Dear friends
Welcome to another week’s worth of worship resources. It’s good to know that these are appreciated and used alongside other forms of worship on television and internet. We feel that these resources hold us together as a Circuit at this time, together with all the things individual churches are doing – thank you for every phone call, errand and prayer, as each one means so much. Please be assured that we will carry on sending out these resources for as long as they are needed, and when the time comes for us to worship in churches again, we will continue posting these out to those who do not feel ready to return to our buildings.
Please go regularly to the Circuit website if you are able. Here are further resources on the Spirituality page: material for quiet times at home; poems; Phil’s Picture Posts; audio reflections. We keep adding new material and are now adding short stories too so please keep looking. There is also the option of phoning a free Methodist prayer line if you would like to listen in to prayers: 0808 281 2514; or for news it’s 0808 281 2478.
The Methodist Church has indicated that it is unlikely to update its information on the use of church buildings before the Conference which is being held virtually from 25th June until 2nd July. Although there are reports in the news that churches might soon be open for private prayer, we will need to wait for the Methodist Church, or the URC for URC buildings, to give us that permission. We are sorry that this may well mean further waiting, but if we hear of any changes, we will pass them on. It might be worth churches beginning to think about how they might respond to this when the time comes. Will you make space for private prayer on set occasions, and advertise those times in your localities? How would you set things up to make people welcome and yet ensure distance? Who will be available to steward and oversee? There are many practical things for churches to consider before they can open up again, and further information will be passed out to stewards and property teams. (There is helpful guidance if you have access to the Methodist Church website)
As we have asked before, what else might we take back into our church life that we have learned through this time? How can we find ways forward that enable people to worship in ways that speak to them, while reducing the burdens on those in leadership? How will we resource our work and enable growth? How will our mission change as a result of what God is teaching us at this time?
Please do continue to follow safety guidelines and keep yourselves safe, remembering that our God is able to work across boundaries and is doing his work in us now, that we might continue living and working in him, whatever shape and form that takes.
God bless and keep you all
Nick, Christine & Phil.
Welcome to another week’s worth of worship resources. It’s good to know that these are appreciated and used alongside other forms of worship on television and internet. We feel that these resources hold us together as a Circuit at this time, together with all the things individual churches are doing – thank you for every phone call, errand and prayer, as each one means so much. Please be assured that we will carry on sending out these resources for as long as they are needed, and when the time comes for us to worship in churches again, we will continue posting these out to those who do not feel ready to return to our buildings.
Please go regularly to the Circuit website if you are able. Here are further resources on the Spirituality page: material for quiet times at home; poems; Phil’s Picture Posts; audio reflections. We keep adding new material and are now adding short stories too so please keep looking. There is also the option of phoning a free Methodist prayer line if you would like to listen in to prayers: 0808 281 2514; or for news it’s 0808 281 2478.
The Methodist Church has indicated that it is unlikely to update its information on the use of church buildings before the Conference which is being held virtually from 25th June until 2nd July. Although there are reports in the news that churches might soon be open for private prayer, we will need to wait for the Methodist Church, or the URC for URC buildings, to give us that permission. We are sorry that this may well mean further waiting, but if we hear of any changes, we will pass them on. It might be worth churches beginning to think about how they might respond to this when the time comes. Will you make space for private prayer on set occasions, and advertise those times in your localities? How would you set things up to make people welcome and yet ensure distance? Who will be available to steward and oversee? There are many practical things for churches to consider before they can open up again, and further information will be passed out to stewards and property teams. (There is helpful guidance if you have access to the Methodist Church website)
As we have asked before, what else might we take back into our church life that we have learned through this time? How can we find ways forward that enable people to worship in ways that speak to them, while reducing the burdens on those in leadership? How will we resource our work and enable growth? How will our mission change as a result of what God is teaching us at this time?
Please do continue to follow safety guidelines and keep yourselves safe, remembering that our God is able to work across boundaries and is doing his work in us now, that we might continue living and working in him, whatever shape and form that takes.
God bless and keep you all
Nick, Christine & Phil.
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