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 September issue here.

SEPTEMBER CHURCH SERVICES

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

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Sunday 5th September (14th Sunday after Trinity)

9.30am    Ickham, Holy Communion and Baptism.

11.00am  Littlebourne, Parish Communion.

6.00pm    Stodmarsh, Holy Communion.

Sunday 12th September (15th Sunday after Trinity)

9.30am    Wickhambreaux, Holy Communion.

11.00am  Littlebourne, Family Praise

11.00am  Wingham, Holy Communion for Healing and Wholeness

Sunday  19th September (16th Sunday after Trinity)

9.30am   Ickham,  Sung Matins

11.00am  Littlebourne,  Parish Communion and Baptism.

11.00am  Wingham,  Morning Worship

6.00pm    Stodmarsh,  Evening Prayer

Sunday 26th September  (17th Sunday after Trinity)

10.15am  Wickhambreaux,  Harvest Procession

11.00am  Wickhambreaux,  Harvest Festival Service.

11.00am  Littlebourne,  Parish Communion

11.00am  Wingham,  Holy Communion (with Baptism)

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September Message from Prebendary Gillean Craig

BACK TO SKOOL!

As I write this, the news is full of record A-level and GCSE results;  by the time you read it we will be in the middle of the return to school.  For many of us this is a moment for wallowing in nostalgia – Ah!  Those dear lost days of long ago, surrounded by the excitement of seeing our best friends again after the summer break, and making new ones! For those of us who actually have school-aged children, not to mention the pupils themselves, the reality may be somewhat different – an occasion which for some creates deep anxiety:  will anyone like me?  Will I fit in?   Will I be able to do the work?  Do I really have to say farewell to the familiarities of home?   This year the pressure will be even greater as the assumption is that the terrible disruption of Covid will, as far as education is concerned, have been largely assimilated and mainly overcome.  Children have become so used to the exceptional being the norm that to have to return to ‘normality’ might be a terrible jol

The pattern of life for many generations has been that the trials and indignities of school – above having to leave behind each year the familiar and comforting, and launch out into an unknown and alarming new situation, bristling with challenges – is something which, sooner or later, we can with a sigh of relief put behind us, choosing just to remember the good bits (of which of course there are very, very many).   As adults we can order our lives and choose what we know and like.   But it doesn’t have to be like that.   The elderly people who seem to me to live the richest life are those who never put education behind them, who find day by day some new challenge, a cocoon of comfort to break out of, something new to learn, something unfamiliar to get to grips with (religion, especially the Christianity most familiar to me, might have something to say about this).   People for whom every day is, if you like, Back To Skool.

Prebendary Gillean Craig

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EVENTS

Ickham Church Coffee Morning, Saturday, September 4th, 10am to noon. More information here. 

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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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