Newsletter - 01-17

Greetings from my rectory in Penshurst,

This is my first mailing of 2025. If I haven’t already said this in person, Happy New Year. Christmas seems a distant memory but I am pleased to report we had over a thousand people through the benefice church doors on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Thank you to everyone who worked to ensure the Advent and Christmas seasons ran smoothly and to all those who attended. Special thanks to Fr Stephen Mitchell and Rev Penny Stephens for leading services in Chiddingstone.

Sadly, the winter season often sees a spike in deaths and this year is no exception. It is an honour to lead the funerals of parishioners and to help families both celebrate the lives and gifts of characters of their loved ones. Thank you for the ways in which you support each other in the community as people work their way through their grief journey.  On Wednesday we said a fond farewell to Elaine (Ellie) Mimms at St John the Baptist. On Friday the family of Jenny Chettle met to say goodbye to her at a private service at Tunbridge Wells Crematorium. Jenny’s life will be celebrated by her large circle of friends and family in St Mary’s Church on Saturday 25th January at 1000. My thanks to Sally Musson for leading both of Jenny’s services.

On Wednesday 22nd at 1300 Ada Pickering’s funeral takes place at The Kent and Sussex Crematorium. On Wednesday 29th Yvonne Braiden’s funeral will be held at Hastings Crematorium. Finally, on Thursday February 13th, we shall celebrate the life of Bob Atkins with a thanksgiving service at St John the Baptist in Penshurst.

We hold all bereaved families and friends in prayer.

At the other end of our age group, this Sunday at 1600 there will be a Christingle Service at St John the Baptist Church in Penshurst. Although billed as a Forest Church service, the service will be inside the church, the heating and kettle will be on and all ages are welcome. Christingle services can take any time between Advent and Candlemas and, given there were already nine children’s services before Christmas, it made sense to leave this service for the new year.

Our three benefice schools have been back for two full weeks and are very busy. I would like to offer congratulations to Mrs Haysom and all the staff, volunteers and pupils at Chiddingstone School for their recent OFSTED report. They were inspected in December and the report, published this week, described the school as Outstanding in all areas. The full report can be read here.  https://www.chiddingstoneschool.co.uk/inspection-reports-3/

Next week the World Council of Churches celebrates a week of Christian Unity. This is an ecumenical celebration, which encourages different denominations to work together. I finish my mailing this week with a prayer for church unity written by for the Bose Community (An ecumenical community of Nuns and Monks from Italy)

“God our Father, accept our praise and thanksgiving for what already unites Christians in the confession of and witness to Jesus the Lord. Hasten the hour when all churches will recognise each other in the one communion you willed and for which your Son prayed to you in the power of the Holy Spirit. Hear us, you who live and reign now and forever.”

With every blessing for the week ahead

Lisa

In this edition:

Ø  Services

Ø  Life Events

Ø  Learning and growing

Services: 

Sunday 19 January: Epiphany 2 - Week of prayer for Christian Unity

1000      St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion

1600      St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Forest Church Christingle Service

Sunday 26 January: Epiphany 3

1000     St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: Holy Communion

1000     St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion

(Note: No Fordcombe Evening service this month)

Sunday 2 February: Candlemas (The last Sunday of Christmas)

1000 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion

Life Events:

In our prayers we hold those coming through our doors this month to mark their life events:

Baptisms: We hold Louis and his family in our prayers, as they prepare for his baptism in January.

Funerals: We hold the family and loved ones of Jenny Chettle, Bob Atkins, Ada Pickering and Yvonne Braiden in our prayers ahead of their upcoming funerals.

And we remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday. 

Learning and growing:

Ø  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:

Ø 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

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Newsletter - 01-24

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Newsletter - 01-10