Rev Chris update for 22nd May

Katie is away on holiday this week so this mailing doesn’t come with her usual wizardry of making it look nice, but she will be back next week!
The Platinum Jubilee celebrations draw ever closer and please do keep an eye on our diary and events to see what is going on. In the meantime, we have Messy Church this Saturday, at 3pm, and if you would like to come along, please contact Fiona, our Children’s, Families & Schools Minster (fionahiggs@hotmail.co.uk 07951777854).
Messy Church is a way of being ‘church’ for families, and others, that is for all ages and based on creativity, hospitality, and celebration. We have been offering this form of ‘church’ at St Nicholas for some years now, but this national initiative started in 2004 when a group at a church near Portsmouth became frustrated because, as a church, they felt they were hardly reaching children with God’s story and didn’t offer anything that really gripped the imagination of local families. By 2019 there were more than 2800 Messy Churches registered in England, but Messy has also spread across the world and is run in other European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA, and South America. That’s quite something from small beginnings and sees the words of Jesus come to life;
“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
MATTHEW 17:20

“What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
MARK 4:30-32

On a change of subject let me thank those that have been working to have our flagpole refurbished and new flags obtained. This has involved fund raising from individuals, and we are thankful for that, but we must also thank our local councillor, Cynthia Robertson, who helped us obtain a KCC grant for the sum of £300. The refurbished flag pole and flags will be dedicated at the 10am Jubilee Service on Sunday 5th June.

Messy blessings,
Rev Chris