Dear All, I hope this finds you well. I am hoping that we can revert to a slightly amended form of notice sheet after this which will be emailed out and also put on our website and hard copies will be made available for those without a computer. It was good to see some of you at our Holy Communion Service on Sunday and to share the worship virtually with others of you. This Sunday the service will be at Horndon at 10am. Please try to let me know if you would like to come to this service so that we can plan accordingly. At the moment we are fine for numbers and, hopefully, this will remain the case but should there be too many people to accommodate priority will be given to those who were unable to come last week. Thank you for your continued support for the Foodbank. Needs this week are crisps of all flavours, savoury snacks such as cream crackers and cheese twists, condiments such as tomato sauce, brown sauce and mayonnasie, mashed potato, sponge puddings and nappies, sizes 2,4,5 and 6. Following the sad news that Hazel Swift died last weekend, we now know that her funeral will be on Thursday 30th July at 3pm at Horndon Church. Because of limited numbers able to attend, for the service and committal it will be invitation only but I know that Vanessa and Caroline woud be pleased for people to stand in the road to show their respects before the service and Brands are planning to drive round the main roads in the village prior to the service. Please do hold Vanessa and Caroline in your prayers at this difficult time. The interment of ashes of Doreen Bartley will take place at Orsett Churchyard on Monday 27th July at 2pm. Other prayer needs within the Benefice include Nicola, Steve, Dave, Steve and Steve. The link to the Diocesan Cycle of prayer for the rest of this month is http://click.hobnob.org.uk/ls/click?upn=7zNYsYQ4TytkeQI2qnMH8XVDwriBbuZ7b0PCIzKkN3zX4no2N-2BPGlSni2AI0TxItX9sVebT7a7CXXe-2BsrABqNYysIszFbtslXq-2Ffq7-2FirKY-3DL0bh_feKQ4xWNExwk9uM3ZmfeY-2FIFx35WGm0ujSUt2sL-2FyP90GA0fGBb9NU0KnkW3JvLhjrf6KfEH-2FYbghmPVFPEG8qoB-2Bnr1ZJXXatz-2B28-2Bzx6lZ7j2faMXnLE20mbe8Idlx5nMm5TXTKfneMG-2BRg6DybTrb5H6EB3FBW6NcJzrZZUMm76F9HBfOoN9xHimDmb9BSWLZHNIFtOjk6X2s9hnVfJqnHXr8ru-2FakOBmOOIfxRM-3D As ever, please do be assured of my prayers for you and please do hold the Wardens, Max and me in your prayers as we negotiate the return to church. Take care and God bless, Sue
I am looking forward to seeing some of you on Sunday at Orsett at 10am. Thank you to those who have let me know you are coming. If you are not able to join us in person, and have access to technology, we will be live -streaming the service so please do share in worship with us that way at hobnob.org.uk/watch This Sunday is Rural Mission Sunday and I am hoping that this will be a joyous service. Please, though, be aware that there will be some restrictions in place, as below. You can also find this information on our website.
Do not come to church if you or anyone in your household has confirmed or suspected COVID-19, or is otherwise self-isolating.
Please note that, in accordance with the guidelines, “While those at extra risk and the ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ should be advised of the risks of attending public worship, a decision to do so is theirs alone.”
When you arrive at church:
You may need to wait in a queue before you can enter. Please observe the 2m distancing.
Hand sanitiser will be available at the door and you will be asked to sanitise your hands on arrival.
We will register all who attend, and may ask you for additional contact details. (This is so that we can provide details of our visitors to NHS Test and Trace, if requested. We will hold this information for 21days.)
You will be shown to your seat by a sidesperson.
Movement around the church will be via a one-way system.
During the service:
There will be no singing. (This is because of the potential for increased risk of transmission from aerosol droplets.)
At Holy Communion Services, only the bread will be distributed and receiving it will be optional.
After the service:
There will be no refreshments.
You should leave church promptly when the service is over.
Take care to remain socially distanced as you leave. This may be overseen by a sidesperson.
Again, hand sanitiser will be available at the door.
If you or anyone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 within 21 days of attending, then it is vital that you let us know by calling 01375 891254. Or one of the wardens.
I apologise for this long list but it is necessary for me to impart this information as part of our risk assessment and, hopefully, it will help us all to feel comfortable.
Also a reminder that Daily Hope, a free phone line of hymns, reflections and prayers, can be accessed on 0800 8048044.
Foodbank needs this week are sponge puddings, custard, jelly and savoury snacks. In non-food items they need deodorant, shampoo, washing powder and washing up liquid.
or by sending a cheque made payable to The Mission to Seafarers to The Rectory and I will make sure it gets sent to the right place.
Local prayer needs this week include Nicola, Hazel, Dave, Steve, Steve, Allan, Steve, Jane, Dawn and Roy. Prayers for the Sixth Sunday of Trinity on our Diocesan Prayer Diary are for the men and women of the RNLI and HM Coastguard, who risk their lives to protect those who travel the seas around our coast. We are also asked to pray for the Episcopal Church in the Philippines and The Most Reverend Joel Atiwag Pachao, Prime Bishop.
As ever, please let me know about any prayer or pastoral needs and be assured of my prayers for all of you.
