I'm Nick White and I'm the new vicar of St Nicholas & St Faith, Thanington.  I also have another role, to encourage and enabling the Anglican churches in Canterbury in their ministry to the many housing estates (both existing estates and new developments).

I've just moved down from a town in the north-west of England. I'm not actually from "up north". I've moved around a bit and for a chunk of my adult life I lived in the Medway Towns, where I met my wife and started a family.  So I know Kent a bit.

I've been called many things during my life. When I was at school I was "Chalky" - that was when teachers wrote on the board with chalk! When I was a student I worked in a hotel kitchen one summer and the chefs used to call me "The Teacher" because we used to get into deep conversations about life and faith across the kitchen. When I was a secondary school teacher I got nicknamed "Smiley Joe" by some of the students. When i was a youth and children's worker, the after school club kids started calling me "Mr. Nick" and it just stuck.

Since I became a vicar, people have addressed me in different ways: in my last post there were a lot of Catholics in the town, so people would sometimes say "Morning Father" as they walked past.  On the other hand,  when I was  doing a funeral it was quite formal, Reverend White. If I was helping at a youth club, or watching my son playing football, or bantering with people in the pub, it wasn't unusual to be introduced as "Nick the Vic".

Jesus was called many different things by different people. For example, "Rabbi" (a Jewish religious teacher),  "Christ", "Saviour", "Son of God", "King of the Jews", "my Lord and my God",  "Emmanuel" (meaning God with Us). Jesus described himself as "the light of the world", "the bread of life",  "the good shepherd", "the way, the truth and the life".

Together, these names speak of Jesus as one who comes from heaven to earth to be with us ...

... To reveal and teach what God is like

... To rescue people from the selfishness which has infected and damaged the human race

... To redirect and lead people in a way that leads to life in all its fulness

... To renew and restore the world, one person at a time.

If you are looking for a better way through life, why not give Jesus a try?  I did and it was the best decision I ever made.  If you're interested, I'd love to chat more about that.

So, if you see me around, say hello. Or send me a message.

I'd love to chat with you.