This week...

​​​​​​(See services and activities pages for a list of regular groups and activities.)

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THURSDAY (11TH)

• Christmas Country Lunch at the Old School Community Centre, Burham at 12.45pm. There'll be turkey soup (and a veggie alternative), crusty bread and homemade Christmas pudding, all for just £3.

 

SATURDAY (13TH)

• Carol singing with Churches Together in Malling at ASDA, Kings Hill from 10am - 11.30am. 

• Christmas tree festival at Larkfield from 11am - 5pm. Pop along for beautifully-decorated trees, a nativity trail, refreshments and light lunches, and crafts. Or come along after dark to enjoy the lights!

• Santa's Grotto at Eccles (booking required).

• Ecumenical carol services at All Saints, Maidstone at 4pm and 7pm (I'll be leading prayers at the 7pm service). Last year, this was a brilliant opportunity to worship with 1400 others from across Maidstone. Please accept my apologies for the error in previous emails - these services are taking place on Saturday, not Sunday!

 

SUNDAY (14TH)

• Christmas tree festival at Larkfield from 12am - 5pm, with the opportunity to enjoy 'carols among the Christmas trees' at 3pm. 

• Santa's Grotto at Eccles (booking required).

 

MONDAY (15TH)

• 1st Larkfield Girls' Brigade Christmas celebration at 6pm - with Christingles!

 

TUESDAY (16TH)

• Brookfield Junior School visiting Larkfield's Christmas trees and exploring the nativity trail. 

• Muffins & More Christmas buffet at Larkfield.

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WEDNESDAY (17TH)

• Brookfield Junior School (Year 3)'s Christingle service at Larkfield in the morning.

• Toddler Group Christmas parties at Larkfield and Tonbridge Road.

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Advent Bible study course - 'The Life in the Comma'

The second instalment of our Advent Bible study course - open to everyone from Eccles, Hextable, Larkfield (including Burham) and Tonbridge Road - will take place over Zoom on Wednesdays 3, 10 and 17 December at 7.45pm. We'll be using resources from John L Bell, entitled 'The Life in the Comma: Deepening Our Understanding of Jesus.' John Bell notes that the Apostles' Creed moves from the Virgin Mary and Jesus' birth to Pontious Pilate and Jesus' death with only a comma in between. But, he argues, we cannot understand the birth and death of Christ without thinking about how Jesus lived. With videos, Bible study and discussion, we'll be thinking about how Jesus, in his time on earth, fulfilled the law, the prophets and the Psalms  - before celebrating his birth and the incarnation.

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Here are the Zoom details for anyone who'd like to join us:

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The second instalment of our Advent Bible study course, 'The Life in the Comma,' at 7.45pm on Zoom. Please do join us, even if you weren't able to make the first session.

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/98265096494?pwd=6PtZSQ4NIMSJrKmhl5Yc0p7pmp4zRd.1

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Meeting ID: 982 6509 6494

Passcode: 452595

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For your Diary...

 

​​​DECEMBER

Advent and Christmas 2025

Please check out our Advent page for services and events taking place across the churches over Advent and Christmas. Please pop the dates in your diaries, and remember that you'd be most welcome to celebrate with any (or all!) of the churches. There's also a separate poster for the Christmas tree festival taking place at Larkfield on 13-14 December.

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This year, the Methodist Church's theme for Advent and Christmas is 'Gifted.' If you'd like to sign up for the Methodist Church's weekly Advent emails, you can do so here.​​

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Christmas Country Lunch

Looking further ahead, on Thursday 11 December, there will be the Christmas Country Lunch at 12.45pm in the Old School Community Centre in Burham. There'll be turkey soup (and a veggie alternative) and Christmas pudding, all for just £3.

 

Carol Singing at ASDA

Churches Together in Malling are holding their annual Carols at Asda, Kings Hill on 13th December at 10:00 - 11:30 (see poster below).

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Christmas tree festival

We are very excited for the upcoming Christmas tree festival on 13 and 14 December (please see the attached poster). I've had a sneak preview of some fantastic decorations, and I'm excited that, this year, we're opening a little later so you can enjoy the lights after dark. Please do pop along - and/or join us for carols among the trees at 3pm on 14 December. At the moment, we are still in urgent need of volunteers to help welcome guests to the festival - if you might be able to help on Saturday or Sunday, please contact Monica (monicawilding@outlook.com).