As we begin to reopen our churches, there will be a number of measures and precautions at the church:
Before you come to church:
Please try to inform us that you are coming. You can do so via the online form.
We advise that you wear a mask.
Do not come to church if you or anyone in your household has confirmed or suspected COVID-19, or is otherwise self-isolating.
Attending church is the visitor’s decision alone. Those at extra risk and those who are ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ should be advised of the risks of attending public worship.
When you arrive at church:
You may need to wait in a queue before you can enter. Please observe 2m social distancing.
Hand sanitiser will be available at the door.
We will register all who attend, and may ask you for additional contact details. (This is so that we can provide details of our visitors to NHS Test and Trace, if requested.)
You will be shown to your seat by a sidesperson.
Movement around the church will be via a one-way system.
During the service:
There will be no singing. (This is because of the potential for increased risk of transmission from aerosol and droplets.)
Communion will be completely optional, and only the bread will be distributed.
After the service:
There will be no refreshments.
You should leave church promptly when the service is over.
Take care to remain socially distanced as you leave. This may be overseen by a sidesperson.
Again, hand sanitiser will be available at the door.
If you or anyone in your household develops symptoms of COVID-19 within 21 days of attending, then it is vital that you let us know by calling 01375 891254 or letting a warden of the relevant church know.
If you would like to make a donation to the Mission to Seafarers in memory of Glyn Jones, please click on the link below. Alternatively you can send a cheque to Revd Sue made payable to the Mission to Seafarers and she will ensure it gets to the right place.
Having written a long letter last week, this week’s message is brief in comparison and, as things unfold, whilst I will remain in touch to keep you informed, it is unlikely that I will be writing on a weekly basis, from now on, although I am aware that some of you like to receive Lectionary Readings, so I will give this some thought…
On Sunday 19th July, we will be holding our first church service in the Benefice since the beginning of the lockdown. This will be a short Holy Communion Service at Orsett Church at 10am. Please be aware that, at this stage, no singing is allowed and that social distancing and the necessary precautions will be in place. If this works efficiently, the plan is to hold weekly United Benefice services alternating between Orsett and Horndon so, all being well, the following week, on 26th July, the service will be at Horndon. Because of the small size of Bulphan Church and the fact that it is not possible to introduce a one-way system, Sunday services will not be held at Bulphan at this present time. However, Bulphan Church will continue to be open for individual private prayer on Monday and Thursday mornings between 10am and 12.00, along with Horndon on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, also from 10am until 12.00.
Having a booking system for church services seems contrary to the ethos of being welcoming, particularly to newcomers. However, it would be helpful if you could let me know whether you intend to come to church on 19th and how many members of your household this might include. Please could you also let me know if, at this stage, you don’t feel ready to come back to church so that we can plan accordingly; my contact details are at the top of this letter. If you are coming, you may wish to bring your own bible, to follow the readings as our pew bibles have been put away for the time being.
This Sunday will be our last online service in its present form, as we begin returning to church. However, I am considering how we might be able to record or livestream our church services in the future so that those of you who are not comfortable or able to return to public worship might still be able to share in the worship. I will keep you informed about progress which will require some thought as none of our churches currently have wifi. At the moment we will continue the livestreamed Morning and Evening Prayer and it is hoped that we may be able to continue some of these services in the future and, again, I will keep you informed, in due course, as to when and how often we might be able to do this.
Our online service this Sunday, as mentioned in last week’s letter, will celebrate The Mission to Seafarers when we remember the work of our dear friend, Glyn Jones, their former Secretary General. If you would like to make a donation to the Mission to Seafarers, you can click on,
With regard to the foodbank, needs this week include savoury treats for adults ie cheese biscuits, cream crackers or savoury biscuits, breakfasat bars, cheese twirls, breadsticks etc and they are also short of tinned rice. sponge puddings, tinned fruit (preferably not peaches), custard and jelly.
The Lectionary Readings for this week, beginning 13th July, are
Don’t forget you can also access Daily Hope, a free phone line of hymns, reflections and prayers, on 0800 8048044.
Local prayer needs this week include Nicola, Hazel, Dave, Steve, Steve, Jane, Dawn and Roy. Please pray for those affected by the crane collapse on the houses in Bow. And, of course, we remember all those whose lives are lived on God’ s great oceans and we give thanks for the work and inspiration of The Mission to Seafarers and pray for all agencies who work amongst seafarers. You may like to use the following prayer in your personal devotions.
Lord God, Creator of land and sea, bless those who work at sea. Be with them in fair weather and foul, in danger or distress. Strengthen them when weary, lift them up when down and comfort them when far from their loved ones. In this life, bring them safely to shore and, in the life to come, welcome them to your kingdom. For Jesus Christ’s sake, Amen. (From the Mission to Seafarers).
Thank you, so much, to all of you who during the past 4 months, have faithfully kept an eye on the Churches in the Benefice, tended the churchyards, phoned parishioners, delivered letters, cakes and shopping to others, assisted with readings and prayers for our online services and Max, with talks, and, more recently, thank you to those who have helped with risk assessments and cleaning in preparation for reopening. And, of course, your continued great support for Thurrock Foodbank, who anticipate an increased demand for the foreseeable future is greatly appreciated.
As ever, please continue to let me know about any prayer or pastoral needs and be assured of my prayers for all of you.
