Nick and I have been invited to the Epping Forest District Carol Service, at Loughton Methodist Church. It's a light, airy modern building on Loughton High Road, and the service is well attended. We sit with Mayors and Chairs from the county council and surrounding districts and boroughs, and at seven o'clock the service starts.
After an introduction and welcome from Epping Forest chairman Cllr Caroline Pond, the minister leads the proceedings. The church's own singers play a leading part in the service, but the choir of eighteen children from Alderton Junior School in Loughton are clearly the stars of the show, with a couple of modern Christmas songs accompanied on the piano.
Caroline wants to use the service to let people know about Operation Christmas Child, and we're shown a very moving film about the project. Children all over the world receive a Christmas shoe box, packed with small gifts by a giver here in the UK - often the only present the children have ever received. The look of delight on their faces is truly wonderful. Last year thousands of churches, schools, groups and individuals from the UK took part in Operation Christmas Child and helped to send 1.24 million boxes to children in twelve countries.
After the service, we pile out into the entrance hall of the church for hot sausage rolls, mince pies, cake and fruit juice, and a chance to chat.
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