Author: Jeremy Clarke

Natter Club in January – Visit from a Wildlife Photographer

We’re very pleased to announce that Derek Henderson will visit The Natter Club in January, to tell his story about how he became a wildlife photographer. Natter Club will be back in the New Year on 15th January from 2pm until 6pm, and Ruth Garner is running a Creative Corner for Children from 4.30pm onwards. Tea and cakes all afternoon, and everyone is welcome. Entrance is £1.00. Our final Natter Club for 2014 is on Thursday 18th December, from 2pm until 6pm. Come and join us for Carol Singing, a Christmas Quiz, sausage rolls and Christmas treats.

Introducing our Holy Week guest from Yorkshire

A special guest, who is a monk, will be joining us for Holy Week. Fr. Dennis Berk, who originally hails from “across the pond,” moved over to this side of the Atlantic Ocean five years ago. Born in the United States, he then went to Canada where he studied at the University of Toronto and took his degree in theology from Trinity College in that city. Ordained in the Anglican Church of Canada in 1990, he served his title in the Diocese of Ontario followed by several more years of parish ministry there after his curacy. Eventually he returned to his natal land of the United States where he was engaged in parish ministry until he relocated to Mirfield, in West Yorkshire, in 2010 when he joined the Community of the Resurrection. Previously he’d been associated with these Anglican monks for nine years as an oblate, having first met them in 2001 when he was living in the U.K. as a graduate student in Oxford. Fr. Dennis serves as the Guest Brother of CR and he enjoys offering monastic [Read more...]

The Sanctity of Human Life

We thought it might be good to initiate discussion on ethical issues from time to time and so I am starting this off with some thoughts on what has become known as Assisted Dying. A Christian approach to this subject must begin from our belief that all life in some way or other ultimately derives from the work of God in creation. For those of us who are quite happy to embrace a Darwinian approach in terms of natural selection as to how this actually came about, we nonetheless understand that God is the unmoved mover and the mind behind the creation of the universe. A scientific explanation of creation tells us how this took place, but a theological explanation tries to account for why it happened and to supply us with some overarching meaning and purpose behind these events. This kind of explanation sees creation as the product of God's unconditional love and his desire to share that love with others, because quite simply, love is only truly love when it is shared with others and when [Read more...]

All Souls Evensong – Commemorating the recently Departed

All Souls Evensong commemorating the recently Departed. On Sunday 9th November at 6.00pm, we will be holding our annual All Souls Evensong at All Saints, Kempston, during which we will be commemorating all those who have died in the past year from both parishes. We will be writing to all the next of kin of those whose funerals we have conducted over the last year, but if you have someone that you would like remembered at this service, please do come along and let us know the name of the loved one you want to be included in the prayers. Stephen

Cluster Quiet Day

We will be holding a Quiet Day for all the churches of the cluster, including All Saints, on Saturday 11th October from 10.00am until 4.00pm at All Saints Church Hall, Kempston, led by the Revd Gareth Parry, Chaplain of Oswestry School. The cost is £2 and it involves a Bring and Share lunch. All are welcome. Please sign the list in church if you would like to come. Stephen

Colour Workers helping the RSPCA

Our All Saints Colour Workers have been hard at work helping the RSPCA at Milton Ernest Garden Centre. As a result, they have been asked to provide their fantastic face painting service at the upcoming Wildlife Festival in September, back at Milton Ernest Garden Centre!