After much prayerful consideration, and in view of the fact that the Church of England as well as many non-conformist church groups have taken the decision not to hold worship services or indeed other ‘face to face’ meetings, we feel constrained to follow suit for the protection of our congregation and the people we serve. Sadly, this means that at present all our scheduled meetings, either on a Sunday or during the week, will be put on hold.
However, a video message will be available to view each week and we would encourage you to maintain your regular routine by accessing this on Sunday as part of an act of worship – click here to visit the YouTube channel. We are emailing people on the church directory this link each week, together with a bible reading and some relevant songs, along with questions that you might like to consider or, better still, discuss with someone else. In these days when meeting together as a larger group might be inadvisable, we may be able to encourage one another on a more personal level, either meeting in twos or threes, if not self-isolating, or via phone/text/email and other technological means. The writer of Hebrews encourages his readers: ‘Let us not give up meeting together’ (10:25), and we shall need to be creative in how we do that!
Of course, being part of a church family doesn’t just involve coming along on a Sunday, for as members of one family we are to be there for each other too. So please do let us or your small group leader, if you’re part of one of our small groups, know if there is anything that the wider church family can help you with at this time. If you are self-isolating, it would be helpful to know, and if you need any practical assistance, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Obviously the current situation is affecting many others within our communities and there will be ways in which we can support those who are particularly vulnerable at this time. For example, we would still seek to be a drop-off point for the Foodbank. Donations can be left at the Manse, or deposited in a box which can be found in the porch of St Thomas’ Church. Other local initiatives are also underway and we will seek to circulate more details of these in due course.
Finally, do continue to pray! Pray that the Lord will be gracious to us through these difficult times; that his hand will be especially upon the most vulnerable within our church and communities; and that through these days of much uncertainty people might experience their hearts being turned towards the living God.
May the light of Christ shine through his people!