Friday 21 December 2018

Happy Christmas!!!

Christmas is NOT about Santa, or decorating trees or giving cards & presents  ...  though those things are not bad. It certainly isn't about spending too much money, or eating & drinking too much. Christmas is one of three pivotal events in the Christian calendar and the essence of Christmas is the person of Jesus  -  it’s about the birth of the Christ-child. In the Gospel of John in the New Testament, Jesus says, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life”
Later in the same Gospel Jesus says, “if you hold to my teaching you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

Upcoming trips

Watch out for more information
regarding these Spring term trips ...

Tuesday 18 December 2018

FES Christmas Ball

Another great Christmas Ball  ...   A VERY BIG THANK YOU to Nicola & team, all the porters who helped, plus Erkan and his catering team.

Still awaiting the official photos, but here are a few to whet your appetite ...
ooooohhhh, scrumptious!!!




Thought for the week ...

Friday 14 December 2018

TABLEtalk Christmas Party

Another fun Christmas Party bites the dust. I wasn't quite on top form, but everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.






                        We certainly had a table laden with good food.

  

World Cafe Christmas

There were extra special goodies on offer at our World Cafe Christmas event this last Wednesday.






In addition we gave out 50 Christmas gift bags, which were very gratefully received by students.

Friday 7 December 2018

Some events this Christmas ...


This event on Christmas Eve will be a LOT of fun  ... 
with music, drama, food and a message of Christmas.
Do come along and support me as I sing in the choir
(for the first time)


Thursday 6 December 2018

Carols on Campus

Tuesday, Dec 4th, was our annual Campus Carols & Celebration in the St George's Centre.  



As always, scrumptious refreshments were on offer prior to the service.

This year we shaped our service around the fact that we are in the middle of Disability History Month.
In addition to our usual carols and readings we had a lovely lady, Karen, who signed everything for the deaf. Karen was wonderfully accommodating and easy to work alongside.
We also had the pleasure of inviting the Music Man Project to join us and sing one of their songs - 'Love Shine a Light'. Music Man is about education, enjoyment and performance for the learning disabled. Thank you Sarah & team for all that you added to our service.
My message for the season focused on LIGHT. Not in the scientific sense, “electromagnetic radiation within a certain portion of the electromagnetic spectrum”.  Nor simply the practical sense, “the brightness that let’s you see things.”  But light in a spiritual sense  ...

LIGHT as ILLUMINATION, as TRUTH  -  Illumination allows us a greater understanding of something. In English we use the idiom to ‘shed light on something    which is about giving or receiving greater clarity, increased understanding. It’s about a security in knowing what is true.
LIGHT as COMFORT  -  Not comfort in the sense of everything being easy, but a comfort that actually goes beyond human understanding. A comfort you can experience when all around you appears to be in turmoil.
LIGHT as HOPE  - 
Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    
they will walk and not be faint.
ISAIAH 40:28-31

There are many other people to thank  ...  Paul, from the St George's Centre, who is always so friendly and helpful.  Chris, who helped with all things techno and beyond my under-standing :-)  Arun, who played organ so beautifully as people were arriving, who sang and helped in different ways, despite it being his 21st birthday!!!  Aiste, who decorated the tree and managed to serve up 14 bottles of mulled fruit punch!!!  Last, but not least, thanks to Lorraine from Medway Foodbank, who played piano, kept me calm, and was able to tell people more about the work of Foodbank - an unbelievably, worthy, local cause.  A ministry that has helped some of our Medway students who have found themselves in financial crisis.