A Shoulder to Lean On

Finding kindness, friendship, and a moment of rest together

They say travelling by train can take the stress out of driving - if the trains are running, of course! You can sit back, enjoy a coffee, rest your eyes, or even have a snooze - just don’t miss your stop. 

On an early-morning train to London, the man sitting next to me nodded off while listening to music. A couple of times he leaned towards me, his head almost touching my shoulder, but each time he caught himself. I guess he didn’t want to intrude. It made me smile and got me thinking. The song Lean on Me by Bill Withers came to mind: “Lean on me when you're not strong, I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry on.”

When life is hard, we all need someone to lean on. It’s a basic human need - for kindness, support, and friendship. Proverbs 3:5 reminds us: 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” 

Sometimes we forget and try to manage alone. Yet we can always lean on Jesus, whatever we face. He doesn’t mind if we pause for a while or rest on His shoulder. As Christians, we are also called to support one another. And to all our neighbours in the village - of all faiths and none - we share the same need for kindness and friendship. So, why not join us and rest with us for a while? 

A warm, kind and friendly welcome awaits you. 

Pastor Robert and the Headcorn Baptist church family

Photo by Lin Renais on Unsplash

Visitors from the East

On a visit to Corton beach near Lowestoft in Suffolk, I followed a sign to Britain’s most easterly point. Indeed, the selfie opposite was taken as I stood on that very spot at journey’s end. Later, it reminded me of the Wise Men, who also came “from the east” (Matthew 2:1). They saw a sign - a star - and began a long journey west. Unlike my 15-minute walk, their “star trek” took years, and Epiphany on January 6th, 2026, marks the moment, about two years after Jesus’ birth, when they boldly went, sought out and finally found the child Jesus. When they saw him, they joyfully worshipped him and presented their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The Wise Men, and the shepherds before them, show us that God’s love reaches across every distance and culture whether it be in the north, south, east or west. Their journey reminds us that God draws all people toward Himself, inviting us to seek, follow, and honour Jesus in our own lives. No one is beyond His redeeming love and that yes that does include you reading this today! As a church family, we begin this new year with the earnest prayer that we may continue our journey of faith together with joy this Epiphany season and beyond. We also invite you to join with us on this ongoing journey to seek, find and joyfully experience the love of Jesus for yourself. You can be assured that a warm and loving welcome awaits you. 

Happy New Year! 

Pastor Robert and the church family

Why Do We Celebrate Christmas at HBC?

Morecambe and Wise brought laughter and “sunshine” in their smiles to many a Christmas night with their joyful shows. At Headcorn Baptist Church, we celebrate Christmas because we believe that God brought us His own Son-shine—Jesus Christ. Out of His great love, God sent his only Son Jesus as our Saviour so that all people could be reconciled to Him. That’s all of us folks, you and me.

Just as the angels brought “good news of great joy” and smiles to the shepherd's faces in that Bethlehem stable on that first Christmas night, over 2,000 years ago, we also smile and rejoice in the same light and hope Jesus brings today.

This Advent and leading up to Christmas, we’ll explore the theme “Have You Seen the Angels?” at our Sunday services (10:30am in December), with a Christingle Service on Sunday 21st December at 6pm with refreshments afterwards and a Family Service on Christmas Day with chocolate at 10:30am. Please join with us, a warm welcome awaits you.

Also, please keep a close eye out for our knitted angels of kindness appearing around the village—a small gift from us to share God’s love, brighten your Christmas and maybe bring a smile to your face. 

With warmest wishes for the Christmas season and a peaceful start to the New Year. 

Pastor Robert and the church family