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Stephen’s Letter and readings week commencing 21st June.

Dear All

I don’t know about you but some days I find it hard to remember which day of the week it is. Without Sundays and special days we easily forget how time flies.  This month alone the Church Anniversary at Church Road, Club Day at Freckleton and Choir Sunday at The Drive have all been missed.

This next week The Methodist Conference, our governing body, meets virtually to deal with business and to set the agenda for The Methodist Church for the year ahead and beyond. Please pray for Conference, the decisions it makes and especially the officers as they service its meetings in this unusual new format.  Conference will authorise Minister’s appointments and for them to move as planned in August.

The Farewell Service planned for 26th July has been cancelled due to Government restrictions. The Circuit Stewards are asking that anyone wishing to contribute to leaving gifts for Rev Sylvester and/or Caroline indicate to whom they are donating, make cheques payable to South Fylde Methodist Circuit and send them to Katharine Davies, 8 Royal Troon Court, Kirkham, PR4 2TF no later than 10th July 2020. They hope to advise how we mark their leaving a.s.a.p. Sylvester will conclude his work in the Circuit in July and Carolyn in August.

Lockdown is requiring us to do things differently, shopping, schooling, socialising and sport. It is tempting to bend or even break the rules but living within the guidelines is our gift to make each other safe knowing that in scary and uncertain times openness and hope conquer fear and dread for “all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” (Julian of Norwich)    

Readings for the week commencing 21st June – Living Water

Image result for Jesus Water of Life
SundayMatthew 10:24-39Psalm 69:7-18*STF 535God when I came into this life  
Monday  John 3:22-30  Psalm 61  *STF 182On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s Cry
TuesdayJohn 3:31-36Psalm 62  *STF 32  Meet and right it is to sing
WednesdayLuke 1:57-66,80Psalm 80:1-7*STF 73Fill thou my life, O Lord my God  
Thursday  John 4:1-26  Psalm 63:1-8*STF 330Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
FridayJohn 4:27-42Psalm 65  *STF 457Author of faith, eternal Word
SaturdayJohn 4:43-54Psalm 66:1-12*STF 336Son of God, if your free grace  

Remember you are never alone. We are never more than a phone call or email away. We Please keep in touch and keep safe.

Peace be with you    Stephen

Stephen 01772 683 884 mob. 07711917955  stephen.heath@churchrdmethodist.org.uk 

or Judith 01253 720986 jp.smith185@btinternet.com 

by Ray

Worship ideas w.c. 26th July. BBC Services, and links to; Methodist worship, Lancashire District Zoom service and MHA Starr Hills services.

While our church building is closed for all activities we are we are highlighting some of the many opportunities for worship with a focus on those that are easily available

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SERVICES ON BBC TV AND RADIO

Please check the programme schedules on the day. If you are struggling to find what you are looking for there is more information, including online worship, on the church website or please contact Stephen see below.

BBC Radio Lancashire – Sunday 26th July – 8.00 a.m. Morning Service

BBC Radio 4 – Sunday 26th July – 8.10 a.m. Sunday Worship “Great is Thy Faithfulness”

BBC 1 – Sunday 26th July – 1.15 p.m. Songs of Praise -Crosby Beach

Daily – BBC Radio 2 – 5.45 a.m. and 9.20 a.m. – Pause for thought and BBC Radio 4 – at 7.45 a.m. – Daily

For Service sheets to use at home, information about Methodist Live services and other information click on this link

https://www.methodist.org.uk/our-faith/worship/singing-the-faith-plus/seasons-and-themes/worship-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic

Other Live-streamed services and prayers.

Methodist Central Hall in London is live streaming services every Sunday morning, with a mixture of traditional and all age worship services, with different styles of music. https://methodist-central-hall.org.uk/ 

Join Residents of MHA Starr Hills Thursdays at 3.45 p.m. at:-

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_cG2vxTx8Pp2p7q1j1eHvQ

If you cannot always watch a service live at the time of transmission, you can catch up on you tube.

