Larkfield and East Malling
Methodist Church
Called to Love and Praise
Minister: Rev. Naomi Oates naomi.oates@methodist.org.uk
Larkfield and East Malling
Methodist Church
Larkfield and East Malling
Methodist Church
Called to Love and Praise
16/1/2025
On this page:
Recounting a surprising visitor! See all the photos from Breakfast Church's Epiphany on our new layout Gallery page
Welcome
We are a friendly, welcoming Church, of all ages with a membership of around 64, and many more in our wider Church family.
Our Church family comes mainly from the villages of Larkfield, East and West Malling, Kings Hill, Addington, Leybourne, Ditton and Aylesford, all of which are just west of the County town of Maidstone in Kent.
We enjoy worship in a variety of styles from traditional to modern, and our congregations usually include a wide variety of ages, from toddlers to octogenarians.
See our Services page for full details of in-person and on-line services and opportunities for worship.
There are a large number of regular groups and activities (see activities and Children and Family pages).
Girls Brigade, Boys Brigade and Messy Church are term-time only.
Are you interested in becoming a member of the Methodist Church?
We have a small number of people currently exploring becoming members of their local Methodist church. I'll soon be running some sessions for anyone exploring membership (thinking together about what it means to be a Christian, a Methodist, and a member of the Methodist Church), after which attendees will be invited to be received into membership, if they wish. These sessions usually take place over lunch, or tea and cake, and are a great chance to explore faith in a small group. If you'd like to be involved (or know someone who might), please let me know. You can find some FAQs about Methodist membership here.
News from the hot seat...
16/1/25
Dear friends,
Today, the Oates household is celebrating Abigail's second birthday. We've sent her into nursery with a caterpillar cake to share with her friends, and I'll be making a cake later in the shape of one of her favourite book characters, Kitty Kotty.
As I do so, I will be thinking about a striking image I saw on Facebook a few days ago. It was of a very simple, very messy chocolate cake, still in the tin, broken in two (I've attached the photo, with permission). A friend of mine has contacts in Gaza, and one of her friends has a daughter the same age as Abi. With no oven, no eggs, no fat, and sheltering from the rain in the ruins of a neighbour's apartment, this week she salvaged a tin and tried to make a cake to celebrate her little girl's birthday. My friend commented that this is 'samud' - a resilience that those of us who have never experienced such hardship can barely imagine. For me, it brought home the reality of a conflict that can seem overwhelming and incomprehensible - that, behind the news stories, there are ordinary families trying to carve out a 'normal' existence for their children, and even to find joy among the rubble.
The news of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas due to begin on Sunday is the news we have hoped and prayed for over the past 15 months. We must continue to pray, as fervently as ever, that the peace will hold, and that aid will quickly reach those in need. We hold in prayer, too, all those who mourn loved ones, homes and livelihoods. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
If the photo has moved you, my friend also suggests that you can donate to All We Can's appeal for Gaza.
Some news and updates for the coming weeks...
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins on Saturday. Why not join with friends from Churches Together in Malling for one (or all!) of the following opportunities to share in worship and fellowship?
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Tuesday 21 January: Larkfield & East Malling Methodist Church. Come along to the Welcome Area at the front of the church at 10.30am for a reflective service, using the WPCU resources. Prayer stations will be set up within the church followed by a fellowship meat and cheese salad lunch at 12.30pm.
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Friday 24 January 11.30am - 1pm: All Saints Church, Wouldham will be hosting an exploration of a Bible passage with soup and bread being served. All are welcome.
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Sunday 26 January 4pm: St Peter & St Paul's Church, Leybourne. Churches Together in Malling United Service. Everyone is invited to join us for this celebration to mark the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The theme will be "Do you believe this" from John 11:26. Refreshments will be available after the service (see poster attached).
Safeguarding training
I'm attaching the Safeguarding report from last night's Circuit Meeting. If you hold a position in the church, I'd be grateful if you could take a moment to consider whether your DBS check and/or Safeguarding training need to be renewed. If you're not sure, have a chat to your Church Safeguarding Officer. If you need a new DBS, do let me know - if you need to renew your training, there are dates in the attached paper.
