Tag: Eco church

Spring

Just to let you know there are some free books to take to read.

Walking around Holt you might notice lots of coloured hearts hanging on doors and gates

They look really lovely and reminds us of Gods love  and community  spirit .

Also as we walk around or look out our windows in to the garden, we see hope of new life as the bulbs and buds start bursting into colour and flowers starting to appear on trees.

This reminded me of the verse

Mathew 6:25

“Do not worry about about your life, what you will eat and drink or about your body, what to wear.

is life more than food, and the body more than clothes?”

It’s so easy to be consumed by fear and anxiety especially at the moment when we have been  in a unexpected difficult situation .

Its so easy for our roots to be pulled out and blown about in the wind and leave us anxious and wondering how we are going to cope financially or deal with family ,illness fear of loneliness what the future brings

But as we plant our roots and let them grow deeper  with God and our foundations become stronger we will see that God is faithful he is our provider and as we rest and wait in his timing you will see your prayers being answered .

                 

I found this song which was written by Ellie Holcomb hope you enjoy reading or listening to it on you tube to !

“Do Not Worry”
(Matthew 6:25-34)

See the birds who are singing in the spring air?
They’re given everything they need
They don’t worry where their next meal will come from
They don’t worry ’bout a thingSo just, look around you and try to listen to
The song creation sings
And don’t you worry cause you’re in the hands
Of the God who made everythingSee the flowers in their colorful beauty
They’re dressed better than a king
They don’t worry about what they should wear, no
They don’t worry ’bout a thingSo just, look around you and try to listen to
The song creation sings
And don’t you worry cause you’re in the hands
Of the God who made everything

Because you’re not a bird and you’re not a flower
You don’t have petals or wings
But there is good news, you’re worth so much more
To the God who made everything

So when you worry ’bout today or tomorrow
And the storms that they might bring
Try to remember that you’re in the hands
Of the God who made everything

So just, look around you and try to listen to
The song creation sings
And don’t you worry cause you’re in the hands
Of the God who made everything

 

A few ways to help you grow deeper in your faith

Identify places in your life which you need Jesus the most

Get involved in a bible study or small group ie ALPHA course

Find at least one blessing from God every day

Find a friend, relative, or church in which you can talk about God or scripture to help you through life’s problems

Pick up and turn to the scriptures

As always please contact church or access the website if you are in need and support there will always be someone there to support and listen and advice .

If anyone has anything to share, or any pictures to go what I have written I would love to here from you.

Enjoy watching the environment turn into spring over the next month !

 

 

 

 


Youth and children’s pastor – job advert

We are looking for a part-time youth and children’s pastor to join our team. Someone who is passionate about developing children’s and youth work within St Katharine’s Church, Holt, Wiltshire and the wider community, and who will build on the excellent work already developed with children and young people.

This is a key role within the life of the church, and is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and passionate youth and children’s pastor to re-start our youth group and develop outreach. The role will equally cover developing the children’s ministry within the church, working with a team of volunteers. You will be a motivated leader who can develop, lead and inspire this team of volunteers. The team is passionate about encouraging children and young people to come to faith, to grow and develop their faith and to share the good news about Jesus.

Recognising that churches have become particularly dependent on links through technology in recent months, it is expected the appointee will have a good working knowledge of on-line technology, social media and digital communications.

The deadline for applications is 26 March 2021

Interviews will be held on 10 April 2021 (although there could be flexibility around this date)

The successful candidate will encourage active participation of children, young people and families in the life and work of St Katharine’s Church and take lead responsibility for organising youth and children’s work, particularly on Sunday mornings and through weekly activities for young people.

Our young people have asked for:

  • “someone who can bring back Friday night Sky 1 as I enjoyed the fun I had there with my friends”
  • “someone interesting and easy to talk to”

The successful children and youth pastor will:

ensure that a youth programme is delivered – this is at minimum Friday nights, but may also include some provision on Sunday mornings.

seek to disciple children and young people into personal relationships with God, in both larger groups and smaller relational settings.

shape a strategy to reach young families in the area, and help them meet Jesus and connect with the church.

seek to grow the children’s and youth ministry by creating attractive and compelling environments to which they can invite their not-yet Christian friends.

Part-time post (0.5 fte – 18.5 hours per week) £22,000 pro rata per annum. Initially for two years.

Start date: As soon as possible after the interview date

It is an occupational requirement that the post holder be a practising Christian.

Requirement for a Disclosure and Barring Service Check

St Katharine’s church is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and considers that their safety and wellbeing is of paramount importance.

The role of Youth and Children’s Pastor will be subject to a safer recruitment process and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check because of the significant and unsupervised contact with children.  This role will also require a Barred List Check as the position constitutes Regulated Activity.

