Benefice Newsletter for during February 2026
Life Events
A lot of things happen in the life of a church, here we acknowledge the larger events.
Baptisms are where welcome others into the family of God for the first time. Weddings where we celebrate the beautiful moment where two people choose to join their lives together. And, funerals, where we bid farewell to those who have sadly passed, and pray that their families take peace in the knowledge of heaven and the peace of Christ.
We welcome the following into the family of the church:
Seth Steven Bennet Sharp 15th Feb Teynham Church
We pray for the family and friends of:
Dennis Roger Harrison Feb 16th Eastling
Catherine Philomena Carthy Feb 19th Doddington
we also pray for the family and friends of P Mason whose ashes are due to be interred at Doddington on Feb 28th.
Prayer:
Prayer is a hugely important part of our relationship with God, as individuals and also as his Church together in each of our villages, in our two Parishes and as a Benefice.
In fact, how can we be about God's Church without prayer? Prayer is our sustenance; prayer through speaking and listening to God. Let us pray!
At the bottom of the newsletter you will find the prayer diary for the next 2 weeks, which has a different prayer for every day of the week.
We have an online morning prayer service every day at 9:00 AM on Facebook Live
If you would like to submit a Prayer request for next month's diary then please email [email protected] by the 15th of the month.
The Last few Weeks
In the last two weeks we saw many services, and many different styles of worship. Our offerings of family worship continue to attract regular attendance, with a core group of young people that are eager to be part of church. We should all pray that this trend increases and we continue to see growth in the church.
At our Lynsted Family Service our team managed to pull together a last minute service of the word, and we greatly thank Steve Youle who stepped up to lead. And Mark Harlow who gave a moving and engaging talk. And we pray for our rector Paula as she continues to recover from a rather nasty virus.
Events:
Book Exchange
Where: Oare Village Hall
When: Wednesday Feb 17th
Time: Anytime between 10am
and 12pm
The aim of the book exchange is to enable people to pass on a good read and in turn, maybe, pick up another
The books are available to anyone for no cost and no obligation to provide a book in exchange.
However, if you do have a that you have finished that you think others might enjoy then please bring it along
Please feel free to join us, tea and coffee is available, and a chance for a nice chat.
Come and enjoy a tasty delight on 25th Feb
Being held in Lynsted Church
From The Front
Here we look at some of the themes that appeared in talks that we heard in the past few weeks.
Unsurprisingly since we had candlemas there was a focus on faith, light, and prophesy, something we saw in our Lynsted Family Service last month, where Mark Harlow gave a talk on the prophesy in Isaiah 9: 1-7 and how Jesus fulfilled it in Matthew 4: 12-23.
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness- on them light has shined." - Isaiah 9:2
The faith that people would have had after hearing the prophesy to wait for so long until Jesus our light was finally with us on earth.
We saw that theme of faith continued as we entered into candlemas with a poignant talk from Mary Gollop in our Teynham Family Service.
The faith of Mary, Joseph, and Simeon as Jesus was presented in the temple. Two parents taking their child to the temple perhaps, being worried about what might happen; still taking Jesus there as was prophesied. Simeon a man who had spent his whole life praying and waiting in the temple with faith that the saviour would come.
The faith the woman who had bled for 12 years, that if she could just touch Jesus' cloak she would be healed.
But these stories are ones that have been in churches for millennia, if we look at modern history we can find other stories of faith.
Helen Keller, blind and deaf at just 19 months old, who described that experience as being "at sea in a dense fog" had her faith in the lord, being taught about God as she was growing. But again most know who she is, but people may not know about Anne Sullivan, who became Helens teacher and close friend until her death, she herself was partially blind from childhood.
"Duty bids us, go forth into active life, Let us go cheerfully, hopefully, and earnestly, and set ourselves to find a special part. When we have found it, willingly and faithfully perform it. For every obstacle we overcome, every success we achieve tends to bring man closer to God and make life more as He would have it." - Anne Sullivans Graduation Speech.
Both Helen and Anne spent their lives doing God's work and improving the world.
But when Mary was praying over her talk she had a name pop into her head; Fanny Crosby, a name she didn't recognise. But looking up who she was Mary discovered she, and many of us, had been singing songs written by Fanny for years, Fanny having written over 8000 in her lifetime, although Fanny herself felt her true calling was her mission work. Being blind from near birth mary was stuck by this phrase from one of the hymns "Visions of rapture now burst on my sight; angels descending, bring from above echoes of mercy, whispers of love." to hear such a strong message of sight from someone who could not see with her eyes.
At the end Mary Left us with a question,
We may know about Helen, but might not know about Anne.
And if we don't know of Fanny, or only know her hymns, and not her mission work.
How many more silent voices, workers of faith also go unnoticed.
A candle for Candlemas
Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan
Fanny Crosby
In The Eyes Of Youth
In our youth services, we saw very much the same themes.
In God's Detectives in Teynham they made candle holders for people to remember about Jesus being the light of the world inside of us. And gave us a prayer to pray.
Lord, we thank you for the light of Christ that dispels our darkness. May we recognise your presence in our life and rejoice in the promise of salvation. Fill our hears with peace and hope and guide us to share this joy with others.
Amen.
And in our All Together Now service, we looked at the faith of Abraham and Sarah, as they travelled many miles and started the family of God as we know it.
In our Pizza and Praise youth group our worship was framed around the infinite love of god, and how we can put our faith and trust in him at all times. Looking at the words of Psalm 118, and mixing in songs to make it easier to understand; You are Good - Isreal Houghton, You Never Let Go - Matt Redman, My Joy - Trent Cory/Alvin Slaughter, Cornerstone - Hillsong, I extol you - Jennifer Randolph.