Thank you from Maidstone Homeless Care
Heidi, the Manager at Maidstone Homeless Care, has sent us a letter to thank us for our donations of winter survival items (as part of our Advent giving). She says: "We solely rely on the kindness and generosity of our community, so we can improve the lives and prospects of our homeless and vulnerable clients in our Borough. In these difficult times, it is heart-warming to know that there are people, such as yourselves, on whom we can rely."
Digging into our Past - Friday 24 January 7.30pm
Our friends at St James the Great would like to invite you to a talk entitled 'Digging into our Past: Archaeological Excavations in East Malling' by Fred Birbeck, Dana Goodburn-Brown, and Stephen Clifton. This will be on Friday 24 January at 7.30pm at St James the Great in East Malling, and tickets cost £5. Please contact Alan Bramley on 01732 846 800 / fourbramleys@gmail.com if you would like to attend.
Next Prayer & Praise session
The monthly Prayer & Praise session at St Mary's Old Church in Burham will return next month to its usual slot on the first Thursday of the month. All are welcome to join us on Thursday 6 February at 2pm for around 45 minutes of gentle worship, sharing and reflection in this very special location.
Annual leave
As you know, we head to Chile on Saturday - as tomorrow is my rest day, this means I'll be unavailable until I return to work on Sunday 26 January (in time for the Covenant Service at Tonbridge Road). Thank you all for your prayers and best wishes - for us, the girls, and their grandparents!
Every blessing,
Naomi
Stop Press:
Updated 16/1/25
Fundraising Events
keep your diary clear for the following :
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31st January: School Trip Mishaps
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14th February: Valentines 60's Event
More details to follow
Dial-in service - Thursday 6th February at 10am
Our dial-in service is now taking place monthly, at 10am on the first Thursday of the month. You are warmly invited to join us this morning, as we reflect together on the theme of Epiphany, through poetry, through Scripture, and through prayer. The details for joining from a phone or computer are as follows:
Step 1: At 10am dial 020 3481 5237 from a mobile or landline
Step 2: When requested, enter the Meeting ID 999 8764 3710 followed by #
Step 3: When requested, enter the Passcode 345080 followed by #
You do not need a 'Participant ID' - just press #
If you have a laptop, iPad or phone, you can also get into the service on these devices with just one click using the following link:
https://zoom.us/j/99987643710?pwd=bmhvSlh2Nk45QUZXS2JubXgxbElYdz09
(In case you need it, the Meeting ID is: 999 8764 3710 and Passcode: 345080)
Encounter 2025
When I candidated, I remember thinking that it was a shame that the Methodist Church didn't offer the equivalent process of discernment and support for everyone in the church, regardless of whether or not they felt called to ordained ministry. I'm pleased that the Methodist Church now offers 'Encounter,' a programme designed to deepen your faith and offer you support as you consider what God might be calling you to do and to be. There are taster sessions in January; all the information is on the attached poster.
Welcome Hub celebrates 2 years
Welcome Hub
Happy birthday to the Welcome Hub!
It’s two years since we first opened our Warm Space, in partnership with other churches in Larkfield, seeking to serve those struggling to heat their homes during the cost-of-living crisis. We soon realised that most of those who came through our doors were seeking a ‘warm welcome’ more than a ‘warm space’ and so, over time, we became the Welcome Hub - a space where anyone can find a warm welcome, hot and cold drinks and snacks, delicious homemade cakes, and a friendly chat (all for free). We’ve had some amazing special events over the past two years, from Christmas dinners to wreath-making workshops, and we’ve received some incredible support from local shops, individuals, and schools. We couldn’t do it without our fantastic team of volunteers from the churches and the wider community. Thank you!
Pop along today for a piece of birthday cake and a cuppa. The Welcome Hub is open in the Sycamore Tree Centre at Larkfield & East Malling Methodist Church on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10am - 4pm.
