Over the summer Priscilla and Richard have been busy making some videos. We hope you enjoy our first attempts by clicking on 'about us' then 'videos' from the homepage. The '5 reasons to come to Emmanuel' video speaks for itself. The Canterbury Explored video also makes good viewing. The history of Canterbury is fascinating, and holds some important lessons for us to learn from today.

How should we apply the Ten Commandments in 2010? Are they important? Relevancy to the present through bringing out the essence of each commandment lies at the heart of a series of ten summer Sunday morning services. People of eight nationalities gathered to learn more of the Third Commandment, which is about using the name of God.  

   Visiting Emmanuel Church from Finland, Margot Kottelin was impressed by the message. ‘The preacher explained what it means for each of us today, first in the obvious way,’ Margot reports. ‘Then he centred the concept of God’s name on Jesus, because he is the ultimate revelation of who God is. It was very good, thought-provoking and really helpful.’ The series continues each Sunday until 11 July, and will be covering topics such as family relations, sexual conduct, theft and integrity.

So the election is over. Some will be overjoyed and others bitterly disappointed with the results. Whatever we think, there is some good news that will keep us going far beyond the term of any new government. It is that our Creator remains in power and in full control. Even those overjoyed at any new resident of No.10 will find over time that he is only a human being like us all- he will get things wrong and make mistakes and one day lose power like all his predecessors. We cannot pin all our hopes and dreams on a mere man.  Perhaps all the hype that came from the leaders’ debates have only set us up for disappointment. The words of the Psalmist are certainly worth hearing: “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 146). Only the LORD God can exceed our hopes and sort out our greatest problems.

We had a fantastic Easter weekend remembering the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It began with a Maundy Thursday Passover reenactment where we remembered how Jesus is our Passover Lamb. We then had all-age services on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. What good news we had to celebrate!

Making sense of suffering. That's what has often faced Colonel Robert Thomson, who has just moved with his family to East Kent.

For six arduous months last year, he led 1,100 troops on Afghanistan's front line. 'It was challenging, rewarding and terrifying in equal measure,' confesses Colonel Thomson. 'The commitment, courage and sheer grit of every man has been humbling. I only commanded heroes.'

But, surrounded by suffering of many kinds among people they were sent to help, Robert's men themselves lost 13 comrades in operations.

Just now, he has spent Sunday mornings in Canterbury thinking over questions such as "Is there any purpose in suffering?" and "What hope is there in suffering?". Topics like these were considered by those attending Emmanuel Church as they went through the book of Job in the Bible.

'These Sundays have not cleared the mystery out of suffering for me,' admits Robert Thomson. 'But they have helped me put some of the traumatic things I have witnessed into a wider picture. That is vital for any soldier – and surely for any human being.'

A newcomer to Emmanuel Church Canterbury, Robert affirms, 'It is a place to make friends quickly.'