Dear Friends
Our thanks this week to Robin and Mary Pattinson who have provided the children with a wonderful online Holiday Club. This is something I know both adults and children have greatly enjoyed. Razzmatazz Robots has been very well received. Such a helpful resource for families during the summer holidays. It is a great way of sharing God’s love with the local community in the current climate. The humour and deeply rooted Christian Message is a real tonic to young and old! Thank you again for all your work on this project.
We have now been running our Mini Hamper scheme outside Trinity Methodist for two weeks. This is one practical way, in seeking to address the food poverty that can and does exist, especially in the long summer holidays. A bag of shopping can be picked up from 12 noon until around 2pm from outside the main door of Trinity Methodist. This will be on each Tuesday of the school holidays.
Thanks also to a number of kind, generous members of the Mission Area congregations who continue to give regularly to the churches either by direct debt; a cheque paid straight into the Churches Individual Bank account or a cheque posted in the letter box of the individual churches. All of your contributions are very much appreciated at this time, especially as churches are not receiving income from their usual weekly “offering” or as much from letting of the premises, therefore finances are suffering significantly as a result.
Within the Mission Area there are now three opportunities to go to a Church for a Covid-19 safe, act of worship.
- Sunday – @ Trinity from 11.00 – 12 noon, open for Private Prayer.
- Sunday – @ Kirton Chapel Garden from 4pm -5pm, open for meditative worship & prayer.
- Thursday – @ Seaton Road 10.00 -12 noon, open for Private Prayer including a short act of worship from 10.30-11.00
Remember to bring a mask to wear at these acts of worship, as per Government instructions.
Additionally, Mike Peck, from Trinity, continues to hold a weekly Zoom Bible study and I am now running a Zoom coffee morning every Saturday at 10.00. And not forgetting the Circuit online resources, ably co-ordinated by Neil Hepplethwaite for which we thank him, plus individual church’s social media and website work and the volunteers who “upload” as and when required.
Looking ahead, do contact me if small groups of people, of up to five, would like to meet in the Manse Garden for a short time of Prayer and Fellowship.
This week’s mailing contains Mike’s Lectionary notes and a short sermon from myself on the same lectionary readings for this coming Sunday 9th August.
In the set Gospel reading, Matthew 14 verses 22-33; Jesus reveals a little more of his identity in a dramatic fashion, by walking on the water to where the twelve disciples are battling a storm. Peter at first is able to walk on the water, but becomes overwhelmed and frightened and begins to drown. Jesus immediately reaches out to rescue him. Key themes this week therefore, revolve around our trust and confidence in God when we perceive ourselves to be in the midst of a storm.
Love and God Bless Rev’d Diane