Over the decades, many local people have walked through the lychgate of St Nicholas Church to worship, to baptisms and christenings, to weddings and funerals. I'm told that, in years gone by, the lychgate has also provided shelter to young people on many a wet evening. Maybe you were one of those many people? However, this historic lychgate now needs significant repairs and the best estimate puts the cost at over £10,000 ! To help raise funds, Rev Nick White and his son put their best feet forward and did a sponsored walk around the many different churches in Canterbury as part of the Ride and Stride for Churches event in Kent. the Ride and Stride for Churches sponsored walk. It's going to take a lot more than a sponsored walk to raise the money, but as the proverb says, "Every journey starts with a single step". The walk was in aid of Friends of Kent Churches, a charity which supports the repair and maintenance of historic church buildings in Kent. 50% of the money raised by Nick White will go to St Nicholas, Thanington. The other half will go to the churches in Kent which are most in need of support. Thanington Parish Church can also apply for a grant from Friends of Kent Churches. It's not too late to sponsor me. You can donate to my JustGiving page by clicking on this link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Nick-White41?utm_source=Sharethis&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=Nick-White41&utm_campaign=pfp-email&utm_term=425e9c9f22da4fb58bde0e40cdef51a1.Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.Or, if you prefer, go to our giving page on this website, which explains various ways you can make a donation direct to Thanington Parish Church. https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/11928/page/78331/view/Thanks for your support!
The bells are ringing againOn Easter Sunday morning, the bells of St Nicholas Church could be heard in Thanington for the first time since the covid pandemic began. And after a lot of hard work cleaning the bell tower, the bells will start ringing again each week.I wonder if you heard the bells? I wonder what that sound means to you? Perhaps it brings back memories. Perhaps it makes a connection with the past. Perhaps it reminds you that the church is still here for the people of Thanington now.Of course, there was a time when ringing church bells were the latest technology, a new way to send out the message to everybody in the surrounding area, sending a simple message: "It's time to gather for worship". And, for at least one person I met on Easter Sunday, it was the sound of the church bells that encouraged them to come to church. Bells could sometimes be a warning of danger (like the old fire engine bells). But the ringing of bells could also be a celebration of good news - wedding bells for example. When you hear the bells in Thanington on Sunday morning, I hope it will remind you of three things: 1. the church is here for you2. the heart of the Christian faith is good news of God's love for us all3. you are invited and you are welcome at St Nicholas Church.Bell-ringing restarts this summer. The bell-ringers practice on Tuesday evenings and then ring on Sunday mornings before the church service. If you are interested, click on "Get in touch" and send us a message.
Hi,I'm Nick White and I'm the new vicar of St Nicholas & St Faith, Thanington. I also have another role, to encourage and enabling the Anglican churches in Canterbury in their ministry to the many housing estates (both existing estates and new developments). I've just moved down from a town in the north-west of England. I'm not actually from "up north". I've moved around a bit and for a chunk of my adult life I lived in the Medway Towns, where I met my wife and started a family. So I know Kent a bit. I've been called many things during my life. When I was at school I was "Chalky" - that was when teachers wrote on the board with chalk! When I was a student I worked in a hotel kitchen one summer and the chefs used to call me "The Teacher" because we used to get into deep conversations about life and faith across the kitchen. When I was a secondary school teacher I got nicknamed "Smiley Joe" by some of the students. When i was a youth and children's worker, the after school club kids started calling me "Mr. Nick" and it just stuck. Since I became a vicar, people have addressed me in different ways: in my last post there were a lot of Catholics in the town, so people would sometimes say "Morning Father" as they walked past. On the other hand, when I was doing a funeral it was quite formal, Reverend White. If I was helping at a youth club, or watching my son playing football, or bantering with people in the pub, it wasn't unusual to be introduced as "Nick the Vic".Jesus was called many different things by different people. For example, "Rabbi" (a Jewish religious teacher), "Christ", "Saviour", "Son of God", "King of the Jews", "my Lord and my God", "Emmanuel" (meaning God with Us). Jesus described himself as "the light of the world", "the bread of life", "the good shepherd", "the way, the truth and the life".Together, these names speak of Jesus as one who comes from heaven to earth to be with us ... ... To reveal and teach what God is like ... To rescue people from the selfishness which has infected and damaged the human race ... To redirect and lead people in a way that leads to life in all its fulness... To renew and restore the world, one person at a time. If you are looking for a better way through life, why not give Jesus a try? I did and it was the best decision I ever made. If you're interested, I'd love to chat more about that.So, if you see me around, say hello. Or send me a message. I'd love to chat with you.
