As a church we support UCCF who work among the students at the universities in Canterbury. This happens through weekly Christian Union meetings and regular outreach events.
“I have the joy of being the UCCF Staff Worker for Canterbury, working with Kent and Christ Church Christian Unions. CUs are student led and my role it to encourage, support, and equip CUs to be effective in reaching their campuses with the Good News of Jesus Christ.” Elliot Curryer
The Canterbury Christian Schools’ Work Trust provides Christian Schools Workers to resource primary and secondary schools in Canterbury, Faversham, Herne Bay and Whitstable. CCSWT was established in 1984 to enable 2 volunteers to go into primary and secondary schools. Since then the Trust has seen several workers expand the organisation in the way we resource schools and in trust development.
We are supported by local churches and individuals which enables our resources to be offered free to schools.
At present, CCSWT employs Louise Mills and Nadia Power for work in secondary schools and Katy Burney for primary schools’ work.
The broad aim of the organisation is to take Jesus into schools by providing Christian resources, a Christian presence, and by serving schools as God provides opportunity.
Currently our activities in school include providing Collective Worship and Prayer Spaces, 1:1 mentoring and Group Work focused on promoting wellbeing, lunch clubs and support for Christian Unions.
I am currently serving at the YWAM Ships Campus in Kona Hawaii, where we are here to grow a bigger team and train further to pioneer back into the city of Canterbury in the UK. I and a small team are working on the Discipleship Training School here and will be bringing teams to the UK, in the hope that people will join us long term to pioneer. The vision is to see a YWAM community in Canterbury where young people can be trained and where we can serve and join in with what God is already doing in the area through other ministries and the local church and also to see a retreat center where women in Leadership can come and be restored by the sea, in a nearby town.
Please do join us in praying for properties for this vision and the right way forward for us and if you would like to partner more in any way then please do let me know.
Thanks and Blessings
Georgie
As a church we support the work of Friends International, who work among the international student community in Canterbury. We also support the weekly Global Cafe, volleyball, English classes, Bible studies, trips and annual Canterbury Summer International Outreach (CSIO) run by Friends International. The staff worker here is Baiba Strause-Kalmere, who is supported by 3 Reach interns and Friends International Branch committee lead by Richard Barrett. If you have any questions or if you would like to get involved or support the international student ministry, please, contact Baiba.Strause-Kalmere@friendsinternational.uk
Update March 2023
As a church we support the work of Friends International, who work among the international
student community in Canterbury. We also support the weekly Global Cafe, volleyball,
English classes, Bible studies, trips and annual Canterbury Summer International Outreach
(CSIO) run by Friends International. The staff worker here is Baiba Strause-Kalmere and a new staff worker Matthew Archer with a particular focus to work with refugee students and Muslim communities and intern Mai Honda (Japan) and Friends International Branch committee lead by Ka Lusk. If you have any questions or if you would like to get involved or support the
international student ministry, please, contact Baiba.Strause-Kalmere@friendsinternational.uk
Please pray for:
• Recruitment of more members for FI Branch development group – we need a rep from SMB to join the committee that meet once in 2-3 months, who has a passion for cross-cultural mission work;
• Recruitment of for Reach discipleship year students for next year!
• Pray for our weekly events and especially weekly evangelistic Bible study with a meal in a British home
• Planning for annual Canterbury Summer International Outreach based at SMB premises – dates TBC! We are currently recruiting local volunteers who could provide B & B for week or two for outreach team members, people to bake cakes, lend bikes, sponsor a team member.
Time Out is a local Christian charity currently based at Spring Lane Neighbourhood Centre, from where it reaches out to those on the Spring Lane estate, across the city and beyond. Every Tuesday it runs a community café (Route 23) and in term time, Open House Lunch Club.
Time Out aims to reach out to those in need by offering friendship, inspiration, life skills and most importantly hope.
Recently a Mother and Baby group has been set up. It is run by a midwife and volunteers.
Please pray for: More volunteers to be a ‘friendly presence’ at the café and lunch club, financial funding, increased support from local churches, and favour from the council.
