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 was 17th September 2021 and interviews were 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 November issue here.

NOVEMBER CHURCH SERVICES

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

---

Sunday 7th November (3rd Sunday before Advent)

9.30am    Ickham, Holy Communion.

11.00am  Littlebourne, Parish Communion.

6.00pm    Stodmarsh, Harvest Festival.

Thursday 11th November (Armistice Day)

10.50am  Ickham, Act of Remembrance

Sunday 14th November (Remembrance Sunday)

10.45am Wickhambreaux, Remembrance Service with
               British Legion.

10.50am  Littlebourne, Act of Remembrance and 
                Parish Communion.

10.50am  Wingham, Procession of Uniformed Organisations,
                Wreath Laying and Remembrance Service.

6.00pm    Stodmarsh,  Evening Prayer with Act of
                Remembrance.

Sunday 21st November  (Sunday before Advent/Christ
               the King)

9.30am   Ickham, Sung Matins.

11.00am  Littlebourne, Parish Communion.

11.00am  Wingham, Morning Worship.

(No 6pm service at Stodmarsh).

Sunday 28th November (Advent Sunday)

9.30am   Wickhambreaux, Holy Communion.

11.00am  Littlebourne, Parish Communion.

11.00am  Wingham, Morning Worship.

---

November Message from Prebendary Gillean Craig

THE BURNING OF THE LEAVES ...

November to me means bonfires – especially of course our annual thanksgiving that the last attempt to blow Parliament to smithereens was foiled (although I must acknowledge a growing impression among the general populace of regret that the institution wasn’t decisively terminated).   But also the autumnal burning of garden prunings as we clean up for winter, and - far more importantly - the flame-red Flanders Poppies we wear with sorrow and pride for Remembrance.   

My wife will attest to my ineradicable pyromania, my throwing of all caution to the winds as I light the bonfire, lean over fireworks to see why they haven’t lit properly, burn off my eyebrows yet again, her desperate hopes that the hordes of children present would have more sense that to follow Preb. Gillean’s lethal example, at the annual parish Guy Fawkes celebrations we used to host in our successive Vicarage gardens.   

But now we know better.   We have learned that our bonfires are not quite as innocent as we thought, that burning garden rubbish whenever we feel like it adds to global warming, that indirectly in aggregate they lead to those new terrible burnings that we see on the tv news as wildfires consume whole swathes of country:  homes, communities, entire species of wildlife destroyed in flames, choked by fumes.    

Our millennia of innocence are over – now we know that everything we do affects everything else, that even our family bonfires have a baleful effect.   But perhaps we can change the focus of our attention:  perhaps the key seasonal conflagration should be our own – perhaps this is the best time possible to consider what is it in our own lives, in our community, in our society that need to be consumed by fire so that new green shoots may in time spring (note the key term) forth?   We’re battening down, simplifying, focussing on what really matters.   What have we learned during the year’s new growth?   What must we retain at all costs?   What for our own wellbeing and that of the world, could best be consigned to the flames?

Prebendary Gillean Craig

---

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/

---