Christmas isn’t cancelled! Many things we were looking forward to in 2020 have been cancelled (from the Olympics to school graduation celebrations). Children around the world, especially those in contexts of poverty have struggled with the isolation and not being with their friends. But Christmas isn’t cancelled and together we can bring fresh joy, and hope of new life in Jesus to children through shoebox gifts.

This year Lyminge Church (and school) will once again be collecting shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child (OCC). The national collection week is 9-16 November so please get collecting items and packing those boxes. The pre-made boxes and the labels/leaflets can be collected from the church, which, is open every day from 0900-1700. If other churches in the benefice can collect boxes we can either collect them from you or (hopefully) you can deliver the boxes to Lyminge.

You can offer hope and joy to children like 8 year-old Athena through a simple shoebox gift. She received a shoebox gift in an impoverished area of the Philippines and said, ‘Everything was beautiful and I was so happy. What I liked most in the box was the doll. I am so grateful that they gave me a box.’ Her family expressed their gratitude and explained that through the shoebox they had decided to attend a local church and were now delighted to be part of the church family there.

A simple heartfelt gift, packed with love and fuelled by prayer can mean so much to a precious child and their family. 

If you’d like to understand more about the Christmas box operation, there’s a helpful video here  as well as several other resources and lots of ideas on the website. You can even pack a Shoebox Online - that way you can still join in and have fun choosing items to go into a shoebox and OCC will buy the gifts, pack and send shoeboxes for you.

The project is nearing completion, with the end in sight within several weeks. Progress has been somewhat hampered due to Covid-related problems with availability and delivery of materials, but soon the Facilities will be ready for viewing and use, Government restrictions permitting.

Here is a description of progress to date:-

· The toilet extension is complete barring the installation of the floor covering and skirting board. This includes the flower arrangers corner with a Belfast sink and storage cupboard.

· The tea station and storage cupboard in the South aisle are complete (see photograph). The standard of design and workmanship has already been much admired.

· The fabrication of the external doors for the south porch is in progress off-site, with installation due very shortly.

· The accessible ramp to the South porch has been completed, including the asphalt topping.

· The brickwork, flintwork and oak framing to the exterior walls of the extension are complete.

· Fireproofing the interior of the oil tank housing at the Southwest corner of the churchyard has been completed and the new oil tank installed.  New oil supply pipelines have been installed across the churchyard from the tank housing to the South porch. Many thanks are due to the community for their patience during the time the churchyard had to be closed for safety reasons. Hope runs high that the church will be warm before the onset of winter!

· Restoration of the damaged stonework where the old flue chimney was removed has been completed.

· Final design is in progress for the wood and metal mesh boiler enclosure in the South porch.

Inevitably there had been a build-up of construction dust throughout the church. This was cleared away and the church made to sparkle by many willing hands, all in time for the first church service since lockdown held on October 4th. 

  Home-Made in Acrise mainly from Local produce, to support St Martin’s Church, Acrise

Anne Beecham 01303 862729

Little Shuttlesfield Farm, Acrise CT18 8LB

anne.beecham@btinternet.com

There are plenty of ways you can still enjoy worship and fellowship from your own home

On the Internet:

Click on The WORD on Sunday tab above for weekly reflections and prayers from members of our Ministry Team.

St Mary and St Radegund, Postling are hosting  Zoom  services - 1st Sundays – 9.30am Eucharist 2nd, 3rd & 4th Sundays – 9.30am Morning Service.  Contact Alison Dale (alison-dale@outlook.com) a couple of days before for the link.