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HMP Maidstone Carol Service - Tuesday 16 December 5.30pm

I know that several of you really value the opportunity to attend the annual carol service at HMP Maidstone. This year's service will take place on Tuesday 16 December at 5.30pm; please see the attached for further details, including about how to book your place.

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Would you like to do a reading in the carol service? 

I'm seeking volunteers for readings at the carol service on Sunday 21 December at 10am. If you'd like to be involved, please let me know.

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JANUARY

Church weekend away  - Have you booked your place? 

We're excited to say that we're inviting you to book your place on our church weekend away. We'll be heading to Ashburnham Place from Friday 30 January - Sunday 1 February 2026 - and we'd love for you to join us. There are 50 spaces available, and the grant funding we have received from the circuit and district means that we can operate on a 'pay what you can' basis - meaning that the weekend away will be accessible to anyone from our extended church family who wishes to join us. We hope this will be a really special time together, as we spend time with old friends and make new ones, and as we build on the content of this autumn's Alpha Course. 

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Our theme will be 'A love that will grow' (based on Philippians 1) and we're planning a wide range of activities, including nature walks, delicious meals, crafts, worship, and plenty of time to relax and recharge. We'll be exploring our theme with sessions on growing in the Holy Spirit; growing into our purpose; growing in confidence as we talk about our faith; and growing as a church. For those who find a whole weekend away with other people to be a bit intense, there's always the option to take some time out, relax in your room, or explore the beautiful grounds at Ashburnham Place.

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If you'd like to come, please let Claire know (her details are on the flyer). There's a £10 deposit per family; after that, the weekend is on a 'pay as you can' basis. Do get in touch if you have any questions.

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Update on church weekend away: 'A love that will grow' 

 

At our planning meeting last week for the church weekend away, we were thrilled that 39 people had already signed up for the weekend and that they represent the breadth of activities in our church, including Brigades, the Welcome Hub, Messy Church, Breakfast Church, the 10am service, Chuckles, and Muffins. We were delighted, too, that over a quarter of those who have signed up are under 11! We are so looking forward to getting to know each other better, to growing together in faith, and to relaxing in the beautiful surroundings of Ashburnham House. We still have one or two rooms available, so if you're hoping to join us, please speak to Claire (claireboxall@sky.com). 

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Dementia-inclusive church - January and February 2026

If you have an interest in making the church a more welcoming and friendly place for those journeying with dementia, you are warmly invited to attend one of the following online sessions being offered by MHA and the Methodist Church to explore small changes that can make a big difference:

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• Monday 19 January 2pm - 4pm

• Monday 16 February 7pm - 9pm 

 

You can book your place here.

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Encounter 2026

Have you ever wondered if God might be calling you to try something new? In 2026, you have the opportunity to be part of 'Encounter' - a small group that meets online to explore discipleship and vocation together. There are taster sessions in January, before the course begins in February. You can find all the details on the attached poster. 

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APRIL 2026

25 April 2026

Churches Together in Malling have been busy organising a fantastic event for next year. On Saturday 25 April 2026 at Brookfield Primary School, Larkfield, there will be a performance of I am Mark: a solo, word-for-word dramatisation of the Gospel of Mark, consciously modelled on the very first tellings of this good news. Since beginning in 2016 in Speakers’ Corners and on high streets, it has been presented in churches, cathedrals, theatres, schools, festivals and prisons. It has consistently proved a powerful way of opening up Scripture for both those exploring faith and Christians encountering it afresh. Do pop the date in your diaries!

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JUNE - SEPTEMBER 2026

Sabbatical

Every seven years, Methodist ministers are generously gifted a sabbatical of three months by the Church. I wanted to let you know that mine is due next year (from mid-June to mid-September 2026) - as we're now starting to get meetings in the diary almost that far ahead! I will be working with a support group from the circuit between now and June to ensure that suitable cover is in place across the churches I serve.

 

​OTHER NOTICES

Bereavement Course at West Malling Baptist Church 

Our friends at West Malling Baptist Church will be holding a bereavement course in the new year and have invited friends from other churches to join them. You can find all the details on the attached poster.

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Could you be a BB Leader - or do you know someone who could? 

Our fabulous Boys' Brigade team are still looking to recruit new Leaders and Helpers. I've reattached the advert - please have a think and a pray about whether you know someone who might be suited to the role (or whether you might be!). Please do pass the advert to anyone who might be interested. ​​​​