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
14/11/2025
On this page:
Welcome Hub now has its own dedicated Welcome Hub page available from the main menu above.
Also check out the new, extended Notices page which now includes diary events and more...
My thanks to those of you who led worship this Sunday, as we marked Remembrance Sunday. I was at the War Memorial in Eccles and then at the War Memorial in Burham.
I'll also led the circuit online service, in which you can hear seven people from Larkfield and Tonbridge Road share their thoughts on what peace means to them. The service can be watched on demand any time. Many thanks to Martin, Valerie, James, Nellie, Isaac, Audrey and Chiddie for their contributions. You'll be able to find the link on social media or here.
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...
13/11/25
Dear friends,
Over the coming weeks and months, you'll probably hear various edited highlights from the conference I attended in Derby on Saturday, entitled 'For Goodness Sake,' which focused on being a justice-seeking church.
One of the quotations I heard that struck me most came from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor, theologian, and writer who lived during World War II. He was deeply committed to following Jesus in both word and action, which led him to stand courageously against the injustices of the Nazi regime. He said this: 'We are not simply to bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.'
Much like Desmond Tutu's observation that: 'There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in' - Bonhoeffer's words are a reminder to churches everywhere that our much-needed social action (like foodbanks and warm spaces) must be paired with action to make the world a more just and compassionate place, so that such interventions are no longer required.
Every blessing,
Naomi
Diary Notices
To find all upcoming events, please visit our new look Notices page, which includes the following:
Other Notices
New edition of Grapevine
The latest issue of Grapevine, the circuit magazine, is now available (and includes the preaching plan for December - February). Copies can be found (or will soon be available!) in the churches, and on the Notices page.
Margaret Bowerman
Some of you will remember Margaret Bowerman, one of our circuit's Local Preachers who also held roles in the district and Connexion, and who sadly died recently. Margaret's memorial service will be held on Friday 21 November at 12.30pm at Burnham-on-Sea Methodist Church. The chapel at Hartlip will also be open at 12.30pm on the same day for anyone wishing to light a candle and reflect on Margaret's life. All are welcome.
Firefall - Sunday 23 November
I know that several of you have thoroughly enjoyed attending Firefall at St Luke's, Maidstone in the past. The last Firefall of the year will take place on Sunday 23 November - please see the notices page for details.
Request from Wandsworth Prison Welfare Trust
Many of you know that I am a Trustee of Change for Good, a charity that works with ex-prisoners being resettled in London. We work closely with Wandsworth Prison, and our friends at the Wandsworth Prison Welfare Trust are seeking donations to ensure that no-one leaves the prison this winter without the offer of new socks, vests, underwear, joggers or tracksuit bottoms, fleeces or hoodies, and warm, waterproof winter jackets. If you would like to donate items (or money, so that items can be bought on your behalf) you can find all the details on the attached flyer.
Maidstone Churches Winter Shelter - Volunteers needed
MCWS will be returning to Tonbridge Road on Sunday evenings this winter. Applications are welcome from anyone wishing to volunteer (at Tonbridge Road or in other venues). You can find the form at maidstoneshelter.org.uk/volunteer - click on the 'Volunteer here' button. If you prefer a paper form, you can contact the office on 01622 296 450 or mcwsoffice@maidstoneshelter.org.uk. The deadline for applications is Sunday 30 November, and further details can be found in the attached.
Could you be a BB Leader - or do you know someone who could?
Our fabulous Boys' Brigade team are still looking to recruit new Leaders and Helpers. I've reattached the advert - please have a think and a pray about whether you know someone who might be suited to the role (or whether you might be!). Please do pass the advert to anyone who might be interested.
Could you write a prayer for the Methodist Prayer Handbook?
The Methodist Church in Britain is looking for contributions for the 2026/27 Methodist Prayer Handbook, the theme of which will be 'Sorrow and Joy,' reflecting the words of John 16:20: 'Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.' If you would like to write and submit a prayer to be considered for inclusion, you can find all the details here. The deadline is Friday 16 January 2026.
Could you help look after the church website?
As many of you will know, Martin and Irene are planning to move in the not-too-distant future. We're delighted for them (although we'll miss them terribly!). Martin does an excellent job of looking after our church website and keeping it up-to-date. Is this something you might be able to help with in the future? If so, please take the opportunity to have a chat to Martin and find out what the role entails. The website is an excellent tool for outreach - I know we've had folks come to join us because they've found our website to be attractive and interesting. So we'd love to keep it going! Larkfield Methodist Church | North Kent Methodist Circuit | Kent
Booking Church Facilities
We have a variety of rooms to suit your requirements, each with its own kitchen. The Church Hall and the Sycamore Tree rooms are available for booking at competitive rates. More details on our bookings page.
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
October Traffic
In October there were 143 new visitors to the site, 130 from directly entering the site, 84 via Google, 14 from facebook and 12 from Bing! Together with returning visitors, that was a total of 167 unique visitors and 257 site sessions.
Obviously, most visits were from within the UK but we had 18 hits from Germany and 11 from Singapore! Even the Russians (4) are watching us, so I had better be careful what I write!
Popular pages visited were:
Home
Services
The most busy time is 3pm 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.