2015 EVENTS
Strawberry Tea Big Band Concert 2015 Palm Sunday Worship
2015 Women's World Day of Prayer
The ladies of St.Mary's Church, Ramsden Bellhouse once again took part in the 'Biggest Coffee Morning in the World' in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
On a glorious September day, we were able to sit outside in the sunshine enjoying the delicious cakes on offer and everyone was very generous with their donations, helping us raise £270.
This is Macmillan's biggest fundraising event, where people across the UK are asked to hold a coffee morning and raise money for people living with cancer. St. Mary's Church were pleased to be a part of it. Thank you to all those who came and supported this worthwhile cause.
To see the Coffee Morning photo gallery pictures, click here.
St. Mary's Flower Festival & Songs of Praise
29th to 31st August 2015
Over the bank holiday weekend St Mary's Church had its annual Flower Festival.
Once again the weather wasn't very good. Fortunately, the sun came out for a while on Sunday afternoon and we were able to have our traditional Songs of Praise service out in the churchyard, even though it looked as though it could have rained at any moment.
The theme of this year's flower display in the Church was 'Colo
urs of the Rainbow';
each arrangement telling a different story built around
a single colour.
Comments made by visitors to the Church were that it was one of the best we have staged. Our thanks go to the talented and creative people who created them.
Monday brought continuous rain but, nevertheless, a good number of visitors came, had their ploughman's lunches, patronised the stalls and enjoyed the displays in the Church.
Grateful thanks to the many people who assisted in running the event, including erecting the tents, manning the stalls and providing and serving the refreshments and, of course, to our visitors who came along and made it all worthwhile.
The takings were boosted by the money raised in our three coffee mornings to offset the cost of the flowers, and a grand total of £2,873 was raised.
To see the Flower Show photo gallery pictures, click here.
Click here to see more about St. Mary's Church.
St. Mary's Church Strawberry Tea
20th June 2015
The Strawberry Cream Tea held at the Village Hall on Saturday 20th June was an outstanding success, raising a massive £700 for St. Mary's Church funds,
which was some £170 more than our first
Strawberry Tea last year.
Ninety teas were served, and it was a very happy social afternoon, giving rise to a number of favourable comments.
The date has already been fixed for the next Strawberry Tea on
Saturday 18th June 2016.
Big Band Concert
25th April 2015
On Saturday evening St. Mary's Church was full to bursting and resounded with the great sound of the
Sid Bolan Big Band. The music was enjoyed by a capacity audience of some 80 or more people, which means that, with the band itself, there were some hundred people in
the Church.
The evening got off to a great start with Glen Miller's American Patrol and continued with songs from the band's two vocalists, Libby, who gave a great rendition of The Lady is a Tramp and John, singing Beyond the Sea made famous by Bobby Darin. The evening ended with Woodchopper's Ball.
A cheese and wine supper was served in a party tent in the interval, with most of the food being donated, and the event raised an amazing £800 for St. Mary's funds. Thank you to Beryl Clements, Audrey Pegrum and her family for preparing the buffet and to everyone else who helped make the evening such a success.
The Band enjoyed staging the concert and has expressed the wish to come again in the future. This has already been arranged – they will give an open air performance, to which visitors cn bring their own picnic, on the Saturday of the 2016 August Bank Holiday Flower Festival. There's forward planning for you!
To find out more about Sid Bolan Big Band click www.sidbolanbigband.co.uk.
Click here to see St. Mary's Church.
Palm Sunday Service
29th March 2015
On a very cold and wet morning the Palm Sunday worship commenced at Ramsden Bellhouse Baptist Church with the distribution of palm crosses.
This was followed by a procession of witness in the rain to
St. Mary's Church for a combined service of Holy Communion
The service was taken by the Reverend Miranda Seaman and the sermon given by Jim Hamilton, the Baptist Minister.
Following the service the congregation joined together for refreshments.
A very enjoyable and uplifting, morning, especially when the sun came out briefly and shone brightly through the Church windows.
Women's World Day of Prayer
6th March 2015
On the 6th March the annual Women’s World Day of Prayer service was held at the Baptist Church Ramsden Bellhouse.
This event is supported by the five churches in our villages, namely: St Margaret’s Downham,
St Peter’s South Hanningfield, Christian Growth Centre Ramsden Heath, St Mary’s Ramsden Bellhouse
and the Baptist Church Ramsden Bellhouse.
A simple but powerful dramatisation of John 14 was enacted by Tony and Terry, and then we were given opportunity to prayerfully consider how we might share radical love within our Christian family and the world around us, and to pray for the needs of the Bahamas. The colour and biodiversity of the Bahamas was reflected in colourful flowers and garlands and in the joyful singing of songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
Following the service a time of fellowship was enjoyed with food prepared by the ladies and a very interesting display of pictures, cards and other related items.
You may be wondering what is WWDP?
On the first Friday in March every year over 3 million people worldwide pray and worship together during this annual day of prayer,
with a service prepared each year by the women of a different country.
This is always an exciting day as a great wave of prayer sweeps the world, beginning when the first service is held in Tonga and continuing around
the world until the final service takes place some 35 hours later in neighbouring Western Samoa.
By then the service will have been celebrated in over 170 countries and more than 6000 services will have been held in the British Isles alone.
If you would like to know more about WWDP do get in touch with any member of our local churches or visit their website :
www.wwdp.org.uk
Registered Charity no.1025468