Newsletter - 24/04
Rector’s Newsletter 24th April 2026
Our APCM will take place this Sunday at 12:15pm at Penshurst Village Hall. Thank you to those of you attending from across the benefice after the morning services. The meeting will be led jointly by the Archdeacon and myself.
This Sunday there will be services of Holy Communion at 10:00am. At St Mary’s, Chiddingstone, the service will be led by the Ven. Nick Cornell, Archdeacon of Tonbridge, and I will be leading the 10:00am service at St John the Baptist, Penshurst.
Many thanks to Tabby for sending out the APCM papers. We do, however, need to resend the financial documents. Whilst the 2025 accounts are correct and have been approved by the auditor, the comparative figures listed as for 2024 were not correct. In a spreadsheet glitch, the 2023 rather than 2024 data have been listed. Barry Lewis has now revised these documents, which are available if you click here. I am pleased to say that Barry will now be able to attend Sunday’s meeting and will be available to answer any questions you may have about the accounts.
On Tuesday 28th, the funeral of Daniel Carter will be held at Penshurst Church at 2:00pm, followed by a celebration in the Baron’s Hall at Penshurst Place. This is expected to be a very well-attended occasion, so please plan accordingly and park in the church field. We continue to pray for Daniel’s loved ones and for all those whose year’s mind falls at this time.
This Sunday’s readings focus on John 10 - Jesus as the Good Shepherd, who calls us by name and leads us into life in all its fullness. We pray:
Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd,
you know each of us by name and call us to follow you.
Lead us beside still waters and restore our souls,
that we may know the fullness of life you promise.
Give us ears to hear your voice and hearts willing to trust your way,
even when the path is uncertain.
Gather us into your care, protect us, and guide us in your love.
And as we walk with you, help us to reflect your compassion to others,
that all may know your peace and abundant life. Amen.
With every blessing for the week ahead
Lisa
Rector of Penshurst, Fordcombe and The Chiddingstones
Upcoming Services
Sunday 26 April
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone
Sunday 3 May
10:00 - Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 -Family Service at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone
Sunday 10 May
08:00 - Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 - Holy Communion at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone
10:00 - Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter - 17/04
Rector’s Weekly Newsletter 17th April 2026
After a post-Easter break spent in Norfolk and Suffolk, it is good to be back. I greatly enjoyed the big skies of the North Norfolk coast, the quiet beauty of rural Suffolk, and the excitement of my daughter Sophie’s MA graduation in Cambridge.
As many of you may be aware, Daniel Carter of Penshurst died peacefully on Easter Monday. We offer our sincere condolences to Fiona and their children at this sad time, and hold them in our prayers. Daniel’s funeral service will take place at St John the Baptist Church at 2.00pm on Tuesday, 28th April.
This Sunday there will be services of Holy Communion at 10.00am in both Penshurst and Chiddingstone. At 4.00pm, Forest Church will meet in the Rectory garden, where we will gather to celebrate the life of St George.
The APCM season is upon us. The PCC APCMs for Penshurst and Fordcombe will take place at St John’s at 11.30am on Sunday, and for Chiddingstone at 8:00pm on Tuesday 21 April in St Luke’s Parish Room. The Joint Council APCM will be held at Penshurst Village Hall next Sunday. You are invited to gather from 12 noon for a 12.15pm start. Papers will be circulated during the week ahead. Please note the deadlines for nominations to the PCCs, as well as for the roles of Churchwarden and Deanery Synod representatives, which were posted in the churches last week. At the local PCCs each parish will need to appoint a Safeguarding Officer, Treasurer and appoint an Independent Examiner.
As we approach St George’s Day on Thursday, we are reminded of a story that has echoed through the centuries: a figure who faces down fear and uncertainty, not through strength alone, but through faith and courage. The legend of St George and the dragon may not be history as we would write it, but it speaks a deeper truth. Each of us, in our own lives, encounters challenges that can feel overwhelming: moments of anxiety, loss, or doubt. The call of faith is not that we will never face such trials, but that we need not face them alone.
St George’s witness points us to a quiet, steady courage: the courage to stand firm in what is good, to act with compassion, and to trust that even in difficult times, God is at work. May we, in the week ahead, find strength to face whatever lies before us, and grace to do so with faith, hope, and love.
With every blessing for the week ahead
Lisa
Rev’d Lisa Cornell. Rector of Penshurst, Fordcombe and The Chiddingstones
Upcoming Services
Sunday 19 April
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone
16:00 - Forest Church in Penshurst Rectory Garden
Sunday 26 April
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
2026 Annual Parochial Church Meeting
Dear all,
We hereby give notice for the 2026 Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) of the High Weald Churches (Penshurst, Fordcombe and the Chiddingstones).
The meeting will take place at 12pm on Sunday 26 April in Penshurst Village Hall - the full notice can be found here.
In advance of the benefice-wide APCM, separate Parochial Church Council (PCC) meetings will take place in each parish. Details below:
Chiddingstone - 8pm on Tuesday 21st April in St Luke’s Parish Room - full notice here
Penshurst and Fordcombe - 11:30am on Sunday 19th April in St John the Baptist - full notice here
These meetings will be used to elect churchwardens (apply here), new PCC members (apply here) and Safeguarding Officers, as well as admissions to the Deanery Synod (apply here). The relevant application forms include details on eligibility and conditions for nominations.
Churchwardens will be publishing physical copies of these notices in all churches by Sunday, and will have copies of the relevant forms upon request. Please return these to your churchwarden for collating, and submitting the the office.
Please note that the announcement of the meeting means that revisions to the electoral roll are now frozen until after the meeting. Copies of the current version of the benefice electoral roll are available on request.
For any questions, please speak with your churchwarden, or contact office@highwealdchurches.org.uk for advice.
Upcoming Services
Sunday 19 April
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone
16:00 - Forest Church in Penshurst Rectory Garden
Sunday 26 April
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter - 03/04
I am writing this on Maundy Thursday in the late evening, having returned from the Chrism Eucharist at Rochester Cathedral and the 6pm Eucharist in Penshurst. It has been a day rich in meaning, setting the tone for the most sacred days of the Christian year.
This link tells you more about the Cathedral service and includes Bishop Jonathan’s sermon: https://rochester.anglican.org/news/diocesan-family-gather-for-chrism-service-1786.php
Bishop Jonathan’s Easter message to the Diocese can be found here: https://rochester.anglican.org/news/bishops-easter-message.php
Now into Good Friday, we are invited to pause and reflect on the enormity of Jesus’ sacrifice. At the cross, we see the depth of God’s love poured out for the world—costly, redemptive, and freely given.
Then comes Holy Saturday, a day of stillness and waiting. In the quiet, we hold space for grief, for uncertainty, and for hope not yet realised. It is in this silence that we prepare our hearts for the joy that is to come.
Finally, we celebrate Easter Day, when sorrow turns to joy and death is overcome by life.
