Newsletter 08-16
Greetings from Penshurst Rectory,
August in the parish remains reasonably quiet. There are a steady stream of visitors passing through our churches and villages. We are so blessed to live and worship in this beautiful corner of Kent. The improved weather continues; it was certainly a very warm day for Lara and Seb’s wedding at All Souls Chapel in Poundsbridge last Saturday. Who knew that 110 people could be fitted into such a small space?! We have ten further marriage services left this year, with 19 marriage services already booked for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Thank you for making couples feel so welcome as they attend church to make their qualifying connections with us.
This week I began preparing candidates for confirmation in late September. It is not too late to sign up for the next series of confirmation classes. Please drop me an e mail if you are thinking of taking this step in faith. The service will be in Tonbridge on the evening of 29th September.
This week many people received A level results, and GCSE results land this Thursday coming. Warm congratulations to those who have secured the grades they need for the next stage. We pray for our families preparing for their youngsters to attend college, university or the world of work in the weeks ahead.
We will say farewell to Rev’d Lindsay at an evening prayer service at St Peter’s Fordcombe at 6pm on Sunday. Wine and nibbles will be served afterwards. Sunday is Lindsay’s last working day after a little under two years working as our Associate Priest. We wish her and her family every blessing as they move away to pastures new.
I remain Rector of all of our parishes, and the third anniversary of my licensing service is next month. I share The Cure of Souls with the Bishop of Rochester and my care for you extends across the whole community, whether you are churchgoers or not. My Sunday morning ministry is being assisted by The Rev’d Penny Stephens and she is leading worship in The Chiddingstone Churches when available. Occasional offices (Weddings, Baptism and Funerals) remain my responsibility, as does my pastoral care for you all.
Service patterns and content continue to be coordinated across the benefice churches so that music, scripture and liturgy are themed with the lectionary used across The Church of England. Going forward other ministers with permission to officiate will be helping me out on some Sundays, and when I am away from the parish. Please direct any enquiries around services, pastoral or prayer support to me directly or via Tabby in the Office. Email is the most reliable way to be in touch.
Wishing you a blessed week ahead.
In this edition:
Ø Services
Services:
Sunday 18 August: Trinity 12
1000 Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1000 Holy Communion at St Mary the Virgin, Chiddingstone
1800 Choral Evensong at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
Sunday 25 August: Trinity 13
1000 Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
Sunday 1 September
1000 Holy Communion at St John’s, Penshurst
1000 Matins at St Mary the Virgin, Chiddingstone
To download a full overview of August services please Click Here.
Life Events:
In our prayers we hold those coming through our doors this month to mark their life events:
Weddings: last week we married Lara and Sebestian at Poundsbridge, and later this month will welcome James and Alice, James and Emily; and Rachel and Todd to celebrate their marriages. We hold them in our prayers.
Christenings: We wish Isabelle, Emily and Charlotte and their families well on their pilgrimage of faith, as they approach their upcoming baptisms.
Funerals: We continue to hold the late Jean Lorimer and Stewart Tucker, and their families, in our prayers and will update on details for both funerals in the coming weeks.
And we remember those whose anniversary falls at this time of year, they shall be prayed for in church on Sunday.
Learning and growing:
Updates:
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
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
With every blessing,
Lisa