A playlist with these songs is available for Apple Music, Spotify, and Youtube
Before having our Pizza, and playing a game using the concept of a Möbius strip (a shape with only one side, and no real start or end) to further demonstrate the nature of God.
The Candleholder made by God's Detectives
A Möbius strip
A Recipe For Shrove Tuesday
As Easter is fast approaching we enter into Lent on the 18th, But before then we have Shrove Tuesday on the 17th
It is Tradition to have pancakes as they use up eggs, milk and butter in preparation for lent.
Here is a Recipe that is suggested by Andy Morrison, who uses it every year. It should make enough pancakes for 2 people.
Ingredients:
- ½ Pint Milk (~284ml)
- 1 Large Egg
- 4 Oz. Flour (~113g)
- A pinch of salt.
Method:
Sift your flour, and add a pinch of salt.
Add the egg, then slowly add the milk to keep the batter smooth.
If you have an almost finished or empty bottle of milk you can use it to shake the batter in for a better texture, and to easily pour it from.
Make sure your beat the batter for at least 5 minutes to keep it lump free, and leave it to rest for at least 15 minutes, although we find resting it overnight makes it much better.
Then when you're ready to enjoy your pancakes, heat a pan on the hob add a little oil, put enough batter to cover the base of the pan and fry until mostly cooked, flipping to cook the other side.
Remember the first pancake is never the best.
We like sugar, lemon, and Golden Syrup on our pancakes.
Email in and let us know if things are different in your house.
Family Foodbank
If you are looking to donate food, below is a list of food which we are currently short of:
- Tinned Meat (Curry, Chilli, Meat Balls, Hot Dogs, Pies, etc.)
- Tinned Veg (Peas, Carrots, Potatoes, etc.)
- Tinned Fish
- Tinned Desserts (Fruit, Custard, Rice Pudding, etc.)
- Soups (Tinned & Packets)
- Tinned Potatoes
- Dried Rice/Pasta
- Sauces (Jars - Pasta, Curry, Chilli, etc)
- Long Life Milk
- Tea/Coffee
- Cereal
- Biscuits
- Preservatives
- Hygiene & Baby Products
Collection boxes can be found in each church & Doddington Vicarage
more information can be found at:
Stay in Touch
The Ministry Leadership Team would be pleased to pray for you or someone close to you:
Contact any of the following:-
Rev Paula Jardine-Rose
Rest Day FRIDAY
07516 411269
[email protected]
Rev Jim Pye
07851 680612
Working day Wednesday & Thursday
[email protected]
Mary Gollop
01795 522165
Les & Barbara Roberts
07944 284173
Pim Baxter
07710 116269
Sue Baldry
01795 522975
Caroline Mc Intyre - Anna Chaplaincy
[email protected]
07799 538809
Benefice Administrator Joyce Warren
[email protected]
Office = Tuesday & Wednesday 01795 521831
Newsletter Editors Sandie & Robert Morrison
01795 704 078
Church Wardens
Our church wardens are responsible for the day-to-day running of each church, if you have any queries about a specific church feel free to get in touch with them.
Doddington - Les Roberts - 07944 284173
Eastling - Andrew Baxter - 07749 403727
Lynsted - David Willis - 07889 584571
Newnham - Bruce Leckie - 01795 890550
Norton - Sophia Steel - 01795 522941
Oare - Charlotte Relf - 01795 530576
Stalisfield - Jenny King - 01795 890366
Teynham - Bob Prichard - 01795 522168
Throwley - David Elvin - 07973 837122
Wychling - Robbie Jardine - 01795 886165
Prayer Diary
February 11th
Giving thanks for all the good news that doesn't make the
headlines....for conflicts avoided or resolved; for unexpected
healings; for acts of selfless kindness.
February 12th
We give thanks that God is with us at every moment of the
day. Help us to trust that presence and not to worry about
what today might hold.
February 13th
Placing into God's hands all our teenagers, and particularly
praying for those who fear pressure from peer groups and
from gang culture.
February 14th
Thank you that God is love! Fill us all with the acceptance
and confidence that love brings and help us to know that
love really can change the world.
February 15th
Thanking God for new initiatives and creative thinking in our
new services today as we delight in welcoming all who find
their way to our church communities.
February 16th
Praying for everyone who is struggling with their gender
identity or sexuality and trying to navigate all the societal
messages.
February 17th
Praying for the opportunities that the half term holiday might
offer to spend time creatively and to do things differently and
for the fun that can be had in tossing pancakes!
February 18th
As we enter Lent, we pray for our prayer times, that we
might find a practice of connecting with God to which we can
commit and that it might deepen our relationship and enable
us to grow.
February19th
We bring to God all those who find themselves addicted....to
drugs, alcohol, over-eating, under-eating, social media, and
anything that numbs reality and in humility we ask about our
unhealthy patterns.
February
20 th
Praying for those who are dying; at home, in hospital, in a
hospice; that they might receive tenderness &
compassionate care and a sense of acceptance and peace.
February 21st
Giving thanks for the couples who have chosen to be
married in our churches and who will meet for a marriage
preparation time today.
February 22nd
Today we pray for people of faith around the world, for
increased understanding and a seeking of commonality, and
above all a recognition of God's image in every human
whatever their faith.
February 23rd
We continue to pray for our brothers and sisters who are
desperate enough to make the channel crossing in
unsuitable boats; for those who exploit them, those who
revile them and those who receive them.
February 24th
Praying for everyone who is waiting anxiously for treatment
or for test results, and who cannot make plans as they are
used to.