News from your local churches in the run-up to Christmas Services reduced as numbers fall


DECLINING congregations at St Nicholas’ Church, Leeds, have led to the end of weekly services in the village. The number of people worshipping at the Anglo-Saxon church has dwindled over the years, with around 12 or fewer people reg- ularly attending Sunday services. Rev Nigel Fry, priest-in-charge of the


Leeds and Hollingbourne benefice, has an- nounced that services will drop down to twice monthly, in a decision reached with the Parochial Church Council (PCC). He described the move as “disappointing”


and said that efforts to encourage more peo- ple to visit the church had been successful. “We held an open day andmeeting for the


whole of the village, inviting people to see the church and what they aremissing, but it didn’t draw a huge response,” he said. A lack of volunteers was also a factor in


the decision, together with Mr Fry’s re- sponsibilities for other churches. Mr Fry said he was committed to keeping the church at the centre of the community,


Come together


to celebrate WORSHIPPERS are invited to celebrate Christmas at Detling and Boxley churches this year. December 8 – Christmas Bazaar, Boxley church, 10am- 1pm. Coffee, mulled wine and mince pies as wells as a sale of baked goods, cards and crafts, tombola and a raffle. Decem- ber 9 – Christingle service, Detling church, 10.30am. An opportunity for all the family to make a Christingle. December 9 – Christingle serv- ice, Boxley church, 9am. December 11 – Daytime Christmas carol service, Boxley church, 1.30pm for re- freshments, service 2pm. December 16 – Carols by Can- dlelight, Detling church, 4pm. December 23 – Carol service, Boxley church, 6pm. Christmas Eve –Midnight Eucharist, 11.30pm. Service of sung communiton to welcome Christmas Day. Christmas Eve –Midnight Eucharist, 11.30pm, Boxley church. Christmas Day – Christmas Day service, 9am, Boxley church.


VITAL building work to repair St Mary’s Church, Thurnham, has now been completed, but with a warning that there is much more still to be done. The cracks to the east end of


the stonework have been re- paired, as have cracks to the guttering, to make themedieval building watertight once again. However, the church is not


yet home and dry. Architects working for the church have identified a num- ber of structural problems


12 East


with schemes such as the successful Café in the Porch, offering refreshments for parents and carers of pupils at Leeds Primary School. Other schemes included the craft- based Messy Church, as well as book sales and art exhibitions. Weekly services are still held at All Saints’ Church in Hollingbourne, with serv- ices held once a month at Broomfield and Hucking churches. Mr Fry stressed that there would always


be a church service held in one of the benefice churches every Sunday, which also includes Kingswood Church.


Festive services December 9 - 3.30pm Choral evensong December 16 - 11am Carol service December 24 - 3pm Christingle, 10pm Christmas Eve communion A list of other services can be down- loaded from the Leeds village website, at www.leedskent.org.uk/church.htm


Services are to be cut at St Nicholas’ Church, Leeds


Artist opens improved facilities


MEMBERS of St Mary’s Church, Lenham, and the local community got the chance to spend a penny when artist Graham Clarke opened the church toilets. After years of planning and fundrais-


ing, work has finished to make the venuemore accessible. Improvements include wheelchair access, a glass door and newtoilets. Rev Dick Venn, vicar of St Mary’s,


Artist Graham Clarke with the Rev Dick Venn. Picture: Alan Reading, Custom Marketing


said: “These facilities will improve access to the church and will mean this building can serve the whole village.” The church also celebrated the twinning of the toilets with lavatories


in Burundi, Africa. Both Sunday congregations andMessy Churchmem- bers contributed to the fundraising and enough money was raised to provide four toilets in Burundi.


BUSINESS is booming at Bearsted’s Holy Cross Church! So popular are the Christmas services, that the church has had to arrange three additional services over the festive period this year, to cope with demand. As well as the traditional


choir carol service at 6.30pm on Sunday, December 16, there will be a congregational carol service at 6.30pm on Sunday, December 23. There will be a crib service


which need to be addressed in the near future, including the re-roofing of the Aldington chapel and the restoration of the external walls. Although the parochial church council (PCC) at the sis- ter church of Holy Cross, Bearsted, has offered to help run the administrative and worship side of the church business, they are not willing to undertake the duties of a fab- ric committee, so volunteers are still required in the village


on Sunday, December 23, at 3pm, in addition to the regular crib services at 3pm and 4.45pm on Christmas Eve. An extra Christingle service


has been added on December 2, when families can come along and enjoy the seasonal spirit at 3pm and 4.45pm. Traditional Midnight Com- munion will be held at 11.30pm on Christmas Eve. The vicar of Holy Cross Church, Rev John Corbyn said:


to help ensure the church sails out of choppy waters. Although the church is un-


likely to elect its own PCC be- fore the annual meeting in the spring, the vicar Rev John Cor- byn hopes an informalmanage- ment committee can be formed in the meantime, to help move matters forward. He said: “We have spent a


few thousand pounds on the re- cent repairs, but those still out- standing will cost significantly more. There may be grants


Church outing MORE than 100 parishioners from Holy Cross Church, Bearsted, enjoyed a parish weekend at Ashburnham Place, Sussex. It is the third time the church


has organised aweekend at the Christian Conference and Prayer Centre, on the outskirts of Battle, and this year’s guest speaker was due to be Maid- stone Street Pastor and minis- ter at St Faith’s church, the Rev Jackie Cray. Holy Cross vicar Rev John Corbyn said: “It’s a mixture of spiritual and social activity and is very popular.”


Extra festive events laid on to meet huge demand


“We added an extra crib service because the church was so full it was becoming dangerous. “The Christingle service, likewise, is hugely popular, so we thought it better to have two services so the congrega- tions can be more comfort- able”.


“Finally, we have added an


extra carol service, to give parishioners more opportunity to come along and share in the celebration that is Christmas!”


Urgent repairs complete, but church still at risk


available, but someone has to be prepared to make the appli- cations and complete all the paperwork. “It is essential we have some


kind of fabric committee to work for the preservation of the building.” The future of the church will


be discussed by residents at a public meeting, being called by the Archdeacon and the parish council at the Marriott Tudor Park Hotel on Wednesday, De- cember 5, starting at 7.30pm.


Have you got news for us? Phone our News Desk on 01622 734735


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