Littlebourne Benefice

Priest in Charge, Little Stour Benefice A newly formed single benefice, we are seeking a priest to lead us, encourage us, equip us and pray with us. We’re mobilising our ministry teams in discerning God’s work in our growing community. We offer you experienced lay partnership in shaping our worship, evangelism and pastoral care. Join us and help us grow in understanding and acceptance of the challenges facing the rural church and us locally. This is a 0.6 of full-time post, deeply satisfying and challenging, with a vicarage set in the village of Littlebourne, five miles from the centre of Canterbury. You can read a message from the Bishop of Dover and Archdeacon of Canterbury here and the Parish Profile is available here. Our five churches are: St Vincent, Littlebourne St John the Evangelist, Ickham St Mary, Stodmarsh St Andrew, Wickhambreaux St Mary the Virgin, Wingham The closing date for applications is 17th September 2021 and interviews are on 6th October 2021 This post is subject to a DBS check Applications and questions to: Jo Manser, PA to the Archdeacon of Canterbury. Email: adcpa@canterbury-cathedral.org Tel: 01227 86523 Church and village As you may know, our monthly “Church and Village” ceased publication during the Lockdown. Very sadly we also lost its retiring editor, Tony Harris, who had done such a wonderful job for so long on behalf of us all in both church and village.  You can download the October issue here. The Ringlemere Ensemble... ... will be hold a concert in Wingham Church on Sunday 24th October at 3pm. More information here.

OCTOBER CHURCH SERVICES

The Pew Sheet for this week's services is here.

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Sunday 3rd October (18th Sunday after Trinity)

9.30am    Ickham, Harvest Festival Communion.

11.00am  Wingham, Harvest All-Age Worship.

11.00am  Littlebourne, Harvest Festival Communion.

6.00pm    Stodmarsh, Harvest Festival.

Sunday 10th October (19th Sunday after Trinity)

9.30am    Wickhambreaux, Holy Communion.

11.00am  Littlebourne, Family Praise

11.00am  Wingham, Holy Communion for Healing and Wholeness

Sunday 17th October (20th Sunday after Trinity)

9.30am   Ickham,  Sung Matins.

11.00am  Littlebourne,  Parish Communion.

11.00am  Wingham,  Morning Worship.

6.00pm    Stodmarsh,  Evening Prayer and Communion.

Sunday 24th October  (21st Sunday after Trinity)

9.30am   Wickhambreaux,  Holy Communion.

11.00am  Littlebourne,  Holy Communion.

11.00am  Wingham,  Holy Communion.

3.00pm    Littlebourne, Annual Memorial Service of the Departed (Benefice).

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October Message from Prebendary Gillean Craig

SEASON OF MISTS ...

One of the consequences of being a priest is that you go through life with people, charmingly, doing their very best to tell you what they think you will want to hear rather than they what they actually think – or opening the unfamiliar door to that part of their life they think of as holy, assuming that you’ll feel jolly uncomfortable anywhere else.   And so, over the many decades when I have taken school Harvest services – my Pavlovian response to the word ‘October’ – when I ask the children what harvest is really all about, I get the lovely answers of its being about thinking of other people who don’t have enough to eat, or about collecting food and money for them.   These are excellent, admirable sentiments – but not at all the first thing.   

The first thought that should spring to mind when we push the button marked ‘Harvest’ is:  Thanksgiving.   And this is true whether or not we are troubled by religion.   The great theme at this time of the year, here in the northern hemisphere, is giving thanks:  thanks for what we eat and drink;  thanks for those whose unremitting labours – whether farmers, food industry, wholesale or retail – ensure that our fridges are full;  thanks (if we’re so lucky) for the fruit and veg that we actually grow ourselves.  And, by extension, for the harvest that we are able to produce personally, not of food or drink but of the work of our hands and minds and imaginations, whether it is valued enough by other people from them to pay us for it, or whether its value is entirely personal to us, of making our lives worthwhile and creative without external recompense (like me producing this column).    

Giving thanks is an entirely rewarding process, reminding us that we are not – despite every contemporary exhortation – utterly independent self-contained separate entities, lords of our own destiny – but (to be technical) contingent beings, dependant for the gifts, talents and goods that make our lives worthwhile, even possible, on others;  perhaps to our parents that begat us:  perhaps even God.

Prebendary Gillean Craig

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Canterbury Cathedral

Daily worship
The following services are broadcast on the Cathedral's Home Page and YouTube channel.

• Morning Prayer: by 10.30am each day
  
• Evening Reflection: paused until 12th April
  
• Choral Evensong: Live stream at 5.30pm each day
  
• Sunday Eucharist: Live stream at 10.30am
  

• To receive notifications when new videos are available, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Cathedral website:  https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/

Church of England website:  https://www.churchofengland.org/

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