The successor to Bishop John Wraw who sadly passed away in July 2017 has been announced.

The Venerable Dr John Perumbalath currently Archdeacon of Barking was announced as Bishop Designate on March 9th.  His consecration at St Paul’s Cathedral is planned for July 3rd.

We look forward to welcoming him and his family to the Benefice.

YES … YES … YES

The 3^rd Sunday of the month is Horndon’s Family Service and the December one was a treat, a Young Enthusiastic Service (or Y E S) organised and run by the young people from the Youth HUB. These young people guided us through the service in a refreshing way and we were treated to an interpretation of the Nativity through the eyes of the animals; donkey, camels, sheep and a mouse.  Mice are not usually mentioned, but their home in the manger was being taken over … by a baby!!

This was quite an innovative perspective and made you think about the way we just expect animals to do things or just be there, without appreciating them and how our actions might affect them.

The young people will be coming to a church near you.  If don’t normally attend the Family Service, or, you do not come to church very often, it would be worth the effort to appreciate the time and effort they have put in.

They are the future of our 3 churches and fully deserve all of our support, as do the adults who turn up for Youth Hub meetings to guide and assist.

It was thought it only right that they had a treat afterwards.   We took them to Hollywood Bowl so they could chill out.   After going to Hollywood Bowl we all came back, and the children and adults settled down together to indulge in a meal of pizza, wedges and cheesecake.

Sixteen children from across Benefice gathered for the latest David and Goliath themed Kidz K’nexion at the Churches’ Centre in Orsett on Tuesday 24^th October.
As ever the format was making, singing and playing, topped off with lunch.
The children decorated David and Goliath pictures in a mosaic style that will be displayed in each of the 3 churches in the Benefice and the Churches’ Centre, they also made some rocks – chocolate rice krispie cakes, sheep name badges. Janet McCheyne oversaw the making of David and Goliath musical instruments from old squash and soft drink bottles and used these when Janet McCheyne lead the singing. Christine Mortimer split the children into Philistines and Israelites to tell the story and cheer their champions on in the fight, which resulted in Goliath being slayed by David.
There was a hoop-la game where the children made hoops made from newspaper and attempted to get them on Goliath’s nose.

Thank you to all those who helped.

Keep an eye on school newsletters for details of the next Kidz K’nexion.