News and notices from across the benefice
Alpha Is a great way to explore questions of life and faith in a relaxed and non committal or intense way. If you are interested in joining us each week as we unpick some of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity with great food and lots of laughter please feel free to watch the teaser video on our Alpha Page here. Or get in touch with Rev Grant to book a place and confirm the dates!
Dear friends,
Treasure
This week I had the delightful opportunity to sit and listen to our Curate, Jen, during the 10am Family Service at St Stephen’s as she shared about how Jesus is our greatest treasure. As part of her talk, Jen had the congregation searching for treasure (chocolate coins!!) that she had hidden around the room. I have felt inspired this week to actively seek the treasure in my life so I can thank God for it. God is always at work in our lives, and I have thoroughly enjoyed taking some extra time to really be seeking what he’s up to. It’s really helped me to have an attitude of gratitude and focus on the blessings in my life. Maybe some of you may wish to join me in pursuit of treasure this week.
If you want to know more about the treasure we can find in Christ, we will be running an Alpha series in September.
Love and blessings,
Grant
SERVICES THIS WEEKEND
Post Office in the church centre at Basildon. Most Post Office services available plus local free range eggs, and books.
St. Stephen’s Cafe is open weekly on Monday mornings. It runs alongside the community post office at St. Stephen’s church. Various groups help to run and support it as we raise funds for various causes. Come along and join us for lovely hot drinks, freshly made homemade cakes and a good catch up with friends.
St. Stephen’s Cafe is open weekly on Monday mornings. It runs alongside the community post office at St. Stephen’s church. Various groups help to run and support it as we raise funds for various causes. Come along and join us for lovely hot drinks, freshly made homemade cakes and a good catch up with friends.
St. Stephen’s Cafe is open weekly on Monday mornings. It runs alongside the community post office at St. Stephen’s church. Various groups help to run and support it as we raise funds for various causes. Come along and join us for lovely hot drinks, freshly made homemade cakes and a good catch up with friends.
St. Stephen’s Cafe is open weekly on Monday mornings. It runs alongside the community post office at St. Stephen’s church. Various groups help to run and support it as we raise funds for various causes. Come along and join us for lovely hot drinks, freshly made homemade cakes and a good catch up with friends.
Please do continue to pray for the continued conflict in Ukraine. Many families are settling locally so do please pray for inspiration and wisdom how best to serve and welcome them during this time.
Please pray for the families whose homes have been damaged due to fires in Basildon recently.
Please pray for the couples who are planning to get married in our churches, or from our villages this year. Some of whom have rescheduled quite a few times!
Please pray for those who are currently ill with covid. May they be protected and restored quickly.
Please pray for the NHS continuing to serve the nation with tiredness and fatigue featuring heavily.
Please continue to pray for those we know and love who are at this time unwell or recovering from various illnesses or operations.
Please pray for those within our parishes who have lost loved ones recently.
Please pray for those who are enjoying holidays and breaks this summer. After the difficulties of the past few years, we pray that true rest will be found.
Dear friends,
Lionesses. Leadership. Leaving…& Love.
Emotions are funny things aren’t they. They can catch you totally unaware. Wasn’t it wonderful to hear and see the Lionesses at Wembley! I, for one, am incredibly proud of the Lionesses, who have won the Euro 2022 championship. They are credit to the nation and have inspired so many in the way they have endured the competition and finally ‘brought football home’. Elation. Joy. Awe.
Contrast that with another sphere entirely, as we are bombarded daily with promises of hopeful candidates seeking to become the Prime Minister, each promising one thing or another in how they would operate their government as they run their leadership campaign. Exasperation. Confusion, Doubt. Hope.
Further still, our hearts are broken as we continue to pray for Ukraine and especially those who have managed to leave and have joined our communities recently. Pain, sorrow, sadness.
This is not including all the ups and downs of life we have to contend with on top of all of these. It’s fair to say that emotions are running high at the moment. And that’s ok!
I love that in the scriptures we see Jesus, the Son of God, experience so many of the same emotions we experience today too. He was totally overjoyed at pleasing his father. He was completely exhausted from the demands of his ministry. He was furiously angry at the hypocrisy of the religious. He was disgusted at racism and oppression of the poor. He was completely full of sorrow when his friend passed away. He was full of apathy for those suffering and so full of agony as he himself suffered. This is the man who is so bent on loving us that he was willing to die for us. It’s fair to say he was a fairly emotional person.
This means that Jesus understands our struggles. He has been where we are, he has overcome the temptations we try and overcome. For that reason, we can come to him just as we are, without reservation, knowing fully that he understands, he sympathises with us in all that we face. What a lovely God we worship. One who is on our side. One who is for us. One who loves us no matter how we are feeling or whatever emotion we are feeling. For whatever it is, he is with you. May you know that this week. Let me encourage you to go to him with whatever you are facing, however you are feeling.
Why not join us this weekend as we continue to pray for all the issues we face in the world and to seek to know and feel God’s love and support as we do?
Love and blessings,
Grant
SERVICES THIS WEEKEND
Post Office in the church centre at Basildon. Most Post Office services available plus local free range eggs, and books.
Post Office operates each Monday 10am - 12noon.
