Church News — September 2024

Dear Church Family, 

You may have noticed on the back of our chairs in the main hall we have put some QR codes which you can scan with your mobile to find out more about life at King’s. Our dream is that newcomers will be always be welcomed personally by someone, but sometimes that doesn’t happen so this gives a way for people to engage with our community. Scan it yourself so you know what is on there and can help those visiting us! 

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Next Sunday, 8th September we’ll be welcoming Dale Barlow from the New Ground Church in Oxted who will be joining us as we pray for Bosun and Carl as they join the eldership team, and Nailza and Wendy as they join the diaconate team. We’ll also be welcoming new members! In the evening, we have our evening meeting at 7pm.

Prayer

As we enter September, we have lots of opportunities to pray with one another, please find below what is happening over the next few weeks – please join us for as many of these as you can:

  • Wednesday 4th September – Leaders Prayer Evening, 7.30pm at King’s
  • Tuesday 10th September – Hampden Park Prayer Evening. 7.30pm at King’s
  • Wednesday 11th September  – Grace Community Church Prayer Evening 7.30pm (at Sovereign Harbour Community Centre)
  • Thursday 11th September – Church Prayer 10am at King’s at Thursday Church. 

Courses & Events
The start of a new term also brings our new courses – we have so many ways to connect into community, and deepen our relationship with God, feeding into our values of Gather – Grow – Go. Click on the title to sign up or find out more. 
Alpha — Wednesday 2nd October 
Joining the Church Family — Sunday 29th September 
Growing Deeper — Finding Freedom — Wednesday 25th September
Bereavement Journey — Tuesday 10th September 

Men’s event
: Saturday 12th October: an evening of food, fun, friendship and an opportunity to grow together in our walk with Jesus. As with previous events there will be time to chat and chill, to play games and to worship together and to receive some teaching that we know will challenge us to grow as followers of Jesus. We’ll be enjoying a curry together which will be £5 per person. Sign-up here

Church Calendar 

We’re making some changes to some of our gathered events, moving emphasis to Sunday evenings at the centre, here’s the pattern of how things will look going forward each month:   
Week 1: Prayer Meeting (starting October 6th)
Week 2: Evening Meeting – September 8th
Week 3: Bible School – September 15th
Week 4: Bible Study Socials – September 22nd (on the book of Acts)
Week 5: Women’s/Men’s events – September 29th (Women’s event)

Child Celebrations

Our next child celebration are on Sunday 22nd September during our morning meeting, if you would like to be included in this, please click here for more information.

King’s Academy of Performing Arts 
 (KAPA)
High energy musical theatre classes and workshops for young people aged 6 to 16 years. Sessions will be on Friday afternoons, 4-6pm at King’s, working towards a the musical production at the end of the term. A two-week trial is available – for more information and to book in click here.

Team:

Next – New Ground One Year Internship/Apprenticeship 
We are so pleased that Josh Clark (who has grown up at King’s), and Francesca Sandu (from Moldova) are going to be with us this year on the New Ground year out. They’ll be getting stuck into various areas of church life, and also having training and input with others on our New Ground Family. Please get to know them and pray for them! We are also saying goodbye (for now!) to Grace Taylor who is starting NEXT at New Community Chruch Sidcup, and Susan Bowley who is working at YWAM for 4 months before heading out internationally for 3 months to serve the church on a global adventure.

We have an amazing group of volunteers who are consistently giving their time, energy and skill to serve our church. We have recently formalised their commitment and we now have 5 staff volunteers: Jennie Harris (reception), Nigel Gibbins (IT), Nick Le Poidevin (groups) Sophie Rogers (life group resources), and Gillian Cernik (connect).  

A message from David Gamester:
‘I am so grateful for this opportunity to thank the whole church for their kindness and amazing generosity towards me on my retirement at the end of June. There have been so many messages sending best wishes to me and I am grateful for every one of them. With my warmest best wishes to you all. May God bless you richly in the days ahead.’

Greater Things Saturday 12th October @ King’s Church, Hastings

Greater Things is an all-day event designed to encourage Christians to learn more about the gift of healing. It will include testimonies, teaching and a time of worship when Words of Knowledge for healing will be shared. There will also be opportunity to pray for the sick (full agenda below). Lunch included if you book before October 10th. For more info and to book in click here.