  Here are some links for videos of services and further resources from Canterbury Diocese and the Church of England

Canterbury Cathedral 

Canterbury Diocese Parish Support  For some excellent resources and Apps for prayer

Church of England Daily Prayers 

The Lords Prayer 

The cathedral will live stream a midday Eucharist and Evensong at 5.30 p.m. weekdays, and at 3.15 p.m. weekends. Please follow this link to access the live stream on YouTube

A Church Near You 

Follow the Church of England on Twitter

Daily Hope Free phone line: 0800 804 8044

Daily Hope offers music, prayers and reflections as well as full  

worship services from the Church of England at the end of a 

telephone line. Options available include materials such 

as Prayer During the Day and Night Prayer updated daily, 

 from Common Worship, and a recording of the Church of 

England weekly national online service. A section called 

Hymn Line offers callers a small selection of hymns, updated daily. An option entitled ‘Hymns We Love’, provides a hymn and reflection and is based on an initiative by the Connections group. The line – which is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044 – has been set up particularly with those unable to join online church services during the period of restrictions in mind.

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Assistance during Isolation

Alison Dale and some of the churchwardens (see below, marked with *) have a list of contacts who can help or provide a service to everyone in the Group, from walking a dog to supplying take-away meals. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more, or wish to make an offer of assistance to others.

ELHAM VALLEY GROUP OF CHURCHES CONTACTS:

Priest-in-Charge Rev’d Jane Weeks: 01303 840219 (Monday to Thursday. Jane is not available on Thursday evenings and all-day Friday) revweeks@hotmail.com

Associate Priest Rev’d Stephen Dougal: 07764775507 stephendougal@btinternet.com

Pastoral Team Leader Paul Jarvis: teeboon19@btinternet.com

*Benefice Administrator: Alison Dale: 07985025381 (Thu-Fri 9-11am)

alison-dale@outlook.com

Churchwardens:

Elham *Peter Swain 01303 840408 - *Graham Ernest-Jones 01303 840645

Acrise*Simon Smith 01303 892162 - Martin Bradley 01303 864289

Denton & Wootton Sue Clough 01303 844324.

Lyminge *Phil Hawken 01303 862151

Stanford *Sara Myers 01303 814183 - *Paul Smallwood 01303 813198

Postling Peter Le Feuvre plefandsem@doctors.org.uk - Chris Reynolds chris.r@thepent.co.uk

Paddlesworth Celia Mosley 01303 893609 - *Lindsey Smith lsmith665@googlemail.com

At 8am every morning, the Ministry Team will be saying morning prayer - do join us in spirit!

Here are some links for further resources from Canterbury Diocese and the Church of England:

 https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org

 https://canterburydiocese.org/parishsupport/coronavirus/prayer-worship-during-coronavirus/- some excellent resources and Apps for prayer

CHANGING LIVES PRAYER NETWORK

https://www.canterburydiocese.org/strategy/prayer/

https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-service-daily-prayer

The Lord's Prayer... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgN0s2xmCuM

https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/news/archbishop-canterbury-lead-first-national-virtual-church-england-service

The cathedral will live stream a midday Eucharist and Evensong at 5.30 p.m. weekdays, and at 3.15 p.m. weekends. Please follow this link to access the live stream on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x1i7znmokE 

  Click here for a stunning presentation of this poem

God of creation

There at the start

Before the beginning of time

With no point of reference

You spoke to the dark

And fleshed out the wonder of light

And as You speak

A hundred billion galaxies are born

In the vapour of Your breath the planets form

If the stars were made to worship so will I

I can see Your heart in everything You've made

Every burning star

A signal fire of grace

If creation sings Your praises so will I

God of Your promise

You don't speak in vain

No syllable empty or void

For once You have spoken

All nature and science

Follow the sound of Your voice

And as You speak

A hundred billion creatures catch Your breath

Evolving in pursuit of what You said

If it all reveals Your nature so will I

I can see Your heart in everything You say

Every painted sky

A canvas of Your grace

If creation still obeys You so will I

If the stars were made to worship so will I

If the mountains bow in reverence so will I

If the oceans roar Your greatness so will I

For if everything exists to lift You high so will I

If the wind goes where You send it so will I

If the rocks cry out in silence so will I

If the sum of all our praises still falls shy

Then we'll sing again a hundred billion times

God of salvation

You chased down my heart

Through all of my failure and pride

On a hill You created

The light of the world

Abandoned in darkness to die

And as You speak

A hundred billion failures disappear

Where You lost Your life so I could find it here

If You left the grave behind You so will I

I can see Your heart in everything You've done

Every part designed in a work of art called love

If You gladly chose surrender so will I

I can see Your heart

Eight billion different ways

Every precious one

A child You died to save

If You gave Your life to love them so will I

Like You would again a hundred billion times

But what measure could amount to Your desire

You're the One who never leaves the one behind

© HillSongs - Capitol Christian Music Group

"Almighty God, please guide us into selfless humility that may encourage us all, to be mindful of the plight of others, in the nature and example of Jesus Christ.

