Newsletter -11 - 14
Greetings from The Rector:
At the end of an awful day, weather-wise, I am grateful to be safely home for the evening. The week began with a series of Remembrance services. Thank you to all who attended and especially to those who held key roles in setting up and leading the services. On Tuesday, the school children at Fordcombe were impeccably behaved through the village green service and especially the two-minute silence observed in the village. Their poppy decorations were a beautiful addition to the scene. Our four churches will keep a red array for most of November to mark The Kingdom Season. The colour will change to purple after we have marked the end of the church year and the festival of Christ the King on Sunday November 23rd.
I have decided to delay meeting with Forest Church this weekend. The weather this Sunday looks dubious at best, and I still have little voice. Laryngitis is now in its seventh week. However, in two weeks’ time…
You are invited to a St John the Baptist Church for a Forest Church ADVENTure at 4pm on 30th November.
At this informal event there will be a short all age service and lots of activities for people to enjoy including games and crafts. I will send out more details next week. Offers of help with leading activities and providing refreshments would be much appreciated.
This Sunday the Church of England marks Safeguarding Sunday. I close with some prayers, which I hope will speak to everyone’s hearts. Source: towards-a-safer-church-some-liturgical-resources-2018
God of hope,
we come before you in our brokenness and need of healing.
Through your mercy and grace,
we seek your forgiveness for what we have done or failed to do.
Give us the courage to learn from past events,
and through your Spirit give us the hope
to look forward to life with you and through you,
so that we may overcome the darkness and suffering surrounding us
and proclaim your love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Gracious God, pour upon all people your life-giving Spirit.
Guide us with your peaceable wisdom,
that our communities may be places of safety and joy
as we delight in your gift of life,
and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
With every blessing for the week ahead
Lisa
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 16th November – 2nd Sunday before Advent
1000 -St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
1600 – Forest Church, Penshurst Rectory Garden
Sunday 23rd November - Christ The King
1000 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
1000 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: Holy Communion
Tuesday 25th November - Quiet Morning
1330 St Luke’s, Parish Room, Chiddingstone: Quiet Morning.
To reserve a place email barbaramlloyd@gmail.com or just come on the day.
Sunday 30th November - Advent 1
1000 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)
