We extend a warm invitation to you to participate in a special celebration of prayer andfellowship during this year's Thy Kingdom Come movement.As we mark the 10th anniversary of this global ecumenical initiative, which calls Christiansworldwide to pray for more people to know Jesus between Ascension and Pentecost (29th May– 8th June), we are delighted to welcome our new Bishop, David. He is the national lead for ThyKingdom Come and will be embarking on "Bishop David's Thy Kingdom Come Pilgrimage Walk"across Cornwall during these eleven days, culminating in Falmouth on Pentecost Sunday.We would love for you to join +David for a prayer walk and ecumenical service at King Charlesthe Martyr Church (KCM) on Sunday, 8th June 2025 at 10:30 am. All are most welcome!Prayer Walk Details:For those who wish to participate in the prayer walk, we will meet at Swanpool car park at 7:00am. From there, we will walk along the coast path to Gyllyngvase Beach and then continue toPendennis Point, aiming to arrive around 8:00 am for a time of prayer and worship together(down the steps at the bottom of the car park on the grass patch, above Little Dennis).We will then continue past the docks and into town, arriving at the Parish Hall of KCM on NewStreet at approximately 9:00 - 9:15 am. A continental breakfast will be provided there, andeveryone is welcome to join us for this time of refreshment and fellowship.Following the breakfast, +Bishop David will preside and preach at the 10:30 am service at KingCharles the Martyr Church. This will be a wonderful opportunity to come together in prayer andpraise. Refreshments and further fellowship will follow the service in the parish hall atapproximately 11:45 am.Notes:You are welcome to join us for any part of the prayer walk that suits you. There is good parkingavailable along the route at the seafront, castle point, and near KCM church. Alternatively, youare most welcome to join us just for the church service or breakfast!This occasion marks our first opportunity to welcome +David to Falmouth and Penryn and tounite as a community in prayer and praise.
Launched this month, the Falmouth Way has become the latest of several paths of Christian pilgrimage, both ancient and modern, across Cornwall.It joins the Saints’ Way, the Cornish Celtic Way and the Bodmin Way, as a recognised route for both pilgrims and tourists.Local churchpeople have published a booklet which guides visitors round a series of nine walks between a dozen churches in the area around Falmouth and Penryn.The booklet also invites walkers to consider the natural world around them as they walk. It is available for free at local churches.It was launched by the Right Reverend Hugh Nelson, Bishop of St Germans, at a well-attended event in the grounds of Budock Church on Saturday 8th April.“I think what you’re doing is absolutely fantastic,” said Bishop Hugh.He noted the Falmouth Way’s connections with the other routes of pilgrimage in the county.“It reminds us that this new path was walked by the great saints who brought the faith to Cornwall,” he said. “The very first Christians were known as the followers of the way. By calling this new route the Falmouth Way, you’re doing something deeply and profoundly ancient.”Bishop Hugh also expressed his hope that these walks through the Cornish countryside would inspire walkers in their care and consideration for the natural environment.“When you go for a walk, you make a choice, the choice of which way to take,” he said. “I hope that those who walk the Falmouth Way will make the choice for creation.“We all have to make choices in this world – whether we want a world that heats up as our biodiversity disappears – or whether we want a different kind of world.“I hope that everyone who walks this way will be open to change and will be a bit changed by the experience.”Representatives of neighbouring parishes attended the launch event to make public pledges as to their own commitments to the environment. These included the creation of a nature garden, the hosting of nature talks, keeping records of wildlife in churchyards, increasing rainwater-saving facilities, extending wildflower plots, and using church land to grow fruit and vegetables to help feed their communities.The vicar of Budock parish, the Reverend Geoffrey Bennett, enthusiastically welcomed the Falmouth Way initiative.“It’s quite amazing,” he said. “There’s been a great team working on it. People have really taken to it – it’s really got legs. The idea is that it will appeal to all ages and generations.”The Falmouth Way project was devised and developed by local volunteers Lucy Thompson and Lorna Crewes.“We wanted to forge links between our churches and at the same time to appreciate the beauty and wonder of creation,” Lucy explains. “We hope these walks will bring visitors to enjoy everything our very special area has to offer.”“We wanted to create a map to link everybody up,” Lorna adds. “We also wanted to incorporate nature, and lots of history. It’s good for health and wellbeing as well.”It had all started at a deanery awayday last year. After being treated to a nice meal, representatives of the parishes had been asked to volunteer to take on specific strategic roles. Lucy and Lorna had plumped to be Creation Care champions.“There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” Lorna laughs.Lorna is also responsible for the managed rewilding of the churchyard at Budock, which has created an attractive space for plants, wildlife and visitors to the church.“We want to remind people about the world around us, that people and nature are here together,” she says.
