Newsletter - 12-13
I begin this week’s newsletter with sad news. Jenny Chettle a long-standing member of the Chiddingstone Churches family died last Friday. We pray for Jenny’s family and friends as they mourn her loss. Jenny was a truly lovely lady. She had a deep faith, lived out in service to others and in a great love for music. She supported charitable, musical and children’s work right across the benefice and was always an encouragement to others. She will be greatly missed. I am not yet aware of funeral arrangements for Jenny, but I will share them here once known.
I enjoyed a few days off at the start of the week. I am very grateful to Rev’d David Kitley for leading the 1000 service in Fordcombe last week. Dibley and I enjoyed some very bracing walks at Camber Sands. It was good to step away from home for a few days. Meanwhile on Monday, Chiddingstone School received ‘The Call’ from OFSTED and were inspected during Tuesday and Wednesday. Hot on the heels of a SIAMS inspection less than a month ago, the school rose to the challenge of the inspection with admirable professionalism. The report will be published early in the new year. Meanwhile, if you would like to read the school’s splendid SIAMS report it is at the foot of this webpage: https://www.chiddingstoneschool.co.uk/inspection-reports-3/
After two very successful Nativity Services in Chiddingstone on Wednesday, there are many school productions and services to come. I shall be at all but one of these. If attending too, I hope you enjoy every minute. See you there!
17th December 1400 Ash Class Nativity at Fordcombe School
18th Dec 1400 KS1 Nativity at St John the Baptist Church, Penshurst
18th Dec 1800 KS2 Carol service at St Mary’s Church, Chiddingstone
19th Dec 0915 KS2 Carols at St John the Baptist Church, Penshurst
19th December 1430 Elm & Oak Nativity at Fordcombe School
20th December 0915 End of Term Service at St Peter’s Church, Fordcombe
There are two meetings this coming week where the expanded PCCs of each parish will meet with Archdeacon Elect Rev’d Nick Cornell. The Chiddingstone PCC will meet at the parish room at St Luke’s on the evening of Thursday 19th December (please speak to your church wardens for details). The PCCs of Penshurst and Fordcombe will meet at 1030 at St John the Baptist Church on Friday 20th. Both meetings will offer an opportunity for Rev’d Nick to explain the pastoral consultation process planned for the benefice in early 2025.
As the Christmas festivities draw near, it may be that you or a loved one would like me to visit so that you may receive Holy Communion at home. Please drop me an email if you would like me to add you to my list of planned visits. I hope to see most people between 22nd and 24th December, but have some availability in the week to come.
I look forward to seeing many of you at the concerts, productions and services in the week ahead.
In this edition
Ø Services
Ø Spirituality and Prayer
Services:
Sunday 15 December: Advent 3
1000 Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1800 Nine Lessons and Carols at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 22 December: Advent 4
1000 Said Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1800 Nine Lessons and Carols at St John the Baptist
Tuesday 24 December: Christmas Eve
1600 Family Carol Service at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
1730 Carols by Candlelight St Mary the Virgin, Chiddingstone
2200 United Benefice Christmas Night Holy Communion, St John’s
(Please note the earlier start)
Wednesday 25 December: Christmas Day
0900 Said Holy Communion at St Peter’s, Fordcombe
1030 Family Service at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
1030 Morning Service at St Luke’s, Chiddingstone Causeway
Sunday 29 December: First Sunday of Christmas
1000 United Benefice Holy Communion at St John the Baptist, Penshurst
Life Events:
In our prayers we hold those coming through our doors this month to mark their life events:
Weddings: We hold Jack and Celia, and Rebecca and Nicholas in our prayers ahead of their weddings in December.
Funerals: We hold the family and loved ones of Jenny Chettle in our prayers this week. For those who would like to attend her funeral, we hope to be able to share details in due course.
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
Spirituality and Prayer:
Ø Over the next couple of weeks St John’s in Penshurst will host a number of very simple prayer stations to mark the start of Advent. Please do try and visit and engage with them if you can and perhaps pray that they might prove helpful to our visitors too.
