COVID-19 Pandemic – What is happening and what are we doing?
We now find ourselves in a new winter lockdown. As a result we have decided to suspend Sunday services in church. Please click here for further details.
You will be able to follow our services online via Zoom. Please see our Services page for details (Click here). Our churches remain open for Funerals. Please contact Alex for details.
Smarden church is open daily during the day for private prayer. Biddenden is sadly closed for safety reasons after falls of plaster and subsidence of the north wall.
If you know of individuals who need visiting our support in this time; need food, need help with shopping or are just lonely, please get in touch with Alex. Members of our churches are involved phoning, visiting, providing shopping, collecting prescriptions, and taking people to be vaccinated. We can also issue vouchers for people to buy food in our local shops. Please contact Alex for details.
Last Updated on January 11, 2021 by Stephanie Boucher
Rector of Smarden Church and Biddenden Church:
The Rev’d Alex Bienfait
With much sadness I have recently announced I will be moving. For more details our Who’s Who page.
At one of our Visioning days, held a few years ago, someone expressed the ambition for our churches, that we could be a “church without walls.” in other words that we are accessible, visible and active in the community.
Another powerful image that emerged, is of a church gathered around a camp fire with a rich mouth watering stew on offer. So in other words that we are church that feeds and sustains us. But the image of a church community gathered around a camp fire is also helpful in expressing the ambition that as we come together for worship, and to be encouraged in faith around the “fire”, that we minister and support each other.
I hope you find us a warm accessible community, and that you will be fed and sustained your faith, and in this community realise your gifts to use for God’s Kingdom.
Alex Bienfait.
June 2020
CONTACT DETAILS
Rev’d Alexander Bienfait, Priest-in-Charge of Smarden and Biddendenrector@sbcofe.org
01580 291454
Tom Hay, Smarden Churchwarden
thomasahay at gmail dot com
01233 770286 or 07768 616809
Edward Demery, Smarden Churchwarden
edward at demery-consulting dot com
01233 770579 or 07515 770102
Ann Courtness, Biddenden Churchwarden
anncourtness at yahoo dot co dot uk
01622 891190 or 07753 673787