I look forward to celebrating with many of you at Fordcombe at 9:00am for a quiet Holy Communion service, and at Penshurst for our All-Age Holy Communion at 10:30am. This service will include crafts for children and an Easter egg hunt, as we celebrate the resurrection together in a spirit of joy and community.
I am grateful to my clergy colleagues, Rev’d Fiona and Fr Stephen, for covering the Good Friday and Easter Day services in the Chiddingstone churches.
A reminder that our Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) will take place on 27th April. Formal notices will be issued after Easter, along with paperwork for those wishing to stand for the PCCs, as churchwardens, or to serve on the Deanery Synod. Each parish will also be holding a local meeting to elect wardens and Parish Safeguarding Officers, and to receive the 2025 accounts for local funds. The APCM will, in turn, receive reports and recommendations from these meetings and reflect on the work of the PCCs and Joint Council over the past year. If you would like to be added to the electoral roll, please complete one of the forms provided alongside the APCM notices.
Following Easter Day, I will be taking ten days of annual leave. If you have any urgent pastoral enquiries during this time, please contact the churchwardens or Tabby.
May this Easter bring you renewed hope, peace, and the assurance of God’s love. Rather than closing with a prayer, I offer this link to a beautiful setting of the Easter hymn, Thine Be the Glory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXzmjNE-yLA
With every blessing to you and all those you love this joyful Eastertide,
Lisa
Rev’d Lisa Cornell Rector of Penshurst, Fordcombe and The Chiddingstones
Services:
Sunday 5 April
09:00 – Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone
10:30 - All Age Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
Sunday 12 April
08:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone
Sunday 19 April
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone
16:00 - Forest Church in Penshurst Rectory Garden
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter - 27-03
Rector’s Newsletter – 27th March 2026
My working week began with a wonderful Confirmation service at St Peter and St Paul’s, Edenbridge, where we celebrated with ten candidates ranging from their teenage years to retirement age. This is a great sign of hope for the Church of England. On Wednesday, it was a joy to watch the enthronement of the Very Revd Dame Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury. How fitting that this took place on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. Like Mary, Sarah spoke eloquently of our need to say “yes” to God.
This Sunday, the morning service at St Luke’s will celebrate Palm Sunday, complete with a visit from a donkey. The congregation may gather either in church or in Richards Close; please contact the churchwardens for more detailed guidance.
At St John the Baptist, Penshurst, at the 10.00 am Holy Communion service, we will focus on the Liturgy of the Passion. This account from Matthew’s Gospel will be read by members of the congregation. Afterwards, we will listen to a Bach Prelude, “O Mensch, bewein’ dein’ Sünde groß,” offering a time for quiet reflection on the Passion reading. The liturgy used will be slightly different from usual to allow time for the reading and chorale. You can listen to the piece being played by The Penshurst Musical Director, D’Arcy Trinkwon and read his programme notes here: https://youtu.be/0zzyVFRGtOw?si=71V3lnlXuWsmhpBl
At 4.00 pm, in a lighter mood, we will gather for a Forest Church service at Penshurst Rectory. We will celebrate Palm Sunday with a lively outdoor service, including crafts, a bonfire, and refreshments.
Also, in Penshurst, to celebrate the return of the bells, there will be a Quarter Peal rung at around 5.30 pm. You would be most welcome in the church or nearby to hear this joyous sound once again.
School End of Term Services This Week:
Wednesday 1st April, 9.15 am – St John the Baptist Church, Penshurst
Wednesday 1st April, 1.30 pm – St Mary’s Chiddingstone School Easter Service, followed by an Easter Bonnet Parade in school.
Thursday 2nd April, 9.15 am – St Peter’s, Fordcombe
On Maundy Thursday morning, I shall be at Rochester Cathedral for the annual Chrism Eucharist. At this service, we receive the Holy Oils to use in the year ahead. It is also the occasion when clergy renew their ordination vows and recommit themselves to their vocation in the Church of England. For me, this is a particularly important part of Holy Week; an annual opportunity to gather with former theological college friends and fellow ministers from across The Diocese.
NB British Summer Time begins on Sunday 29th March.
Don’t forget to put your clocks forward.
A Prayer for Our Journey Through Holy Week
Loving God, as we enter these sacred days of Holy Week, draw our hearts closer to Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Walk with us, Lord, as we follow Him from the joy of palm branches to the sorrow of the cross. Open our eyes to see His humility, His suffering, and His boundless love poured out for the world.
When we are tempted to turn away, give us the courage to remain. When we feel burdened by our own crosses, remind us that He walks beside us.
Teach us to watch and pray in the garden, to stand in faith at the foot of the cross, and to wait in hope through the silence of the tomb.
Renew us through these holy mysteries, so that, with hearts transformed, we may rise with Christ in the light of Easter joy. Amen.
Wishing you a most blessed Holy Week ahead.
Lisa
Rev’d Lisa Cornell
Rector of Penshurst, Fordcombe and The Chiddingstones
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
And finally, please note that following a new broadband contract for the church, the network name and password have both changed. Please check the welcome table for details so you can update your phone.
Newsletter - 20/03
Rector’s Weekly Newsletter – 20th March 2026
This past week began with the joy and tenderness of our Mothering Sunday services. For some, the day was difficult, though perhaps made easier through the fellowship of the church. It has otherwise been a relatively quiet week in the parish; something of a rarity!
I have taken the opportunity to continue the ongoing task of “dachshund-proofing” the garden boundaries. This has, of course, become something of an arms race: I reinforce the fence, and a certain low-slung canine of great persistence soon discovers a new and creative route to freedom. Dibley the Labrador is proving to be an excellent big sister and mentor; together, they are quite a formidable pair!
Looking ahead to Sunday, there will be services of Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway and St John the Baptist, Penshurst, both beginning at 10:00am.
On Tuesday at noon, there will be a funeral at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone for Kathleen Pocock. We hold her family and friends in our prayers at this time. My sincere thanks to Jane Rosam for leading this service.
There is a service of Confirmation at Edenbridge Church on Sunday afternoon at 4:00pm, which I will be attending as Area Dean. If anyone would like to be prepared for Confirmation later in the year, there are further deanery services in September and November. The service in September, which will be in Hildenborough, will include special provision for young people. If there are any older children, young people, or those young at heart, please make contact and we can arrange confirmation classes for them over the summer months. Please do let me know if you or a member of your family would like to be confirmed then, or at the Confirmation service at St Stephen’s, Tonbridge, in November. I can prepare individuals or a group to suit the needs of each candidate.
As we move further into Lent and approach Passion Sunday, our worship begins to take on a deeper, more reflective tone, inviting us to walk more closely with Christ on the road to the cross. We are reminded that God’s love is not distant or abstract, but deeply present, especially in suffering, loss and sacrifice.
A Prayer for Passion Sunday
Loving God, as we turn towards Passion Sunday,
draw us deeper into the mystery of your love,
a love shown in humility, in sacrifice, and in the cross.
