Bringing people together across local communities

• Lloyd-Webber to get St Mary's celebrations under way

  
  THE eagerly-awaited reopening of St Mary's Loughton will be celebrated with a fanfare of musical talents.

• Mary shares secrets of top magazine

  
  The Rural Community Council of Essex was keen to find out, so they invited Great Bentley's church magazine editor, Mary Maskell, along to their workshop in April to share her experience. The Month is delighted to reveal Mary's top tips.

• Eagles will represent England at world championship finals

  
  THE final leg of the Olympic torch relay through London was cheered on by church cheerleaders Ascension Eagles.

• Fiona is new "Ride & Stride" co-ordinator

  
  

• Chinkney hosts Easter Services

  
  EASTER in the five Parishes benefice near Great Dunmow was a particularly uplifting and special time with a Service of Meditation at the rarely-used church at Chickney, conducted by Rector, Revd Canon Gillian Greenslade.

• Westcliff congregations join together

  
  A special service of celebration took place on January 25 to celebrate the newly-formed Bridgwater Drive Church comprising St Cedd's, Westcliff-on-Sea, and Bridgwater Drive United Reformed Church. The new constitution was signed by Bishop Laurie and Revd Elizabeth Caswell, Moderator of The United Reformed Church, who are pictured with the newly-elected ecumenical church council.

• Twinning united churches

  
  Two very different parishes in the diocese have formed a twinning link.

• Reaching older people in the countryside

  
  THE number of older people living in the English countryside is soaring at a much faster rate than therest of the country. Recent research shows that 5.3m of England's projected 5.5m population growth betwee now and 2028 will be due to the rise in the number of over-60s, who will mainly be living in rural districts. Numbers of people living in the countryside aged 85 and over are predicted to treble in this period.

• Church live on internet

  
  The Bishop of London and Linda Bellingham were among guests who gathered at St Stephen Walbrook to launch Premier.tv's initiative to broadcast regular services from the heart of the City of London on the Internet.

• Drop in at the bistro church to think, meet, chat and eat!

  
  Vicar Colin Taylor has invited local men to join him for an informal evening in the restaurant of their local every month. And supper in the relaxed atmosphere of The Swan at Felsted, an award-winning gastro pub, is served with an engaging topic of conversation.

• Royal opening for dream come true

  
  The Duke of Gloucester gave the St Paul's Community Centre and Atholl Court in Goodmayes, east London, the royal stamp of approval at the official opening in September.

• Community guide gets off the ground

  
  A new guide will give churches and other faith groups practical help in developing local projects that benefit the whole community.

• Clergy join Muslims in prayer after blaze destroys centre

  
  A serious fire which destroyed the Triangle Community Hall, Laindon, in the early hours of September 3 is being investigated by the police.

• Residents win battle to build new village church

  
  Celebrations were the order of the day for the residents of Great Notley, near Braintree, who have had their prayers answered to build a church in the heart of their community.

• Soul stars shine in community

  
  Young people from seven churches in Barking & Dagenham volunteered to spend part of their summer holiday serving the community through the 'Soul Week 2' project, part of the 'Soul In The City' initiative.

• Religion: More harm than good?

  
  The accusations that religion is a bad thing has always been around in the collective subconscious - the Crusades, Northern Ireland, Colonialism and so on. In the aftermath of the July bombings, connected as they were with Muslim extremism, the accusation is no longer subconscious but very conscious.

• Irish Churches inspire peace prayers for Unity week

  
  Count to 77, slowly, and for each digit counted, pray for the strength to forgive someone who has wronged you: one practical step on the tough road to reconciliation, suggested in the worship resources prepared by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland.

• Jerusalem the Golden?

  
  Bishop Christopher talks about his visit to Jerusalem in February.

• Alresford celebrates ecumenical first

  
  Alresford has become the first church in the Diocese of Chelmsford to take the major step of signing an Ecumenical Welcome and Commitment - a warm welcome to all, regardless of denomination.

• Town centre churches sign historic covenant

  
  Three Chelmsford town centre churches - Trinity Methodist; the Church of the Ascension in Maltese Road and the Cathedral have signed an historic covenant - working together agreement - the first of its kind in Essex.

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