newsletter form. Safeguarding concerns should go through the reporting routes on our Safeguarding page, so the appropriate people can respond.

When an activity involves children, we handle their information with particular care and seek appropriate information and permissions from a parent or person with parental responsibility where needed. Information may need to be shared without consent where there is a lawful safeguarding or safety reason.

5. NEWSLETTERS AND YOUR CHOICES

Our website newsletter form sends the name and email address you enter to our existing Mailchimp audience using a confirmation process. You can unsubscribe using the link in an email or by contacting the Church Office. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of earlier processing.

We may retain the minimum information needed to respect an unsubscribe request and avoid adding you again by mistake. Mailchimp may process delivery, engagement and technical information in accordance with the features enabled for our account and its own privacy information. A subscription does not mean that all church correspondence is marketing: we may still need to respond to your enquiry or send essential information about a booking.

6. WHO WE SHARE INFORMATION WITH

Access within the parish is limited to people who need information for their responsibilities, such as authorised clergy, staff, trustees and volunteers. Service providers may process information to host, secure and operate the website, send email or support administration.

Services used or linked from this site include WordPress.com/Automattic and Jetpack, Mailchimp, Humanitix, MyHallWizard, JustGiving, Vimeo, Google Maps and churchyard or heritage services. Some act on our instructions; others are independent organisations responsible for their own processing. Which organisation receives information depends on the service you choose to use.

For example, an event organiser may receive booking information from Humanitix, a donation provider may share donation or Gift Aid details with the benefiting charity, and a hall booking provider may pass relevant booking details to the venue. Payment details should be entered only through the relevant payment provider’s own secure process.

We may share relevant information with HMRC, diocesan or church bodies, safeguarding professionals, regulators, insurers, professional advisers or law-enforcement bodies where we have a lawful reason or are required to do so. We do not sell personal information.

7. INFORMATION PROCESSED OUTSIDE THE UK

Some hosting, email, booking, payment and embedded-content providers operate internationally. Where we arrange a transfer of personal information outside the UK, it must have an appropriate lawful safeguard, such as an applicable adequacy arrangement or approved contractual safeguards with any further measures required. Providers acting independently describe their own international processing in their privacy notices.

You can ask the Church Office for information about the safeguards relevant to your information. We do not promise that every service stores all information exclusively in the UK.

8. COOKIES, LOCAL STORAGE AND WEBSITE STATISTICS

Cookies and similar technologies can store or read information on your device. Different rules apply depending on their actual purpose; a technology is not essential simply because it is useful to us.

You can clear stored website data or change cookie settings in your browser. Restricting storage may affect preferences or some functions. Use any provider or website privacy choices offered for the service concerned, and contact us if you want to object to our use of information for statistics or need help understanding a particular technology. Browser controls alone do not replace consent where consent is legally required.

9. LINKS, EMBEDS AND SHARING

Our site links to independent websites and includes some embedded services. Their operators have their own privacy notices and settings. Please check these before submitting personal information to them. Opening an embed can make a connection to its provider even if you have not submitted a form.

The Share button uses your device’s sharing facility where available. Its alternatives let you copy a page link or open email, Facebook or WhatsApp. Copying a link does not itself send a message; choosing an external sharing service means that service receives the information you choose to share and relevant technical information. Take care not to share private information in a public post.

10. PHOTOGRAPHS, FILMING AND PUBLIC RECORDS

Church news, event coverage and online services may include photographs, voices or video recordings. How these are used depends on the purpose, the circumstances and the appropriate permissions or other lawful basis. Please contact us if you have questions about an image or recording of you or a child you are responsible for, or want to request a review of published material.

Parish and churchyard material may include historical names, dates and plot references. UK data-protection rights relate to living individuals; historical records can nevertheless include information about living people. We consider correction and privacy requests, while taking account of archival, statutory and other legitimate requirements. A request to remove material does not automatically require deletion of an official register.

11. HOW LONG WE KEEP INFORMATION

We keep information only for as long as needed for its purpose and applicable legal or record-keeping duties. The period depends on the type of record, whether an enquiry or matter is still active, and whether there is a safeguarding, tax, contractual, archival or legal-claims reason to retain it.

Contact us for the retention criteria or period relevant to a particular record. Backups and restricted records may remain until their normal expiry or where retention is legally required.

12. HOW WE PROTECT INFORMATION

We use appropriate organisational and technical measures, including access controls, secure connections and the security facilities provided by our systems. Access should be proportionate to the person’s role. We assess and respond to suspected personal-data breaches, including notifying the regulator or affected people where required by law. No website or email service can guarantee absolute security.