Walk with us in the days ahead, in our joys and in our sorrows,
in our remembering and our hoping.
Hold close all who grieve, strengthen all who are weary,
and open our hearts to the transforming power of your grace.
May we follow Christ more nearly, love more deeply, and trust more fully,
knowing that even in the shadow of the cross, your light is never overcome.
Amen.
Lisa
Rev’d Lisa Cornell
Rector of Penshurst, Fordcombe and The Chiddingstones
Services:
Sunday 22 March: Passion Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
Sunday 29 March: Palm Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
1600 – Forest Church, Penshurst Rectory Garden
Thursday 2 April: Maundy Thursday
1800 - Maundy Thursday Service and Reflection, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1830 - The Communion of Maundy Thursday, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Friday 3 April: Good Friday
1000 - Good Friday Service (followed by hot cross buns) - St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
1400 - An hour at the cross - St Peter’s, Fordcombe
Sunday 5 April: Easter Day
0900 - Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
1000 - Holy Communion at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone
1030 - All Age Holy Communion, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
And finally, please note that following a new broadband contract for the church, the network name and password have both changed. Please check the welcome table for details so you can update your phone.
Newsletter - 13/03
Rector’s Weekly Letter – 13 March
This week I had the opportunity to attend a diocesan conference for Area Deans. It was both exciting and remarkably interesting, and I came away with many ideas that I look forward to sharing with the Joint Council when we meet next week. There is much to celebrate in our diocese.
Last weekend’s celebration marking the return of the bells to St John the Baptist Church was truly splendid. It was well attended, lively in spirit, and a wonderful celebration for the whole community. It was a joy to see so many people gathered to mark such a special moment in the life of the church. The bells are now in situ in the tower, and engineering works will continue next week.
This Sunday, the Church marks Mothering Sunday. While it is often seen as a day to give thanks for our mothers and all who have nurtured and cared for us, its roots lie in the tradition of giving thanks for the “mother church,” the church community that nurtures us in faith and to which we belong. It is therefore a celebration not only of family life, but also of the wider family of the Church and the care and belonging we find within it.
I am aware that this can be a painful day, especially for those who are bereaved or estranged from family. I spent some time at my mother’s grave in Farnborough churchyard this afternoon. I was able to plant spring flowers and tidy up after a long winter. It is now five years since I lost my wonderful mum, and I miss her every day. She was such a life force; witty and devoted to our family. Like me she loved all dogs and children! If she were here to speak, she would tell me not to make a fuss and to make sure I help others this weekend. I shall try my best!
There will be a service of Holy Communion in Penshurst and a family service at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway. Both services begin at 10.00am. All are very warmly welcome.
A Prayer for Mothering Sunday
Loving God, you call us to be your people and clothe us with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Help us to bear with one another and forgive as you forgive us.
May love bind us together in perfect harmony,
and may the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and in our homes.
Let your word dwell richly among us
and fill our lives with thankfulness and praise.
As we give thanks today for mothers and for the mothering love we receive in so many ways,
help us also to cherish your Church,
the family in which we grow in faith and learn to serve one another.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
With every blessing for the week ahead,
Lisa
Rev’d Lisa Cornell
Rector of Penshurst, Fordcombe and The Chiddingstones
Services:
Sunday 15 March: Mothering Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Family service, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 22 March: Passion Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
Sunday 29 March: Palm Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
1600 – Forest Church, Penshurst Rectory Garden
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
And finally, please note that following a new broadband contract for the church, the network name and password have both changed. Please check the welcome table for details so you can update your phone.
Newsletter - 06/03
Rector’s Weekly Newsletter - 6th March 2026
This week the bells were delivered back to Penshurst after the best part of a year away. It was wonderful to see them return after so much work and care. They look incredible! You are warmly invited to a celebration event at St John the Baptist, Penshurst, at 7.00pm this Saturday evening. The eight beautifully restored bells await your inspection on the church floor before they are returned to top of the tower next week. It is unlikely the bells will be lowered again during the next few hundred years. This really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to see them. There are many people to thank for bringing this project to fruition, and I hope to share more detailed thank yous on Saturday evening and in next month’s parish magazines.
This Sunday we gather for worship across the benefice:
·8.00am – Holy Communion at Penshurst
· 10.00am- Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
· 10.00am - Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
The funeral of Roy Horsford is at Fordcombe Church at 1100 this Wednesday. The private Crematorium service will be at 1300. We continue to hold Roy’s family in our prayers. We also pray for the loved ones of Kathleen Pocock, whose funeral will take place at St Mary’s on 24th March. Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
The news of the escalation of conflict in and around Iran has been deeply concerning. My niece Sian is currently sheltering in Dubai, and our family pray that she, and others in similar situations, may experience the courage they need to see them through uncertain times. Earlier this week the Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, herself a refugee from Iran, shared this prayer, which I offer for all who are living with fear and uncertainty at this time.
A Prayer for Peace
Ever loving God, who hears us in our anguish and distress and longs for us to be free:
we pray for the people of Iran and the wider Middle East
in this time of fear and uncertainty.
Be near to those who are anxious and comfort those who suffer.
Guide those with power to make decisions, leading them in wisdom, compassion and moderation, that people of good will may seek harmony and reconciliation.
We join with Christians everywhere in praying for peace with justice, through Jesus Christ our Lord, the Prince of Peace. Amen.
With every blessing for the coming week.
Lisa
Rev’d Lisa Cornell
Rector of Penshurst, Fordcombe and The Chiddingstone Churches
Services:
Sunday 8 March: 3rd Sunday of Lent
0800 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
1000 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
Sunday 15 March: Mothering Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Family service, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 22 March: Passion Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
Sunday 29 March: Palm Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
1600 – Forest Church, Penshurst Rectory Garden
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter - 28-02
What a joy it has been this week to enjoy a welcome break in the weather and some much-needed sunshine! The brighter days have really lifted spirits across the parish. Of course, along with the emerging blossoms has come plenty of tree pollen. I know I’m not the only one suffering from seasonal allergies. I sometimes think I should have invested in shares in Kleenex!
Exciting news in Penshurst: the church bells are finally returning after many months of refurbishment. They will be brought back on Thursday 5th March, and there will be a chance to celebrate their safe return at a reception in St John the Baptist Church at 7.00pm on Saturday 7th March. Do come along, see the bells on the ground, and enjoy a celebratory glass, some nibbles, and good cheer. There are many people to thank for their safe return, and it’s wonderful to pause and pray for the future of the bells, those who ring them, and their part in the mission and ministry of our church. Bells work on this scale only occurs every few centuries, so this really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the bells up close. It will take several more weeks to hang the bells, headstocks and all sorts of cleverly engineered pieces that only bell-ringers know the names of! It will be a joy to hear them ring again soon.
This Sunday, there will be services of Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst, and at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway, both starting at 10.00am. You would be most warmly welcome at either service as we come together in prayer, worship, and fellowship.
