Parish Safeguarding - Statement

Like all Church of England churches, safeguarding and safer recruitment are paramount.  The PCC are committed to ensuring that our church and hall are safe places for all who use them. For more detailed information and guidance click the Parish Safeguarding Handbook  or visit   https://www.rochester.anglican.org  and click on safeguarding. Produced by the National Safeguarding Team, it is a comprehensive guide, summarising the key areas a parish needs to address with regards to safeguarding.

Parish Safeguarding - Past Review

If you are concerned about something you have experienced in a church, now or in the past, or you are worried  about another person - perhaps a vulnerable adult or a child – there are people you can talk to and you will be taken seriously. You can contact the Diocese of Rochester’s Safeguarding team on 01634 560 000 or visit their webpage Click to read more

One of the Sacred Spaces created by the congregation at St James

See more sacred spaces....

Rev’d Ren writes-

TEAM RECTOR’S LETTER MARCH 2021

One of the delights of St James Church, North Cray is its lovely setting in a dip leading down to the Footscray Meadows. The church and churchyard are beautiful in every season of the year, but particularly well-beloved in the spring, with the trees in blossom and the bank of primroses in flower, a carpet of the palest yellow seeming to glow amongst the gravestones. To me it is always a sign of new life, this juxtaposition of fresh spring flowers and the gravestones which remind us of our own mortality.

Contained within those pale flowers is the abiding Easter message of Christ’s victory over death, despair and hatred. This year particularly, where we have lived for twelve months with the limitations and losses of the pandemic, these signs of spring seem the more welcome and the more poignant.

The Government have recently announced the so-called ‘road-map’ towards some kind of return to normality. Let us hope and pray that this is effective. But while we look with hope to the future, we cannot just wipe this last year from our memories.

For many of us there will be a remembering with sadness, the loss of a loved one, the sense of grief at enforced separations in those times when we need human contact the most, the loss of job or health or livelihood.

There is a remembering with thankfulness too, those who have supported us, and the many acts of kindness shown, the word of encouragement, the shared concern for the well-being of others. I believe that all of us in different ways will now need a time of recovery and healing. So may I encourage you to notice afresh the God-given beauty of the natural world and allow its beauty, and the love of its Creator minister to your wounded soul.

Reverend Ren Harding (Team Rector)

contact me at Joydens Wood Vicarage,

6 Tile Kiln Lane, Joydens Wood, Bexley, DA5 2BB  

01322-528923                         renharding@hotmail.co.uk

I am pleased (and slightly shocked!) to have been invited by Bishop James to accept appointment as an Honorary Canon at Rochester Cathedral, one of four others appointed in the present round.Read the full article here

Bexley Womens Aid - We were happy to help out with donations at Christmas

In December we had our usual Toy service where we collected donations for Bexley Womens Aid. It wasn’t our usual service due to Covid restrictions but as usual the people of North Cray came up trumps!

We contacted Womens Aid before the service, and asked if they had any particular requests for the children this year. They asked for chocolate selection boxes and sweets and small toys. The word soon went around and we had many generous donations.

As we reach the terrible milestone of 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, we invite everyone in our nation to pause as we reflect on the enormity of this pandemic. Read the Archbishops' letter here 

Bexley Team Ministry - Clergy Contact Details.

View them here.....

Bexley Team Children's Church

This year we want to offer our families a weekly Bexley Team Children's Church.

The link to the material can be viewed here.......  

A virtual visit to St James Church .

Revd Ren visited St James, during the first  period of lockdown, and recorded this video clip.