Morning prayer every Wednesday morning at 09:00 at St. Martin’s Church

Will you join me?

Well, the COP26 conference has ended.

World leaders, scientists, environmental campaigners, reporters etc have gone home.

An agreement was reached, governments have made pledges …

And we will do what?I can’t answer for you. I will, however, share with you, where I’ve been led in recent days…

I’m not sure why, but I’m a bit of a fan of the BBC ‘Eat Well For Less’ TV programmes. In these programmes, families are challenged to try swapping some of their usual foods for similar items which cost less. In a similar vein, there have also been ‘Shop Well For Less’ programmes and in the past few weeks, there has appeared a variation on these…

‘Shop Well For The Planet’In these programmes, which are still available on iPlayer (BBC One - Shop Well For The Planet? - Available now), families were challenged to try products which were less damaging to the planet, and which also cost less.

These programmes made me realise something I hadn’t been aware of before …

we all have a personal carbon footprint

… currently, an average of 13 tons of carbon dioxide per person per year

Yes, it’s great that the leaders of various nations have made pledges to cut the emission of greenhouse, but these TV programmes have made me realise that I have my part to play as well; that I have to do what I can to reduce my personal carbon footprint.

Jesus gave us two key commandments which can be summed up by the five words …..

                                           Love God            Love your neighbour

And as he made clear when he told the parable of the Good Samaritan … a neighbour is not just the personwho lives near you

We are required to follow the example of the Samaritan who took action to prevent the man he found fromdying on the roadside.

Jesus says that we should ‘go and do likewise’.

And so, I believe, we are being called to take what practical action we personally can, to prevent our globalneighbours dying because of extreme heat or flooding or crop failure due to extreme drought.

I’m going to do what I can to reduce my carbon footprint by following the guidance at 4 simple ways to Shop Well for the Planet - BBC Food and Climate change food calculator: What's your diet's carbon footprint? -BBC NewsWill you join me?

Shirley writes...

I’m continuing to lead a BCP Morning Prayer service via Zoom at 10.30 am on Sunday mornings for those of us unable to attend St. Martin’s at present and new folk are always welcome. Just send an email to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the appropriate link.

PLUS

If, for whatever reason, you are not able to be physically in Church on a Sunday morning, in addition to the 10.30 am BCP which Shirley Dudeney is hosting, all are warmly welcome to join the Short Morning Service hosted by Revd. Stewart Gibbs of the High Ongar Parish at 9 am.

The zoom link is https://zoom.us/j/95073446203                         Meeting ID: 950 7344 6203

HOME COMMUNION …Is there anyone who, for one reason or another, cannotbe in Church as they used to be?

For those of you who would like it, we canoffer home communions. If this is something you would like, please contact eithermyself, Sue on 01277 362723 or Shirley on 01277 364143, and we can arrangea convenient time to bring the sacrament to you.

Just a reminder that this year’s Light up a Life service will be held, as always, in St. Martin’s Church on Thursday 2nd December at 4.30 pm. This service remembers anyone who has died by putting a light, with their name behind, on a Christmas tree in the grounds of St. Martin’s Church. Please join us to remember someone special.

A request from Lisa Wickstead…

....who is currently looking into formulating a new cleaning rota and wondered ifanyone would like to be included - the more pairs on the rota we have, the lesseveryone has to do. At present I have myself and the girls, Maureen Herbert and Sandra Witherick together with Rita Osborne and Peter Dudeney.

I am thinking that a good clean once a month would be sufficient and I will go in-between times to do anything extra that is needed or if we have an event.

Any volunteers, please contact me on 01277 364512.

Many thanks, Lisa

An alternative ZOOM preparation for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ incorporating silence, words and picture starting on Monday 22nd November at 11am.

If you would like to know more please contact Shirley Dudeney at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 01277 364143

Dear FriendsDear FriendsIt is that time of year when I must ask for your generous annual donation of £20 for sponsorship of Josias , our delightful child from Burkina Fassa in West Africa .He now writes short, interesting letters to us , and I have tried to relay to him a little of our lives since March 2020 .

I enclose the latest letter received from him during October .This month I am forwarding to him, as usual - an Advent calendar, Christmas card and Christmas money, so it gets to him by Christmas .

PLEASE write your cheque for £20 to Chipping Ongar with Shelley PCC - and post / put through my letter box - Elaine Jacobs, 57 Mayflower Way, Ongar, Essex CM5 9BA by end of November PLEASE.

You were all brilliant with such a prompt response last year, so am sure the same will be this November .It will be some weeks before I am able to return to St. Martin’s services following my knee surgery, so I am very sorry not to be able to thank you all in person.

Lastly, MORE sponsors are always welcome, excess to the basic amount required from Compassion is very helpful, as I can add to the monies I send for his local project at Christmas time and for his Birthday.

To find out more about the scheme, you can Google COMPASSION UK

I also have received an official report from Josias’s village project , which I aim to pin on the Church notice board ASAP

Best wishes and God Bless to you all … Elaine xx

THURSDAY GROUP SPEAKER REPORT

‘Copped Hall’

Linda welcomed everyone back after lockdown. Our speaker for the evening was Vic Knope who came to talk about the history and restoration of Copped Hall, near Epping.

Over the years the house has accommodated the Medieval, Elizabethan, Georgian and Victorian eras.

Three houses have been on the site over the years, the final one being built by John Conyers in the 1750’s at a cost of £4,500!

In 1917, fire destroyed the property, and although it was insured, the owner decided not to re -build, and it stayed a ruin.

Around 1955, there were several plans for the site, but it was bought by Copped Hall Trust who would go on to re-instate the house.

Vic showed slides as to how the property was being gradually re-built back to its original style. There are now new roofs, windows, floors, staircases and entrances. The gardens, greenhouses and twenty-four acre walled garden are also being restored. There are many outbuildings on the site of Copped Hall which have been re-built and leased out, bringing an income to the Trust.

They now have education, history and archaeology days. They hold musicals and operas and are now able to provide afternoon teas and banquets. So far, the cost of restoration has been about £3.64 million, and it is estimated that another £10 million will be spent before it is fully restored.

Linda thanked Vic for a very interesting and informative talk.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday 4th November starting at 7 pm in The Church Rooms, Castle Street. New visitors welcome.

October 2021

CHRISTMAS ADULT CRAFT WORKSHOP

Crafting elves required.....

We are holding our last craft session to produce some items to sell at the Christmas Craft Market which will take place on Saturday 27th November in St. Martin’s.

The plan is to supply you with the items to make with easy instructions to follow. All we need are some willing volunteers.

If you would like to be part of this group, please contact Jill 07894 050663 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Rita on 01277 364921.

WEDNESDAY 3rd NOVEMBERWEDNESDAY 3rd NOVEMBERin The Church Rooms, Castle Street, Ongar from 2 pm – 4 pm