Weekly Parish News
WEEKLY PARISH NEWS
In time it is hoped that we will together develop the content and style of this Parish News. But for now, with the constraints on time and resources we have, I hope you will tolerate my simple attempts to pass on some news in this way.
The plan is I will send a PARISH NEWS (posted on the website, emailed out and printed and posted specifically for those identified by the Pastoral Team as not having access to email) on a Monday each week, as often as is humanly possible. I will also be doing my best to ‘present’ the notices at each of the services on Sunday mornings in the churches (so they can be heard online as part of our regular streamed services and in person as well when we are able to once again come together to worship).
If you would like something specifically mentioned in the Parish News, then please do email me at nik@langdonhills.net. However, we do hold editorial control so no rude jokes (no names mentioned) or adverts for winning raffle tickets for sale please.
THE READING FOR THE 9am and 11am (details below) SERVICE 25th APRIL
John 10: 11-18
This service will be led by Revd Barry Johnson and Ron Gough will be preaching
A HUGE THANK YOU
I would like (I’m sure on behalf of the whole Church Community) to extend my sincere thanks to the Managers and Staff of St Johns Childcare Service for their service and duty during the Pandemic.
Whilst most of us have been able to stay home and therefor keep ourselves reasonably safe, the team have been going to work diligently during this pandemic providing vital care and support for the Children and Families of this parish. Without their dedication and hard work families (many of whom are Keyworkers) would have been simply unable to continue to work (a loss to us all) and their children would have been unable to learn the joys and experience that comes from spending time with others of the same age. Please do keep all those in our church family who care, nurture, protect and educate those little people in our Parish in your thoughts and prayers.
MEMORIAL ROSES
During a recent conversation with Jerry (our Parish Gardener) he mentioned that there is a little space in the floor beds at the front of St Johns Church. This got me thinking that it may be nice if we were to plant a few roses in remembrance of those that we have lost during the Pandemic (there is room for about 6 roses I believe).
Whilst this (I very much hope) will not be the only way we mark the loss of so many loved friends and family over the past year or so, I do think it may be a nice little way to make a first act of memorial.
If you would like to donate to the purchase of the roses (and I suggest if there is a little extra money we have made and place a small plaque) then please either email me (nik@langdonhills.net) , message/call me or alternatively visit www.langdonhills.net/donations/ to make an online donation.
Thank you.
ANNUAL PARISH CHURCH MEETING (Reminder)
This is to remind you all that we will be holding the Annual Parish Church Meeting of Langdon Hills Parish on the 25 April starting at 7pm. This will be held via Zoom. For details on how to log-in and also for a copy of the Agenda and meeting pack please contact Nikki via email – Stjohnsca@gmail.com
SERVICES ON THE 25 APRIL
St John’s
I am now thrilled to formerly announce that we will be returning to St John’s for public worship from next Sunday (25 April) at 11am.
The service will be a spoken service of Holy Communion. We will use the words that we usually use at a St John’s communion service. The distribution of communion will remain (as it was before) bread only.
There will be a sermon, reading, prayers and hopefully some music, but unfortunately, we are still not allowed to sing.
Children are more than welcome to attend (as part of their household) and hopefully in time participate more fully in the service. However, we are still not yet in a position to offer any supervised activities during the service.
You must still wear a mask in church, will be recording details of those that attend for the purposes of track and trace and due to social distancing you must book a place.
To Book a place please email stjohnsca@gmail.com or call Nikki (the Parish Administrator) on 07720 089260. Please note that we will need to allocate seats and on a first come first served basis (but priority will be given for the next weeks service to anyone who we were unable to accommodate).
I recognise this is still a long way from ‘normal’ but god willing as things continue to improve we will be able to return ever so gradually and safely to the ‘new normal’.
I so look forward to seeing many of you there over the coming weeks.
St Mary’s
Next Sunday (25 April) the Tech Team will be taking an extremely well-deserved break and therefor there will not be a livestreamed service from St Mary’s.
However, the Revd Jane Richards, Area Dean, has kindly invited the Parish of Langdon Hills to join their livestreamed service at 9.30am from St Andrews.
If you would like to join that service, click here Livestreamed Service St Andrew and Holy Cross
I do so hope that many of you will be able to join me in taking part (albeit virtually) in that service and I am (on behalf of us all) grateful to Jane for the invite.
VOLUNTEER REQUEST
When I have had the recent honour of being allowed to be in St Mary’s church to either open for Private Prayer or carry out my more mundane tasks, it has been an absolute pleasure to meet some of the very many people that walk past and make such fine use of the amazing countryside surrounding the church.
This got me thinking, how amazing it would be if we were to open St Marys a little more during the school summer holidays to meet, greet and welcome those that are simply passing by. So I sounded the idea out to the recent Outreach meeting that we might consider opening a simple Tea Shop, provide activity sheets to any children and put up some displays about our Parish. But in order to make this work I would need some volunteers, to make cakes, serve teas and coffees etc, greet people, put up and make displays and hand out activity sheets etc.
It has been fantastic how many people have already stepped up to volunteer. However, the more that volunteer the more days and times we can open and therefor the more people we can meet. So please if you can spare even a little time during July and August, please do let me know you can email me nik@langdonhills.net or call/message me.
Thank you so much.
Although it has been a slightly chilly week (on and off) this week, we have been blessed by clear bright skies and that can’t help but raise spirits.
So, I pray that as the weather warms, the days grow longer and the dark nights shorter we all continue to notice gods blessings and take hope from them.
God Bless
Nik
Churchwarden
Morning Prayer
Weekday Morning Prayer
It is intended that morning prayer on Zoom will continue at 9am on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays after Easter (excepting bank holidays). The link to access morning prayer will change after Easter. If you would like to have the link please email your request to stjohnsca@gmail.com.
