December 2015 80p (£9 per year) 1 UNITED BENEFICE OF ST. MARY, GOUDHURST WITH CHRIST CHURCH, KILNDOWN Vicar: Revd Hugh Nelson The Vicarage, Back Lane Goudhurst, Kent, TN17 1AN Tel: 01580 211739 Email: [email protected] Please note the Revd Hugh’s day off is Monday Assistant Curate: Revd Craig Huxley Email:[email protected] Benefice Administrator: Becky Addis, (Monday to Friday 9am-12 noon) Benefice Office, The Vicarage, Back Lane, Goudhurst, Kent, TN17 1AN Tel: 01580 211739 Email : [email protected] GOUDHURST Church Wardens: Tim Wormington Tel: 01580 211369 [email protected] Angela Pakenham-Walsh Tel: 01580 211610 [email protected] Sunday Club: Huthrie Copplestone Tel: 01580 211902 [email protected] Church Room Bookings: Rosemary Southon Tel: 01580 211791 Ready Call: Norma Neal (Chairman) Tel: 01580 211870 Mrs Anne Torry (transport) Tel: 01580 211306 Parish Hall Bookings: Judith Farnfield Tel: 07760181645 [email protected] KILNDOWN Church Wardens: David Denton Tel: 01892 890244 Tina Gallagher Tel: 01892 890426 Flower Arranging: Veronica Stacey Tel: 01580 211239 Village Hall Bookings: Tracy Roberts Tel: 01892 891122 PARISH MAGAZINE Editors: David Denton Tel: 01892 890244 [email protected] Magazine Advertising: James Cooke [email protected] Subscriptions & Distribution: Pam Stubbs (Goudhurst) Tel: 01580 211013 Hilary Bird (Kilndown) Tel: 01892 890554 www.gkchurch.org.uk 2 WHAT’S ON IN DECEMBER 2015 Rev Craig’s First Holy Communion Rev Craig Huxley has been our Assistant Curate at St. Mary’s and Christ Church for the last few months and on Wednesday, 2 December at 7:30 he will be presiding over this first Holy Communion at St. Mary’s following his ordination. This will be a very special occasion and Craig would love as many people as possible to come along and enjoy the evening with him. Christmas Eve Nativity Service, 4:30 at St. Mary’s If you have primary school aged children who would like to take part in the Nativity Service this year, please contact Amanda Hall as soon as possible by emailing her at [email protected]. Anyone wanting to be involved needs to be available for two rehearsals - 12:15-1:00 on Sunday, 6 December and 10:45-11:45 on Sunday, 20 December. Christmas services at St. Mary’s and Christ Church Please refer to the church calendar in the magazine for a complete list of services. Included in these is the Advent Carol service at Christ Church on Sunday, 6 December at 6:30 when the choir will be joined by choristers from Rochester Cathedral. The service of Nine lessons and carols will be on Sunday, 20 December at 6:30 in St. Mary’s. Midnight mass will be start at 11:30pm on Christmas Eve in both churches, and then everyone is invited to celebrate Christmas Day with services at 10:00 in St. Mary’s and Christ Church. There’s lots more going on and you can find out about it all on our website www.gkchurch.org.uk 3 FROM THE VICAR Dear Friends Well, it’s on it’s way again and all the familiar Christmas traditions and events are in full swing; the carols, the smell of the Christmas tree, the Nativity set, the rushing around, the Christmas card lists and the mince pies. And in the middle of it all the story of a young woman and her new husband, setting off to travel a dangerous journey to an unknown future, full of risk and uncertainty. And this year, that story has particular resonance, as we continue to read about and watch the reports of the tens of thousands of people making dangerous journeys across the Middle East and Southern Europe to unknown futures. As they travel in flimsy boats, lorries, trains and on foot we are watching the greatest movement of people since the Second World War. We might think that the world has changed a lot over the centuries, but what we see on our screens and in our newspapers today is not that different to the journey that lies at the heart of the Christmas story. And that can help us to have a richer sense of just what a risk God took in coming into the world this way - presumably he could have been born into a royal family, surrounded by the very best medical care and provided with the safety and security of a royal palace - and that would have been much more worthy of one who was to go on to declare himself to be the Son of God. But that’s not what