Welcome

Hello and welcome to the website of St, John's Church*, Higham, Kent

Anyone and everyone is welcome at S.John’s. Our services are offered

daily to the glory of God and in intercession for the wider community and

its needs.

Although we are distinctly within the catholic tradition of the

Church of England (commonly referred to as ‘ High’ Church) nevertheless

we seek to include all ages and make all welcome. Our regular congregation includes those whose spiritual roots are drawn from other traditions in

the Christian family: including Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and from

a range of Reformed/Free Churches.

For over twelve hundred years there has been an organised

Christian presence and community in Higham. We regard ourselves as the

spiritual heirs of those who built and worshipped for a thousand years on

the site where the former parish church stands on the northern edge of

the village. In continuity with them and with the message of the

unchanging Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ, we seek to encourage

each other in the Christian pilgrimage (journey) of faith; adhering to,

and living out, the Christian faith as it has been received and

understood through the ages. So we unashamedly proclaim Jesus Christ

as our Saviour, Lord and God under whom we judge ourselves today, and

to whom we must give account in the end.

On this website you will find information about what goes on in S.John’s.

Links to other groups in the parish and outside. There is some history

and teaching about what we get up to - and contact details on the Who's Who page. For those areas where you are especially looking for something and it’s not clear or obvious, sorry about that – just email webmaster.stjohns@btconnect.com and we’ll do our very best to help.

Fr. James Southward

Vicar of Higham with Merston Tel: 01634 717360

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* This site relates to the Parish Church of Higham. We are usually

just referred to as S.John’s Church to distinguish us from the now

redundant former parish Church of S.Mary in the northern part of the

parish. Technically we are the ecclesiastical (Church) parish of Higham

with Merston, in the diocese of Rochester. The boundaries are not quite

the same as those of the civil parish which only affects a small number

of residents in matters relating to marriage. Merston and its Church

'disappeared' 500 years ago. After belonging to other parishes it was added

to Higham in 1932.