Interregnum Arrangements
Interregnum arrangements.
“Interregnum” is the name for the period between the departure of one Rector and the arrival of the next. This is likely to be a period of around one year. Some arrangements have already been put in place to cover this period.
Sunday Services
These arrangements are, of course, contingent on what happens with regard to the lifting of the current restrictions. Our provisional plans for services for April to June allow for the current lockdown to continue or for us to return to the situation immediately before lockdown (i.e. broadcast services form St. Mary’s and limited services at St. John’s). There will need to be some revision of our plans if the situation differs from this.
We are delighted to report that Rev. Barry Johnson, a retired minister in Basildon, has volunteered to undertake many of the “priestly” duties during the interregnum. This means that he will preside at many of our communion services and will take many of our weddings, baptisms and funerals. Our Area Dean, Rev. Jane Richards and her team (who are based at Holy Cross and St. Andrew’s in Basildon) will also provide cover, along with various other ministers from time to time.
Our own preaching team of Readers Ron Gough and Kennedy Rath, authorised preacher Eddy Lee and churchwarden Nik Wright (who is exploring a call to ordination) will also preach more regularly than in the past.
Rosters have been planned for April to June with the intention that we will broadcast live communion services from St. Mary’s at 9am every Sunday except for one Sunday in each month (to give our dedicated technical team of Roger McArdell and Ian McNally a well-deserved break!). On that Sunday the broadcast service will come from St. Andrew’s in Basildon where we will join in worship with the congregation there. We are very grateful to Rev. Jane Richards for offering this. Initially these services will be on the last Sunday of each month.
Provisional plans are also in place for 11am worship to recommence at St. John’s when it is judged to be safe and practicable so to do. Duties have been assigned but no opening date has yet been decided upon. It is anticipated that when worship recommences at St. John’s it will initially be on the same basis as just before lockdown i.e. said communion with no singing and people will have to book in advance in order to attend. Watch this space for further information!
Rector Colin Hopkinson
Online AMP and APCM
ONLINE ANNUAL MEETING OF PARISHIONERS AND
ANNUAL PAROCHIAL CHURCH MEETING
Sunday 25th April at 7pm
All resident in the parish and on a Register of Local Government Electors are invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Parishioners (AMP) at which we will be appointing churchwardens for 2021/2022. This will be followed by the Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM – where only members on the parish electoral roll can vote) at which we will be appointing PCC members for 2021/2022.
I HAVE NOW RECEIVED GUIDANCE from the Diocese on how proceedings should be managed to enable this meeting to proceed online, including the process for nominations and elections:
If you wish to attend please email stjohnsca@gmail.com and Nikki the Parish Administrator, will send you a Zoom link together with instructions on how to use the link to join the meeting.
Nikki will also send you electronically the agenda and minutes of the 2019 AMP and APCM together with the reports that have been submitted for this year’s APCM. At the APCM, there will be presentation of reports on the activities of the church, submission of the electoral roll and presentation of financial statements and a report from the Treasurer.
If you wish to see a copy of the revised electoral roll please ask specifically for this and a copy will be sent to you.
At the AMP there will be elections for 2 parish churchwardens. If you wish to stand for election as churchwarden please contact Nikki urgently at stjohnsca@gmail.com because there is a form that must be completed and submitted prior to the meeting.
At the APCM there will also be elections for deputy churchwardens at St Mary’s and St John’s; and members of the Parochial Church Council. If you wish to stand for election to any of these posts please send an email to the PCC Secretary at stjohnsca@gmail.com, clearly stating which post you wish to stand for and including the names of a proposer and a seconder who are themselves on the church electoral roll. (Please ensure that the proposer and seconder will be at the APCM so that we can confirm their consent).
For further information please contact :
Nik (Churchwarden)
Email: nik@langdonhills.net.
Sunday Streaming Church Service
Join us for a broadcast service on Sunday.
When you follow the link you will be taken to a Facebook page. You do NOT need to have or create a Facebook account to view the video. To watch go to the videos section and click on the video you want. Previous services will also be there.
You can find the service in the video section by following this Link
If you would like an order of service follow this Link
St John’s Kids Online
Come and join us today for the first St John’s Kids online
Follow this link to the churches videos
Copper Kettle Virtual Cafe
Wednesday’s at 10am
A chance to meet up online and have a chat
For a zoom link please email: nik@langdonhills.net
Morning Prayer Online
Just the Mon and Tue after Easter Sunday there will not be any morning prayer.
Join us for Morning Prayer online at 9am from this Thursday 26 March and thereafter on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings.
It is very easy to join us. Just send an email to me at cchopkinson@aol.com requesting to join. I will add you to the group and send you an invitation email to join a “Zoom meeting”. Click on the link on the email a few minutes before 9am to join the meeting. (The first time you do this Zoom will download and install the Zoom app. It is safe to install this).
To be able to join in with the words you will also need to download the Daily Prayer app (search your app store for “Daily Prayer Church of England”, it has a blue logo with Daily Prayer in it) and when you open it should take you straight to the words for that morning. You will need one screen (e.g. phone) to look at the words and another (e.g. laptop) to join the Zoom meeting.
If you would like a prayer request to be included please be sure to have the consent of any person named in the request and send it to me at cchopkinson@aol.com on a separate email titled “prayer request”.
Bishops Crook – Virtual Pub
Every Saturday at 7.00pm
For a lively chat and catch-up with your friends or an opportunity to make new friends come and join us. Bring you own bottle!
For a zoom link please email
Nik@Langdonhills.net