To consume and take in accordance with needs, not wants, mindful of the plight and longevity of the planet which you have created, and our impermanent status as tenants.

Aware of the truth that God creates and provides, while we evolve through the discovery and development of that fact.

Loving Lord, you have made it clear to us, in many ways, that we must change and rebuild the way we lead our lives, please be with us, our strength and guide, as we attempt the difficulties of that change.

Lord... In your mercy, hear our prayer.”

Roger Davenport

 Dear brothers and sisters, 

Thy Kingdom Come - a global wave of prayer for our friends and family to come to know Jesus - begins this week. Here are five easy ways for you and your church to get involved:

1. Download this year's beautiful Novena  resources for free - use them for your own quiet time, with those in your household or in an online small group. View the resources and download them here. 
2. Sign up to receive daily emails with the Novena images and prompts to help you to reflect and go deeper with  God - sign up here. 
3. Tell us what you hear. Our theme this year is  'Listening on the way' and we want to know what you hear from God during  this time - write or draw your thoughts, take a photo and email the team on prayers@diocant.org to help us to share what God is  saying to us during this season. 

I do hope that you'll be able to participate in some or all of these ways, so that we can all keep well, keep connected and keep praying during this extraordinary time.  

One of the team has recorded a ten-minute talk based on the Road to Emmaus story, and we would love you to see this film to say thank you to your Church for all support. 

For those who don’t know about Open the Book (OtB), this is a project which has been helping local primary school children hear key Bible stories from teams of Christian volunteers from one or several local churches.

One OtB team still wanted to do something for the children while unable to visit their local school. They are helping to fund a project to help children isolated in high-rise flats, or with large families unable to afford resources while isolated, called Grow@Home. This involves giving the families brown paper carrier bags filled with coloured and regular pencils, paper, rubbers and pencil sharpeners and with ideas of things to do and links to websites.

The Patch of Blue

A small book 4 x 3 inches sits on my shelf. It was written by Father Andrew of the Society of Divine Compassion in 1942. He was a priest friar whose church in London was bombed twice and yet, busy as he was, took time to write this little book of poems. His desire was to lift the spirits of the British people, much as we need now, during this current crisis. Inside the cover is the name of the original owner, James H Trench, along with his service number and base address. The following poem may lift flagging spirits today, as it did then, and is Father Andrew’s gift of love.

The sky was grey and, so it seemed to me, 

The kind of grey that hovers threateningly

Above the world with all its fear and hate,

A lid to shut men down, not heaven’s gate.

Dear God, forgive me! That were never true, -

I looked again and saw a patch of blue.

One little patch of blue, but oh, so pure,

Where the grey parted, just to make me sure

The blue was there behind the shrouding grey.

That patch of blue gave courage to my day.

Friend of my heart, I pass the thought to you,

In your grey sky there’s still a patch of blue.

Grey days of duty and grey days of pain,

Grey days of weariness, again, again!

Yea, well I know it, but faith, hope, and love

Abide unconquered, and you yet shall prove

The sky holds still somewhere its patch of blue.

Here I have seen it: you shall see it too.

‘Tis grey to us maybe and wearily

We toil along; but we have had bright days;

While others wept we sang our songs of praise.

If now we only see a leaden hue,

Another’s eyes have spied a patch of blue.

Even when Christ our Lord for you and me

Breathed His last sigh of death on Calvary,

In all that darkness Love was still enthroned

And, though with bramble, royally was crowned.

Then came Ascension Day, when He passed through,

And skies for ever since have kept their blue!