Progress with the Church's kitchen garden continues. The raised beds with rhubarb, beetroot, strawberries and lettuces, along with a variety of herbs and lots more! Various natural areas have been left for animals and invertebrates to thrive, with the addition of bug hotels and log piles, areas of loose leaf litter etc to give them a helping hand.A wildflower corridor has been created round the edge which looks beautiful currently, stop by and take a look!Water butts have been installed to help with watering by collecting the rainwater run off. Our church yard is transforming into a space we can use in harmony, alongside nature. With a few careful adjustments here and there, such as eliminating the use of poisons and pesticides, we are ensuring we tread lightly and do what we can to support biodiversity in this vital space. We are incredibly grateful to our churchwarden Budgie, plus Mark and his fabulous Thursday Men's Club chaps, who have put so much work in and are just getting started! Watch this space for more updates on our progress towards Eco Church status!
The first week of a new 'Basic Christianity' course kicked off last week. The group shared a delicious meal prepared by St Nicholas at Wade church kitchen volunteers, before watching a short video from the Bible Course, and then breaking out into discussion groups. Within the relaxed setting, discussions flowed and attendees were able to browse from a table of literature, offering different interpretations of the Bible. Discussions explored the origin of the written versions of the Bible, eye witness accounts and historical context. The course continues for 5 weeks, and you don't have to be at the first session to join in. It's aimed at anyone wanting to find out more about the Bible, and complete newcomers are very welcome!If you would like to find out more about the course content and free resources please take a look at: The Bible CourseOr join us on Thursday evenings!If you would like to come along, it will be running every Thursday 6.30-8.30pm. Please RSVP for food! info@wantsumchurches.org or call Rev Jef on 07783 984070
Pictured: Walk the Walk - just about to set off from Chislet. Oh what a perfect day! We had beautiful weather and lots of fellowship along the way. We set off from Chislet after a lovely breakfast and a light touch communion from Rev Jef - Thank you for all who generously contributed to providing breakfast. At St Nicholas - we had a superb lunch, beautifully managed by Vanessa and her Kitchen Angels. A special mention for the ice lollies for the children. At Monkton - Rev Sally led us in a pilgrimage meditation At Minster - We said Celtic evening prayer and then finished the day off with soup and bread. Thanks to Paul for preparing this supper, much appreciated after all that exercise and fresh air. After covering expenses we have £308.40 to send to Christian Aid.Once again, great generosity was shown and there were a lot of appreciative people. We are almost at our 25th year now and people continue to join in. It was Jill and Peter Smith who first suggested to Revd Bob Coles that the Benefice mark Rogation Sunday and from the very first, the 'model' took off.Here is to many more years of our annual walk!
A group from St Mary's went on a mini pilgrimage this week organised by Revd Sally. Setting off from the lovely St Mary's church Chartham they took a picturesque walk into Canterbury City Centre, arriving in good time at Canterbury Cathedral to enjoy Choral Evensong!As we enjoy better weather and look ahead to the Summer, it is an ideal time to plan a pilgrimage!St Mary's Minster has a a strong connection to pilgrims, being a feature along the Way of St Augustine, a 19 mile historic route of pilgrimage. On this route you can travel in the footsteps of St Augustine and discover the birth of Christianity in England in the beautiful Stour Valley from Ramsgate to Canterbury. If you don't fancy the full 19 miles, then Explore Kent have helpfully broken it down into shorter more manageable walks, one of which takes you from Plucks Gutter to Minster, where you can explore our Saxon Church and its history, along with the beautiful Minster Abbey. Maps can be found here: The Way of St Augustine - Explore KentYou can also find out more about the importance of Minster in Pilgrimage at the British Pilgrimage Trust: Minster Abbey, St Mary the Virgin Church, Minster-in-Thanet - British Pilgrimage TrustOver the coming weeks and months we will be celebrating pilgrimage in our churches as part of the Church of England's summer campaign: Pilgrim Places, Holy Lives: A Gospel Journey with the Early English Saints. So check back here to find out more events and news on this!
