Welcome to the new normal(ish). The last few weeks have been rather frustrating for many churches in that there were regulations banning the singing of hymns and songs by congregations in their church buildings, even if wearing masks and well spaced apart, whilst watching crowds singing at football matches and in pubs to the enthusiasm of TV presenters.
Well it has all changed (at least for now) and after 16 months of not being allowed to, we can (and will) sing in church once again. If you are not a churchgoer or only attend infrequently, this may not seem such a big deal but for many of us, it was a significant loss.
All through the Bible we find people singing. Usually, it is in praise and worship to God, sometimes it is in lament and at other times a cry for help in difficult times. In the Psalms it is sometimes all three in quick succession often in reverse order as the psalmist realises that God is in ultimate control however bad things might at first appear.
Many Christian songs, including some of the newer ones, are based around various Psalms (which is about half way through the Bible) and it is worth having a look at them. A good modern song to listen to is “10,000 Reasons” by Matt Redman (easy to find on Youtube) which starts “Bless the Lord O my soul” which is how Psalm 103 starts.
Music is a wonderful God given gift and we should cherish it.
Water Slide and other Summer Activities
We are planning to put on some summer activities at/outside the church on three Thursday afternoons in August for families, children and young people.
At the first on 5th August at 2pm, we intend to deploy our water slide. The second is expected to be a water fight (so bring water pistols etc.) and the third is expected to involve a large adult rated bouncy castle (which we will manage to prevent smaller children from being demolished by larger ones).
Children under 11 should be accompanied by a responsible adult, those over 11 are welcome to come on their own IF we have a signed permission slip with your contact details. These can be signed upon arrival by a parent/guardian or a form can be emailed to you in advance if you prefer.
We also expect to have ice cream available at these events.
- Thursday 5th August starting at 2pm Water Slide
- Thursday 12th August starting at 2pm Water Fight
- Thursday 19th August starting at 2pm Bouncy Castle
We are proposing to run Youth Club on Fridays at 7pm over the summer and are keen to have new members.
Please just turn up or contact us for more information.
Church and Church Activities
The 11am Sunday morning services, including singing, are more or less back to normal. We are asking people to continue to wear masks at least for a while until the COVID dust settles and hand sanitisation will remain available. We have discontinued streaming the services over Zoom unless we receive a request to do so.
The Tuesday and Friday morning prayer meetings at 8:30am are continuing on Zoom because this has proved better than meeting up physically.
The 1pm lunchtime Tuesday Bible Study meets at the church and is expected to continue over the Summer Holidays except for August 17th, 24th & 31st.
The 7:30pm Tuesday Evening Bible Studies continue on Zoom except for August 17th & 31st.
Mothers & Toddlers will continue to meet during the summer at 10am except for August 16th & 30th.
There is no requirement to pre-book any of the above.
To access the meetings on Zoom, please go to the church website where there is a link and joining information.
If you’d like to know more; or you’d just like someone to talk to; or if we can help in any way; give us a call. Ken & Beck Burgin 01453 827414 or 07511197265 or email: info@EastingtonMethodists.org.uk
www.EastingtonMethodists.org.uk
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