God did. He came amongst us in the danger, poverty and suffering of a refugee family who had nowhere to stay. A family who facied the same risks as those struggling through the Mediterranean today. And if we reflect on that, we might find it changes our sense of who God is, and what He’s like. He isn’t up in his heaven, looking down on us from far. He is the one who answers our question ‘where are you Lord?’ by showing us a fragile baby, born in the mess and suffering of life. But that’s not all. The refugees that are on the sea and road today, even as you read this magazine, should also help us to see something else. If God was willing to be on the road all those years ago, we can be sure He’s out there today as well. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke tell the Christmas story, with Mary and Joseph, and angels and shepherds, but John’s gospel doesn’t. He starts instead from a different point, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.” And then he goes on to say that “The word became flesh and dwell among us. “Literally translated, the word that we read as ‘dwelt’ means ‘pitched his tent’. Jesus came and pitched his tent amongst us. And we can be sure that isn’t meant to make us think of a beautiful camping tent, lightweight and waterproof. It’s a refugee tent, made of whatever can be found by the road - oil drums, canvas, old ropes and plastic. God pitched his tent 2000 years ago, and He’s out there now, taking the risk again, in the dirt and the uncertainty and suffering of those who have nowhere to lay their head. This Christmas, as we enjoy all those wonderful seasonal traditions, let yourself be reminded that the original Christmas story was much more like the experience of those on the road today, and let the God who pitched his tent amongst us, come into your life again. Happy Christmas and God bless Rev Hugh 4 Kilndown Community Choir Christmas Concert Kilndown Church 12th December 7.30 pm Please come along and enjoy some festive songs and mulled wine and mince pies - no entry fee but donations for local charities (to be decided) welcome! visit our website www.kilndownchoir.org.uk Visit 5 CALENDAR Please note - re: 8.00 am Communion Service in St Mary’s – order two from the Book of Common Worship, Traditional Language is used. Weekday parish prayers: Morning prayer is at 8.30 am on Tuesday at St Mary’s and on Friday 8.00 am at Christ Church. Evening prayer is at 5.30 pm on Friday at Christ Church when the prayers for Compline will be used. See weekly sheet for Bible readings. Wed 2 7.30 pm Rev Craig Huxley’s first Holy Communion, St. Mary’s Thurs 3 10.00 am Holy Communion St. Mary’s 7.30 pm PCC meeting, St. Mary’s Fri 4 9.00 am Café Toddler, St. Mary’s Sat 5 10.00 am Choir Practice, St. Mary’s Sun 6 Advent 2 8.00 am Holy Communion, St. Mary’s 9.15 am Holy Communion, Christ Church 10.45 am Family Service, St. Mary’s 12.15 pm Nativity Service rehearsal, St. Mary’s 6.30 pm Advent Carol service, Looking for the Light, Christ Church Thurs 10 7.30 pm Music & Mystery, Churches Together, Sacred Heart Fri 11 9.00 am Café Toddler, St. Mary’s Advent Sleepover, St. Mary’s Sat 12 10.00 am Choir Practice, St. Mary’s 3.00 pm District Bell ringer Carol Service, St. Mary’s 7.30 pm Kilndown Community Choir’s Christmas concert, Christ Church Sun 13 Advent 3 8.00 am Holy Communion, St. Mary’s 9.15 am Holy Communion, Christ Church 10.45 am Holy Communion, St. Mary’s with Sunday Clubs – followed by a farewell party for Jeffrey Gray, organist at St. Mary’s 3.00 pm Lighting of the Kilndown Christmas tree, Kilndown Village Hall 6.30 pm Tunbridge Wells Choral concert, St. Mary’s Mon 14 6.30 pm Friends of St. Mary’s carol singing around Goudhurst Tues 15 10.30 am Goudhurst Pre-school Christmas service, St. Mary’s Thurs 17 10.00 am Holy Communion, St. Mary’s 6.30 pm Friends of St. Mary’s carol singing around Goudhurst Fri 18 2.00 pm G&K Primary School Christmas carol service, St. Mary’s Sat 19 10.00 am Choir Practice, St. Mary’s 6 Sun 20 Advent 4 8.00 am Holy Communion, St. Mary’s 9.15 am No service at Christ Church 10.45 am No service at St. Mary’s – but there will be a Nativity Service Rehearsal at 10.45 3.00 pm Family Carol Service, Christ Church 6.30 pm Nine Lessons & Carols, St.