Worship & Notices for Sunday 31 05 2020
Once again, our Circuit Team have been working hard this week to provide ways in which we can share in Worship through technology during the coronavirus crisis. We have added a Notices Section at the bottom of this page to keep you updated of news at Castle and around the Circuit, and of activities that are taking place (usually online!). Please let us know of anything that should be included.
The YouTube channel for Colchester Methodists continues to have videos uploaded regularly. If you follow this link, it will take you there: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy1Oj6Fjruf2Z8jhx_WMpyw
- There is an initial video from Alan, explaining what’s planned.
- There are the Worship Services for each Sunday since lock-down.
- There are several short videos from our ministers bi-weekly under the heading Taking Stock.
- There is also a series of Meditations for Holy Week under the title Witnesses.
We are in the process of creating, editing and uploading a service for tomorrow, Sunday 31st May 2020. This should be available at a normal service time of around 10am.
Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the You Tube channels for Castle and Circuit, also click on the NOTIFICATION BELL ICON, then choose “all” as an option. Then you will receive an email notification each time a new video is uploaded. You can unsubscribe at any time, by clicking on the Subscribe button a second time, and it is all free.
To encourage our ministers and the team, click on the Thumbs Up icon to give a like (or a thumbs down if you really didn’t like it) for each video.
You can also leave a message in the comments below each video, but PLEASE don’t forget that literally EVERYONE worldwide can see this, so don’t make any personal comments, or refer to people in a way that risks their privacy in any way.
Rev Joe Adams is again leading virtual worship at Wimpole Road on facebook live on Sunday at 11.00 am click on https://www.facebook.com/Wimpole-Road-Methodist-Church-Colchester-310296022510387
Alternatively, this page from the Methodist Church Website provides information about live-streamed services and has downloadable service sheets for this Sunday and the coming weeks for worship-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic. This includes resources for personal prayer and Bible Study.
As other alternatives there are Live-streamed services available from:-
Wesley’s Chapel in London which will be available at: www.youtube.com/channel/UCUAUqhmhevz5sqhh72LIMxA Service times are Wednesday 12:45; Thursday 12:45; Sunday 9:45 and 11:00.
Swan Bank Methodist Church in Burslem will also live-stream worship on Sunday at 10:30 the service will be available at www.youtube.com/user/SwanBank and www.facebook.com/swanbank/
Birmingham Methodist District at 10:30 there is a service at https://www.facebook.com/Birminghammethodistdistrict/
Hong Kong International Methodist Church https://www.michk.com the 11.00 am service in English will be live streamed at 3am our time, but should also be available by 11 for us to watch.
There is a digital Sunday school at https://disorganisedsundayschoolblog.com/digital-sunday-school
Public Broadcasting:-
BBC 1
- at 10:00 Pentecost 2020 A Celebration – Members of King’s Church in Manchester mark the festival of Pentecost with a live service from the unique setting of Gorton Monastery. With most faith communities still unable to meet in their own buildings, the former Franciscan friary offers space amid its world-renowned Gothic architecture for a small, but safely socially distanced group from King’s Church to lead a celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit. More information here.
- at 11:00 Sunday Worship – Pentecost: The Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Rev Richard Jackson, leads a service for Pentecost Sunday from the city’s historic cathedral, with hymns recorded by Songs of Praise in 2017. The service was filmed before the closure of all church buildings was announced. You can view the Order of Service here.
- at 13:15 Songs of Praise: Pentecost – The Rev Kate Bottley celebrates Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, and revisits stories exploring the themes of this special day. You can find out more here.
BBC Radio 4
- at 08:10 Sunday Worship : Pentecost – Stephen Gibson leads an Elim Pentecostal service from City Church Cardiff as Dominic and Catherine De Souza reflect on Pentecost hope during lockdown. More details here.
From the Methodist Church Website:-
A Prayer
Good-news God, when you promised Abraham a son in old age,
Sarah responded to the gospel with laughter;
when you promised Moses that you would deliver your people from slavery,
he responded to the gospel by asking “Who am I?” and “who are you?”;
when you promised Mary a son called Jesus,
she responded to the gospel by saying, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord”;
when you promised the disciples the coming of your Spirit,
they responded to the gospel by waiting in prayer;
when you promised Paul that your grace was sufficient,
he responded to the gospel by finding contentment in weakness and hardship.
Good-news God, make me laugh, make me wonder,
make me submit, make me wait, make me content.
Give me new life, give me identity, give me Jesus, give me Spirit, give me grace.
Amen.
Mark Slaney, Chair of Scotland and Shetland District
Circuit Notices for Week Commencing Sunday 31st May 2020.
Sad News
Please remember Derek and his family in your prayers this week following a bereavement.
Drop-in Zoom Café
Now running “at” Wimpole Road every Monday from 2pm to 3.30pm.
Bring your own drinks and snacks! More details here.
Zoom Bible Study Groups
Bible studies are being led on Zoom by Ken and Joe on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. If you would like to join please contact them directly for details. Alan will start a group on Wednesday evenings if there is sufficient interest.
Zoom Church Meetings
Church Meetings will be taking place via Zoom in the next few weeks, please remember these meetings in your prayers.
Zoom Men’s Group Meeting
A Zoom Circuit Men’s Group meeting took place on Friday evening and others are scheduled for the coming weeks. Date and time of next meeting will be posted on the Circuit Website in due course.
A reminder from our Church Treasurers
While our buildings remain closed for all activities, there are still regular bills to be paid. If you are part of an envelope giving scheme, or would usually set aside cash to give as an offering in church each week, could you consider alternative forms of giving? Perhaps online banking, or contributing by cheque or standing order? Your local Church Treasurer would love to hear from you about this.
Radical Presence in Chelmsford Diocese
This free 7-week programme of conversations is now offered to Christians of any denomination in the area of the Chelmsford Diocese. Conversations in small groups take place on Zoom each week for seven weeks at 7:30pm on Tuesdays starting on 9 June. More details will be available on the Circuit Website soon.
For more information about these activities, or to tell us about your news from around the circuit for inclusion next time, please contact colchester.methodists@gmail.com
Above all, keep yourselves safe and well.
Let someone know if you are struggling, if you need a chat, or just some shopping. Do contact your pastoral leader, or send someone an email: you may be in isolation, but you are not alone.