Churches Together in England (CTE) is encouraging Christians across our nations to continue uniting in prayer, praying #PrayersOfHope in their homes at 7.00 pm each Sunday evening.

CTE has prepared a candle poster for those who would like to place a permanent symbol in their front windows of Christ’s light shining in the darkness. These are available at  www.cte.org.uk/prayersofhope

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Lancashire District Zoom service 7.00pm Sunday, note the need to apply via lancashiredistrictzoom@aol.com

Invitation from The Lancashire District to join in a worship on Zoom please click here. If you are new to Zoom and need guidance how to use / download it click here

Journey to Jerusalem

If you wish to read these meditations in order you will need to scroll down to find the first of the them for Palm Sunday.

Journey through Holy Week

Click here to find resources for use between Palm Sunday and Easter Day.  They are designed with individual use in mind, to complement the worship at Home Sheets offered for Palm Sunday and Easter Day.  (See above.) However, you can use them in the knowledge that others will be offering their worship in this way too.

Live-streamed services

Worship services

In an attempt to protect people from the coronavirus we have asked people not to travel to churches to pre-record or live-stream worship. You can of course live stream from your home. We hope the four options below will offer some breadth from our tradition.

We are working in collaboration with: Wesley’s Chapel London who will live-stream from the chapel (the Minister lives on the premises)

Sundays 11am

www.youtube.com/channel/UCUAUqhmhevz5sqhh72LIMxA 

Swan Bank Methodist Church in Burslem, this worship will be studio based – with strict distancing rules being followed

Sundays 10:30

www.youtube.com/user/SwanBank and www.facebook.com/swanbank/

Methodist Central Hall Westminster

Sundays 11.00

www.youtube.com/mchwevents 

Daily resources

Monday – Wednesday of Holy Week MondayThe Lectionary and a short service including music suggestions. TuesdayThe Lectionary – and a short service reflecting on the pain of Mary. WednesdayThe Lectionary and a short service reflecting on our thirst for Jesus in our own lives. Younger members of your household can continue with their reflective journal and Holy Week in a box. You can start preparing your materials for making an Easter Garden too. Or how about making some hot cross buns or a simnel cake? All you need for this is here.

Maundy Thursday

Join in with worship from Wesley’s Chapel – services at 10am, 12.45pm, and 7pm or at Swanbank Methodist Church. Use the Lectionary resources to reflect on the readings of the day or use one of the service sheets to reflect on times in our lives when we have felt abandoned. Creative ideas for younger people for today include turning the top of your Holy Week box into a table to decorate as a Passover meal and using your feet to make some art.

Good Friday

Join a reflective vigil at Wesley’s Chapel from 10am, Methodist Central Hall, Westminster or from Swanbank Methodist Church.   Our Lectionary resources for the day include some beautiful hymns to sing. A short service includes powerful art from the Methodist Modern Art Collection to reflect upon.

Holy Saturday

Join the Easter vigil at Wesley’s Chapel from 8.30pm Move from darkness into light with these resources for Holy Saturday. Take a look at the resources and links that our Children and Youth team have provided as we get near to Easter.

Easter Sunday

Service sheets to use at home can be downloaded here. Join in worship at:Wesley’s Chapel at 9.45am, 11am, or 7pm, or Methodist Central Hall Westminster, orSwanbank Methodist Church How about a Methodist Easter Day love feast or have a go at some messy Easter activities for children for this special day?

Loving God,
If we are ill, strengthen us.
If we are tired, fortify our spirits.
If we are anxious, help us to consider the lillies of the field and the birds of the air.

Help us not to stockpile treasures from supermarkets in the barns of our larders.
Don’t let fear cause us to overlook the needs of others more vulnerable than ourselves.
Fix our eyes on your story and our hearts on your grace.

Help us always to hold fast to the good,
See the good in others,
And remember there is just one world, one hope,
One everlasting love, with baskets of bread for everyone.

In Jesus we make our prayer,
The one who suffered, died and was raised to new life,
In whom we trust these days and all days,

Amen.

The Revd Barbara Glasson, President of the Methodist Conference