Dear Friends,
Well it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for – some with great excitement (my kids are champing at the bit at the thought of going to Lights again!), others with a measure of apprehension. Because to paraphrase Ecclesiastes 3, just as there’s a time for lockdown, there’s also a time to reopen again… and that time is fast approaching. That’s right – after months of lockdown, church is back!!
What’s the plan?
This and the following Sunday Services | 17th and 24th October
Church will be online as normal. The 8am congregation will continue to meet via zoom with 10am and 5pm live-streamed “live” from the building. If you have been double vaccinated and are living on your own and feeling isolated, you are most welcome to come along at either 10am or 5pm! Please bring your mask and vaccination certificate (which are legal requirements to enter the building).
Prayer Meeting | Wednesday, October 27th at 7:45pm
We will gather as a church onsite for the first time in ages for our next prayer meeting (assuming we’ve reached the 80% vaccination rate by then). After what we’ve been learning from 1 Timothy about the priority of prayer in God’s plans to save the world through faith in Jesus Christ, this is a very fitting start to the new phase of our life together.
Sunday Services | Sunday, 31st October
We will start gathering weekly again onsite across all congregations (8am, 10am & 5pm) with a special designated area for vulnerable people in the building. Further details to follow.
Discipleship Groups
We are able to start meeting together again (fully vaccinated adults only and up to 10 visitors in the home – i.e. not counting hosts). We want to leave it to you and your group leaders to decide on what will work best for your group within the rules.
Group Leaders: if you have space issues and would like to use the church buildings, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Amanda. Note that the rules will likely relax further from 1 December.
LIGHTS
Plans to open again from 29th October.
What we’d like to ask from you now?
Please pray to our Heavenly Father for the anxious, for wisdom for leaders (secular and in the church), for a smooth and safe restart to our gatherings, and that many more might join our gatherings and come to know the Lord Jesus as we open up.
Please know that we have been thinking carefully as a team about these plans to ensure everybody’s safety and well-being (and have a bit of covid experience up our sleeve this time).
Please come! We fully understand that not all of you will be able to make it at first and will be continuing to livestream our services. But we do want to encourage you to come if you can.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
In His grace,
Mike Clark