The Parish of Langdon Hills

Can you spare £2.50 and
an old shoe box?
If the answer is YES , then please support Operation Christmas Child this year. In 2007,  we collected 125 boxes and I would really love to send 150 or more this year to needy children all around the world. Can we do it ?  I believe we can …. but I really need your help.
So please don’t forget to pick up an Operation Christmas Child leaflet from either St. Marys or St Johns and start wrapping! 
Filled Shoe boxes can be left at St John’s from
1st - 16th November.
Thanks for your support:
Jill Hurley

Sunday, 9th November: 6.30 pm
Sacred Space  St. John’s Church

How well do we know the Lord’s Prayer? Our Service through a series of six stations will take us through the Lord’s prayer. By using our senses of sight, touch, smell, taste and hearing we will be led on a spiritual journey. If you have never been before to Sacred Space then please put this in your diary now. If you have been before it will be great to see you again.
If you want to know more about the evening please get in touch with Terry who will be pleased to tell you more.

Details here

A Ladies Autumn Breakfast is planned for Saturday, 22nd November at St John’s, 8.30 – 10.30am.

There is to be a Ladies Breakfast Planning Meeting on Friday 10th October 7.30 pm at St John’s. 
All men and women are welcome to offer support and ideas to help organise this successful outreach group. Please do come along if you think that you can help in any way, such as being available to help serve breakfast on the actual day.
Thank you.

Wednesday, 8th October:
Golf Night: Leave from St John’s at 6. 50 pm prompt to go to Crowlands Heath Golf Club. Car sharing if possible. Fee is £3.50 which gives a 1 hour lesson (2 types; beginners and more advanced players). If you wish to go please e-mail Terry Brown at tgabrown(at)hotmail.com

Tuesday 25th November:
We have organised a Brewery visit to a small independent brewer in South Woodham Ferrers. This will involve a brewery tour and visit to a pub in Chelmsford for a buffet (and drinks). We are limited to 24 people. Please e-mail to reserve a place. Cost: £20.50 (which includes the brewery fee and also a coach to take us from St Johns and back). We will leave at 6.00 pm and return at 10.30 pm. If you would like to come please could you give me, Terry Brown, the money or cheque on the Golf night, or send it to me at 149 Great Berry Lane, Langdon Hills, SS16 6BP.

Tuesday 9th December:
I have arranged a 3 course Christmas dinner at the Bell at Rettendon at a cost of £14.95 with Christmas pudding or sweets from the trolley and includes tea or coffee. Other drinks are extra. We will leave St John’s at 6.45 pm and share cars. I need to book the tables for this so please e-mail me as soon as possible so that I can inform the Bell of the correct numbers. Send me, Terry Brown, your money along with your menu choice by Sunday 19 October. Address as above.

Some photos from the Flower Festival at St Mary’s in August - Thanks to Tony Dunhill. Click here to see them all.

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Harvest Supper
SATURDAY 11th OCTOBER 2008
7.15PM FOR 7.30PM START
ST. JOHN’S CHURCH,
Forest Glade, Langdon Hills.

Cost: £5.00 per person and tickets are available from Ruth Booth At St. Mary’s, Moreen Hasley Or Liz Burton At St. John’s.

MENU: VEGETABLE SOUP, LASAGNE & SALAD, APPLE PIE.

Vegetarian alternative if ordered when ticket purchased. Please bring own drinks.  Glasses provided.

After Dinner Entertainment By Carl Merry - Talented Essex Storyteller.

Admission by ticket only.
NO TICKETS ON SALE AT THE DOOR

At the last Annual Meeting there was discussion leading to the formation of a pastoral care group. Lilian ran such a course earlier this year. Another linked course has been arranged, called Acorn Christian Learning to Listen.

Dates: evening sessions on October 6th , 13th and 20th and November 11th. The location has yet to be determined and will be based either in St. Mary’s Church, St. Mary’s Hall or private homes. An invitation is extended to anyone who either couldn’t attend the earlier meetings but is interested in pastoral care,  or who would like to attend simply for personal development, with no obligation to be part of  the pastoral care team.  We hope to cover the most of the cost of the course, subject to PCC approval, so the charge for attending will be approximately £10, but concessions will be available if this would prevent anyone from attending. 

Please contact Ros Huntley or Julie Coker if you’d like more information about the course.

Saturday 11th October a trip for 16 - 25s to RollerWorld, Colchester.

Starts at 7.30, meet St John’s at 6 pm. Lifts are available if necessary and entry is £4.90. Please contact Anna if you have any queries.

An exciting time lies ahead for us with the start of this autumn’s Alpha courses at St. John’s Church, Langdon Hills.

Alpha is a 10 week course which gives guests the opportunity to explore the Christian faith and as the advertising says to ‘explore the meaning of life’. It is a chance to ask questions you may have always wanted to ask or to just look at life a little bit deeper. Over 7,000 courses are currently running across the UK and over 2 million people in the UK and 11 million worldwide have now attended an Alpha course.

Alpha is designed primarily for people who aren’t churchgoers, and there is absolutely no commitment to attend church during or after the course. One thing about Alpha is that it is friendly, relaxed and informal. Ask whatever you like, or just sit quietly and listen. Courses attract a wide range of guests of different ages, backgrounds and viewpoints and this makes for interesting and diverse discussion.

Guests attend for a wide variety of reasons - some want to investigate whether God exists; others are concerned about what happens after death. Often, events in peoples’ personal lives cause them to think more deeply and raise questions. Some people have particular questions that they would like to discuss; others want to understand other peoples’ beliefs or would like to explore what the purpose of life is. Many guests have never been to church, others may have attended church occasionally but feel they have never really understood the basics of the Christian faith.

It really is for anyone…bring a friend, partner or just come on your own. Everyone is welcome. So don’t miss out, register now! Call Donna Martin 01268 492175

The evening course starts Thursday 25th September 7.30pm until approx. 9.45pm and the daytime course, starts Friday 3rd October 1.15pm to 2.45pm. There is no charge to attend.
If you would like to find out more and hear what others say about the course then check out the Alpha website at www.uk.alpha.org

Alpha is an opportunity to explore the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over ten thought provoking weekly sessions. Our Alpha Courses begin on the following dates:

• Evening course: Thursday 25 September, 7.30pm

• Daytime course: Friday 3 October 1.15pm. This is an ‘Express’ course with slightly shorter sessions and free childcare for age 2 years +.

For more information on either of these courses speak to Colin, Donna Martin at St John’s or Eddy Lee at St Mary’s. You can also find out more on the Alpha website.

Registration forms are available at St Mary’s and St John’s - simply return to the Parish Office by 7th September.

The flower festival at St Mary’s was visited by approximately 300 people over the Bank Holiday weekend and many positive comments were received. I’ll post some photos shortly. In meantime a great deal of thanks needs to go to Sue and everyone else who was involved.