News in brief...
- Check
for their 'most wanted' page -
Joyful news! (and boy, do we need some)
The Interregnum now has an expiry date, and the Bishop's Office has released the following statement:
‘We are pleased to announce that the Reverend Karen Reeves, currently Lead hospital chaplain in Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust, has been appointed to the post of Priest in Charge of the St Margaret’s-at-Cliffe Benefice. This appointment is subject to a DBS clearance. The licensing service will be on 17th March 2021 and will comply with government guidelines for social distancing restrictions at the time.’
- December update can be found here.
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The Saturday Service Portrait Project paper is now availablein the church porch:
Looking Out...
Sunshine! Snowdrops! Crocuses! and haven't those afternoons got that bit longer recently. The garden birds are pretty much like teenagers right now, needing constant feeding, but it is rather lovely after the gloominess of December and January.
Get those jabs in your arms... we still need to be mindful of the hands/face/space requirements, but this will make a huge difference. God gave us brains for a reason, and they've certainly showed us what an incredible capacity for research and innovation we have.
We still need to do all we can, as a caring society, to minimise the spread of this disease, but we can really champion the hope that we will get through this. Stay safe and if you are in need of anything, even if it's just a chat, get in touch with us or the St Margaret's Hub and we will find someone who can help.
Churches can remain open for services, but see schedule
All the usual hands/face/space stuff applies.
80 bags! Dover Food Bank were extremely grateful for your donations - as they always are, but at this time, as more and more families find themselves pushed to the edge, they are even more important. Please have a think when you are next shopping and maybe add an extra tin or two to the trolley. The collection box is in St Margaret's church porch ready and waiting to be filled with your generocity and love.
The world's worst humanitarian crisis is happening the Yemen - war, famine, aid supplies stopped because of Covid-19 border closures, a healthcare system collapsed with the added pressure of coronavirus. UNICEF and other international aid organisations are striving to intervene in this catastrophe. If you've saved a few pounds a week from not being able to get that coffee, maybe you could find a charity that would really appreciate it right now?
28,000 people - Councils report nearly 5 times as many rough sleepers in 2018 than the official government figures, as a Freedom of Information request from the councils discovered. The government pledge to "fight the scourge of homelessness". How about we fight the scourge of the causes of homelessness, and maybe that would make a difference? Sweeping people off the streets doesn't solve the problem, it takes it from under our noses - the BBC have a pertinent report on their website right now, you can find it if you click here.
1.6million food parcels issued by Trussell Trust Food Banks in 2018 - that's up from 41,000 in 2010. I'll just let that sink in.
Saw this... 
...thought it was kind of lovely.