Over 35,000 homes in Braintree and the surrounding villages are to be visited in a major millennium initiative by the town's Christian churches.

Already 12 churches, across the Christian denominations, have pledged support for the mission to get across the true focus of the celebration.

Members of the Braintree Christian community will be taking part in a community celebration being hosted by Braintree's carnival committee in the Market Square on New Year's Eve.

Then from Easter 2000 each household will receive a leaflet offering a free 80-minute video The Man for the Mille-nnium, a dramatised account of the life of Christ based on the Gospels.

The leaflet will be followed up with a personal visit.

Rev Canon Bernard Davies of St Michael's Church in Braintree explained: "People talk about the millennium but many don't really understand why we date history as we do.

"As Christians we want to say that the millennium marks the date when God broke into our world as Jesus Christ.

"We hope this will get our message across and make people aware of the centrality of Jesus to what the millennium is all about. We wanted to remind people that this is the good news and the best news there has been for 2000 years."

The international scheme is funded by national and international Christian organisations and charities, as well as local congregations who take it up.

Pilot schemes show a one in eight take-up rate for the video.

The scheme has been endorsed by the Archdeacon of Colchester, the Ven Martin Wallace.

"I am delighted that the churches of Braintree are taking the initiative in this way," he said.

"I have seen the film myself and am very happy to commend it.

"It focuses on what the millennium is really about and the impact Jesus makes on those whom he meets."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.