Dear Friends in the parish and beyond
Along with many, many churches throughout the country, we are organising special services for Back to Church Sunday on 25th September. In fact we are planning a weekend rather than just a Sunday as "The Friends" are holding another jazz concert in the church on the Saturday evening.
In the past few weeks a couple of people have told me how much they have appreciated coming back to church. They had decided for different reasons that they preferred to be Christians on their own, but then decided to come back to church and had found how much it had helped them; it had given them a family, company, encouragement and a Christian challenge. After all, unless we are challenged in our attitudes and beliefs, we can easily become stale, unquestioning or set in our own ways. I find that when somebody says something completely different about their faith from what I believe, it may be daunting at first, but then, it's immensely stimulating. I have to work out whether I agree with them or not, and why. That's how we grow as Christians. No wonder Jesus said that we need each other.
Do come along to the concert and then on the Sunday, and do bring others with you!
with best wishes
Chris
In : Vicar's Monthly Letters
I'm originally from Zimbabwe and taught for a few years in South Africa after coming to university in the UK. After university I went off to teach English in Paraguay, with the South American Missionary Society. I had a great three years there and met and married Kathy in 1985. Kathy is British but was working as a missionary at the same school. Our daughter Joy was born there, in Asuncion. Then we went off to Spain for a couple of years, again working with the church, and our son, Patrick, was born there, in Alicante. After all my Missionary work, I was ordained in England in 1992, and we have been in Aylesford for four years.
