Listen to Sally explain what Soup Week is all about - and why it's so good for you.
Theology Sessions
Learning 2024: Theology Sessions
In Acts chapter two, we see a picture of the early church after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension - these are words we have held to and pursued:
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
Acts 2:42 (NIVUK)
So, what was the apostles’ teaching?
We are going to spend the first part of 2024, dedicating our Learning Sundays to some core foundations of the early Church. To dwell in the New Testament and dig a little deeper into the gospel of Christ (kerygma) and the teachings of his earliest disciples (didache).
Some fantastic teachers will join us to explore the following topics:
Ecclesiology
What was the “household structure” of the Early Church? Particularly, what role did women have?Eschatology
Am I going to Heaven? Is Heaven “a place on earth”?Soteriology
What does it mean to be saved? What am I saved from, what am I saved for?Missiology
What was life like for the early church? How did they live a distinctive life?
Soup Week 2024
New Year's Eve Prayers 2023
One of our great traditions that never fails to bless, encourage and inspire.
Each year, we embark on a mission to pray over every home in our church community. Spending the day walking and driving from door to door, to pray in living rooms, hallways and driveways.
This is one of the most special days in our calendar, as we give thanks for the year that has passed, and pray blessing over the year to come.
Thank you to everyone that could join us.
Come Lord Jesus!
Christmas 2023
Check our Christmas events
Wildfires Festival Tickets on Sale
Tickets for Wildfires Festival 2024 are now on sale.
Wildfires is a three day festival at the Wiston Estate, West Sussex, UK. It was launched in 2018 as a joint adventure between 24-7 Prayer, Worship Central, Bible Society, Pioneer, Fusion, Big Church Festival and Tearfund.
Over the festival, thousands of all ages gather from different church expressions and communities, hungry to see revival in our time; gathering around Camp Fires that deepen friendships and community; pursuing together Holy Fire through worship, prayer and teaching; and encountering the Wild Fire of the Holy Spirit to take back to our homes, communities and our nations.
Proximity Church at Wildfires Festival 2022
Watch this video from our time at Wildfires in 2022.
Joe Gisbey: Doors of Breakthrough
“This year, is the year of doors of breakthrough.”
At Learning in September, Joe Gisbey, CEO of Links International and leader of Arun Church, came to speak to us about Faithfulness.
At the beginning of his time with us, he shared this word for us as a church.
Listen in full below.
Prayer Week, February 2023
Photos from our Prayer Week in February 2023 praying for… breakthrough.
Prayer Room Launch
On 01 October 2023, we will be opening our latest Prayer Room!
We believe that a dedicated space for non-stop prayer creates the time and space for people to encounter God.
As a church, we have done our best over these Prayer-Room-less years, but we have suffered without the intentional, single-purpose, creative space that Prayer Rooms nurture.
Through partnership with Dry Street Memorial Church, we are transforming their Vestry into a 24-7 Prayer Room, for an initial 3-month trial. The Prayer Room will be available to book online: Monday-Sunday, 6am - 9pm.
Link: What is a 24-7 Prayer Room?
We are (strongly!) encouraging everyone in Proximity Church to look at their diaries and find one hour each week to pray in the Prayer Room until the end of 2023.
I’m sure you have questions, and all will be made clearer soon.
Notes on Accessibility
We believe everyone should be able to pray in the Prayer Room. So we wanted to address to two immediate potential barriers.
Travel
For some, One Tree Hill is too far, or too uphill, to walk.
We don’t want this to prevent your encounter with God in the Prayer Room.
You will be able to claim one return taxi/bus fare per week from Proximity Church.
There is a free car park at Dry Street Memorial Church.
Access
A Key Code will be given to Proximity Church and distributed carefully.
There are currently temporary ramps on site, and we are working with Dry Street Memorial Church to maintain and improve step free access to the Prayer Room.
FIVE by FIVE: Daily Prayers
Celebrating 13 years of Proximity Schools
For more than 13 years, Proximity Church have been dedicated to praying for and in our schools.
This year, Proximity Schools worked with more than 300 young people every month through a well developed programme, delivered expertly by a staff team of six, and many volunteers. God has led us further in prayer, mission, and justice for our town then we ever thought possible. He has been so faithful, so generous, and moved in power.
Together, the leaders and trustees have decided that Proximity Schools, in it’s current form, will not continue in the new school year (2023/24).
THE STORY SO FAR
A prayer week for Schools in Stanford and Corringham, turned into pioneering Prayer Spaces in Schools across our town, and a whole-church response to a double-sided offer of how we could bless Gable Hall School.
And so began an adventure with after school Cafés, 1:1 mentoring, sitting in French lessons, a Chaplaincy team, God Story in two schools, TLG Mentoring, inspiring global visitors, reading, writing and franchising the MADE Course, developing wellbeing workshops, hosting Assemblies… the list goes on.
THE STORY CONTINUES
We are so grateful for all that God has done, choosing to partner with us to serve the most in-need families. And it has been so amazing to do it together, thank you for serving, praying, and giving to this work.
Our journey as Proximity Schools is well worth celebrating, and so did just that - with lunch, speeches, a coffee van and an ice cream van! Worshipping a God who is not finished with this place, or with us.
