Nick & Heather Ratcliffe

Nick & Heather RatcliffeNick and Heather Ratcliffe have lived in Old Wives Lees, near Canterbury, for twelve years with their family of five girls now aged between 16 and 25. Since becoming Christians in 1995 through an Alpha course in their local village church, they grew in their faith at a large Evangelical church in Canterbury. In the last eight years they have been very involved in the village church where they now live, leading the children and young people's work, with outreach to parents using the Alpha course, leading family and contemporary style services and discipling a house group. This has led to Nick being called to ordination and being accepted for training as a Non Stipendiary Minister in the Church of England in 2009. At present he works for a pest control company and studies part time at the South East Institute of Theological Education in Chatham. Heather is trained in early years and has set up and runs a preschool in the village hall. For 18 months she has been increasingly involved in primary schools work both in Canterbury and Ashford areas. She is pleased to see this ministry develop as she brings the gospel message gently into schools. Opportunities are also developing to bring new styles of church to unchurched families through 'church at school' type projects.

They are now both becoming involved in a neighbouring village church where Nick will be able to train and serve his first three years as Curate in 2012. They hope to develop outreach to rural communities in the area and help increase the church's involvement in these communities over the next five years and beyond.