Another packed out Carol Service! There were people sitting on the floor and standing at the sides throughout last night’s event at Chafford Hundred Community Church. There was a Christmas Fayre beforehand, and an adult nativity during the service. I spoke in two parts and there was a very good response from the 400 to 450 or so people present.
The church has been on an amazing journey towards cultural diversity. It’s gone from being a majority white church of around 100 to being a majority black church of around 400 in a very short space of time. It’s led by David & Anita Bareham, who have overseen this remarkable transition, and the church is now about to go to multiple services and also to multiple sites. My contact with them came through youth leaders Steve and Diana Morris. Steve leads a exceptional outreach ministry serving schools and excluded and disadvantaged teenagers in Essex. He also leads the youth work at New Wine London South East, a major summer bible week held at The Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet.
I first visited CHCC in January and I heard some great stories last night of what came out of my initial visit earlier this year. And also people who came to the Carol Service as a direct result of what happened in January.