King’s Church Conference

Looking ahead into 2025, we wanted to give you a date for your diaries. We’ll be having a church conference on Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd February to equip us to walk daily in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, with teaching from Liam Thatcher (former teaching pastor at Christ Church London, and now living in Oxford). We are really looking forward to this time together! 

With all our love,

Oli 
On behalf of the elders and deacons

August 2024 Baptisms

It’s amazing to hear the stories of those who have had their lives transformed by Jesus, and have made a public declaration that they are following him, including a number of our young people at King’s who have recently returned from Newday. The chapters for each baptism is visible in the YouTube video when played.

To explore the Christian faith in a relaxed, friendly and fun environment (with a free dinner!) consider Alpha, which begins at King’s on Wednesday 25th at 7:30pm. Find out more at https://www.kings.church/alpha

Surviving 1700 days of INSOMNIA…

Earlier this year Sam shared on the goodness of God through the darkest times at our Thursday morning church. Using the early mornings to capture the sunrises, Sam shares his story of walking through 1700 days of insomnia, how God uses the bad for good, and can answer prayer in very unexpected ways.

If you’ve ever had a real season of struggle, with what feels like abandonment from your Heavenly Father, this story is for you.

Church Info Night — April 2024

A key event of news and updates for all who call King’s their home.

TIME STAMPS
00:00 Introduction and overview
01:45 Services and Sites update
04:46 Thursday Church
15:00 Church on the Harbour
26:48 Sunday Evening
32:17 Mortgage and Buildings update
— 45:10 Q&A
53:48 Staffing update
59:48 Volunteering update
1:06:42 Role: Director of Operations and Staff
1:14:46 Elders and Deacons update
1:21:38 Gift Day
1:31:22 Scott Marques / Disciple Nations update

Nyame Ye — New Worship at King’s

Our worship and media teams have been busy recording a first for King’s — a home grown song all of our own — and something a little different. Written by our worship leaders Francis and Geisiel, with arrangement by our worship lead Rich, the song is a sung in three languages: Brazilian Portuguese, Twi and English; and is based on an Afrobeats rhythm. 

Released Easter Sunday 2024, the video is also available on our YouTube channel

You can also add the studio version of the song to your favourite streaming service at wingsmusic.lnk.to/Nyameye

For more live worship at King’s, visit our YouTube playlist.

7 ways of fasting through Lent

We are using the traditional period of Lent to seek after God through prayer & fasting, bringing our ‘holy dissatisfaction’ to Him collectively as a church family. For these seven weeks, wherever you are in your faith, we are encouraging people to fast, from food, for a time.

This will look different for everyone, it may be skipping a meal once a week and using that time to pray, it might be as a group you fast all day and break your fast together with a meal in the evening, it might be fasting completely for a day or two.

The 7 topics are:

12th Feb: Week 1 — All that is within me
Looking at how we praise the Lord with our whole selves.
Watch Video | Download Video | Life Group Notes (PDF)

19th Feb: Week 2 — Information overload
Exploring what dials we need to turn down in our lives in order to turn up our spiritual dial.
Watch Video | Download Video | Life Group Notes (PDF)

26th Feb: Week 3 — Repenting well
Discussing how we repent and how we can use fasting as a way to repent well.
Watch Video | Download Video | Life Group Notes (PDF)

4th March: Week 4 — Lamenting with God
Considering where we seek comfort in times of grief and lament.
Watch video | Download Video

11th March: Week 5 — Calling on God in a time of crisis
Assessing our gut reactions when crisis comes our way.
Watch Video | Download Video | Life Group Notes (PDF)

18th March: Week 6
Unfortunately content is unavailable for week 6.

25th March: Week 7 — Knowing God’s Mind
Examine how you’ve found the practice of fasting and sharing what God has been speaking to you about and stirring your heart towards.
Watch Video | Download Video | Life Group Notes (PDF)


FASTING GUIDELINES

For some there may be medical reasons meaning you are unable to safely fast from food completely, or there may be people who struggle with eating disorders.

If this is you or people you know, walk through this together asking the Holy Spirit to reveal if there is a particular type of food to fast from, or something that would be helpful to fast instead of food.

We want to reiterate that we live under grace and it’s important to be safe and sensible about this. There’s room for everyone to grow in this practice in some way.