What happens after lockdown?
The Oversight Team met tonight as we have been doing regularly, though as with so many things, this is now online. We wanted to recognise that many of you are missing meeting together and worshipping in church.
We share this desire to ‘unlock’ and have been working on a plan. However, in truth we expect that plan will have to evolve and we don’t know when it will be possible to put it into action.
As you will be aware, the Prime Minister plans to speak on the potential for reducing restrictions on Sunday evening and we will watch and follow as the guidance evolves.
Church on the Green @ 10am
Rob will be leading interactive Bible Study and prayer as last week. You’ll be able to join online or via a standard phone call as follows:
Priory Street – joint service @ 10am
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5tpyZ_6K_hTov2tesd9yTA
- Audio & transcript: https://corshambaptists.org/sermon-intro/
The ‘new normal’ continues with prayer and fellowship – contact your LIFE group leaders for when and how that is happening. Or use the contact form if you’re not part of one but would like to join in.
The observant amongst you will have noticed that we didn’t organise communion last week. So please consider this notice that we will have communion next week (17th).
As before please have bread and wine or symbolic alternatives to hand and we will share in remembering Christ’s sacrifice for us.
Junior Church
Activities for various age groups will be live on the CBC Junior Church channel on Sunday morning.
Missionary corner
Steve and Gill’s lockdown is not so different to normal times as much of their work is encouragement and support for missionaries far from Corsham. However some training this summer, originally to be held in the Netherlands and now to be online, is requiring some adjustment. And please pray for a very long day Monday as they travel to Steve’s father’s funeral and back.
Making Masks!!
Ruth Lancaster is making masks for people in Morogoro and at Sanga and is asking for help from us. She refers us to online instructions. Please click on this link https://www.facebook.com/595420430/posts/10163295672835431/ Martin Sheringham is happy to organise collection and postage to Tanzania!
Souper Fridays
In January we started “Souper Friday”, a free lunch of soup and bread, tea and coffee from 1 – 2.30pm every Friday in Corsham Baptist Church hall. Since the lockdown we have taken this ‘on the road’ in the form of delivering food parcels along with a socially-distanced chat and prayer! We are collecting groceries from local supermarkets to enable this and reducing food being thrown away at the end of the day. This is available to all church folk and the wider community in Corsham, Chippenham and surrounding areas. Please get in touch using the church email or phone if you would like to receive this support, know anyone who would benefit or need anything else during this difficult time eg. prescriptions collected or a paper copy of the sermon.
Additionally, if anyone is able to loan a small chest freezer on a temporary basis we would be most grateful. Thank you.
Coming up…
- There are periodic devotions from Eddie and others published through the week and we are going to send out email notifications from now on.
- Each Wednesday and Sunday at 7pm, Lunn Green will be hosting a live prayer event. This is a great way to feel connected to the wider family at a time when many of us are isolated and under pressure. Please use this link (https://www.baptist.org.uk/Groups/338268/Prayer_broadcasts.aspx) to connect to the event.
- Wednesday 7.15 – 8.45pm Rooted – An opportunity for the young people (year 8+) to catch up and dig into the Bible together.
- Friday afternoons Deeper – This study group runs fortnightly virtually, and is made up of older youth/young leaders (by invitation).
- Friday 6.30-7.45pm Connect – This group launched last week virtually, and is for (year 7’s). It is an opportunity for the young people to enjoy some fun social interaction, as well as focus in on God through prayer and Scripture.
- Sunday evenings 7.15 – 8.45pm Impact – A youth club that runs weekly and virtually, where the young people can come together online, hang out, have fun, & deepen friendships.
VE Day
For resources to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) on 8th May 2020 please visit https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/worship-resources-ve-day-2020
Local Community News…
Whilst we appreciate these are not Corsham Baptist Church matters or activities, given the nature of current circumstances and the different situations in which people in the congregations find themselves, we thought these might be of help to some folk…
- Allington Farm shop are doing deliveries if anyone is needing that. They seem to have plenty of slots available.
- AgeUk are doing regular phone calls to the elderly for a chat and to check up on people (‘assurance’ phone calls is what they call them!) on 0808 196 2424
Email: enquiries@ageukwiltshire.org.uk & you can phone up to refer people to them. - There is also a new ‘Daily Hope’ free phone number created by our ‘Faith In Later Life’ project/Archbishop of Canterbury and others, for people to choose from hymns, prayers, talks etc whatever denomination or of no faith on 0800 804 8044
- Corsham town council & other volunteers in Corsham to the extent of Wadswick Green location are willing to help with food shopping & deliveries, medication deliveries etc:
- Town Council – 01249 702130 towncouncil@corsham.gov.uk
- Corsham Connections – drcbaker@hotmail.com
- Corsham Link (transport for medical appointments but will also delivery prescriptions etc) – 07884 887105
- And there are others willing to volunteer to help people according to your location etc on the Wiltshire Council support directory – http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/downloads/22069 (No longer valid as of Dec 20)
- Wiltshire Council has provision for helping those who need deliveries or any other issues with isolation at the moment – wellbeinghub@wiltshire.gov.uk 0300 003 4576
- They’ve also set up a list of resources for people during lockdown (keeping active as well as for those who are disabled, mental health, creative ideas & activities, etc) – scroll down each section to get past the stuff for children! http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/leisure-active-communities
- The Richmond Fellowship (there’s a branch that meets at a church in Chippenham) has set up phone calls etc for people who want someone to talk to on Telephone: 01380 724833 Email: wiltshirereferrals@richmondfellowship.org.uk