TWINNED TOILETS – Horndon, Orsett & Bulphan

We all take our toilets, having clean water on tap, along with the associated hygiene for granted. For one third of the 7 billion people across the globe this is not the case.
Toilet twinning is a scheme whereby people can, for a £60 donation, twin their toilet with one in a poor community anywhere in the world to enable them to build a basic toilet, have access to clean water and learn about hygiene.
Not just individuals can twin toilets; schools, workplaces, youth groups in fact anyone can take part in this scheme. If you do this you are given a certificate with a picture of your twinned loo and the latitude and longitude and the knowledge you are helping to improve the lives of those less fortunate.

If this is something you are interested in visit Toilet Twinning – Flushing away poverty, one toilet at a time for more information

Janet McCheyne has recently made donations for the toilets in Orsett and Bulphan churches to join Horndon church, whose toilet has been twinned with one in Nepal for a number of years.

Click on the links below to see where the twinned toilets are :

HORNDON – NEPAL : 28°40’16.0″N 81°34’37.7″E – Google Maps

ORSETT – ZAMBIA : 12°47’18.2″S 28°15’12.1″E – Google Maps

BULPHAN – MALAWI : 13°48’11.3″S 34°23’02.7″E – Google Maps

GOD ROCKS

On Sunday 14th June at the Family Service in Orsett members of the congregation were invited to write inspirational biblical/religious messages on stones (and turn them into “God Rocks”) they may say to someone, who was going through a tough time to let them know God is there for them no matter what, in as few words as possible to fit on their stone.
The idea was to then leave their stones in places for people find and maybe help them find some peace or reflection in the message that God cares regardless of their circumstances.
Below are some pictures of one left for people to find

Sue Mann

13th June 2021

Recently, thanks to much hard work by a group of committed individuals, Horndon Church has received its Bronze Eco Church Award and Bulphan has now applied for Silver status. With a few little adjustments, Orsett should soon be able to apply for Bronze.

As part of registering with Eco Church, we have begun having discussions about becoming Fairtrade Churches in our PCCs. The Fairtrade Foundation website says,

Fairtrade is one simple way to spark change – and it starts with our choices. Choosing Fairtrade means standing with farmers for fairness and equality, and against some of the biggest challenges the world faces.

Fairtrade means fairer pay and more power in the hands of farmers, so that they can create change for us all, from investing in climate friendly farming techniques and clean water for their community, to nurturing women leaders and making sure children get an education. When you choose Fairtrade, you’re choosing the world you want to see.

With Fairtrade you have the power to change the world every day. With simple shopping choices you can get farmers a better deal. And that means they can make their own decisions, control their future and lead the dignified life everyone deserves.

When Fairtrade food products were introduced many years ago, they weren’t particularly palatable, but they have moved on greatly now. In fact, all of Marks and Spencer’s tea and coffee is Fairtrade as is that of many of the well-known coffee outlets; chocolate producers such as Cadbury Bournville have taken on many Fairtrade initiatives; most bananas in supermarkets are fairly-traded following pressure to stock them by members of the public many years ago.

In order to achieve Fairtrade Status, as churches, the minimum requirement is to ensure that all of our tea, coffee and sugar is Fairtrade. But there are so many more Fairtrade products available. And, of course, the more we commit to buying the more we are caring for our brothers and sisters around the world. Fairly traded goods include clothes, flowers, cold drinks and juice, biscuits, sweets, snacks, grains, sugar, spreads, oil, wine, beauty products, herbs and spices and even gold.

I do encourage you to look for the Fairtrade logo when you are out shopping and to buy Fairtrade products where you are able. The price may be a little higher, but our purchasing of these products is one way in which we can demonstrate love for our global neighbours.

If you are unsure where to start when buying Fairtrade products, there is a page further on in the magazine with some  help and suggestions.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Take care and God bless,

Sue

FOREST CHURCH, Bulphan, Sat 01 May

On Saturday 1st May, we gathered around a fire in Bulphan Churchyard for Forest Church. It was great to be able to meet again. We thought about St George and his fight against evil. We made swords which, upturned, became crosses and reflected upon the demons we fight in our own lives but how, with God’s strength we can overcome them and we listened to two short passages from the Message Version of the Bible.

Deuteronomy 31: 6

6 Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.”

Ephesians 6: 13-17

3-18 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

NEXT FOREST CHURCH …

Do join us for our next Forest Church which will be in Orsett Churchyard on Saturday 5th June at 4pm. All ages are welcome. Please wrap up warm and bring something to sit on.

Sue Mann

29th April 2021

On Easter Day, we celebrated the resurrection of Christ in Orsett Church. It was wonderful to be able to worship together in person again. May is another busy month in the church calendar.

On Rogation Sunday, the Church has traditionally offered prayer for God’s blessings on the fruits of the earth and the labours of those who produce our food. A common feature of Rogation days was the ceremony of beating the bounds, in which a procession of parishioners, led by the minister and churchwardens would proceed around the boundary of their parish and pray for its protection in the forthcoming year. As it is no longer practical to follow exact boundaries, services have a focus on specific elements of creation such as livestock, fields, orchards and gardens. This year we will celebrate Rogation Sunday on 9th May at Orsett Church.

On Ascension Day, 40 days after Easter, we remember Jesus leaving this earth and returning to his Father, ascending into heaven to take his throne over all dominions and powers. Ascension Day will be celebrated in our Tuesday Morning Holy Communion Service on 11th May at 9.30am at Horndon Church.

In between Ascension Day and Pentecost, ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ takes place. It is a global prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray from Ascension to Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus. Since its start in May 2016, God has grown Thy Kingdom Come from a dream of possibility into a movement. Christians from 172 countries have taken part in praying ‘Come Holy Spirit’, so that friends and family, neighbours and colleagues might come to faith in Jesus Christ. During the 11 days of Thy Kingdom Come we are encouraged to :

  • Deepen our own relationship with Jesus Christ.
  • Pray for 5 friends or family to come to faith in Jesus.
  • Pray for the empowerment of the Spirit that we would be effective in our witness.

And then, at Pentecost, we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after Easter. The name comes from the Greek word, ‘pentekoste,’ which means fiftieth. Pentecost is also regarded as the birthday of the Christian Church, and the start of the church’s mission to the world. This year Pentecost falls on Sunday 23rd May and we will be celebrating it at Bulphan Church.

Christian Aid Week also takes place in May and will focus on the issue of Climate Change.

‘This climate crisis hurts us all. But people living in poverty fight the worst of it every day. From drought to flooding, climate change robs people of control over their lives.’ Christian Aid

If you would like to contribute to the work of Christian Aid, you can do this by giving through our online envelope, details of which can be found later in the magazine. Last year we raised over £600 through our e-envelope. It would be great if we could equal or even beat that total this year. Our service will be at Horndon Church on Sunday 16th May.

We will also be running an online SHAPE course during May and June to help people discover their God given gifts and how they might use them in God’ service. Do contact me if you are interested in participating in this course.

I would certainly challenge anyone who  says that being Christian is boring!

As ever, with love and prayers for you all.

Take care and God bless,

Sue