Previous Month

Dear Friends,

Throughout these summer months and leading into September we have lots of good things to look forward to. In this newsletter I would like to highlight a number of them.

Visit from Companion Church - Grace Episcopal Church, Holland, Michigan, USA

I have just received confirmation from Grace Episcopal Church of the group who will be staying with us from Saturday 17th September to Monday 26th September. The party comprises eight people with a wide cross-section of interests, and ranging in age from one who is a teenager to a couple in their 70s. We are looking for five host homes for this week - please let me know if you would be able to help. I’m really looking forward to this exchange visit. Two thousand years ago, St. Paul eagerly anticipated a visit when he planned to spend time with the members of the congregation in Rome, and he wrote, “I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you - or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” My hope and prayer is that this exchange visit will also be a time of mutual encouragement and fellowship. In his e-mail, Chuck Huttar the co-ordinator at their end adds: “We’ve had a couple of offers already for hospitality when your people come here next summer (from ones who can’t make this trip but want to be hosts)”.

Sunday Club End-of-Year Service and Parish BBQ - 17 th July

This month we are particularly aware of the meeting of G8 leaders and the “Make Poverty History Campaign”. The themes of international aid and development and global fair trade have received particular prominence throughout this year, and rightly so. The Churches and Christian agencies such as Christian Aid have worked alongside many other groups in raising awareness of the issues and pressing for change. This will also be the theme of our Sunday Club special service, as our young people present the service with their own songs, readings and drama.

Afterwards there will be our annual Parish BBQ in the Rectory garden. Everyone is warmly invited - we would simply ask that you buy a ticket so that we can know numbers for catering. Tickets are £3.50 for adults and £1.50 for children. This is one of the main events in our summer calendar when members of our church family from across all three worship centres can get together to share in this time of fellowship in our garden.

Newshounds Summer Holiday Club - 23 rd to 28 th August

Planning is now well underway for our annual summer holiday club. This year the theme is “Newshounds”, and we will be turning the Church Centre into a buzzing news studio which will be reporting on vital and ground-breaking news of the ministry of Jesus. Jake Newshound will be the anchor man with his current affairs programme, together with newsreaders and our very own religious affairs correspondent, Anne O’Pinion. The children will also publish their own daily newspaper with news of more events in the life of Jesus and up-to-the-minute news of events and happenings in the holiday club. We will also have our popular mix of aerobics, singing, jokes, crafts, discussion times, drama, afternoon outings and sports. There are 50 children taking part with over 20 leaders and junior helpers. There is still some room, so if you haven’t yet got your application form in, do pick up one from the Parish Office.

Friends of Kent Churches Bike Ride - 10th September

For the last two years we have had record numbers turning out for this most enjoyable day of cycling along our beautiful country lanes of Kent visiting churches along the way, and raising funds in the process for “Friends of Kent Churches” and our own parish. Sponsor forms and details of this event will be available by the end of the month. If you’ve ridden before, I hope to see you again; if you haven’t yet tried this event I warmly encourage you to get out your bike, oil the chain, pump up the tyres and come and enjoy! You can tailor your route according to your own wishes - last year this ranged from simply cycling over to Ash, to cycling all the way to Canterbury!

Summer Worship at the URC

This is a little reminder that for three Sundays, our 10.30 a.m. service joins with the United Reformed Church - 31st July, 7th & 14th August. It is good to join in fellowship with our fellow Christians and share in their style of worship. We are very grateful for the good links between the churches in our parish.

Enjoy the summer!

Your friend and Rector,