13. YOUR RIGHTS

Depending on the circumstances, you can ask to access your personal information, correct it, have it erased, restrict its use, receive certain information in a portable format, or object to processing. You can withdraw consent where processing relies on it, and you can object to direct marketing at any time.

These rights have conditions and exceptions. For example, we may need to retain statutory, safeguarding or tax records. Contact office@rainhamchurch.co.uk with enough detail to help us find the relevant information. We may need proportionate confirmation of your identity. Requests are normally free and are handled within the applicable legal time limits, usually one calendar month, with permitted extensions or adjustments explained where relevant.

14. QUESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS

Please contact the Church Office if you are concerned about how your information is used. We will consider your complaint and keep you informed. You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO); you do not have to complete our complaints process before contacting the regulator.

CONTACT THE ICO

15. CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE

We review this notice when our services, practices or legal requirements change. The date at the top shows the latest revision. Where a change materially affects how we use your information, we provide further information or seek fresh consent where required.

Parish Paper comments

If you submit a comment, we store the name and message you provide with the story and submission date. Church administrators review it before publication. Only approved comments are displayed publicly. You do not need to provide an email address. Please do not include private contact details or sensitive information. Contact the Church Office if you would like your comment removed.

ST MARGARET’S · RAINHAM

HEALTH & SAFETY POLICY

As a church, we understand that we owe a duty of care to ensure the safety of those who visit or use our church, hall or churchyard.

We also know that, where we are an employer or control premises in certain circumstances, we have to meet the requirements of health and safety law.

In particular, we know that if we are an employer having five or more employees, we are required to have a written health and safety policy. As such, we have drafted this policy to meet our duty under Section 2(3) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

General statement of policy

Our policy is to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that our activities are carried out safely and do not pose a risk to the health of our employees, volunteers, congregation, visitors and others who may use the church, churchyard or any other building we are responsible for. This will be in accordance with good practice and any relevant statutory provisions where they apply.

The Parochial Church Council (PCC) accepts its overall responsibility for this. We will ensure that adequate resources are made available to achieve this objective. Any decisions we make will have due regard for it.

We will appoint a member of the PCC to have specific responsibility for this policy and its implementation. To keep matters under review, we will include ‘health and safety’ as a standing item on the agenda for all meetings of the PCC. We will monitor the effectiveness of the policy, amending it where we believe it is no longer valid.

It is the duty of each employee and volunteer to exercise personal responsibility for their own safety and that of others. This policy will be brought to their attention. We will try to ensure that everyone involved with the church plays their part in its implementation.

Further detail about our organisation and arrangements for managing health and safety is set out in this document. A copy of it will be kept in the church and made available to others on request.

Signed

Signature from the original PCC policy

On behalf of the Parochial Church Council as agreed at a meeting on: Date: 22 January 2026

Organisation and responsibilities

The person with overall responsibility for implementing our policy is the Vicar. They will ensure that the arrangements set out in this policy satisfy any health and safety law, seeking specialist health and safety advice if necessary.

The following persons have day-to-day responsibility for implementing our policy. They are the Churchwardens. They will ensure that the arrangements set out in this policy are carried out.

All employees and volunteers have a responsibility to cooperate in the implementation of this policy and to take reasonable care of themselves and others while on church business or premises.

Arrangements

This section sets out our general arrangements for managing health and safety and dealing with specific risks. We have removed any points that do not apply to our activities.

General Arrangements

Competent Assistance

Where necessary, we will appoint someone who is competent to assist us in meeting our health and safety obligations. We have appointed Bright Safe to be our competent advisors.

Risk Assessment

Where necessary, we will complete risk assessments to identify what we need to do to comply with health and safety law. We will record our findings, implementing any necessary precautions. We will review and revise these where we suspect that they are no longer valid.

Information and Training

We will provide any necessary information and training for our employees and volunteers in a timely manner. We will keep a record of what is provided. We will also give relevant information to contractors and self-employed people who may need this to complete their work safely.

First Aid

We will provide adequate first aid facilities including – as a minimum – a suitably stocked first aid box and a person who will take charge of the first aid arrangements. We will also provide relevant information for employees and volunteers.

Our first aid box is located in the toilet lobby area. Our person in charge of first aid arrangements is the Parish Administrator.

Accident Reporting

We will record details of any accidents that occur, (in an accident book if required). We will report to the enforcing authority and keep records of certain accidents to employees, volunteers and members of the public in accordance with the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations.

Records of any accidents are kept in the church office.

Monitoring

We will make periodic checks to ensure that our precautions remain effective and adequate. We will also ensure that any lifting, work or electrical equipment and church utilities are inspected as necessary to ensure that they remain safe. We will keep records of the checks we make.

Contractors

If we employ contractors, we make sure that they have their own health & safety policy and Public and Employers Liability insurance by asking to see copies of the relevant documents.

