It began with a prayer, or two...
In 1994 the vision for an ecumenical church in Great Notley emerged from a small woman’s prayer group.
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The group gained the support of Churches Together in Braintree and then the senior church leaders of Churches Together in Essex and East London (CTEEL) who became the sponsoring body.
And it was helped along with a miracle...
Land was gifted from Countryside Properties for a church in the new garden village of Great Notley.
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The first meeting of the Project Steering Group was held in 1998. Ecumenical representatives of the partner denominations agreed and committed to take things forward together.
We spent a lot of time
in a portable cabin...
The first service was on 13th Jan 1998, meeting in a leaking portable cabin in the centre of the village led by a lay leader. In September 2002 we had our 1st Service in the Community Centre. It was not until 2005 that the first URC minister (also appointed to Christ Church, Coggeshall) was appointed (50%) to lead the church forward. In September 2009 a second minister was added to the team, from the Church of England, who we shared with St Peter’s and St Paul, Black Notley.
Before there was another miracle...
Land had been set aside by the developers of the village and the members set about raising the funds necessary to build the church, which saw fruition on Sunday 22nd August 2010 when we held our 1st service. The church has continued to grow and flourish.
The Church in Great Notley is distinctive in that, although it is a partnership of four denominations, it is one congregation which meets on a Sunday morning sharing in worship that follows the traditions of the denominational partners. Many of the members identify themselves as members of The Church in Great Notley rather than a specific denomination. People enjoy a range of music from traditional hymns to more modern choruses. As well as being part of a Church of England group of churches (called a benefice) with Black Notley and Rayne, we also have a close relationship with the URC Church Christ Church in Braintree, where Rev'd David ministers.
We are grateful for all those
who have ministered here...
Church of England Priest 1997-2007
Methodist Pastor 1997-2009
URC Minister 2005-2012
C of E Priest 2009-2020
C of E Curate 2011-2014
Methodist Minister 2013-2017
C of E Curate 2015-2018
C of E Priest 2016-2020
URC Minister 2018 - Present
C of E Curate 2018-2021
...and look forward to what God will do amongst us in the future.
Why not come and be a part of it?
Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.
Luke 13.18-19