Team Rector - Vacant
Our Team Rector, Revd Katie de Bourcier, has recently moved on to pastures new. Please join with us in praying that God will lead the right person here to be our next vicar, and lead us in the next stage of our journey.
We may not have a rector at the moment, but we are still here for you! Please direct general enquiries to the parish office on halsteadparish@gmail.com or 01787 472171 and you will be put in touch with someone who can help you.
We are also fortunate to have the support of a number of other local clergy, including Revd Canon David Ainge (retired), Revd Richard Jordan (retired), Revd Elizabeth Jordan (who works in our diocesan offices) and Revd Matthew Buchan (an RAF chaplain who lives locally). In addition, as part of a local Team Ministry, we are linked with nine neighbouring parishes, and enjoy the ministry of Revd Mark Payne and Revd Beverley Vincent who are vicars in the Team.
Rachael Simpson, Community Outreach Worker
I'm Rachael Simpson, Community Outreach Worker for St Andrews and the Gateway Project; I’m delighted to be working with our Revd Jo, Revd Katie and with the wider Halstead team.
I came to faith through a Christian school friend who invited me to stay with her one weekend and we attended a Billy Graham event; 14 years old I walked down the stadium steps and gave my life to Jesus, on my return from the weekend I told my parents who were astounded, they did not have a faith. My walk with the Lord lay somewhat dormant from then until I left home to take up a role in the Middle East. Between the ages of 14 until 33 my life felt God-less and at times I reflected on whether that encounter with Jesus at Bristol Stadium was ‘real’; now looking back I know He had His hand on me throughout. I married, became pregnant and I met a lady in hospital whilst I had my son and she hers and we struck up a rapport as we got to grips with motherhood. It was a year later when my abusive marriage broke down and I turned up at a Baptist Church in Andover and that lady from the hospital was there in the mother and toddler group, we rekindled our friendship and my Christian life began to take more shape. I became a regular church goer and provided support to the mother and child gatherings and events of the church. I relocated to Yorkshire with my work for the Ministry of Defence and I sought another church where I undertook an Alpha course, did Bible study and became part of a thriving church family. When I was feeling very settled I gained promotion for a role in Essex; it was a hard decision to leave Yorkshire and I prayed with the Pastor and my church family feeling the Lord was leading me somewhere.
The Lord guided me to Bocking and the following year I met my now husband Andy and we married at St Mary’s in Bocking. We moved to Halstead in 2017 where I have enjoyed worshipping at St Andrew's and Crossways churches. I look forward to all that lies ahead and all that I can do to serve the church and community.
You can contact me on 07485 426007 or halsteadoutreach@gmail.com for support in times of need, to find out more about the Christian faith, or to find out more about what's on at St Andrew's and the Gateway Project.