Please pray for the families and friends of Roy Horsford and Kathleen Pocock as they mourn their loss. Roy’s funeral will take place at St Peter’s, Fordcombe, at 11.00am on 11th March, and Kathleen’s funeral will be at St Mary’s, Chiddingstone, at 12.00 noon on 24th March. Please hold their loved ones in your prayers at this difficult time and give thanks for their lives.
Our lectionary readings this week speak of God’s promises, as we hear the stories of Abram and Nicodemus’ encounters with God.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, you call us into the unknown and promise life beyond our imagining.
Give us faith to trust your Spirit, courage to step forward even when the path is dark,
and hearts willing to serve faithfully in the quiet ways you lead us.
May we receive your love, like Abram under the stars,
and care for your world, like Nicodemus caring for your Son,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
With every blessing for the week ahead,
Lisa
Rev’d Lisa Cornell
Rector of Penshurst, Fordcombe and The Chiddingstones
Services:
Sunday 1 March: 2nd Sunday of Lent
1000 – Holy Communion at St John’s, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 8 March: 3rd Sunday of Lent
0800 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
1000 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
Sunday 15 March: Mothering Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Family service, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 22 March: Passion Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
Sunday 29 March: Palm Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
1600 – Forest Church, Penshurst Rectory Garden
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter - 20-02
Rector’s Weekly Newsletter 20th February
Dear friends,
Lent began on Wednesday, and with it we have stepped into that searching, spacious season when we are invited to return to the Lord with all our hearts. The rhythm changes. The light is different. The questions go deeper.
This week has carried both sorrow and grace within our parish family.
As many of you are aware, Simon Saunders died a few weeks back. Simon was a long-term Chiddingstone resident and the partner to Christine, our St Mary’s Verger. He had that rare gift of making everything in church work, whatever the challenge. He worked as a volunteer quietly, competently, and usually with a line of dry wit delivered at just the right moment. A celebration of his life is scheduled next week at The Castle Inn. We continue to pray for Christine and her family at this very sad time.
We also mourn Kathleen Pocock, affectionately known at Chiddingstone School as “Granny Pocock.” She died just a few months short of her hundredth birthday; what a remarkable life, faithfully lived. Her funeral will take place at St Mary’s on 24th March.
This week we have also learned of the death of Roy Horsford from Fordcombe. Funeral details will follow when they are known.
Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord,
and let light perpetual shine upon them.
May they rest in peace and rise in glory.
Please also hold in your prayers the loved ones of Emma Welch, whose ashes will be laid to rest at Poundsbridge this Saturday afternoon, two years after her death. Remember especially her husband, Jim, and their young sons.
In the midst of these farewells, Lent reminds us of both our mortality and our hope. “Remember that you are dust…” is not a sentence of despair, but an invitation to honesty and to trust in the God who breathes life into dust.
On a more personal note, I have been grateful for a more restful week than usual. I even managed some gardening at The Rectory and at Poundsbridge Chapel. Turning soil, clearing beds, and noticing the first signs of spring. There is something deeply Lenten about gardening: the pruning back, the patient waiting, the trust that what looks bare will, in time, bloom.
As half term ends, the diary begins to fill again. Rest never seems to last long. Yet perhaps Lent teaches us that true rest is not simply the absence of busyness, but the turning of our hearts back to God. When we pause, we notice not only the weariness of our bodies, but the restlessness of our souls and the quiet ways God calls us home.
Please continue to hold one another in prayer in these days.
A prayer for Early Lent
Almighty God,
as we begin this holy season of Lent,
turn our hearts again towards you.
Teach us to seek treasure that does not fade,
to hunger for righteousness,
and to trust in your mercy.
In our sorrow, be our comfort.
In our repentance, be our hope.
In our labour and in our resting,
be our peace.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
With every blessing
Lisa
Services:
Sunday 22 February
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 1 March: 2nd Sunday of Lent
1000 – Holy Communion at St John’s, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 8 March: 3rd Sunday of Lent
0800 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
1000 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
Sunday 15 March: Mothering Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – All age service, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 22 March: Passion Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
Sunday 29 March: Palm Sunday
1000 – Holy Communion, St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 – Holy Communion, St Luke’s, Chiddingstone
1600 – Forest Church, Penshurst Rectory Garden
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter - 13-02
13 February 2026
Half Term Greetings from Rev’d Lisa Cornell, Rector:
I write this while looking out at a bright sky (a rarity!) and praying the weather holds before I step out for my afternoon dog walk. Reaching the halfway point of the academic year always feels like an achievement for those who work in education. For all who are enjoying a half-term break this week, may it be a time of rest and refreshment.
In my school assemblies this week, we considered the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, and in particular, Jesus’ description of his followers as the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” The children offered some insightful reflections on how, through their thoughts and actions, they might be salt and light for others.
Our Lectionary readings on Sunday also focus on what we can learn from divine encounters on mountain tops. The Bible accounts of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments, and of the Transfiguration of Jesus invite us to think about the thin places of the world—those moments or spaces where we may draw close to God. This author’s blog offers further insight into the concept: https://lasmithwriter.com/thin-places/. (The site also tries to sell some books, which I haven’t read. I’m more of a detective novel fan!)
In the parish this week, we celebrated with Nyasa and Darren at their wedding on Saturday. The rain stopped briefly as they left the church, and we wish them every happiness in their new life together. On Thursday, many gathered at the Kent and Sussex Crematorium to celebrate the life of Ken Simmons; a proud resident of Penshurst for all of his 86 years. He will be deeply missed by many.
In church this Sunday, we have 10:00 Communion services at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway, and St John the Baptist, Penshurst. At 4pm, Forest Church will take place inside Penshurst Church, as the Rectory Garden is too waterlogged for a gathered crowd. In a nod to Valentine’s Day, we will be using Messy Church materials to celebrate many aspects of God’s love. There will be indoor games (including skittles and Jenga) and, if the rain holds off, we will head outside to toast marshmallows at the end of our time together. Although Forest Church is most suitable for children, there is no upper age limit on attending this informal service and time of fellowship, and there is usually cake too!
Lent begins this week, and I look forward to seeing many of you at our Benefice Ash Wednesday service at 7pm at St John the Baptist, Penshurst. I will be holding work lightly during the week ahead, taking a few days’ leave midweek, although I will, of course, be working on Wednesday evening.
A Prayer for the Week Ahead
God of creation, you formed the mountains through the shifting of the earth
and breathe your Spirit through the landscapes of our lives.
When the ground beneath us moves, steady our hearts with your presence.
When we climb through challenge or change, strengthen us with your grace.
Help us to find you in the thin places: in moments of stillness, in glimpses of beauty,
and in quiet acts of courage and care.
As the mountains catch the dawn and reflect its light,
may our lives also reflect the radiance of your Son, Jesus Christ,
in whose name we journey and by whose love we are sustained.
Amen.
