18th Jul 2020

Dear Church Family,

This is the last mailing we will be sending out before our new Rector arrives at the Vicarage, and although there will be a couple of weeks of settling in for them all before he is able to lead a service for us here at Kippington, I know there is an air of great excitement in the anticipation of something new amongst us.

Isaiah 43v18 is the verse that has sustained us all in the West Sevenoaks team:

“Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.
See I am doing a new thing…..do you not perceive it?”

Let this verse be our watchword as we move into this new phase of life at Kippington.

On Sunday, we are opening for communion at 8am and we have attached a document highlighting the way the service will be run. For those of you who are planning on attending the service, do read it before coming, as many of your questions will then be answered. The following two Sundays we will have 8am communion, and on August 2nd we are hoping to have an outdoor family service as a means of welcoming Mark and his family. More details of this will follow, as guidelines are constantly changing as to what we are able to do.

Mark’s institution service on August 8th will be by invitation only, due to the Covid pandemic, but on Sunday 9th August Mark will preside at the 8am communion and lead Common Worship at 10.30am for the first time. We hope that those of you who feel able to come back to the church building will join us for this service, as it will be a wonderful opportunity for Mark to meet his new church family.

This week, we have attached a reflection from the Archdeacon of Bromley for you all to enjoy, and we’d also like to draw your attention to the marvellous anthems that Philip Wood and the choir have put together, which are now on the website.

With our love and blessings,

Sally and Sue

11th Jul 2020

Dear Church Family,

We are fast approaching the time when Rev. Mark Bridgen and his family will be ensconced in the vicarage, and a new era of life will begin at Kippington. This comes at a time when we are slowly beginning to come out of our lockdown and to consider how our world will be.  I feel it is a little like emerging from hibernation - we are a little loath to leave the cosiness and warmth of all that is familiar and also apprehensive as to what this new world will look like.

I attended a very interesting webinar this week on ‘Leadership in Lockdown’ and found it fascinating to hear and see how other churches have been coping with life during this pandemic. As we start our new team ministry we need to be aware of the possibilities and opportunities that this venture will bring.

Over the past months many of us have been challenged in our assumptions of what normal life is, and many questions have been raised as to how we live.  We have reconnected with our communities in a wonderful way, at the same time realising our increased fragility, both of ourselves and the planet on which we live.  There must be a better way for us to hold this all in balance and to reach out to the Sevenoaks community with the wonderful good news that we have in the gospel.  There has definitely been a stimulated interest in all matters relating to faith, and the church must be ready to respond to this.

A survey conducted by CPAS has said that as we emerge from lockdown, 80% of what we were doing before will return, but what of the 20% that won’t?  This is what we need to be concentrating our efforts on.

We don’t want to miss what God may be asking of us as we embark on our team ministry - keep on listening to God and thanking him for all he has done during this time.

Pray
Acknowledge reality
Utilise resources
Settle expectations
Explore possibilities

Remember, church has not ceased to be during the past 4 months, rather it has been merely operating in a different way.

Please continue to uphold all these things in prayer and don’t hesitate to get in touch with any ideas that you may have going forward.  Many of you have already responded to the letter we sent out a few weeks ago and we have been delighted to receive those, but others do get in touch if you have any ideas.

A reminder too to send in a photo of you and your family if you would like to be included in the photo book we are putting together for Mark.  This will need to be with Jeb by Wednesday of this week please.

Romans 15v13:  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” 

Please enjoy the service that Joan has put together for us this weekend, together with the beautiful piece of music that Hazel Ross has sent specifically for the Kippington family.

With our love,

Sally and Sue

4th Jul 2020

Dear Church Family,

This week we are sending you a reflection that Archdeacon Julie Conalty has given us on the passage set for this week. Do take time to read it and reflect on it, as we all look forward to a return to church life in whatever form that will take.

We have made plans to open our church as from July 19th, but only for 8am communion. On 19th this will be led by Anne Bourne, and July 26th and Aug 2nd, Sue Fauchon-Jones will be the celebrant. You can rest assured that we are trying to proceed with discernment and the utmost caution and this seemed to be the most sensible option. We have many vulnerable and older folk in our congregation and we want to make sure everyone is accommodated as best we can. We will wait for Mark’s institution before restarting the 10.30am services.

As a result of these decisions, our church will be open during the week only on Thursday mornings for private prayer, 9am-12noon. This will give us enough time to thoroughly clean the church before opening it up on Sundays.

Mark and his family arrive in the Vicarage on July 21/22 and his institution will be on Saturday August 8th. As a welcome to him and a welcome to us all as we return back to Kippington as a church family, we are planning an outdoor family service on Sunday August 2nd. More details of this gathering will follow, but the vision is for an opportunity for as many of us as possible to be able to meet, within the social distancing guidelines, to thank God for all that he has done for us and to enjoy fellowship and friendship. We pray for fine weather and that many of you, young and old, will join us on that day.

Deuteronomy 6v5-7:
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.’

God bless

Sally and Sue

This week’s attachments: