St Nicholas Church has been awarded the Bronze Eco Church Award by A Rocha UK. Through careful management changes in the church yard to support nature, we have created an environment that will help our biodiversity thrive. We now have a kitchen garden, providing produce for our Church Kitchen and cafe, areas of beautiful wildflower planting, grass spaces left wild to support insects, birds and mammals to thrive, nesting boxes and lots of other practical changes, including water butts-essential in our changing climate. Work is ongoing to improve our carbon footprint, and make changes to improve our environmental impact across church activities. Thanks to Jacky for all her hard work to make this Award happen, along with the Men's Club who have transformed the Churchyard. We hope you will visit us to see the changes we have made to support biodiversity in and around our ancient church building. Look out for our latest updates on the project, and what we will be doing next to achieve the Silver Award!
MINSTER OPEN GARDENS AND ECO CHURCH at the FLOWER SHOW Minster Open Gardens and Eco church shared a stall at Minster Flower Show on Saturday. <br>David Gasking and his mum, Debbie, set up a spectacular plant tombola to gather nominations of beautiful gardens for Open Gardens 2027 and raise money for future advertising.<br>It was a lovely occasion, gardeners chatted, while children had fun with both art and science, making their own Wind Vane out of recycled and re-usable materials, encouraged by St Mary's Eco Church team.<br> <br>A big thank you to David, Debbie, Revd Sally and Katie for their hard work.<br>Pat
The ordination of priests took place on 4th July 2026 at Canterbury Cathedral, with our very own Sally Willins being ordained as part of the service! The service was livestreamed at St Nicholas Church for people to watch who couldn't make it to the Cathedral. Sally said the following: "I have served as a Reader since November 2000 in the village parishes of the Wantsum Benefice. My husband, Paul, and I have lived in the village of Minster in Thanet for over 43 years."Following a personally fruitful two year Vacancy period, I was invited to consider taking The Dover Pathway to ordination. A call to ordination was not something I had explored before: I felt Reader ministry was where my gifts were best utilised."By God's grace, and with support and affirmation, here I am! I feel ready and eager to serve our benefice communities in different and exciting ways."Congratulations to Sally!You can find out about those who were ordained on the day here: https://www.canterburydiocese.org/news/latest-news/meet-the-diocese-of-canterburys-2026-ordinands.php