Services:
Sunday 15 February
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
16:00 – Forest Church at Penshurst
Wednesday 18 February
18:00 – Holy Communion with imposition of ashes at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
18:00 – Ash service at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 22 February
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter - 06/02
6 February 2026
With the rain continuing to fall, several people have suggested that we may soon need to apply for a faculty to build an ark. Still, we can at least be grateful that the hosepipe ban has been lifted - small mercies, and all that!
We very much hope that the weather will show some kindness this Saturday lunchtime for Nyasa and Darren, who are to be married at Penshurst. Please hold them in your prayers as they prepare for this joyful day.
On Tuesday, the funeral of Brodie Hall was very well attended, a powerful testament to the love and respect in which he and his family are held. My thanks to the Rev’d Fiona for leading the service with such care and grace.
The funeral of Ken Simmons will take place this coming Thursday at 12.15pm at Tunbridge Wells Crematorium. Please continue to pray for Ken’s family and friends at this time of loss.
This Sunday, there will be Holy Communion services as follows:
St John the Baptist, Penshurst – 8.00am
St Peter’s, Fordcombe – 10.00am
St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway – 10.00am
You are warmly welcome at any of our services.
As we move through the week, our readings remind us of God’s care for creation and for each one of us. If you are on the rota to give the lesson this week, the Old Testament reading is one of the longest in The Lectionary. Thank you in advance!
I leave you with this prayer:
A Prayer for This Week
Creator God,
you made the world and called it good,
and you hold all that lives within your care.
When we are anxious about tomorrow,
teach us to trust you,
to look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the field,
and to remember that we are known and loved.
Help us to seek your kingdom first,
to receive this day as gift,
and to rest in your faithful provision.
Amen.
With every blessing,
Lisa
Services:
Sunday 8 February
08:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s
Sunday 15 February
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
16:00 – Forest Church at Penshurst
Wednesday 18 February
18:00 – Holy Communion with imposition of ashes at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
18:00 – Ash service at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 22 February
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter - 30/01
30th January 2026.
This week the wider Church has marked the confirmation of Rt Revd Dame Sarah Mullally as the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
I attended St Paul’s Cathedral for training on Tuesday and noticed people preparing the cathedral floor for the next day's ceremony. There was a real buzz of excitement both for the significance of the event, and also security concerns from those who did not wish Dame Sarah well. That there was only a single heckler on the day was, I guess, a relief; but the tip of an iceberg of hatred that has been directed towards the Bishop of London since her appointment to Canterbury was announced. The news coverage as the procession of dignitaries gathered at the West Door captured the sense that I have, of an exciting new chapter in the church. Please hold all our church leaders in your prayers.
In an interview on Wednesday, Archbishop Sarah reflected on her calling with the words of an African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Faith is rarely a race. The light of Christ is something we should perhaps carry slowly, often with others, sometimes imperfectly, and always faithfully.
This Sunday we celebrate Candlemas, the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. In Luke's Gospel, Mary and Joseph bring Jesus into a shared place of worship, trusting God with what they do not yet understand. Simeon and Anna recognise him as “a light for revelation”, a light discovered not through certainty but through patience and waiting.
Candlemas invites us to reflect on how we carry Christ’s light in seasons that are tender or unsettled. It reminds us that light does not need to be bright to be real. Sometimes it is enough simply to hold it together, and trust that God sees what we cannot yet make sense of.
As we bring our prayers to God this weekend, we do so without needing answers. We bring what we have, and who we are, and place them quietly in God’s care.
This week we especially pray for the families and loved ones of Christopher Robertson following his funeral at St Lukes, and Brodie Hall, whose funeral will take place on Tuesday at St Mary’s at 1pm.
A prayer for Candlemas, suitable for night prayer:
Keep us, O Lord, as the light fades and the day draws to a close.
Give rest to the weary, peace to the troubled, and comfort to those who carry sorrow or uncertainty.
As we place our lives into your hands, hold what is unresolved, heal what is wounded, and guard what is fragile among us.
Be our light in the darkness, our calm in the silence, and our hope through the night.
Into your loving care we commend ourselves, and one another, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Yours in Christ
Lisa
In this edition:
Ø Services
Ø Life Events
Ø Learning and growing
Services:
Sunday 1 February
10:00 - Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 - Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 8 February
08:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s
Sunday 15 February
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
16:00 – Forest Church at Penshurst
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter - 23/01
Dear Benefice Friends,
This has been a relatively quiet but varied week for me. The mud from wellies and paw prints has presented nearly as much of a challenge as the plethora of local road closures; a reminder of winter making itself firmly known!
Last Saturday, I taught the first half of the Diocesan Hearing God’s Word course, which was a real joy. It was heartening to spend time with others reflecting deeply on how God speaks through Scripture and prayer, and to witness such openness, generosity, and engagement.
On Sunday we shared a truly lovely Christingle service in Penshurst. It was a delight to be reminded, through the simple and powerful symbolism of the Christingle, of Christ as the light of the world; light shining in the darkness, and a light we are called to carry into our daily lives.
During the week I led collective worship in two of our local schools and also had a busy few days fulfilling my responsibilities as a school governor. As ever, it is a real privilege to be present in our schools, to spend time with children and staff, and to support their life and work in these different ways.
In our worship this week, the Church remembers the Conversion of St Paul. Paul’s dramatic encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus reminds us that God can turn hearts and lives around in ways we could never plan or predict. His story is one of grace, transformation, and wholehearted obedience; themes that continue to speak powerfully into our own discipleship and into the life of the Church today.
Looking ahead, this Saturday I shall be attending an online safeguarding conference run jointly by the Dioceses of Canterbury and Rochester. Then on Tuesday I will be at St Paul’s Cathedral for an all-day training event as part of my role on the chaplaincy team there. Please do keep these commitments, and all whom they serve, in your prayers.
Thank you, as always, for your prayers, encouragement, and faithfulness. It is a blessing to journey together, and my prayer is that we may continue to walk side by side, open to God’s transforming work in our lives and in our community.
With every blessing,
Lisa
A Prayer for the Week Ahead
Lord Jesus Christ,
you met Paul on the road and changed his heart and mind,
turning zeal into love and blindness into true sight.
As Paul prayed for the Church in Ephesus,
so we pray that you would strengthen us in our inner being by your Spirit,
that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith,
and that we, being rooted and grounded in love,
may know the breadth and length and height and depth of that love
which surpasses all knowledge.
Give us changed hearts and renewed minds.
Teach us the humility and freedom of submitting ourselves to you,
trusting not in our own understanding
but in your wisdom, mercy, and grace.
To you be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus,
now and for ever.
Amen.
