News & Photos of Events

Kingsquad 
Kingsquad is an after school club which takes place every Wednesday in term time from 3.10pm to 4.20pm at St. George’s School. We run for years 2 to 6. We are linked to the Family Trust who provide us with programme support. Each week we have great fun learning about Jesus and the Bible in imaginative ways, from Bible Stories, Craft, Memory Verses, Games, Songs and Prayer. We are quite a lively group with spaces for 24 children. At the present time we have a full quota of children but we do keep a waiting list and names can be added to this by ringing our Parish Office on 01795-663791 and speaking to Maggie. Kingsquad is about letting the children know that we have a God who loves each of us equally and we are all wonderfully made and special to him. It is also about getting to know Jesus and how we receive forgiveness through his greatest act of love by dying for us on the cross. 

Messy Church 
Messy by name, messy by nature. Messy Church happens at Minster Abbey usually on the 4th Sunday of the month from 3.30pm to 5pm. Each month we look at different Bible Stories or Characters and bring them alive. This is a great experience for all the family. We have a time of making things relevant to the theme for the month, followed by a short service with children’s songs, imaginative ways to pray and, of course, stories that have us all thinking. We have had some great times walking paint footprints down the aisle to pray at the cross to making spoon characters. After the service we have tea which is provided on a “bring and share” basis. Our Messy Fellowship has grown to between 40 to 50 and we would love to see more come along. For more information please contact our Assistant Curate Rev Sue Martin on 01795 663791. Messy Services up to Christmas:
Sunday 23rd October - Sunday 27th November,  Sunday 18th December 11am service Nativity 

Children’s Church 
At the Abbey we really love to see children come along and they have their own little church that they go out to part way through the 11am service each week. We have a enthusiastic team of leaders who provide a fun and secure setting for our young folk to explore the Christian faith at their relevant levels. We always look forward to hearing or seeing what the children have been up to. With Harvest in mind the children have been looking at the seasons and have made a beautiful mural on display in the Church porch.....so do come along and have a look.

Village Fayre, Saturday 9th July 2011 

The Minster Village Fayre, held under a Royal Charter dating back to 1280AD, was blessed with very good weather and was attended by over 500 people. The day was was jointly supported by Minster Abbey, The Gatehouse Museum, The Sheppey Historical Society and Minster Parish Council.

The day was opened by an interesting speech by ceramics expert Lars Tharp (from the BBC's Antiques Roadshow) who, through research into the 18C artist William Hogarth, has a long interest in the Abbey. He travelled down from Leicester for the day and after his speech judged the first event which was a fancy dress parade lead by the Bethel Girls' Brigade band through the Gatehouse arch (where the children received sweets) and round the Abbey grounds.

The cup for the parade was won by St George's School (who were dressed to a theme of St George and the Dragon) and Primary Colours Nursery (who had a theme of Princes & Princesses) won the second place cup.













During the day there were displays by the Bethel Girls' Brigade band, Belly dancers (who invited spectators to participate, a sight to be seen), St Johns Swing band, Hopscotch dancers, the Safe Singers and Big Fish Arts (who performed an entertaining life sized Punch & Judy show)

There were over thirty stalls from local residents and groups throughout the grounds with a vast range of products for sale.

There were also traditional games including a coconut shy run by the Abbey, "Splat the Rat" and other games from the Abbey family unit from the Academy plus children's games from "Noise"

Thanks to everybody who helped and took part, including Abbey volunteers (who worked hard providing refreshments from a BBQ and the Hall kitchen), BRFM (who provided the PA system and music for the display groups), James Palmer (who provided the PA system for the stalls), the Working Mens' Club for allowing visitors to use their car park and who also, with the Aviator, provided the beer tent (which on a hot day was very welcome).

The organising committee hope this will become an annual event which helps to create a community spirit in the village of Minster.

Minster Abbey 23rd December 2010

Minster Abbey History Day, Saturday 9th October

Over 500 people visited Minster Abbey on Saturday 9th October when the de Northwode brasses were on public display for the first time in over thirty years. Information boards were placed around the church drawing attention to the many historical items on display.

Brass rubbing of full-sized replicas and smaller miniature brasses was available, and proved very popular. Visitors could also try calligraphy with real quill pens and old style ink bottles, and outlines of some of the stained glass windows in the church were available for colouring.

Outside, the bell ringers set up a remarkable mini bell tower with a peal of six bells. They rung at regular interval and many of the visitors were given quick lessons and joined in.

Inside the church there were regular organ performances by Julie Palmer and harp recitals by Claire Houston.

Art work about the Abbey and the island from St George’s primary school, Elliott Park School and the Isle of Sheppey Academy was on display in the Abbey Hall

Big Fish Arts were present all day in medieval costumes to add a real sense of atmosphere.

The Mothers Union provided light refreshments in the newly opened public area of the church.

Among the many visitors were the Mayor (Cllr Steve Worrall), our MP Gordon Henderson and  the Rt Revd Trevor Willmott, Bishop of Dover.



Kent Police Choir Concert, Saturday 2nd October

An audience of over 100 people enjoyed a concert by the Kent Police Choir led by their conductor David Vening in the Abbey church on Saturday 2nd October. Wine and nibbles were served in the Abbey Hall during the interval. The Abbey acoustics are superb for musical concerts and we hope to see the choir again in 2011

Minster Abbey Summer Fair 

Minster Abbey held its annual Summer Fair in the Abbey grounds on Saturday 17th July. Fortunately we had exceptionally good weather. Visitors were entertained by the Hopscotch Dancers, the Sapphire Baton Twirlers and Sophie the steam driven road roller in the capable hands of driver John.

Amongst the many stallholders were The Gatehouse, the Cats' Protection League and the RSPCA in addition to those provided by the Abbey congregation.. There were many traditional childrens’ games (run by ‘Noise on Sheppey’) such as hoopla and duck fishing and Abbey stalwarts ran a traditional coconut shy. Ploughman’s lunches and sandwiches were provided in the Abbey Hall and freshly cooked beefburgers and sausages were available from an outside BBQ.

The event raised over £800 for the Abbey funds.