Thank you to our special guests: Nic Jeffrey, Gable Hall School Vice-Principal; Karina Garrick, Corringham Primary School Headteacher; Sally Feeney, Hassenbrook Academy Principal; and Councillor Qaisar Abbas, Deputy-Mayor of Thurrock for joining us on this special day.
Video
We enjoyed this walk (laugh and cry) down memory lane, scratching the surface of some of the fun and faces we encountered on the way.
FIVE by FIVE - Returns Soon
Summer House Meals
Enjoying summer evenings together.
In August, as many of us take the opportunity to holiday and take breaks from work, we are pausing our usual House Church rhythms. Instead we’ll enjoy the summer together across three evenings.
The three hosts will create a relaxed environment to eat together and be family together.
You are welcome to join in.
For each night you would like to attend, you will be required to book in, including each member of your household and any dietary requirements.
Please see the event pages for locations, booking in, and sign-up deadlines.
On booking, your host may contact you with more information or ways you can contribute.
Mary & Martha
Yemi brought this reflection brought after Jon had spoken at Encounter Sunday.
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As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
There is something that God revealed to me some time ago on Mary & Martha, I feel very burdened to share it.
I was going to preach one day on the story of Mary and Martha. People say, “I’m not a Mary, I’m a Martha. Or, I’m not a Martha, I’m a Mary”, and I was asking God, what does this really mean? Because in the passage in Luke 10, Christ specifically said one thing matters, Mary has chosen it.
When I asked God what it means, what came to me was this: that Martha was very busy trying to love the Lord - trying to take care of him. Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus, letting the Lord love her. There is a complete difference in the two.
Martha was trying to love God, like we all do as Christians - “I want to love God more”. Mary just sat there, saying “I’m Yours, love me.” And that changes the whole thing.
We are going to have a meal soon [at Encounter Sunday] and at this meal we’re going to sit down and have something to eat. Somebody said that what was happening in that particular story was this: when you go to someone’s house the host says: “You are in my house, sit down I will take care of you” - and that is what Martha was doing.
But in the case of Mary, she had changed it by saying “Jesus you are in my house, but you are the host - you serve me.” And that’s why He says she has chosen the best dish, “she has chosen for me to serve her”.
What Martha was doing was not wrong. But what Mary was doing was better.
Mary had chosen to allow Jesus to be the host and to serve her.
It looks very simple, but for me, I find it so powerful that what I need to do is let Him love me. And in letting Him love me, I can now love Him, love myself, and love people.
Prayer Week - June 2023
Leadership Changes
MADE Course: Spring 2023
This week we celebrated yet another MADE course!
This term’s cohort, six students from Hassenbrook Academy, gave speeches to an audience including: their families, Head teacher, delegates from their work place visits, and the Deputy Mayor of Thurrock, Sue Little.
After all these years, the MADE course is still working. We heard from the student’s Head of Year that the change in these students has been “very clear”.
And to our team she said:
“You might think you are working with 6 pupils but actually the impact you're having is on so many more! Not only have they grown in confidence and self esteem, as they wrote in their speeches, they have also been helping other students in the school with their self esteem!
“Every single student has grown since they started MADE 10 weeks ago”
Our Schools Team Director, Joyce Gjoni, also praised her team, saying, “the whole team are so committed and hard working and never lower the bar. I’m really proud of everyone and looking forward to more celebrations!”
The MADE course is a 10-week programme helping young people to realise that they are made unique and made with a purpose. Through the course, students grow in confidence, motivation and develop aspirations for their future; through soft-skills workshops and work place visits.
Workplace Visits
We are so grateful to all the people and companies that supported us this term:
Thurrock Foodbank
Bluprint UK
Thurrock Digital
Hovis
Gemma Powell
MEARS
Thurrock Council
DP World
Allotment Days
We have an allotment day on the Proximity Plot 29.
All welcome! No obligation to dig or hoe but there will be chats, biscuits and drinks.
Time
Anytime between 10am - 1pm.
Dates
Saturday, 18 March 2023
Saturday, 15 April 2023
Saturday, 20 May 2023
Saturday, 17 June 2023
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Kwok
New Learning Venue!
Prayer Week: Kingdom Keys
Mayor of Thurrock Donates to MADE Course
Proximity Schools were the recipients of £500 donation from the Mayor of Thurrock, Cllr James Halden towards the MADE course.
MADE was selected as one of the Mayor’s nominated charities for his civic year for its services to young people and supporting their mental health. Cllr Halden has raised nearly £18,000 from the borough community, and particularly its businesses, to support his nominated charities.
The Mayor of Thurrock and Gable Hall Staff with Proximity Schools team. From left to right: Des Dhillingford, Joyce, Graham, Cllr James Halden, Gary Lewis, Carla, Scott, Gemma
It was with great delight that on 05 January 2023, the Proximity Schools’ team met with the Mayor at ORTU Gable Hall School along with Principal, Mr G Lewis, and ORTU CEO, Mr D Shillingford, where the Mayor presented us with a giant cheque to mark the occasion.
It was extremely encouraging to hear how Cllr Halden highly values the work Proximity Schools carries out across three schools in Stanford-le-Hope and the impact it has in the local community.
Proximity Schools feel honored and grateful for the ongoing support the Mayor has offered them over the years.
The work of Proximity Schools depends on the support of the community.
If you would like to give to the work of Proximity Schools as they support 132 young people every week, become a Hope Giver by choosing to give a monthly.