St. Stephen’s Cafe is open weekly on Monday mornings. It runs alongside the community post office at St. Stephen’s church. Various groups help to run and support it as we raise funds for various causes. Come along and join us for lovely hot drinks, freshly made homemade cakes and a good catch up with friends.
Come and join us for some delicious homemade cake, tea, and coffee in the beautiful St Mary’s Church, Aldworth. Every Wednesday 2:30-4:30pm in July, August and September.
Our weekly play session for babies and toddlers meets on Thursday mornings in St Stephen’s Upper Basildon during term time. We start at 9.30 and it’s a wonderful time for the little ones and their carers to come together for play, craft and yummy snacks too finishing at 11am.
Post Office in the church centre at Basildon. Most Post Office services available plus local free range eggs, and books.
Please do continue to pray for the continued conflict in Ukraine. Many families are settling locally so do please pray for inspiration and wisdom how best to serve and welcome them during this time.
Please pray for the families who’s homes have been damaged due to fires in Basildon recently.
Please pray for the couples who are planning to get married in our churches, or from our villages this year. Some of whom have rescheduled quite a few times!
Please pray for those who are currently ill with covid. May they be protected and restored quickly.
Please pray for the NHS continuing to serve the nation with tiredness and fatigue featuring heavily.
Please continue to pray for those we know and love who are at this time unwell or recovering from various illnesses or operations.
Please pray for those within our parishes who have lost loved ones recently.
Please pray for those who are enjoying holidays and breaks this summer. After the difficulties of the past few years, we pray that true rest will be found.
There has been another devastating fire this weekend in Aldworth Road, Upper Basildon - only a week since the previous fire. The houses of both families are completely destroyed together with all their possessions. Grant, Jen and I have decided to set up a Benefice fund-raising page to help them start to rebuild their lives. The money we raise will be shared between the two families. Please do contribute and encourage others to do so too - we need to give them the best shot at being supported by our community. The fires have been an absolute tragedy for both families and we can't think of anything more traumatic than losing your home like this. The link is: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/fire-response-fund-1. The fund is already open and the first contribution made. Thank you so much. Our blessings, Grant, Katy and Jen
Dear friends,
It has been a few weeks since my last email to you, so I do hope you are keeping well.
It has been busy across the parishes over the past few weeks and as we enter into summer proper there is plenty going on too. A couple of things I’d like to draw your attention to.
Firstly we have a new minister who has joined the team. The Revd Jen Green was recently ordained by the Bishop of Oxford and licensed to serve as a curate here in the benefice. Jen brings with her a wonderful family and a wealth of experience and is looking forward to getting to know more of you over the next few years. You can read a little bit more about Jen’s ordination and what she will be up to here.
Secondly, its a busy month for St. Mary’s Aldworth. The summer Tea’s with the Giant’s are back by popular demand. Yum! Each Wednesday through July, August and September we are hosting afternoon teas at St. Mary’s from 2.30-4.30pm. Come along and bring a friend. A great excuse to have a catch up!
Further to this, we are hosting a wonderful concert at St. Mary’s Aldworth on 30th July. It includes music by the Adderbury String Quartet and a special piece of music which has been written and inspired by the Aldworth Giants will be played for the first time. You can find out further info and how to get hold of tickets here.
Finally, many folks are now beginning to receive and host Ukrainian families. I am keen to help and support wherever there may be need. We are considering hosting a Ukrainian church service or regular services if that would be helpful. If you knew of any local families to whom that might be useful then I’d love to hear from you so we can begin planning as needed.
I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week and we can see you soon at a service or event. As always, please do feel free to get in touch if there’s anything we can do, or pray for.
Love and blessings,
Grant
Coming up!
Post Office in the church centre at Basildon. Most Post Office services available plus local free range eggs, and books.
Post Office operates each Monday 10am - 12noon.
St. Stephen’s Cafe is open weekly on Monday mornings. It runs alongside the community post office at St. Stephen’s church. Various groups help to run and support it as we raise funds for various causes. Come along and join us for lovely hot drinks, freshly made homemade cakes and a good catch up with friends.
Come and join us for some delicious homemade cake, tea, and coffee in the beautiful St Mary’s Church, Aldworth. Every Wednesday 2:30-4:30pm in July, August and September.
Our weekly play session for babies and toddlers meets on Thursday mornings in St Stephen’s Upper Basildon during term time. We start at 9.30 and it’s a wonderful time for the little ones and their carers to come together for play, craft and yummy snacks too finishing at 11am.
Post Office in the church centre at Basildon. Most Post Office services available plus local free range eggs, and books.
Post Office operates each Monday 10am - 12noon.
Please do continue to pray for the continued conflict in Ukraine. Many families are settling locally so do please pray for inspiration and wisdom how best to serve and welcome them during this time.
Please pray for the couples who are planning to get married in our churches, or from our villages this year. Some of whom have rescheduled quite a few times!
Please pray for those who are currently ill with covid. May they be protected and restored quickly.
Please pray for the NHS continuing to serve the nation with tiredness and fatigue featuring heavily.
Please continue to pray for those we know and love who are at this time unwell or recovering from various illnesses or operations.
Please pray for those within our parishes who have lost loved ones recently.
Please pray for those who are enjoying holidays and breaks this summer. After the difficulties of the past few years, we pray that true rest will be found.
