We have a lot going on this month at St Nicholas Church, with various services in different styles.On Sunday 8th December 6 - 7pm, the invitation is to come to St Faith's Hall and 'Pray for Thaningon'.On Sunday 15th December, we start with Messy Christingle at 4pm, which is great for families with kids.Later that evening at 7pm, it's the more traditional Carols by Candlelight. This is a popular service with carols, bible readings, a Christmas message and prayers - all in an historic churhc building lit by candlelight.We're also holding carol services at a number of venues in the local community. including Lark View Care Home, Warren Lodge and St Faith's Hall (on New House Lane). Of these, the carol service at St Faith's Hall is open to all. It's on Wednesday 18th December at 6:30pm. You'll find it on New House Lane.Closer to Christmas, our Midnight Communion on Christmas Eve, starts on 11:15pm. It will be a quieter service leading up to the opportunity to share in the first communion of Christmas around midnight.Finally, on Christmas Day at 10am we will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, in a joyful service suitable for people of all ages.We look forward to welcoming you this Christmas!
If someone asked you what it’s like to be part of Thanington Parish Church, what would you say?Some of us home in on the warm welcome we have received or which we offer, or the sense of community which makes it feel like being part of a wider family. Others emphasise being connected to the past, through our historic church building and the faithful worship and service which has been offered here down the centuries. We can value the past and learn from the past, as for example we will do in our All Saints Day and Remembrance Sunday services this month. But we cannot live in the past.We can only live in the present. Right now we are a small but growing church, in a varied and changing parish with a growing population. St Nicholas is a listed building which requires some repairs, some improvements to the facilities and some redecoration, to help us offer a warm welcome. We are being encouraged to worship God wholeheartedly, to pray faithfully and to follow the way of Jesus in our everyday lives. We do all this with the help of God’s Spirit. We can’t do everything, but we do what we can with what we have, trusting God to bless and multiply what we offer.But we must also look to the future – God’s future. We pray ‘your kingdom come, your will be done.’ I believe that future involves the church growing in faith, hope and love; continuing to grow in number and grow younger (on average!); growing new leaders and new worshipping communities to share the love of God and serve the people of Thanington. We have tried to sum this up in a simple vision statement:We are Thanington Parish Church:A community of worship, welcome and witness to Christ, who are learning from the past, living in the present and looking to God’s future. If you're reading this and want to find out more or get involved, just get in touch for more info.Rev Nick White (vicar)
Come and pray for Thanington!We sense a growing call to join with other Christians, regardless of denomination, topray together for God's kingdom to come and God's will to be done in Thanington as in Heaven.We are inviting you to gather for an informal time of prayer on Sunday 8thSeptember from 6pm - 7pm, at St Faiths Hall, in New House Lane. This is acomfortable space which overlooks Thanington and the City of Canterbury. Ourintention is to make this a regular gathering on the second Sunday of every month.We all have other responsibilities too. Therefore, we will honour the timecommitment to pray together for 1 hour only, recognising that prayer will be ongoingin our personal lives and in our congregations.We hope you can join us. It would be encouraging to know if you plan to come. Butyou are also welcome to just turn up!For more details, contact Rev Christa Brodie-Levinsohn and Rev Nick WhiteThanington Parish Church.
Children are back to school this week, and we're inviting children and parents back to St Nicholas Church for Family Worship and Messy Church Thanington Family Worship, first Sunday of the month, at 4pm.Thanington Family Worship happens on the first Sunday of each month 4 - 5pm. It's a relaxed atmosphere, with contemporary worship music and some hands-on activities. We love to do life together and celebrate the highs and the lows through our prayers. We discuss with each other how the Bible relates to our lives today. Our theme at Family Worship for the next few months is 'relationships'. We'll be looking for wisdom to guide us in our different relationships - with family, with friends, with ourselves, with that 'special someone', with our community, with our world, and with God. We'll learn from the BIble and from one another. Family Worship is planned with parents and children in mind but is open to all. As with all our church services, there's no charge to come in but there is an opportunity to give to support the work of the church Thanington Messy Church - third Sunday of the month at 4pm.Messy Church happens on the third Sunday of each month and runs from 4 - 5:30pm. It's planned with families and primary aged children in mind but all are welcome. Some of the older children help with the activities. For the first 40 minutes or so, there's a free choice of activities spread out around the church. After that, we gather together at the front of the church for a short time - we praise God with a lively song or two; we share a bible story; and we pray. We finish by eating tea together.All are welcome and children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. There isn't a charge to come in but we welcome donations to help cover the costs.We look forward to welcoming you to Messy Church, to Family Worship, or to both !