In this edition:
Ø Services
Ø Life Events
Ø Learning and growing
Services:
Sunday 25 January
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 1 February
10:00 - Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 - Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 8 February
08:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s
Sunday 15 February
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
16:00 – Forest Church at Penshurst
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter - 16/01
Dear Benefice Friends,
This coming week marks the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This is a special time when Christians across all traditions come together in prayer, reflection, and fellowship. I invite you to take part in this ecumenical journey, praying that the love of Christ may draw us closer to one another and to God’s purpose for the world. The Week of Prayer is led by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) and Christian Aid. You can find useful resources for prayer and action at: https://cte.org.uk/wpcu2026/
This past week has been filled with meetings both within the parish and across the diocese as we plan for the mission and ministry of the year ahead. I have worn each of my work hats as Rector, Area Dean, School Governor, and Charitable Trustee and even managed to enjoy the Area Deans’ (belated) Christmas lunch! December is always too busy for such gatherings.
On Saturday, I’ll be leading a diocesan course, Hearing God’s Word, which is part of a spring programme running over several Saturday mornings. We already have 19 participants signed up. This course, and its follow-up sessions, will equip lay people to lead small group Bible studies and give talks in church services under supervision. It’s so encouraging to see people growing in confidence and understanding of Scripture.
Earlier today (Friday 16th), we said a fond farewell to Chloe Phillips, a lifelong local resident. On 29th January, we’ll gather at St Luke’s to celebrate the life of Chris Robertson. Thank you to Fiona Haskett for leading this service. Please note that Ken Simmons’ funeral, originally scheduled for this coming Wednesday, has been postponed due to family illness. Brodie Hall’s funeral is scheduled for 3rd February at St Mary’s. More details will follow once they become available. We pray for Chris, Ken and Brodie’s families as they navigate this sad time.
This Sunday, as well as our 10:00 a.m. Communion Services at St John the Baptist and St Luke’s, we’ll be holding a Forest Church Christingle service at St John the Baptist Church at 4:00 p.m. Although particularly suited for children, everyone is warmly welcome. I hope to see many of you there.
A Prayer for Christian Unity
Lord Jesus Christ, who prayed that we might all be one,
send your Spirit to draw us together in love and truth.
May we seek to understand rather than to divide,
to serve rather than to be served,
and to bear witness together to your saving love.
Unite your Church in hope and faith,
that the world may believe and your glory be revealed.
Amen.
With every blessing,
Lisa
Rector of Penshurst, Fordcombe and The Chiddingstones
In this edition:
Ø Services
Ø Life Events
Ø Learning and growing
Services:
Sunday 18 January
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
16:00 – Forest Church Christingle Service at St John’s, Penshurst
Sunday 25 January
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter - 10/01
Dear Benefice Friends,
A very happy New Year to you all. As we step into 2026, my prayer is that you may know God’s peace, strength, and gentle guidance in the days ahead. May this new year be marked by hope renewed, faith deepened, and love shared generously with those around us.
The Advent and Christmas seasons were incredibly busy. There were over twenty-five services and events in church during December, and I was able to attend seventeen of them. I must offer heartfelt thanks to our visiting ministers who so generously led worship during Christmas week: Sally Musson, Revd Stephen Mitchell, Revd Fiona Haskett, and Revd Penny Stephens. I am also incredibly grateful to the staff of our primary and nursery schools, who brought together some beautiful musical and drama performances during the final weeks of the Autumn Term. The shared ministry of many enabled us to offer a rich and prayerful round of services across the benefice. It was a joy to welcome more than 1,000 people through our church doors in the 24 hours surrounding Christmas Day, a powerful sign of the continuing place our churches hold in the life of our communities. Thank you also to the readers, musicians, vergers, sidespeople, and many other volunteers who gave such time and effort to facilitate our community’s experience of church.
Many thanks this week to Edmund Byrne for organising work on the ceiling at St Mary’s Church. This has been an important piece of care for the building and should have resolved the issue of falling plaster inside the church. More information about forthcoming church tower works will be shared when it becomes available.
Some administrative news: Tabby, our administrator, has now returned from maternity leave and is working in tandem with Tracy for the next few weeks. I am not entirely sure who is doing what, but I know they have it all organised. What I can guarantee is that your January admin queries will be answered by a capable young professional woman whose first name begins with the letter T.
Please note the following upcoming funerals, and do hold the bereaved in your prayers: • Chloe Phillips – this Friday, 16th January at Kent and Sussex Crematorium, 10.45am • Ken Simmons – 21st January, 2.00pm, at Kent and Sussex Crematorium • Chris Robertson – 29th January at St Luke’s Church, 1:30pm
We continue to entrust Chloe, Ken, and Chris to God’s eternal care, and we pray especially for their families and friends as they grieve.
This Sunday, the lectionary draws us to the Baptism of Christ. As Jesus steps into the waters of the Jordan, we are reminded of our own baptism: that we are named, claimed, and beloved by God. Let us pray.
Eternal Father, at the baptism of Jesus you revealed him as your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit. Grant that we, who are born again by water and the Spirit, may be faithful to our calling as your children, and bear witness to your love in the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
With every blessing for the week ahead,
Lisa
Revd Lisa Cornell Rector of Penshurst, Fordcombe and The Chiddingstones
In this edition:
Ø Services
Ø Life Events
Ø Learning and growing
Services:
Sunday 11 January
08:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 19 January
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
16:00 – Forest Church Christingle Service at St John’s, Penshurst
Sunday 26 Janaury
10:00 – Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
10:00 – Holy Communion at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Life Events:
We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Mailing
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter -12 - 20
It’s beginning to look a lot like…
This will be my final mailing of 2025. My next newsletter will go to print on 9th January, so may I begin by offering you the blessings of the three Church seasons that will be celebrated before I write again. May the remainder of Advent help you to prepare your hearts and homes for the joy of the Incarnation. May the wonder of the Christ Child at Christmas fill you afresh with joy; and may Epiphany offer a fresh invitation for all people the great, the good and the humble to be transformed by the infant Christ.
People often comment that this must be the busiest time of the year for me. Rather than being extra busy, church ministry in December is more visible. There is certainly more music and a strong sense of celebration. I have had laryngitis for over three months, and while my speaking voice has returned to something like normal, my singing voice remains broken. I am really sad not to be able to sing carols as I normally would — the notes just aren’t there! This week I have attended some beautiful school productions and services. The children have sung with such gusto that I have felt a little envious! I hope I may be able to croak a bass part in some of the services to come.
There are many events scheduled in the days ahead and whilst some ministry is visible; this is only possible because of a massive team effort. Thank you to everyone who sets up and sets down services, decorates the churches, and ensures that all is well in both fabric and worship. Thank you to our musicians, choirs, readers, and intercessors; our team of Church Wardens, vergers, sidespeople, catering volunteers, cleaners, gardeners and do-ers of jobs, many of which appear to happen by magic. Thank you for making church happen and to all of you who support us across the year with your time, talents, and treasure. Being one minister with four churches I either need the ability to clone myself or accept the help of visiting ministers. I am grateful to Sally, Stephen, Penny, and Fiona for leading services across the benefice at different points over the Christmas and New Year period.
