This year the world day of prayer was hosted in St Giles and All Saints at Orsett on Friday 3^rd March.  The programme was written/devised by women in Taiwan.

It was well attended including some people from The Welcome Church who have recently started meeting in the Churches Centre for their worship.

The service was followed by a lunch including; soup, bread, fruit, pineapple biscuits, banana cake, cassava crisps, seaweed crackers, rice cakes and wasabi cashew nuts among other things.  The cashews were however something of an acquired taste.

Next year’s world day of payer will be written/devised by women in Palestine and held on Friday 1^st March in Horndon on the Hill Methodist Church.

Lent lunches will be provided on the following dates and venues

This year we are holding them in each village of the Parish, to give more people the opportunity to join us

(all Saturdays, starting at 12 noon to 1.30pm : last serving at 1pm)

4^th March – Orsett Churches Centre, Orsett

11^th March – Parish Room, Bulphan Church

18^th March – The Woolmarket, High Road, Horndon on the Hill (CHANGE OF VENUE)

25^th March – Orsett Church (CHANGE OF VENUE)

1^st April – Parish Room, Bulphan Church

The menu will be a hearty soup (vegetarian), a chunk of French stick loaf, an apple and a (Fairtrade) hot drink.

Those attending are encouraged to donate what they would have spent on a lunch.

At the lunch we will be selling raffle tickets for a hamper of Fairtrade goods.

All monies will be donated to the Great Green Wall Project. The Great Green Wall is an African-led movement with an epic ambition to grow an 5000 mile (8000km) natural wonder of the world across the entire width of Africa. More details can be found at

https://www.greatgreenwall.org/about-great-green-wal

As part of the growing repertoire of 5^th Sunday afternoon services, we held the first Café Church at Orsett at 4pm on Sunday 29^th January.

Café Church is an informal service with activities, where cakes and drinks are available and consumed during the service.

The service was based around Candlemas which marks Jesus being presented at the Temple, as a baby. Candlemas is actually on February 2^nd and is 40 days after Christmas Day.  In the past it was the day that candles were blessed for use through the year.

The service was split into 2 parts with activities between them, which gave more opportunity for cake to be eaten.  Moji delivered a talk and told us about power cuts in Nigeria, which can last weeks and people have to be resourceful, as they have no idea how long it will last.  Which as annoying as the power cuts we experience are, when they last a few hours they are a minor inconvenience by comparison.

If you would like to join us for a different and less formal worship experience keep your eyes peeled for details the next 5^th Sunday afternoon service which will be on April 30^th.  Venue and type to be notified in due course

Saturday 1^st October was a major moment in Moji Jaiyesimi’s clerical life as it was the day she was Ordained as a Priest having successfully completed her year as a Deacon and served her “apprenticeship” as a Curate in the Parish.

Moji joined 4 other Ordinands at St Andrew’s in Basildon to be ordained priest by Bishop of Bradwell Dr John Perumbalath.

Now Ordained, Moji can take all day to day services that churches offer.

After the service Moji surprised us with a veritable feast, od sausage rolls, filled rolls, cake, fruit, crisps and drink, which we were assured in the Nigerian tradition of sharing food and ensuring everyone is well fed

Sunday 2^nd October Moji undertook her first Communion service at Orsett. It seems to be something of a tradition that the first service a newly Ordained priest to preside over is a communion where for the first time they say the Eucharistic prayer and preparing the elements, bread and wine for communicants to take. Until ordained as a priest this is the service that they can only assist with.  Needless to say that Moji got through this with no problems and now can fully assist Sue and Max, taking more services and help share the load.

After the service it was the congregation’s time to show it’s love for Moji with plentiful refreshments including a splendid, decorated cake and the presentation of a travelling Communion set.  Which we are certain will be most useful.

Clergy and church members from across the Thurrock Deanery came together at the Orsett Show on Saturday September 3^rd to promote the work of the church in the borough.

The Deanery tents offered a range of free refreshments and activities for children; glitter tattoos, plate decorating, biscuit decorating and colouring, which were thoroughly engaged in and enjoyed.

There was opportunity for people to speak to those present from the Deanery and those who wished, a quiet space for prayer or reflection.

The Deanery also played host to Thurrock Food Bank who were raising funds and raising awareness of their work.