August news from the Church Support Hub

Quiet time to read and plan Welcome to the August edition of Church Support Hub News and Updates.

Letting Families Know Families in your parish may be wondering about having a child baptised at a christening, but they may not be sure where to ask. Simply putting up a poster outside your church lets families know you are there to help. A poster is now available which you can customise with your details. See Poster New Banners & Buttons New banners and buttons are now available for download from the Church Support Hub - you can use these as eye-catching graphics on your church website to link to helpful parts of the Christenings, Weddings and Funerals websites: See Banners & Buttons Why do the Occasional Offices Matter? The occasional offices provide a huge opportunity for mission with ‘warm contacts’. Read Sandra Millar’s article to be reminded of the statistics that show just how big the opportunity is for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the occasional offices. Read Article Tell Your Friends If you’ve been to one of our day conferences on baptism or funerals, you may want to tell friends in other dioceses of events coming up this Autumn. The team will be in Peterborough, Lichfield, Oxford, Durham, Truro and even Wales – to name a few. See the full list here (and don’t forget the Weddings event in November). See all Events

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August News from Churches Together in Kent

Kent Workplace Mission is run ecumenically by a dedicated group of Christians who are committed to living out Christian discipleship in the workplace. The charity provides chaplains in the workplace to help people who don't normally go to church to explore the spiritual side of life. Hear some of the stories from those who receive ministry from chaplains across Kent. For more information about KWM, or to request a speaker, visit the website. Here is a joint statement from the Presidents of Churches Together in England, following the murder of Fr Jacques Hamel in Rouen. Here is also a statement and advice regarding security of churches from the deputy commissioner of police.   Various church leaders have offered responses and theological reflections following on from the European Union referendum. Read some of them here . Porchlight is a Kent-based charity supporting around 5000 homeless and vulnerable people a year. we work closely with several of the church based winter shelters supported by churches. We would love to visit your church and give a talk at one of your services to let you know more about our work and the people we support in your local area. To arrange this, please email Kate Boulding, Community Fundraising Officer, at kateboulding@porchlight.org.uk Ride and Stride is almost upon us. Friends of Kent Churches gives grants for the upkeep of churches buildings of historic interest. You can raise money for your local church fabric too. Just by riding your bike around Kent and enjoying a late summer's day.  Ride and Stride will be on Saturday 10th September. Sign up here, either as a church or as a cyclist! Starting University? Youth from your church looking to connect? There are two Christian organizations working in UK universities, who offer opportunities to connect. Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship and the Student Christian Movement. Domenica Pecararo is the new Kent Refugee Project Officer for the Canterbury Diocese. She is to be a key person in the churches' response to refugee issues in the county: from unaccompanied minors, through issues with folk coming in through the port of Dover, to our interaction with the Jungle around Calais. Read the Church Times interview here. Domenica doesn't start until September, but any messages for her can be sent to the Diocesan Communities anad Partnership team. Change the Story.   Today, one in every 113 people in the world is a refugee.  We want to tell a story that upholds those escaping injustice and war, and that celebrates those who offer a welcome.  We believe we are all created equal with the image of God within us. We stand for a UK that refuses to turn a blind eye to the suffering of people seeking sanctuary. Join us in changing the story around refugees: write to your local newspaper and tell them that refugees deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion. Germinate! is a conference of the Rural Group of Churches Together in England. Much of Kent is quite rural, outside the main towns. If you are involved in rural ministry, this one day conference might well be of interest to you. Happening on 15th October. There is a more intensive programme for those involved in leading rural churches. Please pass the email on to others who may be interested.   The Joint Public Issues Team, representing the Baptist Union, Methodist, URC, Quakers and Church of Scotland are asking people to write to their MPs to voice their opposition to Trident, saying it is unwarranted and unethical. More info here. Next year is the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Will you mark this in your community? Churches Together in Kent will be holding a commemoration of the events of the Reformation, together with a celebration of our common life, some time in 2017. Watch this space...   Chris Ruddle, the County Ecumenical Officer for Kent who usually puts together this email, will be on sabbatical leave from 7th August to 7th November. In his absence if you have any enquiries for Churches Together in Kent, please direct them to Canon  Caroline Pinchbeck. If your enquiry is about the Newspoint email, please send to Jennifer Ross. With grateful thanks to the Canterbury Diocese for plugging the gap during the sabbatical. I would value your prayers for this time of rest and reflection. See you in November! Chris.