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)