Happy New Year! Our monthly newsletter is here, packed with exciting news and updates just for you! If you have any questions or want to know more about anything below, please get in touch at: admin@kingscc.org.
Loweswater, nestled amidst the tranquil landscapes of the Lake District, offers an idyllic destination.
21 Days of Prayer By Roger Bye
…devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful… Colossians 4 v 2
It’s 2024 and what better way to step into the year than giving ourselves as a church to 21 days of prayer together. As a core team we want to encourage you all, in this time of praying, for all that God has called us to as a local church. To pray for Gospel impact and fruitfulness where we live – the town and villages. To see His kingdom impact many lives, all ages, all backgrounds. To pray for our nation and for other nations. To pray for our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and ends of the earth! Let’s be in faith that as we seek the Lord that He will meet with us, and that He will act and move in all these areas. Details of all the prayer meetings are on the King's Prayer Plan and alongside these planned meetings we encourage you to take every opportunity to pray. With friends and as small groups. As we pray remember that we come to the One who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen! Ephesians 3 v 20-21
A Festive and Joyful Theatre Trip By Zoe Fielden
In December, Joelle and I took some of our older youth girls to see Immy in Peter Pan at the Theatre Royal in Workington! The whole production was brilliant and Immy was absolutely fantastic in her role as Smee! A fabulous evening, thoroughly enjoyed by us all!
Church Carol Service - 24 December 2023 By Jean Stroulger
Різдвяна колядка 24 грудня 2023 за Jean Stroulger
In 2023, for the first time, Christmas Day in Ukraine was officially marked on 25th December*.
So, to have a Christmas Carol Service on Christmas Eve with our Ukrainian friends was very special. There were at least 29 Ukrainians amongst us as well as speakers of other languages (Hungarian, Polish) who we have got to know through the English Café and other events over the past 20 months. Led by Paul and Mariia (who did an excellent job in translating for us all) we sang several carols in English and two in Ukrainian during which we discovered how to sing in Ukrainian without understanding what the words meant (and realised this is how it must feel to Ukrainians when they come to our services). We also sang one carol, Silent Night, in both languages! Praise God for Google Translate and English Transcriptions! There was no sermon that morning. Instead, Maria explained some of the history and traditions of Christmas in Ukraine and told us how on Christmas Eve, they would eat a 12-course meatless meal as the climax to a 40-day fast! We concluded our time together with coffee and traditional home-made Ukrainian cakes. I’m already looking forward to next Christmas and hope we can have something similar. Only 349 sleeps to go! (as at time of writing)
*Historically the Eastern Orthodox Churches predominantly followed the Julian Calendar and had always celebrated Christmas on 7th January, whilst all other Christian Churches around the globe followed the Gregorian Calendar and celebrated like us on 25 December. From 1917, due to the Soviet Union’s anti-religious policies, Christmas was largely erased from the Ukrainian calendar for much of the 20th century but many of the traditions survived and are being revived again. In 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Christmas was reinstated alongside other religious holidays, and in 2017, 25th December became an official government holiday as well as 7th January. For the next seven years discussions took place between the leaders of the Orthodox churches and with the government, and in 2023 President Zelensky declared Christmas would officially only be celebrated on 25th December as it is in the West.
An Update from Georgia and Kenji
We are now in Redding and interning together as a married couple. Kenji is currently doing an internship (online discipleship training and ministry school curriculum for Portuguese speakers), while I'm doing an internship (overseeing worship in the Bethel missions prayer room and student personal assistant to the missions pastor at Bethel). The summer was incredibly special and we are very grateful for the memories of our wedding day. We are grateful for your prayer and investment in us and we value you being a part of our lives!
Prayer Requests:
In Spring, we will be partnering with local ministries in Indonesia to do prayer outreach to Muslim and Buddhist believers, and to serve a ministry which runs Sunday schools over Bali for its street children. Please pray for our fundraising process.
In April, we will be leading a student trip to France and partnering with a church plant in Caen. We'll be serving in a leader's equipping weekend. Please pray for our connection as a team, for wisdom and for the trip to be paid off (for us and the students!)
Please pray for us as our time on internships comes to an end. We are preparing to move on after May as our visas will no longer be valid. Please pray for the people, places and purpose for our next steps to be made clear.
If you wish to continue being financially involved, you can contact us on WhatsApp, +447584929361, or bssmgeorgia@gmail.com
Shiloh Coffee - A New Era for Church Coffee
You may be aware that we’ve been sourcing our coffee from former church member, Mark Armstrong at Shiloh Coffee. Shiloh Coffee supplies us with ethical coffee that is roasted in Whitehaven. It is bought from suppliers who are community interest companies (CICs) that work hard to train up farmers and support them to grow better quality coffee, which enables them to earn more money. In some cases, farmers have worked with the suppliers to move away from the coffee stock exchange, enabling them to earn a better return for their beans.
Mark and Jean are now launching a new wholesale brand, New Eden, to supply coffee in bulk to organisations such as churches and charities. As well as producing ethical coffee, New Eden is partnering with two charitable causes – one locally and one working in coffee-producing countries.
While Shiloh’s coffees change throughout the year, New Eden will source its beans from the same growers year-round, meaning its coffees remain consistent and you always know exactly what to expect from your Sunday morning cuppas.
Enjoy your Sunday morning coffee!
KCC's own Crime Author
Ron Salmon started writing crime thrillers shortly after moving to West Cumbria in 2019, under the pen name of Harry Navinski. Ron has now written four novels.
His latest book, The Last Walk, is to be officially launched in The New Book Shop at 7pm on 8th February 2024. Tickets cost £5 but act as a discount off purchase of the book. At the book launch, Ron will be sharing about his journey to becoming an author, including the influence of Jesus in changing his life and sending him on mission, with his wife Hazel, to India.
If you’d like to find out more about Harry Navinski and his books, follow one of more of these links:
Website: https://harrynavinski.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harry-Navinski/e/B08DJDB7FM/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
King’s Church 2023 Accounts
The signed accounts to 31 March 2023 are now available from patrick@kingscc.org via the church website or on the Charity Commission website at
Book Recommendations
Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas
'Who better to face the greatest evil of the 20th century than a humble man of faith?
As Adolf Hitler and the Nazis seduced a nation, bullied a continent, and attempted to exterminate the Jews of Europe, a small number of dissidents and saboteurs worked to dismantle the Third Reich from the inside. One of these was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor and author.
In this New York Times bestselling biography, Eric Metaxas takes both strands of Bonhoeffer's life--the theologian and the spy--and draws them together to tell a searing story of incredible moral courage in the face of monstrous evil.
In Bonhoeffer, Metaxas presents the fullest account of Bonhoeffer's life, including his:
heart-wrenching decision to leave the safe haven of America to return to Hitler's Germany
involvement in the famous Valkyrie plot and in "Operation 7," the effort to smuggle Jews into neutral Switzerland
lifelong dedication to sharing the tenets of his faith
This edition, revised and with a new introduction from the author, shares the deeply moving story through previously unavailable documents, including personal letters, detailed journal entries, and firsthand personal accounts to reveal never-before-seen dimensions of Bonhoeffer's life and work.' Description from: Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas | Free Delivery at Eden | 9781400224647