Weekly update – 11th August 2024

August is often seen as the “silly season” for news, when not much is happening and therefore slightly ridiculous stories seem to make the headlines and become 9-minute wonders. This doesn’t seem to be the case this year with the pockets of unrest happening throughout the country, the escalation of hostilities in both Gaza and Ukraine, the Presidential election in America and obviously the news stories that go with the Olympics happening a not too far away in Paris.

 

To a certain extent the same is generally true in the church, as regular clubs and fellowship groups take a break over the summer as people take the opportunity to go away, if they are able to. It’s good to have this opportunity to take a moment and re-calibrate, to think about and prioritise the things that we want to achieve once everything starts back again in September, so that we can return with renewed focus on living out and telling others of the Good News of Jesus.

 

It would be easy to be disheartened by the fact that we have so far, been unsuccessful in our recruitment process for a new priest-in-charge but that would be ignoring the many growth areas that there have been, not only at St Nics but also at St Paul’s, who we will continue to share a priest with, and for these we give thanks. Last Sunday we commissioned Gill Poole to be able to take Communion to those members of our congregation who are no longer able to get to church, this is in addition to Erika and her team who go into the care homes with the Anna Chaplaincy. Also an exciting new opportunity which has progressed over the last 6 weeks is St Nics being a placement church for the Future Youth project. This is an exciting new initiative for the Church of England and is a strand of the established Ministry Experience Scheme which enables young people (18-30) to have a (paid) year (as it says) to experience what it’s like to be (in this case) a Children’s & Youth minister working alongside and learning from those who are already practitioners. During this year they will then have the chance to learn practically and study and then discern if this is a future that is calling them. The position is mostly funded by Canterbury diocese and the national church with the placement parish making a reasonable contribution to this full-time post too, which our PCC has approved. This is such an exciting initiative to be part of as there are only 3 placements available as this is such a new scheme. What is more exciting is the fact that the position has been taken by one of our own young people who has been part of St Nics for a long time and has taken part in most of the children’s and youth activities that have been on offer here at St Nics! Faye Stone will take up her position as a fixed term Children & Youth Minister to work alongside me, and to enhance what we can offer, on September 1st, please pray for her in the year ahead. I feel that this is such a positive step that has come about, despite the fact that we are in an interregnum, it should fill us all with great hope for the future. As it says in Jeremiah

 

“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. ‘” — Jeremiah 29:11.

We need to remember this as we look ahead to our future.

 

Thank you to those who came and helped with the church & grounds clean and tidy up – a lot was achieved by a small number!

Also this week pray for the Mothers Union AFIA (away from it all) for disadvantaged families holiday, at Ashburnam Place with some of our members going along as helpers.

 

Fiona