Newsletter - 02-21
I do hope this finds you well. For those with school aged children in their care I hope that you have enjoyed the half term break. Although a working week for me, I have been able to take things at a gentler pace.
Last Saturday, it was a joy to meet with twelve of our wedding couples for a wedding preparation event. Couples left having given thought to the Christian understanding of marriage and knowing more about how their wedding service fits together. Although each couple will be seen individually by the priest taking their service, being able to offer some general advice over service content to a collective group offers some time efficiencies later in the year. With twenty weddings this year, please do make all of our visiting couples welcome as they gather to make their qualifying connections and to get to know the church family. We already have a growing list of 2026 couples.
On Sunday more than thirty of us gathered for Forest Church in my rectory garden. Angela Ventin led this love themed service as part of her Bishop’s Certificate qualification. She did a great job! Praying that my lawn may recover soon!
This week, parishioners gathered at The Crematorium to say a fond farewell to Joyce Evans. Joyce has spent her whole 95 years living within a few miles of her birthplace in Penshurst. The service celebrated her love of creation. Next week we shall celebrate the lives of Michael Hill on Tuesday and Michael Collin on Friday. In both cases there are private family services in the morning and much bigger memorial services in St John the Baptist church in the afternoon. For those attending on Tuesday, please park in Penshurst Place and walk through church field if possible. If attending on Friday afternoon, you may wish to park at the Porcupine Pantry and walk to church from there. Both occasions are likely to be very well attended, so do allow plenty of time to park and walk.
With my Area Dean’s hat on: this Saturday morning I shall be leading the Deanery Synod at St John’s, Hildenborough. Our guest speaker is Bishop Jonathan who shall be presenting his diocesan vision for the next ten years. On Sunday, I shall be at Rochester Cathedral for the Collation, Installation & Welcome Service for the two new Archdeacons. Please pray for The Rev Preb Sandra McCalla, as she becomes The Archdeacon of Rochester and for The Rev Nicholas Cornell, who will work locally as the Archdeacon of Tonbridge.
With Easter so late this year, we have two more Sundays before Lent begins. On Ash Wednesday (5th March) there are services with the imposition of ashes at 0915 in St Peter’s (a school led service) and St John the Baptist at 1900. This is a communion service. If you want to receive communion in the daytime, you may want to join our brothers and sister at St Peter and St Paul, Edenbridge. Their service, led by Rev’d David Flagg, begins at 1030.
With every blessing for the week ahead
Lisa
In this edition:
Ø Services
Ø Electoral Roll
Services:
Sunday February 23rd: 2nd Sunday before Lent
1000 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: Matins
1000 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
Sunday March 2nd: Sunday Before Lent
1000 St John the Baptist, Penshurst: Holy Communion
Wednesday March 5th: Ash Wednesday
0915 St Peter’s Church, Fordcombe School Service for Ash Wednesday
1900 St John’s, Penshurst: Holy Communion with the Imposition of Ashes
Sunday March 9th: Lent 1
1000 St Peter’s Fordcombe: Holy Communion
1000 St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway: Matins
Readings and lections for February can be found if you Click Here.
Life Events:
Ø In our prayers we hold those coming through our doors this month to mark their life events:
Baptisms: We hold Andrea and her family in our prayers following her baptism in February.
Funerals: We hold the family and loved Michael Collin and Michael Hill 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.
Electoral Roll:
Ø The High Weald Churches electoral roll is now open for applications ahead of the 2025 Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) – Click Here to read the full notice from the Diocese. Please note that every six years the electoral roll must undergo complete revision, which is taking place this year, therefore everyone who would like to be included should fill out and return an application form - Click Here to download. Forms can be printed, or collected from church, and returned to a churchwarden, or filled in electronically and returned via email to the office. The deadline for applications is 31 March, and the roll will be finalised by 14 April ahead of the next APCM.
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
