March News from Churches Together in Kent

Is your church an eco-church? Claim your award.., Celebrating the Queen's 90th with HOPE, Women's World Day of Prayer, gearing up for Easter outreach...

Tomorrow is the Women's World Day of Prayer. We come together to celebrate with the womrn of Cuba. The international committee writes, "The Christian women from Cuba gave us an invitation to learn from each generation their own gift, to put children at the centre of God's kingdom, and to hear Jesus' call to be that child." Read more here.

It's just two days to go til the Annual Forum of Churches Together in Kent. Hope your local area is represented. There's still time... just! Book now!   Her Majesty the Queen celebrates her 90th birthday this year. She has written a foreward to a book published by the HOPE organizaton called "The servant queen and the King she serves."  Follow this link to ideas from Premier Christian Radio for celebrating with your community, or this link to HOPE and the booklet. An Easter video reflection. The prayer is below. Great ecumenical prayer site here. "Eco-church is a new joint project between Christian Aid and the eco-charity A Rocha, the Methodist Church and the Church of England. See if your church could qualify for an Eco-Church award. Take the survey... Many churches together groups have packed up their homeless shelters for the winter. I was just wondering whether those organizing winter shelters acoss the county are aware of each other and would value meeting up. If you would, let me know and I'll put you together. Email your County Ecumenical Officer here... Churches Together in England have just accepted their newest member: the UK World Evangelsim Trust. For a full list of member churches of CTE, click here. This can be very helpful to a Local Churches Together Group as they make decisions about who to partner with locally, New Pro-Forma Constitution for Local Groups In order for relationships to thrive between churches, for mission and worship to be done together, it is sometimes helpful to have some common understanding of commitments to one another and a framework for our common life. Churches Together in England offers to local groups of churches this all-new pro-forma constitution. It is intended to be permissive, not restrictive. Let the County Ecumenical Officer (Chris) know if you'd like any advice in this area. Email or ring me on 07808 728670. In conjunction with the Bridport Arts Society, Churches Together in Bridport and District plan to display fourteen 'Stations of the Cross' at various locations throughout the town of Bridport and West Bay in West Dorset this coming Holy Week and Easter. There must be good things going on in Kent this Easter! Email me your stories of your ecumenical Easter celebrations and I'll share them next month... 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. The presidents of Churches Together in England have released a joint statement as we reflect on how relationships have changed in that time. Read it here.

Love overcame Emerging from a cold tomb All the truth, majesty and creativity of a living God Transforming a broken heart Making a quiet return, in a still and sorrowful garden The grave stone rolled away, to release redemptive love Jesus resurrected and restored Comforts a weeping woman Speaks with travellers on a journey Meets with his faithful friends And they bow down before Christ alive And acknowledged that the saviour has arrived That the word of God has come alive And that the extraordinary transformation of heaven and earth Is complete   "Love Overcame" copyright © 2014 Julie Palmer