Record Keeping

Our Health and Safety Risk Assessments, records and other documents are kept on the church website (www.rainhamchurch.co.uk) and in the Church Office.

Specific Arrangements

Asbestos

We will take steps to identify the presence of asbestos in our buildings and, if so, assess any risk from it. We will then implement any plan to manage that risk. We will also provide relevant information to others who might need it (e.g. building contractors). We will keep records of the checks, assessments and plans we have made.

Bell Ringing

We will ensure that adequate precautions are in place to protect bellringers and others who may enter the ringing room and bell chamber. This may include any emergency evacuation procedure; a safe means of heating; the provision of fire extinguishers, the provision of emergency lighting and the notification of safety procedures to visiting bellringers.

Church Buildings

We will ensure that the fabric of our buildings is regularly inspected to make sure it is safe. Defects will be repaired as soon as is practicable bearing in mind that a faculty may be required. Where necessary, temporary measures will be taken to prevent danger until permanent repairs can be made. This will include glazing.

Churchyard

We will ensure that boundary walls and gates are kept in good repair. Where appropriate, we will have trees inspected by a competent person and have any necessary work carried out to make them safe. Headstones tombs and monuments will be checked regularly to ensure they are properly maintained. Where our churchyard is formally closed, we will report any concern to the Local Authority or Parish Council.

Construction Work

Where maintenance, refurbishment and restoration work is planned for our church, we will identify what we need to do to ensure the safety of all those concerned before work starts. We will also determine if we have any responsibilities under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and comply with these if necessary.

Display Screen Equipment

Where our employees and volunteers regularly use computers daily, for continuous periods of an hour or more we will analyse workstations to identify precautions, implementing these as necessary. We will also provide information, training, eye/eyesight tests (on request) and special spectacles if needed.

Electricity

We will ensure that any electrical system, fixed machine and portable appliances is inspected, tested and maintained by someone who is competent to prevent danger. Any defective equipment will not be used until it is repaired or replaced. We will keep records of the checks made.

Events

Where we intend to hold large or unusual concerts, services or other fund-raising events, we will identify any additional precautions that are necessary and implement these.

Fire

We will complete a specific risk assessment to identify what steps are necessary to prevent, detect and take in the event of a fire. We will record our findings, implementing any necessary precautions. We will review and revise these where we suspect that they are no longer valid.

Heating Systems

We will ensure that any oil or gas heating system is suitably maintained and checked annually by a competent person. Any defects found will be corrected immediately and we will keep records of the checks made.

Hazardous Substances

We only use domestic cleaning or horticultural products and petrol. We will ensure that these are stored, used and disposed of in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions taking any necessary precautions that are specified.

Lifting Equipment

We will ensure that any lifting equipment is properly maintained and thoroughly examined periodically by a competent person.

Manual Handling

We will avoid the need for lifting or carrying heavy objects as far as is possible. Where this is not practical, we will make use of lifting aids (such as, trolleys) or other precautions including team lifting.

Oil Storage

Where we store large quantities of oil, we will take adequate precautions to ensure that oil cannot leak into the ground or any water course. This may include the provision of a double skinned plastic tank, an adequate bund, regular checks and proper maintenance etc.

Preparation of Food

We will ensure that on those occasions when we prepare food we use a clean and disinfected work surface, utensils and equipment. We will store food in such a way as to avoid contamination, provide hand-washing facilities and suitable arrangements for the disposal of waste.

Slips and Trips

We will implement suitable precautions to prevent slips or trips, taking account of any difficulty the frail, elderly or disabled may have in negotiating access. We will make periodic checks to ensure that floors, coverings, steps and pathways remain in good condition, free from obstruction and that any precautions (such as, hand rails, lighting) remain adequate. We will correct any defects identified, keeping records of the checks we make. We will have arrangements in place to manage pathways in winter weather.

Tower Tours

Where we plan to run tower tours, we will identify any specific precautions that are necessary. This will take account of the size of the tower; the control of movement within the tower; the number of stewards available; and the ease with which persons can safely evacuate the tower in case of emergency. We will then implement these.

Working at Height

Where possible we will try and avoid the need for work at height. Where this is not practicable, we will ensure that any work is properly planned to identify suitable precautions. We will make sure that these are implemented, including the provision of any training and checks to ensure the safety of any equipment used.

Work Equipment

Any work equipment (including any hand tools) we provide will be suitable, in good condition and properly maintained. Where necessary, some equipment (such as, ladders) will be regularly checked to make sure they are safe. We will keep records of any checks we make.

Working Alone

We will identify circumstances where our employees and volunteers work alone, and implement suitable precautions to ensure their safety.

VIEW ORIGINAL SIGNED POLICY (PDF) ↗