Children & Young People
Adventurers
Our Adventurers’ (Sunday School) group for children aged 3+ meets during the 9.30am Mass on Sundays, in term-time and sometimes during school holidays. The children and leaders go out during the service to the Choir Vestry for activities and discussion suitable for their age group. All leaders have undergone appropriate DBS clearance. Please contact Deborah Masterson if you would like to know more.
Involvement in worship
Children and young people are encouraged to play a full part in the life of St Laurence, and particularly, where they wish, to be involved as altar servers, readers and welcomers. St Laurence also encourages the admission of children to Holy Communion prior to Confirmation, and preparation for First Communion is offered on an annual basis to children aged 7-11 who attend church regularly.
Children and young people also play a key role in the church’s observance of Christmas and Easter, performing an annual Nativity Play and a reading of the Passion narrative. There is usually a children’s workshop held annually on the afternoon of Good Friday, exploring the events of Holy Week and Easter through craft, story, worship and film.
Pastoral Care
St Laurence seeks to be a caring community through which support is offered both to members of the congregation and to the wider community of Upminster.
The clergy and Pastoral Assistant are available for conversation about spiritual, personal or pastoral matters, or simply to offer a listening ear – please see the Contacts page for their details.
Holy Communion at home is offered to those who are housebound or in residential care – please contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if this is something that you or someone whom you know would appreciate. We also offer monthly non-eucharistic services in two of the care homes in the parish.
The clergy are also very willing to be called to pray with those who are unwell or approaching the end of their lives.
We have links with a range of local charitable and statutory
organisations and, where we cannot help directly, seek to offer
‘signposting’ to appropriate sources of assistance.
The journey of a Christian is a lifelong pilgrimage with God, during which we are always learning and growing.
At St Laurence we seek to encourage one another to grow as followers of Jesus through prayer and worship, learning and service.
We run periodic study and discussion groups such as Lent groups, Bible studies, groups for those exploring faith and book discussions. We also encourage participation in diocesan opportunities for learning such as the Course in Christian Studies, a two-year course exploring many aspects of Christian faith, and the various lectures, workshops and events that run across the diocese.
We believe that God calls each person to use the gifts which he has given to them, and seek to provide opportunities to explore vocation both through service within the church and in wider life.
We support a range of other charities, and hold a variety of social events that seek to build relationships within the church and wider community.
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