Welcome back to a new season.
Mid-September will mark six months of living and ministering in Covidland and we wanted to look back on that as well as forward to the next six or so.
Current conditions are different, so our fellowships need to be different too. Where previously our greatest constraint was where we met, now it is more about how: online or offline; interactively, watching or in person?
Our top priority is that we should all continue to minister to one another according to our own gifts and one another’s needs. These are the ‘services’ we plan:
- Interactive Church on the
GreenScreen, Sunday @ 10am: Usually this is led by Rob using Google Meet or telephone (a London number so please consider any phone charges). At this time you should not think this is limited to just Rudloe people. Consider attending this service if you want to be able to participate more than just watching online allows. - Recorded church, Sunday @ 10am: This will continue the recorded worship and usually Eddie will preach as before summer. From the 20th Sept we hope to stream live from Priory Street with a small congregation in the building, giving priority to those not online. For those attending in person, masks and booking are necessary.
- In person church, every Wednesday @ 2pm: This cannot replace the Mid-Week Service previously led by Eric and team – and we’d like to pay particular thanks to David, who stepped into the breach since Eric’s illness. This will be a small, physically-distanced service, again with priority given to those not online. This will usually be led by Eddie and use the same teaching material as Sunday. However it will be informal and allow room for questions and conversation. Once again masks and booking are necessary.
Small groups
Perhaps most important of all – given the current advice to restrict the number and frequency of people you meet – are the many different small group and individual meetings. Whether by phone call, in person, Zoom, video calls, Whatsapp groups, we urge you all to be in contact with at least a few brothers and sisters regularly. Be bold! Reach out to someone, whether you know them a little or a lot. If you’re really stumped, ask your congregational leaders or leave a message on the office answerphone.
If your small group wants to meet in person and does not have enough space to meet at the recommended distance the Sanctuary @ Priory Street is available. This needs to be booked and virus-limiting precautions taken but we will seek to make it available to as many as we can.
This is our current plan through until Easter ’21 but we will keep all under review as circumstances and Government advice change.
— The Oversight Team
Church on the Farm – this Sunday
We hope to see you back at the Priors’ Farm. Eddie will lead us in communion so please bring your own bread and wine (or equivalent). Afterwards we will picnic and share fellowship – at a suitable distance of course.
The forecast is dry at the moment so we hope there will be no need to cancel but we’ll only be able to do so if you have registered here.
Church on the Green Screen @ 10am
For anyone not able or keen to join together at the farm a warm welcome awaits you at Church on the Green
Evening prayer @ 8pm
Maybe it is easier to concentrate in the evening, after the children are in bed? If you’d like to join a small group, via Zoom, for a couple of Bible readings and to share and receive prayer reach out to Joey, Natalie or use the contact form.
History project
I am currently well into writing an in-depth History of Corsham Baptist Church, 200 years old in three years’ time, including of the village chapels, Biddestone, Moor Green, Velley (Gastard) and Atworth, for which Priory Street was the ‘mother’ church, and would really like anything you might have in the way of:
- Photographs; do you have either old (the older the better) photos of the church or its chapels inside or out, or of people or any past church events etc?
- Documents; have you inherited or have access to old minute books, deacons’ minutes of meetings, or other documents of interest?
- Memories; do you have memories of events from times past that you would be willing to set down in writing?
If you, or someone you know that might not see this notice, has anything that fits this description please contact me via the church office, contact form or directly (details in the church directory).
— Paul G
Response to survey about in-person church activities
Many thanks to all of you who responded to our survey. We’ve collated the results, which you may view here if you’d like.
Coming up…
Activities are starting up again over the next week or so, please contact your leaders for details.