During the period between this newsletter and the next, we will be welcoming Tabby Haysom back from maternity leave. In 2025 Tracy Craig has expertly held the benefice administrator role. She is travelling to Jamaica over the Christmas period, and we wish her safe travels and a wonderful time with loved ones. Thank you, Tracy, for all you have done in 2025 to hold our administrative systems together. It’s a complex role and one you have carried out with great efficiency and with good grace. We are incredibly grateful to you. You are a great blessing to us.
Whatever the next few weeks may bring, I hope there is joy for everyone at some point. I pray that you will take time to remember the true meaning of the Christmas season. As we celebrate the Incarnation and wonder at the events in Bethlehem two millennia ago, may our faith be deepened.
One carol that captures something of the awe of Christmas for me is In the Bleak Midwinter. This Christina Rossetti poem, set to the music of Holst, is my preferred setting. The final verse captures for me what lies at the heart of priestly ministry every day of the year:
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.
As 2025 draws to a close, I thank God for his calling on my life in this corner of Kent. I pray that in 2026 we may all in our own way, offer God our hearts and lives for his service and the greater good.
With every blessing,
Lisa
Rev’d Lisa Cornell
Rector of Penshurst, Fordcombe and the Chiddingstone Churches
In this edition:
Ø Services
Ø Life Events
Services:
Sunday 21st December
1000 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
1800 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Nine Lessons and Carols
1800 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: Nine Lessons and Carols
Wednesday 24th December
2200 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion for Christmas Night
1600 St Peters, Fordcombe: Carol Service
1730 St Mary’s, Chiddingstone: Carols by Candlelight
2330: St Mary’s, Chiddingstone: Midnight Mass
Thursday 25th December
1030 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: All Age Service for Christmas Day
1030 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: All Age Holy Communon
09:00 St Peters, Fordcombe: Holly Communion
Sunday 28th December
1000 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion.
Sunday 4th January
1000 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
1030 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: Matins TBC. Please check church website.
Sunday 11th January
0800 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
1000 St Peters, Fordcombe: Holly Communion
1000 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: Holy Communion
Life Events:
Ø We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Ø Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Ø Mailing:
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter -12 - 13
Advent Greetings from Penshurst Rectory!
Thank you to everyone involved in last week’s Penshurst Christmas Fair. It was the village at its absolute best, full of warmth, generosity, and community spirit. We are also grateful for the magnificent Christmas programme delivered by the Penshurst Choral Society and our musical director, D’Arcy Trinkwon, last Saturday evening.
There are two services tomorrow, an 0800 Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst and a 1000 Holy Communion at St Peter’s Fordcombe.
This week brings many school events to our village churches. In St Mary’s Chiddingstone, the nursery nativity takes place on Monday afternoon, and the Key Stage 2 Carol Service on Wednesday evening. In Fordcombe, the school Christmas play is in school on Tuesday afternoon, followed by the End of Term Service at St Peter’s on Friday morning. In Penshurst, there is a Key Stage 1 nativity on Wednesday afternoon and a Key Stage 2 Carol Service on Thursday morning. I suspect tea-towel and tinsel sales are enjoying a seasonal rise! Precise timings are on the school websites. There are also traditional Carol Services next Sunday, the 21st, at 6:00pm in both St Luke’s and St John the Baptist churches.
As we approach Christmas, the pace and emotion of the season can feel overwhelming, especially for those who are bereaved. Gwen Dennard has kindly placed a Memorial Tree in St John the Baptist Church. Please feel free to add the names of those you would like to be remembered; all names placed on the tree will be included in our prayers next Sunday morning. The tree will remain in situ until Epiphany. While most of our Advent and Christmas services will be joyful and celebratory, next Sunday’s 10:00am Eucharist at St John the Baptist, will be our Blue Christmas Service, offering a quieter space to contemplate the season. In place of the normal sermon and intercessions, there will be an opportunity to light candles and to pray for those we miss, as well as for situations that weigh heavily on our hearts at this time of year. I hope this will provide a contemplative and hopeful space.
For those wishing to attend, the funeral for Chloe Phillips will take place at the Kent and Sussex Crematorium on Friday 16th January at 10:45am. We hold Caroline, Tim, and their family and friends in our prayers.
As Tunbridge Wells emerges from its temporary drought, and with the influx of shoppers to the new branch of Primark, we pray for ourselves and our wider community, that amidst the busyness, there may be time to experience God’s perfect peace and his light in the darkness. A prayer for the third Sunday in Advent:
God of joy and gentle light,
as we draw near to the celebration of Christ’s birth,
renew in us the hope that does not fade
and the peace that the world cannot give.
Strengthen those who wait in longing,
comfort the broken-hearted,
and make our hearts ready to welcome your Son.
May your Spirit fill us with courage, compassion,
and the quiet joy of your coming kingdom.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
With every blessing for the week ahead
Lisa
Rev’d Lisa Cornell
Rector of Penshurst, Fordcombe and The Chiddingstones.
Christmas Cards Now Available
Our new Christmas cards are on sale! Each pack contains 5 cards with envelopes for £5. All proceeds will go to the Friends of St John’s.
If you’d like to purchase a pack, please contact Matthew Stevens at matthewshakeystevens@gmail.com or Stephen Hazell-Smith at loftskand@hotmail.com.
A preview of the design is attached.
In this edition:
Ø Services
Services:
Sunday 14th December
0800 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
1000 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: Holy Communion.
1000 St Peters, Fordcombe: Holly Communion
Sunday 21st December
1000 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
1800 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Nine Lessons and Carols
1800 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: Nine Lessons and Carols
Wednesday 24th December
2200 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion for Christmas Night
1600 St Peters, Fordcombe: Carol Service
1730 St Mary’s, Chiddingstone: Carols by Candlelight
2330: St Mary’s, Chiddingstone: Midnight Mass
Thursday 25th December
1030 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: All Age Service for Christmas Day
1030 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: All Age Holy Communon
09:00 St Peters, Fordcombe: Holly Communion
Sunday 28th December
0800 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
Life Events:
Ø We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Ø Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Ø Mailing:
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter -12 - 06
Greetings from Penshurst Rectory
What a busy week it has been! Two funerals, several school visits, a variety of trustee and school governor meetings and administrative tasks, and, this afternoon, a two-hour duty as a Christmas Elf at the Penshurst Christmas Market. I certainly have a varied ministry.
At the heart of being a priest is the call to shepherd the flock through every season of life. This can mean being alongside families during their difficult times. I am sad to share with you the death of Chloe Phillips, a long-time resident of Wellers Town. Chloe became very unwell about five weeks ago and died peacefully on Thursday morning. I shall miss her very much. We shared a love of dogs, a strong faith, and a wacky sense of humour. Chloe mainly worshipped in the Chiddingstone churches, but her family was well known in Penshurst. Please hold her children, Tim and Caroline, her grandchildren, and her wider circle of family and friends in your prayers. Funeral details will follow in due course.
Next week, my diary is relatively quiet. I shall be taking a few days off to rest before the madness of the final week of the school term and the lead-up to Christmas. Please be aware that my response time to emails may be slower than usual. Normal service will be resumed on Thursday the 11th.