If you’d like to support the Hub, you can donate here, with the reference ‘Welcome Hub’: https://www.larkfieldmethodist.org/about-4
To see pictures from our activities check out our gallery page
more pictures on our Gallery page
Messy Pumpkins
31/10/24
Wowee! Somehow, we squeezed 75 of us (including 41 very excited children!) into the hall for Messy Church, when we thought about ourselves as pumpkins (no, really) with God’s love shining in our hearts. We made pumpkin biscuits and lanterns, decorated autumn plates, hunted for glowsticks, made lots of noise with our musical instruments, went doughnut-bobbing, and enjoyed our snacks.
If you like worship that involves lots of food, activities for all ages, and a small amount of chaos, we’d love to see you again for Breakfast Church on the first Sunday of the month at 9am in the hall.
Plus, do pop the date for our ‘Messy Christingle’ in your diaries - Monday 23 December at 2.30pm, for children and their families.
Thanks to our brilliant team
Celebrating 60th Anniversary
Many thanks to Rob, our own Piano Guy
Some of us are planning to take part in sponsored '60 for 60' events to raise some money. Could you get involved? Ideas that have emerged already include knitting 60 squares for a blanket, walking 60 times around a lake (not all in one go), cycling 60 miles around churches in the circuit, and growing (and selling) 60 plants. Be as imaginative as you like!
I've attached the sponsor form - there are printed copies at church. Folks can pay by cash, cheque, electronic transfer, or using their smartphone and the QR code on the form. Please encourage UK taxpayers to complete all the columns, so we can claim Gift Aid on their donation. Rob and Monica are able to receive cash and cheques to be paid in, and Tricia will need the completed forms so we can claim Gift Aid.
Do let us know what you're planning - or sponsor someone else, if you can. Thank you
Church funds - We need your help!
It's not always easy to talk about money, but at a recent Church Council, we spent a long time doing just that. Unfortunately, due mainly to rising costs, our church is currently running at an annual deficit of up to £10k - which means we're in danger of running out of funds in just a couple of years. Larkfield is a brilliant church, with a huge amount of energy, creativity and a real desire to reach out and share God’s love. It would be such a shame if that work came under threat, due to a lack of funds. As Brian said: 'I don't want to be shopping at Morrisons in a couple of years and hear someone say - didn't there used to be a church over there?'
There's not much we can realistically do to reduce our expenditure, so the Church Council has agreed various ways to try and increase our income. We appointed three small groups, to look at finding new lettings, applying for grants, and organising church fundraising events.
There are things that all of us can do - whether or not we're in a position to give financially. Here are some ideas:
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If you donate to the church, and are eligible for Gift Aid, please ensure you're signed up - it's easy, and means we get an extra 25% at no extra cost to you. Please speak to Tricia for more details.
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If you’re in touch with any groups, organisations and classes locally, ask whether they might be interested in hiring our hall or the Sycamore Tree. Chat to Mike, our lettings officer, about availability.
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Support our fundraising efforts.
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If you generously buy resources that we use at church, and don't claim the cost - you could claim, and then donate the same amount to the church, so we can claim the Gift Aid (assuming you're eligible).
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Let me know if you'd like to join one of the groups looking at lettings, grants, and church fundraising events. We're looking especially for someone else to join Mike and Val on the 'lettings' group - making contact with local organisations and advertising our premises.
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Pray! For God to provide the resources we need to do his work in our community.
No Cash?
No Problem!
Donate to the church the cashless way
You can now donate to the church with your smart phone!
Scan the QR code on the Donate page of the website or any of the QR codes displayed in the church.
For more information or questions contact Martin White
You can also now make contactless donations direct to Martin White's phone using card or smartphone!
Spreading the Word - Our Website
In the last month there were 142 visits to the site, 60 from directly entering the site, 61 via Google, 14 from theplaymap.co.uk and 4 from Bing!
In 2023 there were 1648 visits to the site, up 27%. Visits from NKM were up 75%
In 2022 we had more than twice as many visits as 2021 - 721 people visited the website 1299 times for an average of 4minutes 59 seconds.
In 2024, visitors were from all parts of the UK, with multiple visits from US (44), France (7), India (6).
Popular pages visited were:
Home
Services (41% up on previous month)
The most busy time is 4pm on a Monday but you are always welcome.
We are a busy church with many activities. If you spot any omissions or errors please the webmaster will be delighted to hear from you - email quantum.martin@btinternet.com
Welcome everyone.