Invitation from The Lancashire District to join in worship on Zoom.

District Sunday service 26th July 7.00 pm

For more information click https://www.lancashiremethodist.org.uk/welcome.htm

zoom

Our friends at Family Friendly Churches are offering, free of charge, weekly prayers, addresses  and a couple of hymns as videos (with words and music) for use within the home. These can be found at: www.ffctideas.org.uk/Corona.php

by Ray

Stephens Letter, Readings and Reflection week commencing 14th June

Dear All

As well as our usual information I include a prayer written by Rev Paul Davis, Chair of the Lancashire District and Superintendent of our Circuit.

In this time across our county and country we pray for the following, for the

Leaders of our government at national and local level. Agricultural community, for farmers and farm workers and all who produce our food. National Health Service and all who work in it and all other key workers. Care Homes, their staff and residents. Airlines, and all who work in travel, hospitality and deliveries. Schools, colleges and universities, pupils, teachers and students. Homes of our loved ones we cannot be with at the moment. Isolated and the lonely and the unwell. Remembering of those we have lost. Encouragement as we emerge from this in a better shape to be servants of the gospel.

Gracious God, we offer these and all our prayers in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Saturday 20th June is World Refugee Day

Readings for the week commencing 14th June – The Glory of the Lamb

SundayMatthew 9:35-10:8Psalm 100*STF 410Lord, your Church on earth is seeking
Monday  John 1:1-18  Psalm 53  *STF 181Of the Father’s love begotten
TuesdayJohn 1:35-51Psalm 54  *STF 350  I cannot tell why he, whom angels worship
WednesdayJohn 2:1-12Psalm 55:1-8*STF 572Author of life divine  
Thursday  John 2:13-35  Psalm 55:16-22*STF 326Jesus comes with all his grace
FridayJohn 3:1-15Psalm 56  *STF 361Man of sorrows! What a name
SaturdayJohn 3:16-21Psalm 57:1-3,7-11*STF 346Christ is the world’s light, Christ and none other  

*Not everyone will have a *STF hymn book so we have put the first line of the hymn alongside so that you can look it up in another hymn book or google it or play it on You Tube.

If you would like some background on the readings and points to ponder please go to https://www.methodist.org.uk/our-faith/the-bible/a-word-in-time/  

You may want to read all three elements at once or others may prefer to space them out during the day – breakfast, dinner and tea. What works for you?  Some may need to set an alarm on their phone so that they don’t forget, while others will not be able to do anything else until readings are read and prayers shared. You will find a pattern that works for you and gives a framework for your day.

by Ray

The Drive & Methodist Churches in Lancashire Remain Closed.

Following the recent announcement to allow churches to open for private prayer from the 15th June the Superintendents of the eleven Lancashire Circuits met to decide a unified response.

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We have decided that at this point we will not be opening the Methodist Churches across Lancashire for private prayer even though we will have the permission of the government to do so.

There are several reasons for this: –

  1. The Methodist Church in Britain has decided not to make any change to its position until after the Methodist Conference has met at the end of June so there is no change in the guidance from the Connexion.
  2. Methodist Churches are places where we gather in community to worship and pray and not a place where we commonly go as individuals. We recognise there has been an increase in recent years for our buildings to be used for 24/7 prayer, but this has often been in specific locations.
  3. The risk assessment for every church has not been carried out.
  4. There are cleaning, distancing, and movement through the building issues that will need to be in place for when we resume to meet together, and these have not been resolved at this stage.
  5. We need to ensure that those opening and managing our buildings are not those in the ‘highest risk’ categories, and we can’t be sure of that at this stage.
  6. The Reinfection rate (R Number) in the North West is the highest in the country at the moment and we remain cautious about the spread of infection in our region.

Paul Davis 10th June 2020

We hope to have more positive news soon and will keep you notified of any changes.

by Ray