This Sunday marks the Second Sunday in Advent. The collect for this day is one of my favourite reflections on scripture. I hope it inspires you in the week ahead:
Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
With every blessing for the week ahead
Lisa
We hope to see you at the upcoming events.
Christmas Cards Now Available
Our new Christmas cards are on sale! Each pack contains 5 cards with envelopes for £5. All proceeds will go to the Friends of St John’s.
If you’d like to purchase a pack, please contact Matthew Stevens at matthewshakeystevens@gmail.com or Stephen Hazell-Smith at loftskand@hotmail.com.
A preview of the design is attached.
In this edition:
Ø Services
Services:
Sunday 07th December
1000 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
Sunday 14th December
0800 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
1000 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: Holy Communion.
1000 St Peters, Fordcombe: Holly Communion
Sunday 21st December
1000 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
1800 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Nine Lessons and Carols
1800 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: Nine Lessons and Carols
Wednesday 24th December
2200 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion for Christmas Night
1600 St Peters, Fordcombe: Carol Service
1730 St Mary’s, Chiddingstone: Carols by Candlelight
2330: St Mary’s, Chiddingstone: Midnight Mass
Thursday 25th December
1030 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: All Age Service for Christmas Day
1030 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: All Age Holy Communon
09:00 St Peters, Fordcombe: Holly Communion
Sunday 28th December
0800 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
Life Events:
Ø We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Ø Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Ø Mailing:
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Newsletter -11 - 28
Greetings from Penshurst Rectory
Our benefice was blessed with a Quiet Afternoon on Tuesday. Thank you to Rev’d Penny Stephens and Barbara Lloyd for organising this event. The dozen or so participants reported great enjoyment. Meanwhile, I continue to live in enforced quiet with a lingering episode of laryngitis. A camera examination this week has ruled out any sinister causes, and I have some new treatments to try to restore my voice to sounding less like a Dalek! If you could hold this matter in prayer, I would be grateful.
I spent most of Wednesday at a Diocesan domestic abuse conference and part of Thursday in a safeguarding training. The speakers offered wise advice on how we can support those experiencing or recovering from domestic abuse in its many forms. So much suffering goes on behind closed doors - violent, financial, and emotional abuse, and many types of coercive and controlling behaviour. This is an issue that cuts across all social boundaries and, statistically, is likely to be part of the lived reality of some within our own community. If you need support, here are two sources of help:
Website: https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/
Telephone helpline: 0808 2000247
Among the matters discussed was how our personal biases can affect our ability to notice or support those in abusive situations. Whilst women are disproportionately affected, the lack of recognition and support for male victims was identified as one of several factors behind the recent rise in self-harm among men. In response, I will be sharing safeguarding literature in our church buildings, offering sources of support and advice for all.
Should you wish to undertake training in Safeguarding, Domestic Abuse, or the allied topic of Modern-Day Slavery, the Church of England offers several helpful courses through its online portal: https://safeguardingtraining.cofeportal.org/
You do not need to be a church office holder to complete these courses, though when you register you will be asked where you worship. If you are an office holder — such as a PCC member, sidesperson, or someone regularly undertaking work on behalf of the church — some courses are compulsory and others recommended. All can be accessed through the portal. If you have any safeguarding questions, please contact Wendy Ellis, our safeguarding lead, at safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk.
Your parish magazines for December should soon be reaching you. You will see that our benefice diary is full of services, concerts, and assorted school events. There are at least twenty-six events in the benefice diary just in the churches alone, with many other community activities that will keep us all busy. As arrangements come together I wish everyone a very successful Advent season.
Unusually, Advent begins in November this year, and this Sunday two services are taking place in Penshurst. The 10:00 Sung Holy Communion service is followed at 16:00 by a Forest Church ADVENTure. I have moved Forest Church indoors and we are offering a child-friendly service with games, crafts, and activities suitable for all ages. Why not come along? There will be refreshments, and any adult (or older child) helpers for crafts or refreshments would be very welcome.
Next week I shall be leading two funerals, and I ask for your prayers for their loved ones as they mourn. On Monday afternoon at 2pm, I shall lead a service for Dr Timothy Marrs at St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Edenbridge. On Wednesday at 1pm, the funeral of Margaret Leppard will be held at Kent and Sussex Crematorium. A family-only interment of her ashes will take place on Saturday at Poundsbridge. Margaret was much loved in the Penshurst and wider local community. We hold her husband David, her children, and grandchildren in our prayers. Many friends and family are travelling from across the globe, so we wish them safe journeys into and out of the UK next week.
With every good wish for the week ahead,
Lisa
Rev’d Lisa Cornell, Rector of Penshurst, Fordcombe and The Chiddingstones
We hope to see you at the Forest Church ADVENTure on 30th November at 4-5pm at St John the Baptist.
Christmas Cards Now Available
Our new Christmas cards are on sale! Each pack contains 5 cards with envelopes for £5. All proceeds will go to the Friends of St John’s.
If you’d like to purchase a pack, please contact Matthew Stevens at matthewshakeystevens@gmail.com or Stephen Hazell-Smith at loftskand@hotmail.com.
A preview of the design is attached.
In this edition:
Ø Services
Services:
Sunday 30th November - Advent 1
1000 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
1600 – Forest Church, Penshurst Rectory Garden.
Sunday 07th December
1000 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
Sunday 14th December
0800 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
1000 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: Holy Communion.
1000 St Peters, Fordcombe: Holly Communion
Sunday 21st December
1000 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
1800 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Nine Lessons and Carols
1800 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: Nine Lessons and Carols
Wednesday 24th December
2200 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion for Christmas Night
1600 St Peters, Fordcombe: Carol Service
1730 St Mary’s, Chiddingstone: Carols by Candlelight
2330: St Mary’s, Chiddingstone: Midnight Mass
Thursday 25th December
1030 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: All Age Service for Christmas Day
1030 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: All Age Holy Communon
09:00 St Peters, Fordcombe: Holly Communion
Sunday 28th December
0800 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
Life Events:
Ø We remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Ø Learning and growing:
Don’t forget the new National Safeguarding Standards. There is a link to the new leaflet on our website, and you’ll see posters going up in our churches soon. And following the appointment of our new benefice Safeguarding Officer, Wendy Ellis, we now have a contact email established – please direct any safeguarding queries or issues to safeguarding@highwealdchurches.org.uk
Ø Mailing:
If you know anyone who would like to be added to our weekly mailing, do let us know (and similarly let us know if you’d like to come off, though we’d be sad to see you go). If you’d like to contribute to the work of the benefice, you can go to our parish giving page via the www.parishgiving.org.uk website (we’d be very grateful). Alternatively, you can always find it on our benefice website: https://www.highwealdchurches.org.uk/news)
Contact thornburybenefice@outlook.com if you would like to be added to the weekly Newsletter mail out.