October News from Churches Together in Kent

Churches Together in Chislehurst and Bickley have been making the most of Harvest Festival. In a very unusual move this group of ten churches have been asked by their local Famers Market to conduct a Harvest Festival service. Most of the churches in the group joined together at a luncthime on Sunday in a beautiful and creative combination of worship and mission. Check out their Facebook page for loads of photos. By the way, a Facebook page is a great way to communicate and link up in a light touch way. Do let me know if you have a Facebook page... then I can tell everyone else! Any other quirky experiments in mission or worship out there?!

DO NOT MISS THE TOOLBOX! The excellent conference, which attracts 100s of workers, is for all youth and children's workers from all denominations or none. It is organized by KEYCOG (the Kent Ecumenical Youth and Children's Officers group). There are many great seminars including... the spirituality of boys, forming a vision & strategy for your work, engaging children in their faith in a digital world ... and dozens more! More info here. What do fossil fuels have to do with poverty? Christian Aid explains in this great little video...The Big Shift... Watch the video, then check out the campaigning and church resources. You could win £5,000, £15,000, £20,000 or even better £25,000 to grow or bring to life a social initiative in the Christian Initiative Trust Awards 2015 (formerly Mustard Seed Awards). A Local Churches Together Group working together would be a great model.   Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2016. Resources are now available to download from the CTBI website. Harbour Bus Company will be running an excursion to Brogdale National Apple Festival on Saturday 17th October. The price including travel and entry will be £23 per person. Pick up points include Hythe, Folkestone, Dover, Hawkinge and Canterbury (subject to numbers). Excursions are designed to offer high quality and relaxed days out, facilitating perfect opportunities for Christians to invite along their friends for fellowship, fun and a small taste of the Kingdom. Contact Norman here or ring on 07905 560614. Please pray for the churches in Bromley as they prayerfully consider how to work more closely together over the autumn. Closer working will help the churches to speak as one voice to the local council & to communicate what is going on in the churches of Bromley more effectively. As this email 'goes to press' the Triennial National Conference of Churches Together in England has just come to an end. We have heard great acocunts of churches working together in mission in local partnerships, an emphasis on Orthodox and Pentecostal churches. Both churches showed an emphasis on the Spirit and a celebration of life in their own ways. There was a sense of needing embody the truth of our oneness in Christ. A great coming together. Canterbury Diocese has updated their very helpful toolkit to help churches of any denomination responding to the current refugee crisis. Take a look here...

Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any help at any time. I continue to be encouraged by the good work going on across Kent as Christians spread the good news of new life in Jesus Christ, across denominational boundaries. If you've received this email from someone else and would like to get it direct, click on 'update subscription preferences' below. Your servant in Christ, Chris Ruddle County Ecumenical Officer 07808 728670