Our vision: to love; to grow; to pray; to serve.

The Manningtree Benefice is changing!

We have become a new group of three churches, representing the communities of Bradfield, Lawford, Manningtree and Mistley. We have a new name - Cross Reach Churches - and will soon have a new website, too.

In the meantime, this site will remain up, as will our Facebook pages.


What we believe.

The Cross Reach Churches are part of the Church of England. You can view a detailed outline of the Church of England's beliefs on their website.

All of us have done things wrong. It doesn't matter how hard we try, or how well we live, or how loving we are: every one of us is aware of the secret things we're ashamed of. When we do things wrong, it is right to say sorry, and to seek forgiveness.

We believe that Jesus Christ offers all of us forgiveness for the wrongs we've done. When he died, he took the results of our wrongdoing onto himself. The Bible says that the 'wages of sin is death' - in other words, the wrongs we do lead us to destruction. Jesus takes this instead of us.

We also believe that, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can gain eternal life. Life is found in and with God, and through Jesus we can enter into friendship with God. This means our eternal life begins right now.

We believe that God loves us so much that he doesn't leave us alone: he is with us through the Holy Spirit, who Jesus sent, and who comforts, equips, and transforms us.

All we need to do to claim all this is to believe. The Bible says that 'if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.' (Romans 10:9, NRSV).

If you want to find out more, why not come along to one of the churches, or contact us using the details below?

Phone the office on 07436 398801 or 01206 392301, or contact Revd Dom Turner on 07593 640798.

Visit our Facebook page, or our pages on 'A Church Near You': Mistley and Manningtree / Bradfield church.

We are committed to Safeguarding Children, Young People, and Vulnerable Adults. The PCCs have adopted the Church of England's policies and best practice on safeguarding which may be found on the Church of England's website. Our Benefice Safeguarding Representative is Lorna Osborne, who may be contacted at church or by email safeguarding@manningtreebenefice.co.uk. Please note that this email address is only for safeguarding enquiries.

This website is currently under construction, and may well change significantly in the months ahead!