For an application pack please contact Lucy Waterman (PA to the Rector) at the Benefice office.

Email: united.benefice@outlook.com   Phone: 01225 782717

 

 


Outdoor Church @ St K’s

At St Katharine’s we have been making much more use of our churchyard area to have our all age services, Eco church and Covid safe children’s groups.

Our first outdoor St K’s Together was a day that poured with rain but in this case, rain didn’t stop play! Adults and children all gathered around the campfire…. physically distanced but socially connected….as we celebrated being back together again.

With marshmallows toasting and the fire pit burning, we truly felt connected across the age groups.

Inside the church, similar groups worked on craft projects (physically apart but socially linked!) Using clay and chatting about a wide range of topics, there were times of prayer, laughter and a sense of being the church family together.

Our monthly Eco Church session involved using a Kelly Kettle to provide hot drinks. What a revelation! If you’ve never seen one it’s a real mystery until you know how it works! You’ll have to come along and find out! During this session we had great fun moving leaf mulch from the churchyard to the Coach House to plant daffodils in pots. Meanwhile, another group worked hard to rake the grass in the wildflower areas of the churchyard. Yellow rattle seeds were planted ready for wildflower planting in the Spring.

We are seeking to hear the Holy Spirit in these times and bring scriptural truths naturally into our conversations.  The planting of daffodil bulbs led easily to chatting about how prayers can seem to be unanswered but often God is working in unseen ways.

Looking at the amazing fungus on the decaying tree stumps covered how God has the most efficient recycling system, and His desire for us to care for Creation.

Perhaps most importantly of all, this new way of being church – having fun and even getting soaked – spoke to us all of connection and relationship. Connection with our heavenly Father who loves and delights in us. Relationship with each other, working together, being together, sharing together.  This new way of doing church has revealed again something important….WE… the people…are the church.

 


Eco-church news

SONY DSC

I have heard the last months described as the Corona-Coaster: a good description I feel for all of us as we have experienced the ups and downs, twists and turns of our daily lives. For me the one constant was the nurturing I felt within God’s Creation as the seasons unfolded and the grey turned to green, burgeoning with life. We met so many other folk out and about immersing themselves in our wonderful surrounding countryside and there was much talk about this sometimes new-found appreciation continuing and being a positive move in caring for God’s earth. Then the cork burst from the bottle and hoards of people not used to visiting our countryside and beaches came and left their litter with no thoughts of leaving the place as they found it. Now there is a new scourge of discarded blue plastic PPE.

Where does this leave us and what is our role in this connection as Christians in this community?

Over the last couple of years we have managed to gain a bronze Eco Church award. One area of focus is Lifestyle; how has ours been? While we are spending less time in church perhaps this is where our focus should be.

 

In our still accessible grounds at St. Katharine’s we are making strides towards creating a more diverse area for wildlife in the lower churchyard. Chris Flannery and I have been popping down between the heat and rain to dig out the current rough vegetation which Anthony has now mown off. We have promises of a little help but could do with some more so we can be ready to sow wild flowers seeds in the autumn. Thank you to Alan and Joan Cottle for a little garden bench which will soon be ready. We want to create space for anyone to find peace for prayer and contemplation and where they can feel at one with nature.

 

September is the church’s season of Creationtide. As nature around us changes again from summer to autumn, plants produce seed, swallows fly back to warmer climes and animals prepare for winter why not use the time to contemplate God’s role for you in caring for his creation.

 

If you would like to join our gardening team, share your efforts or take a role in furthering this cause please get in contact via Lucy in the office. We look forward eagerly to hearing from you.

Jane Scheuber


Coach House Garden update

As autumn approaches we see signs of the changing season, colour coming in the acer leaves and cooler mornings with quite heavy dew on some occasions.  Some of you will have in your own gardens, the stately spires of Acanthus Spinosus or to give it its common name bear’s breeches. It has been noted that bumble bees get trapped once they have entered the flowers and cannot retreat leading to their demise, with this in mind we cut down the flowering spikes a while ago and this autumn plan to eradicate the plants from where they have been spreading at an alarming rate. The phrase ‘garden thug’ comes to mind. We must protect our bees at all costs.

 

Meanwhile general tidying carries on along with bird feeding. There were some beautiful orange berries on the honeysuckle near the front door recently and I had planned to take a photo on our next visit, however they had all been gobbled up by the blackbirds!

There is a walnut tree surplus to requirements kindly planted in the wrong place by a squirrel, would anyone like to have it later in the season? We continue to enjoy the privilege of this peaceful outdoor space for which we give thanks. Happy gardening…best regards from Lynnette and Arthur